CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Morag was looked over by the doctor and was told she could go home. Morag got dressed and went to Laura's room.

" How is she?" she asked Dr. Armstrong.

" The swelling of her brain has decreased quite a bit and the effects of the alcohol has completely worn off. She's in a stable condition."

Rachel left the room and Morag took her hand in hers. It was warmer than it has been. Laura's eyelids started fluttering madly.

Laura tried to opened her eyes but they felt as though they were glued shut. Her whole body screamed with pain and her head was pounding. What happened to me? She wondered. She felt someone holding her hand, she couldn't speak so she squeezed the hand instead. She then heard someone call her name.

" Laura?" the voice sounded faraway as she struggled to cry out. There was something stuck in her throat and she gagged trying to get words out.

" Open your eyes Laura." The voice urged and she tried.

I can't. She wanted to cry, it hurts too much. She forced her eyes open. Her vision was blurry but could vaguely make out a person sitting next to her bed.

She tried to speak but the thing down her throat stopped her from doing so. That's when she realized there was another person standing on the other side of her.

" You have a tube down your throat Laura. Just relax and I'll get it out for you." The voice told her. The tube was pulled out-that part wasn't pleasant

Laura licked her lips, they were dry and cracked, " W-water," she rasped and the other person held a glass to her lips as she drank.

" What happened?" she asked as her vision started to clear. It was Morag who was sitting next to her. She looked around for her son but he wasn't around.

" We were in a car accident you've been unconscious since yesterday." Morag answered, " Don't you remember any of it?"

Laura tried to think back. She remembered sitting in a car with Morag but after that, her mind was a complete blank.

" You were worse off than me, I'd been afraid-" Morag didn't finish her sentence. She urged to herself to fulfill the promise she had made to herself. But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

" Where's Jacob?" Laura asked after a moment of silence.

" He's at school, I can call him if you want."

" No…I want him to stay at school. He can come afterwards." Laura turned to the doctor who was checking her vitals, " when can I go home?"

" Not after we've done a few tests. We might need you to stay here overnight."

" But…I have to go home.' Laura protested, " I only have three days left to spend with my son."

The doctor only just smiled apologetically before he finished and left the room. Laura sat up but the room spun sickeningly around her.

" Morag…I have to get out of here. I'm losing precious time with Jacob."

Morag nodded and patted her hand, " I'll see what I can do." She said before leaving the room also.

Jacob arrived at the hospital to find her mother not in her room. Her bed was made.

He ran back to the desk, " Where's my mother?" he demanded one of the nurses.

" I'm sorry, who?"

" My mother…Laura Tate."

" Oh…she's off having a couple of tests done, she'll be back soon."

" You mean…she woke up and no one called me?" he frowned at her.

" I'm sure someone did…" the nurse didn't know what to say. Jacob was about to head back into the room when he saw Morag walking down the hallway.

" Why didn't you call me when she woke up?" Jacob demanded her.

" I was going to, but your mother insisted on you staying at school." Morag shrugged. She's just about had enough of this young man's attitude.

" When she is getting out of here?"

" Not until tomorrow afternoon I'm afraid. I tried talking to the doctor about getting her discharged but-"

Jacob didn't want to hear anymore, he went back to her room. An hour later, her mother returned, in a wheelchair.

" Mum!" he exclaimed with relief when he saw her. She looked pale, thin and her forehead was covered with a bandage.

" Hi son." She smiled when he kissed her cheek.

" I'm so…bummed that you won't get to home until tomorrow." He said, " we would only have three days till Dad comes."

" I know sweetheart. We'll just have to make the most of it won't we?"

" Can't I take the days off from school and spend it with you?"

" We'll see." His mother smiled at him, she looked tired.

Morag's phone rang then and she talked briefly. " Well, since Jacob is here, I'll be off."

Laura nodded as she was helped back into bed. " Thanks Morag."

" For what? I didn't do anything." Morag didn't want to leave but something had come up.

" Just for being here."

" Yes well…I'll come by tomorrow and pick you up." Morag left the room and Jacob sighed.

" I don't know why she insists on hanging around."

" Jacob! She's been a good friend and I think you ought to lose the attitude."

" Mum, she's the one who almost killed you," he reminded her, " Don't you remember anything? She was the one was driving."

" I know but it was just an accident Jacob." She pointed out. She tried to remember what happened before the crash but came up with nothing. The doc had assured her that her memory would return.

" What do you want to do when you get out of here?" he asked, changing the subject.

The keys dropped from her hand and they both knelt to retrieve them when their hands brushed together. Laura glanced at her friend and in a split second decision, she planted a kiss on Morag's mouth!

Morag was stunned as she felt the woman's lips on hers and her first instinct was to recoil, but she didn't. Instead she found herself returning the kiss-tentatively.

Laura was jolted awake when someone walked into her room. She had fallen asleep when Jacob left. She had dreamed that dream again-the night she kissed Morag. Nothing had been resolved between them.

Things had changed now, they were back to being friends again but Laura had noticed Morag had not let go of her hand until Jacob arrived. Laura had felt something between them.

Or maybe it's all a lost cause. She thought bitterly.

" Mum? You ready to go?" Jacob asked. She glanced at the clock and realized it was well after 4pm.

" I have to get dressed first." They had made the decision that she was going to discharge herself, against the doctor's orders. She wasn't going to lose anymore time with Jacob. She hadn't told Morag the plan either, she'd only try and stop her.

" Well, hurry up Mum or someone will come." Jacob said impatiently.

Her body still hurt like nothing else she had felt but she tried to move fast. And within five minutes, they were out of the hospital.

" We did it." Laura grinned at her son as he called for a taxi on his phone, " We make a good team you and I."

Jacob nodded in agreement. He knew the three days with his mother would fly by and that Friday would come quickly.

He had to come up with some plan to get out of it.

Morag went to visit Laura before visiting hours were over for the night. It was almost eight and she was sure Jacob would be back home. She did not feel like dealing with him right now.

She walked into her room and was surprised to find the bed empty and made. She walked back out and asked one of the nurses.

" Laura Tate?"

Morag nodded, " in that room." She pointed.

The nurse flipped thorough the book, " Oh, here she is. She discharged herself today at 4pm."

Morag stared at her dumbfounded, " She what?"