Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Lessons Learnt
Chapter13
"You know you have to let someone in some time Mol."
She turned and looked. She was taking time out in her favourite place. On the roof of the shitters. She didn't think anyone would see her but here was Elvis, proof he always had eyes on.
"Yeah?" She then turned silently to him as he sat down next to her giving her a cup of tea. "So you heard from Georgie lately?" she cruelly asked.
"Nah. Don't know what I'd do if I did. I liked her. She was a bit mad. Thought I could handle that…...but…MAD." He scoffed at his foolishness. "Have you?"
"God no. Last time I saw her I was pushing her out my front door. Have to say though I miss the mad cow. Haven't forgiven her but miss her."
"Yeah. I know exactly what you mean there Mols. You heard from Charlie Boy?"
"No. Why should I? That's all over with." It was now his turn to be
cruel.
"Really? But you're still in love with him. I know you are."
"Leave it Elvis." She warned. This conversation was over.
It had been a good tour. The missions that they had undertaken had gone textbook. Everybody was happy. It had however, as usual been a very long eight weeks away in blistering heat and unpleasant living quarters. The whole squad were delighted that they were returning home to the UK for the foreseeable future in the next 24 hours.
During this time away Elvis and Molly had really bonded. They had bonded because of the experiences that they had shared both before and after the tour. Elvis had become a really good mate to Molly. But she knew he still had some feelings for Georgie. Just like he knew she was still in love with Charlie. This is where both their personalities were similar. Neither of them were willing to make the first move in love. Both believing the Army should claim all their time and attention, and therefore they should just remained unattainable as far as love was concerned.
During her tour Molly had thought of Charles often. She really tried not to. Tried hard to push him out of her heart. They never spoke or text or had any form of contact since that day in the church yard. Well that is apart from the one letter that Molly received via Elvis.
Charles had wrote to her, what he hoped was not his final love letter. In his beautiful hand writing and with the penmanship of a scholar he poured out on every page his love for her. His belief in them. That he would wait out because without her there was no life. She was his life. He loved her and wanted to be with her. When she came back home they needed to be together and start living a life together. All Molly had to do was say yes. All Molly had to do was reply to his written words of love and tell him she felt the same way. All she needed to do was write to him of her love.
She didn't. Not many women could turn down an offer of a life time such as the one she received. But Molly did. She was frightened. Enjoying her job. Living a life she wanted and so she didn't write back. And now seven weeks later she was heading back home and deeply regretted her single minded action. Regretted not grasping Charles' plea when offered. Regretting that she had not been brave enough to take that leap, to trust. So as her time hiding her emotions away was coming to an end she knew it was too late. She had repeatedly hurt Charles, ran away refused his offers. She had missed her chance to try again. It was a hard lesson to learn.
The journey home, just like it was from each and every hell hole she had ever been in was hideous, but because it was taking them home no one complained. Despite bloody painful numb bums, headaches from the plane's engines and general bumps and bruises! It was therefore with stiff joints that the team walked through the arrivals lounge. Not looking like the fit athletic young soldiers they were, but more broken and exhausted specimens.
"I don't Adam and bloody Eve it." Molly said.
Elvis' head turned to where she was looking and there stood the one person she never would have expected to meet her off a flight again.
There standing alone. Looking nervous and terrified by their reception was Georgie.
"Georgie". Was all Elvis said. Molly didn't grace her with words. The look she gave Georgie was enough to show her how she felt.
"Look guys. Please. Shit I'm not here for me. It's Charles. There's been an accident. He's in a really bad way guys."
Georgie explained it all to them as she drove them to the hospital.
"He's been like this for a week. I first I didn't know anything about it. It's only when I read about in the newspaper. I then called Elvis' parents and they confirmed that it was Charles."
"So how bad is he then Georgie?" Elvis asked.
"He's bad. I'm not too sure. Obviously I haven't been in to see him. Because you know I'm nothing to him. You guys know that don't you. I just knew that I had to let you know and get you to see him as soon as possible." She then looked into the back seat at Molly. "He'd want you Molly."
Since Molly had heard the news she had actually not stopped crying. Charles had been involved in an accident at the school. It would appear that there had been a fire. Charles had bravely gone in to get some of the younger pupils out who were panicking. It was then that his injuries occurred. A piece of the ceiling appears to have fallen on top of him and he was found unconscious by the fire crew minutes later. Georgie said that was all she knew and that he was still unconscious.
It was vital therefore Elvis and Molly got to the hospital as fast as they could.
They both raced down the corridor and saw Charles' parents standing outside in the corridor being consoled by Elvis'. Both sets of parents turned round with the sound of the thundering combat boots on the hospital floor.
"Elvis! Oh thank God you're here, you're back. We didn't know how to tell you" Charles' Mum said putting him into a tight hug, followed by his own mother.
"Sorry Mrs J didn't know anything about it. Georgie here told me. We've just got back."
Molly hid behind Elvis, but when his mother claimed a hug she was visible to them all. Mrs James said.
"Oh Molly? Hello nice to see you." Crazily polite in such a sad setting.
"I'm so sorry Mrs James." She looked through the glass window where Charles was lying in the bed being tended to by the nurses. He looked vulnerable, alone, unreachable. Wire and tubes adorned his body.
Elvis piped up asking the question she so desperately wanted to ask but now knew she had no place to ask.
"Tell me what's happened? What's going on"
Elvis's mum lead Mr and Mrs James over to a seat and sat both him and Molly down. Georgie silently withdrew from the group. She was not wanted here. She was not wanted anymore by any of them. Her task to make a small amends was now over.
"It seems that when the debris knocked him unconscious he inhaled a lot of smoke. They are concerned about the long term damage to his lungs. But what is more concerning is despite all tests he is just not waking up. He's been unconscious now for over a week. Because of the smoke damage they are having to help him breathe but that is all. It's just like being asleep."
"How long will he be like this for?" Asked Molly not trusting a voice to carry.
Mrs James looked at her.
"Oh Molly love they don't know. They have no idea why he isn't waking up. Apart from that he has a very badly broken leg, ribs and shoulder. There's also concern about the wound he has on his face."
Molly glanced over her shoulder. She could see her Charles lying there with a machine helping him to breathe, drips coming out of him and a big bandage swaddling half of his beautiful face.
"Is it a burn?" She asked. "How bad?"
Molly knew about burns she knew how devastating they could be.
Through fresh tears Mrs James explained that the burn was deep. There was a concern about infection too.
"Oh my beautiful boy they don't know if his vision will be affected… say that he will be permanently scarred for life."
"Can we see him?" Elvis asked?
"Of course dear. Only two at a time."
Elvis walked forward to Charles' room but Molly held back. She was unsure if she should be there. She was nothing to Charles any more in their eyes. She was no longer his girlfriend. In fact last time she actually spoke to Charles over eight weeks ago she had pointedly told Charles that she didn't want to be anything to him.
Elvis reach the door handle, he turned round and saw Molly had hesitated.
"Come on Mols."
"I don't know." Said Molly. " He might not want me."
Mrs James came up behind Molly and gently put her arm round her. Her cuddles feeling just like Charles'
"It's alright you don't have to if you don't want to. But I know Charles and I know he would want to see you if he could. He's in love with you know." Molly looked down at her regulation boots and made them move towards Charles' bed.
Seeing Charles lying in the bed ventilated, so dependent on the machines around him, being so badly hurt, was a sobering sight for the two friends. Elvis held onto Molly's hand, squeezing it. Knowing the dark thoughts she was thinking.
"Come on Molly, he's a fighter; he will get better." Molly knew that, or chose to believe what Elvis had said. The alternative was just too dreadful to contemplate.
Over the next three weeks Charles made some improvements in that he no longer required ventilation, nor developed an infection to his burns, but he still did not recover consciousness. There were no true organic reasons as to why he did not wake up, the doctors were out of theories, sometimes they said it just happened. A harsh but true situation that all had to accept. Charles was not waking up.
Elvis tried to visit every day with Mr and Mrs James, his Charlie Boy had very little time alone. All his visits consisted of him talking about their lives and past adventures, hoping that today would be the day that Charlie Boy woke up. It was no hardship, Elvis like talking, and he liked talking especially about himself. His tales often had the James' laughing, something they didn't do enough of lately, and sometimes the tales had them shaking their heads in mock despair.
Molly visited every day too, and her visits were very different from Elvis' She visited Charles at night so nobody knew of her visits and nobody saw her. At least that is what she thought. The nursing staff constantly monitoring their patient Charles James let his parents know of Molly's nocturnal vigils. She didn't talk to him constantly whilst she was there. Sometimes she played music, songs that they had listened to and had enjoyed. Other times she just sat by his bedside holding his hands and gently stroking his fingers. Each and every time she left she kissed him on the forehead and whispered into him;
"Come back to me Charles. Please. Wake up. I love you."
It was towards the end of three weeks of Charles' slumber that Molly and Elvis were instructed that they had a mission to attend and left within hours. Neither of them having time to say goodbye to Charles. Both terrified that they may not get to see Charles awake ever again.
The friendship Molly and Elvis had only strengthened over their concern and love for Charles. Both seeking comfort in each other's company especially at night when one can feel the most lonely. They would spend hours sitting and talking to one another. Despite their generally sad topic of conversation Molly and Elvis enjoyed an easy friendship, a friendship that was not to dissimilar to the one Elvis shared with Charles. Both had similar sense of humours. Elvis truly did feel happiness in her company. Often find himself seeking her out most of the time.
Elvis knew that Molly loved his mate. Elvis knew that his mate loved Molly, and he vowed that when Charles woke up, and Elvis was sure he would wake up, he would make sure that the two then tried again.
As for him and Georgie his time with Molly had shown him just how uncomplicated a girl could be, how pure love a relationship could be and this is what Elvis realised he now finally craved.
It was during one of these moonlight chats between Elvis and Molly that Elvis received a call.
"Bloody hell…. that really scared the life out of me." Said Molly. They booth saw the caller ID at the same time and froze it was Charles his father calling.
"George?" Elvis said desperate to hear what news he was going to hear, but hoping that it was not the news both him and Molly feared. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh my God Elvis you won't believe it….. he's only bloody gone and woken up. Just like that, as though he'd just been napping."
Elvis and Molly hugged one another. Excited, delighted, thrilled. Charles had made such a significant improvement, he was a fighter they all believed him to be. He had come back to them. As Elvis ended the call with Charles' father he appreciated his next task. To get him and Molly home to see Charles. His next mission he would have great joy in achieving he thought as he watched Molly's beautiful face streaked with tears of happiness.
It was only afterwards, as he was walking back to his tent, thinking of those moments of him and Molly sharing physical contact, out of pure happiness, that it struck him. He'd enjoyed her touch, responded to it even, although he knew she offered it in a friendly way only. She was a special girl, she was also an incredible girl. A woman, the woman his best mate was in love with. This wouldn't do he thought to himself. Elvis Harte need to wind it in. As he watched her walk away from him he couldn't believe what he was thinking.
He couldn't get out of his head...he too was in love with Molly Dawes.