Continued: It's Christmas! HApPy HappY JOY joY!
Chapter Twelve
"Mr. Branson?"
There was no response. He was obviously deeply asleep. She wasn't sure how, he didn't look at all comfortable. He was sitting on a wooden chair not far from his daughter's bed. His chin was on his chest and he snored slightly from the angle that he was positioned.
He had stayed all night again. Like he had every night since his daughter was badly hurt by the accident. Various people brought him changes of clothing over the time, but he hadn't left for more than an hour or two at a time from his daughter's bedside.
She admired him greatly. And felt his pain at the insecurity of the situation. Sybbie was showing slight signs of improvement but she hadn't fully woken up yet.
The Doctor had discussed his concern about this with her, but she wasn't sure if he had discussed it with the girl's father.
She tried again.
"Mr. Branson" She spoke a little louder this time.
He stirred a bit but didn't wake up. She approached him and shook him gently by the shoulder. His eyes snapped open.
"What is it? Is it Sybbie? Is something wrong?" He looked panicked.
"No. There's no change in her condition I just didn't want you to get a crick in your neck." She stood back and watched as he stretched and yawned.
"Thank you Nurse Becker. I appreciate that." He pulled his chair closer to the bed and took his daughter's hand.
He sighed as there was once again no response from her.
"Merry Christmas Mr. Branson"
He turned to look at her and smiled. He had forgotten what day it was.
"Thank you Nurse Becker. You can just call me Tom, I figure we're well acquainted enough by now. Merry Christmas to you as well." He looked exhausted.
"Well, if I can call you Tom you may call me by my proper name as well. It's only fair." She smiled at him, testing.
"Well then, Merry Christmas Lillian." He smiled again. She had been a rock for him while he held his vigil and was one the nurses who frequently tended Sybbie.
She laughed. "You do know my name."
"Of course I do. I notice things." He had noticed more than just her name. He thought she was a very attractive woman despite her head scarf and the plain nursing uniform she wore. Her face was plain, but pretty. It was hard to gauge her age, but she was very well spoken and intelligent so he assumed she must be older than she looked.
"Of course you do. Most people call me Lily." She noticed him staring at her now and she knew she blushed slightly. He noticed it too. "I brought you something..."
She pulled a wrapped box out from the cart that she had pushed into the room. She handed it to him and he took it hesitantly.
"Just a little something from me. It's not much, but I thought you could use it."
"You shouldn't have." He looked at the package gratefully. "I didn't get you anything."
"It's okay. I just thought you might like to have a present to open on Christmas morning. It's really nothing much." She was actually a bit embarrassed by it. Surely his family must buy him splendid gifts and this would dull by comparison but she wanted him to know she was thinking of him.
He pulled gently at the strings that held the brown paper around the box. The paper fell away and he lifted the top of it carefully. He pulled out a square item wrapped in more brown paper, he turned to her and smiled genuinely after tearing the corner of it open.
"You brought me a sandwich?"
"I'm sorry. There's a few apples in there too, and some cheese." Her cheeks flushed deeply. "I know it's not much. But I see that you're not eating properly."
He stood up and put the box on the bed beside Sybbie. The nurse looked like she was ready to bolt out the door but he grabbed her and pulled her into a quick hug before she did.
"It's lovely. I really do appreciate it. You are so kind. And I do admit I am a bit hungry." He just smiled at her. Eventually she smiled back.
He went to the other side of the room and picked up another chair and brought it to the side of the bed and told her to sit. He would only eat the breakfast she had brought if she agreed to share it with him. Lily declined at first, she was on duty technically but it was rather slow that morning. So she sat.
Tom split up the food and passed her a share using the brown paper as a plate. She smiled shyly at him as they both started to eat.
It was silent for awhile. They both chewed their food and stared at the girl on the bed. Willing her to wake up. But she just lay there silently.
Eventually Tom broke the silence.
"So how did you get the lucky shift of having to work Christmas day? Surely you must have family to spend it with." He sat leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his head was turned to her as he bit into his apple.
She sat up a little straighter in her chair and held what was left of her breakfast in her hands. She glanced him in the eye nervously.
"No. I volunteer for the shift. I don't have any family to speak of. It was just my mother and I until about ten years ago. My father died in the war. My mother was a nurse during the war but she caught the flu just after and she was never really healthy again. I looked after her until she died and then I came back to nursing here. And here I am."
She was actually surprised at the words that tumbled out of her mouth. Normally she was reserved around people, but there was something about this man that made her feel comfortable. She liked how he wore his feelings on his sleeve. She was used to keeping hers bottled up. She had to in her line of work. People weren't usually in the hospital for a happy occasion.
"My late wife was a nurse at the hospital here for a time." He wasn't sure why he had said it. He didn't often speak of Sybil these days. Unless to his daughter.
He looked to his Sybbie and carefully swallowed a bite of apple over the lump in his throat. He missed talking to Sybbie. He missed his best friend. The piece of her mother that he had left.
"I know."
Tom looked at her surprised. She went on.
"My mother worked with her during the war. And I knew her too. I was just a young girl but I helped out here when I could. There was a lot to do, such a horrible time. She was an amazing person Tom. We were all so lucky to have known her." By instinct or some reason she didn't know she reached out to touch Tom's arm.
By some reason he couldn't explain either he covered her hand with his and smiled at her.
"We sure were the lucky ones weren't we?" He had tears in his eyes but they shone with the glimmer of a smile he had left. "We'll have to speak about her sometime. If you don't mind."
"I don't mind. She was wonderful. I think she's the reason I became a nurse. She taught me that I could do whatever I wanted, so I sort of did. And after Mother died, I just came back to work here. I needed the money to pay the rent and I just haven't left."
"You're a very good nurse. And I am so grateful to you." He squeezed her hand. He really did feel better after eating the food. And to have met someone who knew Sybil? Merry Christmas.
"Thank you." She slowly pulled her hand back. She could feel her palms sweating and was getting nervous about it.
They both sat awkwardly for a few minutes. Nervous glances back and forth between them.
Tom was staring at the bed when he thought he saw the barest twitch of Sybbie's hand. He leaned forward a bit and stared at it hard, willing what he thought he had seen to be true. Lily noticed his change in demeanour and looked to where he was staring so hard. She saw Sybbie's hand jump at the same time he did.
Tom jumped up, grabbed Sybbie's hand and stood over her holding her hand tightly and clearly feeling her trying to squeeze his hand back.
He looked back quickly to Lily, daring to be hopeful. She moved closer to him and stood over Sybbie as well.
The girl lying prone was licking her lips and trying to swallow hard. She did a few times and eventually struggled out the briefest of questions. Her voice was dry and raspy but it was heard as clearly as if she had shouted it.
"Dad?"
"I'm here Sybbie! I'm here!" He looked at Lily who was tapping his arm.
She handed him a glass of water but his hands were shaking so badly he spilled most of it before he had even moved. She took it back from him and pushed him gently out of the way. She leaned close to Sybbie's head and spoke clearly for the younger girl to hear.
"Sybbie? My name is Nurse Becker and I've been taking care of you. You've been in an accident and I need you to stay very still for me okay. You're waking up, but you're very injured so I need you to be completely still alright?"
Sybbie whispered. "okay."
Tom was surprised at the change in the nurse's attitude. She had seemed so shy and vulnerable a few minutes ago, but now she snapped into Nurse mode and handled it with the ease of experience.
"I'm going to give you a drink of water now. Don't gulp. Just sip and swallow carefully." She held the glass carefully to Sybbie's lips and with the calmest of hands carefully poured some water into the girl's parched mouth.
She repeated it slowly until the glass was mostly empty and she waited to make sure the girl had swallowed it and not aspirated any of the fluid into her lungs. Her breathing remained clear and steady. This was good.
"She should be able to speak more easily now. You can talk to her." She turned back to Tom who had a look she couldn't describe on his face.
She stepped back and let Tom take over the position close to Sybbie's face.
"Dad? I can't see." She was trying to lift her hand up to her face but she was so very weak. Her father took her hand. She definitely squeezed it with a touch more strength than a few minutes ago.
"It's because you have bandages over your eyes darling." Tom spoke to his daughter softly. "You were very hurt. Do you remember what happened?"
She was silent for a moment. She licked her lips repeatedly.
"We were on a ship. Going to England."
Tom looked back at Lily with a questioning look to her.
She pulled him back from his daughter. Out of her earshot.
"She did sustain quite a head injury. We can expect there to be some memory loss but it may return in time. It's hard to tell. We have to give her time. Don't pressure her. Just keep talking to her and bringing her around. I'm going to go get the doctor. I'll be right back."
She turned to go but before she did Tom picked her up in a tight hug and lifted her right off the ground. She squealed in surprise and he set her down with a huge smile on his face.
"She's awake Lily! Merry Christmas!"
"Talk to her!" She pushed him back towards his daughter and turned to go before he could see how deeply flustered she was. She hurried off the find the Doctor.
Tom leaned close to his daughter again.
"I'm here Sybbie."
"Can you tell me something?" Sybbie's voice was still raspy but it was definitely stronger now.
"Of course." He wasn't sure how much he would tell her about the accident. He didn't want to shock her if she didn't remember.
"Is she pretty?" The barest giggle came out of Sybbie as Tom let out his breath.
"Yes she is. And don't you dare tease me right now. You've given me the scare of a lifetime!"
"Why am I in the hospital again?"
Tom didn't answer right away. It seemed like she didn't remember the accident but he knew she was probably very confused.
"You were in an accident. Do you want some more water?"
He avoided the question longer by repeating the task he had seen Lily doing a few minutes earlier with letting Sybbie have a drink.
She was awake. Merry Christmas.
To be continued...