Chapter 10 The great escape

Leaves will fall again, wind comes crawling in
The rain with all it's sin captures me again
The words with trough my wave fills my soul with pain

It was the next day. Stevie sat in the car just staring out of the side window, while Regan was driving. The McLeod gazed a few times to her redheaded friend, who seemed to be lost in her own little world. 'Wanna talk about it?' Stevie looked up. 'Nah ...', sounding a bit blue. There was no sign of the energy she had yesterday when they got back to Drovers. 'You're sure?'

It stayed silent and it made Regan questioning a lot of things; Alex, Riley. Yeah Riley, she got some information from Jodi yesterday and she wondered if it was true. 'Who are you thinking of, Alex or Riley?', she simply asked. Stevie looked at her right away and Regan gave her a quick gaze. 'Both ...', she sighed.

'What's going on between you and Riley?' 'Nothing.' But Regan could hear that Stevie wasn't telling her the truth. 'Righto, if you don't wanna talk about it, just say so, but have you been with him or what?' Stevie thought for a moment, eventually deciding it would be better to get it of her chest. 'Yes, okay!' 'So what .. you kissed him?' The silence afterwards said enough. 'No way ... you slept with him?"

Stevie felt like she was trapped, caught. 'Yeah, okay I slept with him, only once, that's it. I was a mess.' Regan looked at her and figured it upset her and tried to sound comforting. 'It's ok, what's wrong with it anyway ... though you're partners ...' 'Business wise it wasn't that good of an idea', Stevie added when she started to stare out of the window again.

'And love wise?' Stevie moved her lips like it would make it easier to speak. 'I'm not in love with him, at least I don't think so.' 'You're still in love with Alex'. It was a statement that came out soft but clear. Stevie gazed, sighing deeply. Those stupid tears were welling up in her eyes again. 'Yes', she looked at Regan, seeing a sad but comforting face.

'You told him that yesterday, did yah?' Stevie nodded heavy, feeling the first tear leaving her eye and she brushed it away as quick as she could. Regan reached out her arm to give a supporting touch on her friend's knee. 'It's okay'.

In the hospital ...

Nurse Carter was pushing a television on a high rolling table into Alex' room. She had just washed her patient and had heard the latest news. The video recorder was set and Carly gave it a last look before turning to Alex. She stroked some parts of the sheets and checked the drip. 'Well, big guy, pay attention. I wanna see your eyes when I get back with yah.'

And she knew she wasn't the only one. His family-in-law had visited regular, his wife of course, his friends. A soft smile appeared on her face. He had great friends, and she knew there were more out there waiting for him to get better. His father had visit quickly, though he seemed like a busy man. His mother ... and the blonde bloke who almost lived in the waiting room or corridor lately seemed to have constant phone calls with his brother and his sister-in-law in Argentina.

Lucas had a quick talk with Dave, than turned his attention to Stevie. 'You're sure you wanna do this alone?' She nodded. The doctor agreed, it was probably the best to have only one 'person' in the room, and Stevie seemed to be the right person for it after yesterday. Fiona and Trudy were sitting on some chairs watching the conversation. 'Calm down, honey. He will get better.' But Fi couldn't suppress the constant feeling of jealousy. It was her husband!

'Well', Carly came out of the room, 'everything is set. Are your ready too?' Stevie breathed in. 'Yes, I am', though she was scared for him waking up, but also scared that he wouldn't. She couldn't really think straight. 'Don't worry, we'll keep a close eye on him', Lucas said supporting. He had good hopes for Alex to wake up. Like it seemed he had left the deep coma phase yesterday, he could wake up anytime soon.

Stepping inside the room felt like ages to Stevie. She could feel her heart beating, speeding up with every step. She took the remote control of the video recorder and sat down next to Alex his bed. She stared at him and moved a bit forward. Her fingers touched his forehead softly, and for a moment she brushed through his hair. 'You said you needed her', she couldn't fight back the tears saying it. 'This is all I can do to bring her back to you.' She so hoped Claire's voice would do.

I got down on my knees and pray
I was calling, calling, calling to heaven

She sat back and looked at the screen. There we go, she thought. The video started to play, and Stevie could hardly watch it. She couldn't watch her old friend. On such moment she so wanted her here. It was not much later when she could hear Claire's voice, starting to talk to her baby girl. Stevie had taken Alex his hand in hers and squeezed it, not looking at him, just closing her eyes. It felt like she constantly mumbled 'please' to herself, but it was only Claire's voice she could hear.

'Claire', it was soft, hardly sounding like a complete name. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but it shocked Stevie up. Did she really hear that? The doctor had told her there hardly was a chance for him to speak right away. She squeezed his hand, staring at him. 'Alex?' She could see his eyelids trembling, and his face starting to move a bit. He blinked and the whiteness of the room overwhelmed his view. He could hear Claire's voice, not really identifying her words, only the sound of her voice. It felt like heaven, was he in heaven?

He blinked again and could feel someone holding his hand. He carefully looked towards it, seeing his view becoming clearer with the second. The white smoothly pushed to the background, red taking over. This was not heaven.

'Stevie?' She looked even more intense at him, tears dropping of her face, even onto his hand. She sighed deeply, saying his name, before she started to smile through the sadness of the tears. 'Alex, you're back', the girl uttered. When she said it Alex had turned his eyes to the screen. He saw Claire holding Charlotte, watching it; he finally realized it was a video.

From an empty face, the smile whipped away
Eyes that never see, blind the deepest me
"Act a small share aid", words you can't explain.
Silence louder than the doubt, lingers in the sound

Alex looked at Stevie again, seeing her holding his hand, seeing her upset face. The fact he stayed silent scared her for a moment. What if he didn't want her here? 'You're in the hospital', she uttered, 'you had an accident and were in a coma.' It slowly got through to him, the surrounding, the situation and he watched the screen, watching Stevie again and he softly smiled at her. Stevie could feel her whole body light up, that smile meant so much to her. She squeezed his hand again.

Though Alex had realized he wasn't in heaven, not anywhere near Claire, her voice and Stevie's presence had calmed him down. She had brought Claire to him to make him better. It was the only thing he knew.

Alex felt his head starting to hurt a bit and wanted to touch it with his left hand. 'Wait', Stevie said, ' I will get the doctor.' She let loose of his hand and stood up, a bit confused. 'Don't go anywhere ...', making a movement with her hands that he had to stay where he was. Than she turned around and it made Alex smirk. Like he could go anywhere?

My anger into space, almost found his way again
Questions to embrace, feelings that you face in this holy land
Desert made of quicksand
Streets that lead you there, places of your fear
Some force pulls you in, the shadow world

But than it got through to him when he saw her walking away. The memory started to come back.

By the time I made the great escape,
I was falling, falling, falling from heaven

Stevie turned around to look at him when she got to the door. It was like she felt it. She could see his expression change, and a confused look was taking over his eyes. It was the same look he had when he found out she lied to him.

Every picture that I drew
I saw you falling, falling, falling from heaven

He watches away, back to the screen ...

If you just talk to me ...
If you just look at me ...
We'll be all right

Ilse de Lange – The great escape