Born To Fly - Part 30
Christine was perched on a grey plastic, uncomfortable chair at her wife's bedside. A fixed beeping noise reverberated the fretful ambience, sourced from the many machines connected to the sleeping woman that constantly monitored her and her baby. The tension lay thick in the air, tastily dense. The brunette teen was settled opposite, wide eyes bursting with concern that trickled through her entire posture. Tom had popped out to the canteen, desiring a shot of caffeine.
Doctors and nurses meandered in and drifted out at regular intervals. Checking obs, monitors and switching drips when required. Occasionally, two or three accumulated in the confined room, shuffling to the corner and conferring between themselves in a low murmur. Brows furrowed with apprehension, features creased with anxiety. All had anticipated that the victim would have regained consciousness, arousing from her sleepy state. Yet worryingly, she hadn't.
One had rested tenderly on top of Nikki's hand, the other stroking her locks with an odd kiss planted onto her forehead. The silky pad of the headmistress's thumb traced pattern on her icy hand. So tentative and soothing. The indefinite wait for her to wake was agonising. Positivity was slowly beginning to fade.
A gently tap on the door alerted her attention as a young female in ceil blue scrubs entered, "Mrs Boston, there is a Miss Donnegan here requesting to see Nicola..."
The blonde frowned, hints of exasperation bubbling inside her, "I thought I said no other visitors except for myself, Eve and Tom." Her tone was bland, energy levels insufficient to motivate dealing with the irritatingly stubborn multi-millionaire.
"Yes, we are very aware of that. I apologise sincerely for disturbing you. But Miss Donnegan is refusing to leave without seeing Nicola. Shall I contact security?"
"No, no." A shake of her head followed as she hauled herself to the feet, "That won't be necessary. I'll come talk to her." She stepped towards the door, glancing again at her lifeless lover, "I won't be long." She whispered to her step-daughter, inhaling a sharp breath and strolling in the direction of the unwelcome visitor.
She cleared her throat and folded her arms across her chest, dark orbs narrowed and bitter, "Lorraine. What do we owe the pleasure?"
"I want to see Nikki." The benefactress flicked her luscious locks away from her face, golden curls bouncing in a cascading ocean down her back.
"She's asleep."
"Well then, there's no reason why I can't see her." Lorraine stepped to the side, attempting to dodge her obstruction but the older female blocked her path sharply, "Anyway, shouldn't she be awake by now?"
Christine dipped her head, the floor gaining some sudden interest as her eyes pooled with threatening tears. Her response was mere and muted, "Yeah, but she hasn't come round yet." A short pause, "I should really go back in there. And just think, she's not exactly going to want to see you when she does wake up is she?"
She twitched her shoulders in the approximation of a shrug, saucy red lips pursed, "How do you know that?" She laughed humourlessly, "Look at you. Look at you acting like the perfect, loyal wife at her bedside. I wonder if you would be so keen if you thought she wasn't quite the faithful, truthful woman you believe?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" She retorted, head shooting up as she glared ominously.
"You're an intelligent woman. I'm sure you'll work it out. What do they say?" Her harsh cockney accent halted momentarily as she thought, "You never really do stop loving someone once you've fallen in love? By the way, you're clearly doing something correct, Nik never used to like wine before." She laughed wickedly and smirked, peering through the petite glass panel in the door before strutting off.
Fuelled with provoked anger, the blonde's fist was about to collide with the plastered wall. Thoughts whirled around her mind. Was any of this true? Was Nikki having an...affair?! Before her clenched fingers were able to touch the wall, a firm grasp restrained her hand. It was Tom.
"Hey! What's happened? Why aren't you with Nik?"
"Lorraine came demanding to see Nikki." Teeth gritted, her jaw began to pulsate, "And implied that Nikki is cheating on me. What if she is? How have I been so stupid not to see it. She's been acting...strange...for a while. It all adds up." She threw her palms to her face and raked her fingers through her tousled hair.
"Mum?!" A gasp floated from Eve's dry lips, fists rubbing her bleary orbs as she suddenly became more awake and vigilant. Tiredness that succumbed her body had vanished. Nikki's hand had twitched. Just a tiny little movement. But she was rousing.
"It's okay, just try to stay still and calm. You're in hospital." The adolescent's voice was tranquil and soothing, hand clasped around her mother's as she gently removed the oxygen mask from her face when she started to display more signs of consciousness.
The beeping monitors were garbled with a voice that she was yet to identify. It was familiar. The bleeping was already getting on her nerves. Her whole body ached tremendously and any minor attempt of movement created searing pain. Her head was fuzzy and heavy, vision blurry and hazy. She tried to piece together previous events that lead to right now. But she couldn't.
She coughed. Only know did she realise how dry her throat was. Parched. Another splutter; she yearned for a drink. Gradually, her orbs fluttered open for the most briefest second. The light was dazzlingly bright. It took another few blinks for her to adjust. Greys ceilings and bright, yellow lights. Not so familiar.
"Hey..." The brunette couldn't fixate on anything for a great stretch of time, but she twisted her head to the side slowly and was able to make out the figure of her daughter who was speaking. Just sat there smiling warmly. Her memory was starting to return.
She sipped gratefully at the glass of fresh water offered with a straw, "You're in hospital. You were kidnapped and stabbed in your right leg. They operated on you and patched you up, though." The words were difficult to process, swimming around in her head.
"Eve...you...you're still here..." Nikki mumbled wearily, azure eyes already flickering shut as she attempted to stay awake. Her daughter was one of the last person she expected to perceive. Where was Christine? "I'm..so s-sorry." Clumsily, she squeezed the mini brunette's hand.