As Time Goes By

Chapter 12

Joey raised her head and blinked through the dust which was falling around her. Something warm and sticky ran down her face, tickling her cheek, but as she tried to move her arm to brush it away, she felt a restriction. She pulled her arm as hard as she could and dislodged some bricks.

"Charlie!" She choked.

Joey listened but got no reply.

"Charlie!" She called again, but this time more urgently.

Still she heard nothing.

She mustered all her strength trying to push herself into a sitting position instead of lying face down. More bricks and dust fell about as she moved and her head began to spin as she levered herself up. When the world stopped revolving, she glanced about her. The room where they had stood previously was transferred into a shell; wallpaper hanging off the wall, gently flapping in the cold December breeze and pictures which had hung straight, now listed badly to one side. A lovingly polished dining room chair lay on its side with a leg torn away by the blast and a cage containing the still body of a blue budgerigar lay, up-turned a few inches from Joey's legs. Joey opened the cage door and put her hand inside and gently picked up the little body, still warm but quite dead. She stared at it in wonder, regarding its beautiful blue feathers and was intrigued by its tiny little eye lids, now tightly closed.

Tears began to fall from her eyes and she sobbed still looking at the little creature in her hand. Her body shook and the wet, sticky substance touched her lips.

"It's Mrs. Smart's place!" Someone outside shouted. "I don't know if she's in there or not."

"Young Roger's run down to give the Civil defence the wire." Another voice said.

Joey's head began to whirl again and she felt sick.

"Are you alright love?" Someone said.

"I can't find the Christmas cake!" Joey said, wiping the tears and a trail of blood away from her eyes.

"Don't you worry about the Christmas cake, love. We'll get you out of here in no time."

***

Joey opened her eyes and she saw a white ceiling. She lay for a while studying it and traced a long crack which ran from right to left, with her eyes. Another colour caught her eye to the side. It was a light green colour and it was wavy. Almost like the waves on Whitstable beach as they rushed over the pebbles.

"Charlie!" She called. "Charlie!"

Suddenly, the waves on the beach parted and a woman in a white starched uniform stood by her side.

"Hello." The uniform said. "How are you feeling?"

The voice was joined by a cool hand placed upon her forehead and Joey closed her eyes for a moment enjoying the comfort that it brought.

"I have a headache." Joey managed to say.

"That's to be expected." The uniform said. "Now, you just close your eyes and rest."

"But Charlie... "

"Just rest, dear." The voice advised.

Joey closed her eyes. She felt so tired and though she fought against the powerful feeling, she lost the battle and slipped back into the arms of Morpheus.

***

Joey felt something warm and moist on her lips. The feeling was remarkable but too soon it stopped. She tried to speak, her lips moving slightly, but the wonderful feeling never returned before she fell back into unconsciousness.

***

Joey could feel something in her hand. She moved her fingers slightly and something tightened around them. It was warm and soft and Joey's fingers curled around it, enjoying the security it offered.

"Charlie."

"I'm here." A voice replied softly.

Joey opened her eyes slowly and a vision of an angel stood over her. The angel's eyes were the colour of sapphires and her lips were pink and smiling and white teeth peeped out from behind them.

"Joey, darling. How do you feel?"

Joey looked into the beautiful face which spoke the words.

"Bertie."

"No, it's Charlie."

"He's dead."

The angel didn't say anything and so Joey tried again.

"Bertie was in my hand. But his feathers were so beautiful. Just like your eyes!"

Once again, she felt the warm moist feeling on her lips but this time, her own responded, by moving and trying to cajole the sensation into staying. A cool hand touched her cheek and the voice said,

"I love you, Joey."

***

The next morning, Joey was awoken by the sound of something like pots and pans be banged about. She opened her eyes and saw a large expanse of room before her. She raised her head a little to get a better view, and though her head clanged like it had a giant bell inside, she could see quite clearly that she was in a hospital ward.

"Good morning, Miss. Collins. How are you feeling this morning?"

Joey looked up to see a Staff Nurse standing in front of her.

"Good morning." Joey said, with half a smile. "Why am I here?"

"You received a server head injury three days ago. You've been in and out of consciousness ever since. We have given you sedatives to keep you calm, but I think the worst is over now. The Doctor will see you when she makes her rounds later. Do you feel hungry?"

Joey considered the question and replied.

"Yes, I do rather."

"Good. I think a nice milky pudding is what you need. Try and drink as much fluid as possible. A nurse will bring you something to eat in a few minutes."

The staff nurse was about to leave when Joey called her back.

"Nurse, I kept having dreams about a beautiful angel when I was unconscious. Was there anyone with me at anytime?"

"Well, you've had several visitors, so it could have been any one those."

Joey frowned. She hoped it wasn't a dream and that Charlie wasn't really an angel.

***

Later that day, a bell rang in the ward and footsteps could be heard as an array of strangers walked into the ward and greeted their loved ones. Joey shifted herself a little to try to see the entrance door and saw a vision of beauty walking towards her. The vision had the most wonderful smile on her face and a bunch of flowers in her hand.

"Joey!"

"Charlie. You're not really an angel, are you?"

Charlie checked behind her back.

"No. No wings!" She giggled. "How do you feel darling?"

Joey sighed.

"Much better now I know you are real and not a vision! What happened?"

Charlie looked down at their hands which had become entwined.

"Doodle bug!"

"It got us then?"

"Well and truly. I thought I'd lost you for a day or two." Charlie said, squeezing Joey's hands.

"Are you alright?" Joey asked in concern.

"A few cuts and bruises and I've lost my big toe nail!" Charlie grinned. "I'd have lost a lot more if I'd have lost you, my love."

Joey smiled at her angel.

"What about Colleen?"

Charlie cast down her eyes for a few moments.

"Charlie?"

"She died." Charlie said sadly. "They found her under heaps of rubble, clutching a photograph of that son of hers."

Charlie stopped speaking as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, Joey!" She exclaimed and put her hand to her mouth to smother her sobs.

Joey squeezed her other hand compassionately.

"She didn't have much of a life, did she? One half of the community ignoring her and the other half laughing at her. I suppose we were as bad. I can't tell you how sorry I feel. I just wished we could have got to know her better."

Charlie nodded in agreement and took a deep breath trying to control her emotions. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her eyes.

"I hope she didn't suffer." Charlie said sadly and then looked at Joey. "I'm glad you're back with me!"

"How long will I be in here? I was supposed to be on that course!" Joey suddenly remembered.

"It's alright. They've been informed. I don't think you'll be going on any courses this side of the New Year!" Charlie grinned. "After you leave here, you're coming home with me until the Doctor says you're fit enough to go back to work!"

Joey smiled at Charlie's authoritative voice.

"Yes, nurse!"

Charlie smiled down at her girlfriend.

"Charlie, did you kiss me when I was unconscious?" Joey asked quietly.

Charlie smiled broadly.

"Did you feel it then?"

"I did! And it was wonderful. I remember thinking to myself, 'please don't stop!'

"If the curtains were drawn, I would kiss you again and for much longer!" Charlie whispered.

"Well, what's stopping you from drawing them?" Joey challenged.

Charlie looked about her anxiously and then chuckled. Why was she worrying? She stood up and pulled the curtains around Joey's bed and when she was quite certain they couldn't be seen, she bend over and placed her lips on Joey's and sensuously moved them about and smiled as she heard Joey softly moan at the pleasure she was bestowing.