Let's go round again
Chapter Three
It was almost two hours later when Ruth got back to the hospital. She'd been quite taken aback when Harry had almost begged her to get him out of the hospital and back home; in the past she'd become accustomed to his total disregard for his personal well being and his dismissal of any medical advice that was given to him but this was something new. Time seemed to have somehow defeated, submerged the old Harry Pearce. Yes, this was something different, there was was an almost pleading tone in his voice and it disconcerted her so much that after she'd calmed him down she'd gone in search of the young male nurse who'd been so kind to Harry earlier.
"He's very upset" she'd began "He tells me that you're threatening him with a geriatric ward, surely that can't be right? I'm thinking that he's got it all confused in his head and he's misheard."
The young man had looked at her, his face a picture of pity and understanding "The pressure on beds in horrendous" he'd started to explain "And I hate to say this but Sir Harry is over the age limit for a general medical ward; we don't have any private beds at the moment and we need to move him out of this department. We want him to agree to the move or we may have to get Social Services involved and my guess is neither of you want that? But the bottom line is he can't look after himself and won't be able to for at least the next few days. I'm sure that he could cope with the pain, by the look of him he's been in the wars quite a lot in the past but he's not as young as he once was and he really needs someone to look after him. I don't want to put any undue pressure on you but I must put the welfare of my patient first; whether he likes it or not."
"He was in the Army" the young man must have seen the damage that years of service to his country had inflicted on his body. "He served on the front line for a long time, he …..."
"I thought it must have been something like that" the young man answered "He's most certainly been through the mill. Some of the scars are horrendous. I think if you don't mind me saying so he must have been a very brave man."
"He still is" she said "And I'm taking him home" the decision had been an easy one in the end. What was a couple of days out of her life? Harry had sacrificed such a lot in the past; he was owed something for that and if part of repaying that debt was a little of her time so be it.
As she sat in the car gathering her thoughts she glanced down at the passenger seat and there sat the keys to Harry's house glinting in the light cast by the hospitals neon security lights. And for one moment as she looked at them they seemed to be mocking her. Mocking her because in the end she'd allowed her feelings for the man to over ride all the things that good sense was telling her to do.
His expensive Saville Row suit jacket had been mangled and torn during his contact with road and edge of the pavement during his collision with the rickshaw, his waistcoat, grey silk tie and shirt were covered in blood and his trousers were completely wrecked both as a result of the accident and the nimble use of surgical scissors wielded by the nursing staff as they'd cut them from his body while gaining access to his damaged legs. In short they were fit only for the dustbin. Harry didn't seem that concerned about the loss of his suit and shirt but definite shades of the old Harry Pearce had come thumping to the surface when the nurse who had come to complete the paper work for his discharge told him that he would have to be discharged in one of their hospital gowns and a blanket.
Even as the young woman was explaining it to him Ruth was watching him, waiting for the explosion and he didn't disappoint, he let rip in the manner that she remembered and soon the young woman was close to tears and she'd had no choice but to step in.
"Enough Harry!" she barked at him, startling all of them "What do you suggest instead? Walking out of here in your birthday suit? Or maybe I could run you up something from some black bin bags? Come on Harry please share your thoughts with us."
He'd had been pulled up short by her outburst and seemed to be genuinely sorry as he mumbled an apology to his young victim before he'd reached awkwardly into the draw of the locker beside his bed and pulled out a notebook and a bunch of keys. Holding the pen awkwardly he scribbled something on one of the pages which he tore out and handed to her. Looking at it she saw that it was an address in one of the best neighbourhoods in London along with what she guessed was the code to his alarm.
"What do you expect me to do Harry?" she asked as she held the piece of paper firmly in her hand.
For a moment she thought that he was going to explode again but maybe something about her face told him that now would be a good time to back off because he said quietly and calmly "I would be grateful Ruth if you would go and collect some things so that I can exit this establishment with what little is left of my dignity in tact. And I would be grateful if you could do it as soon as possible."
The nurse had followed her out of the room where she thanked her for calming Harry down. Once again Ruth found herself with the overwhelming urge to defend him but she managed to control herself this time. This was really all getting out of control. How could he turn her whole world upside down in a matter of hours?
"I would recommend" the young woman told her "That you bring Sir Harry some nightwear, pyjamas and dressing gown would be good. We've given him some pretty strong medication and by the time you get him home he'll be a bit sleepy and he's a big man to try and undress and get ready for bed on your own. But if he's already dressed for bed..."
As it was when she'd got to his house she found that she couldn't quite bring herself to pack him pyjamas, the fact that the only pyjamas she'd found were a couple of pairs that were still in their wrapping stuffed in the bottom draw of his wardrobe seemed to tell her that he wasn't a pyjama man so she'd settled instead for a pair of loose fitting bottoms and a short sleeved tee shirt along with a pair of well worn leather slippers and a dark blue stripped dressing gown. She'd been very self restrained when she'd been in his house and fought down the urge to snoop around although she had taken in the neatness of the place. It had a blandness about it that was sad and depressing and she got the distinct impression that this was not a house of warmth and laughter. She'd slipped into the the spotless kitchen opening the fridge and a few of the cupboards and found that her guess as to the state of them was correct. Her eyes were drawn to a pin board by the kettle were a note had been placed it read
Sir Harry
This is to remind you that I'll be away a total of eight weeks. That means I'll be back (here a date approx five weeks away had been inserted). This is the number of a domestic agency who would be able to supply you with a short term housekeeper at short notice; I know you told me over and over again that you will cope but please think about ringing them.
I have left meals for two weeks in the freezer but you will have to shop after that. Please try and eat some fresh fruit and vegetables as well as the inevitable take aways!
Thank you so much for my bonus it will come in very handy during my holiday.
Yours
W. Evans (Mrs)
She'd been strangely gratified that he at least had someone who cared enough about him to leave him a note like that but when she'd done a quick check of his cupboards and fridge she was not surprised to see that he'd not taken heed of the advice. All she'd found in the fridge was a very sad looking piece of cheddar some spring onions that looked as though they were on their last legs and a half eaten pork pie. The cupboards were a little better if you were prepared to live on a diet of tinned tuna, tinned tomato soup and baked beans. And she wasn't!
Walking in room seven she could tell that Harry was in a mood. He looked at her with baleful, accusing eyes as she placed the holdall on the bed.
"Well pass it here!" he snapped at her "You know I can't bloody reach it down there and where the bloody hell have you been? I've been sat here like a spare prick at a wedding. I thought I told you to be quick!"
She passed the bag to him "It's nice to see you too Harry" she said sweetly all the time itching to give him a piece of her mind. "I'll just go and see about your discharge while you get changed and we can talk about things on the way home."
"Home, yes home" he repeated as he looked at her; his eyes softening as they did so and she was reminded of the glances and the lingering eye contact that had bound them together in that invisible web they had wound themselves in way back when.
Refusing to acknowledge her thoughts she excused herself and went in search of someone who could discharge Harry and give her some information about what she could expect in the next couple of days; she was no Florence Nightingale but she was determined to do her best for Harry if only for old times sake.
She'd begun to convince herself that things might not be too difficult, the Staff Nurse she'd spoken to seemed to think that Harry should be "up and about" in a couple of days and within a week or ten days he should be well enough to take care of himself. She did give her a leaflet about what signs to look for following a head injury but assured Ruth that she thought it very unlikely that Harry would need further follow up care.
She'd accompanied Ruth back to the side room as she need Harry to sign the Discharge Against Medical Advice form and both of them could hear him shouting from the corridor. Taking a deep breath Ruth pushed open the door to find Harry pacing or rather limping up and down the bed space. The next issue was his actual exit from the hospital, it seemed that it was hospital policy that all patients with head injuries had to be taken out in a wheel chair. Ruth was quite prepared for the outburst and waited quietly in the corner while he ranted and raved before she stepped in
"Just get in the sodding chair Harry, or so help me I'll leave you here!"