Returning from the hospital canteen with a hot cup of coffee, Charlie found herself yawning uncontollably for what seemed like the hundreth time that day. She'd been staying most nights working on a surprise for Ruby with the help of Ross, Morag, Leah and almost everyone else in the bay. It had been weeks since the accident and with the progress Ruby had been making in physio, her doctors decided that she could continue her recovery in the comfort of her own home and was being discharged that evening. Charlie reached Ruby's room door but stopped outside when she heard Geoff and Ruby talking inside.
"I can't say I'm surprised. I always had a thought in the back of my mind that you would eventually follow this path. I just wished it would be further down the track", Ruby said sounding disheartened.
"Rubes, it's nothing to do with you. Being a missionary, it's something I've always thought about doing and seeing all you've gone through, it's made me realise that there are a lot of people out there who need help who aren't getting it and I want to be the one who they can turn to", Geoff stated matter of factly. "Ruby I love you, and I wish the circumstances had been different, but this is something I need to do".
"I know, I want you to do this, if it's what makes you happy. Who know's, maybe one day we'll be reunited", Ruby said through a nervous tear filled laugh as if what she was saying only lived in fairytales.
Charlie's heart broke for her daughter as she listened outside the room. But at the same time she was incredibly proud of how dignified Ruby was being about the whole situation. Just then Geoff opened the door and walked out into the corridor looking upset but at the same time relieved at how well Ruby had taken it. Charlie smiled at him, and he smiled back. She was disappointed that he and Ruby had broken up, but at the same time she realised he was doing it for reasons she couldn't argue with. Geoff was a good man and she was grateful Ruby had been blessed to have had him in her life. Even if it was brief.
As she watched Geoff disappear down the corridor she took a swig of her coffee and walked into Ruby's room and looked at Ruby as she wiped away the last of her tears. Picking up the tissue box on the table at the end of the bed she handed a tissue to Ruby and sat on the edge of her bed stroking her arm. Ruby looked up at Charlie and gave her mother a reassuring smile that she was okay. Charlie responded by smilin back.
"You seem at peace with the decision", she said cupping Ruby's hand in hers.
"I am. I'll admit I didn't want Geoff to leave. But this is something he has to do you know, and I don't want to stand, or wheel, in his way", Ruby said with a mock laugh, "He deserves to be happy and maybe it'll give me the opportunity to focus on myself and my recovery".
"I'm really proud of you, you know that", Charlie said giving her daughter a comforting hug. "Hey, this should be a happy day, you're finally breaking out of here", she said sarcastically.
"Oh God, I know. I can't wait to get home to my own bed. Even just being home with you and hanging out with Xav, Nic and Annie. You know I never realised how much I could miss that", Ruby said matter of factly.
Charlie smiled as Ruby thought of all she missed while she'd been confined to the hospital. This was the longest she'd ever been in and she could safely say she never wanted to see another hospital in such a serious basis for the rest of her life. Ruby looked up at her mother who had a big grin on her face and she noticed the twinkle in her eye. She knew that look, it ususally meant Charlie was hiding a something.
"Well I'm glad your looking forward to going home so much because.......I have a surprise for you", Charlie said excitedly.
Ruby's eyes lit up. She could feel the curiosity building inside her and she was just about to beg Charlie to spill when Rachel walked into the room holding Ruby's discharge.
"Good news, I've talked to your cardiologist and all the physio has excellerated your recovery from your heart operation, your physio is overjoyed with your progress and the dietician is very happy with how you're managing your diet for your diabetes. In all I'd say you've been a star patient" Rachel said as she checked off Ruby's medical chart. "Now if mum here will would sign on the dotty line you are free to go".
Charlie took the discharge form from Rachel and signed the bottom of the page smiling at Ruby when she was done. She could see her daughter almost bursting with joy when she realised that she was now officially free. Rachel laughed as Ruby let a small "yes" and gestured out the door for the male nurse to come and help Ruby. Within seconds the nurse walked in with Ruby's new custom wheelchair.
The new wheelchair offered Ruby a more comfortable seat and better back support. The bars were purple one of Ruby's favourite colours and there were no arm rests in the way of Ruby pushing the wheels. The chair also provided a smaller set of back wheels connected to the back which would allow Ruby to lean back and manage steps with less hassle. It also in Ruby's opinion made it easier to rate a boys rear end for a different angle.
The nurse lifted Ruby into his arms and placed her in the chair, adjusting the foot rest to match her her height for comfort. Charlie smiled at Rachel and thanked her and walked down the corridor after Ruby who was in a rush to get out of there and find out what her surprise was. When they got to the car Charlie opened the passenger door and watched in awe as Ruby, using the door frame and the passenger seat, lifted herself into the car and placed her legs one after the other into the car. Charlie meanwhile folded up her chair and put it in the backseat and then climbed into the driver's seat.
"Soooooo, what's my surprise?", Ruby asked before Charlie had a chance to draw breath.
"You'll just have to wait until we get home to find out", Charlie said, her smile growing as Ruby looked at her with a pleading look.
Ruby couldn't contain her excitement. She was dying to know what her surprise was and no matter what she did she couldn't get the answer out of Charlie. Ruby was lost in her own little world as she stared out the window. But she was snapped out of her trance when she noticed Charlie had taken a different route and driven down a street she had only ever been down a couple of times all the while she had been living in Summer Bay, but it was a street she remembered liking because of it's proximity to the beach and homely feel.
Charlie pulled the car up into the drive of one of the houses, a white house. Ruby turned and looked at her in confusion. Charlie smiled back at her and then got out of the car and removed Ruby's wheelchair form the backseat and walked around to the passeneger side and unfolded the chair placing it beside the car and opened the door helping Ruby into the chair. Once Ruby was in it, Charlie closed the door and proceeded to push Ruby's chair up to the front door and then fondled the keys until she found the key she was looking for.
"Mum, what are we doing here?", Ruby asked looking at her, really confused.
Charlie opened the door and pushed Ruby inside....
"SURPRISE!!", everyone shouted when they seen Ruby enter the living room.
Ruby looked up in shock and looked around the room. It was completely decorated with new furniture and and photo frames dotted around of Charlie, Ruby, friends and family as well as portraits on the walls and a plasma screen television. Charlie watched her daughter look at everyone, including Ross and Morag, and everything in shock. Then she pushed Ruby from the living room down the corridor and stopped outside a door with 'Ruby's Room' on it. She opened the door and gestured for Ruby to go in.
After looking at everyone, Ruby wheeled herself into the room, which could only be described as shabby chic, and began to cry tears of joy. Charlie walked into the room and kneeled down in front of her daughter and smiled at her.
"Welcome home baby girl", she said as the two Buckton women engulfed each other in a tight embrace.
