Chapter 27
Maxine was awakened again by someone shaking her arm.
"Huh?", she mumbled in a sleepy voice.
"Max! I'm getting married and I'm still in this bloody bed. I've to get out of here! Why is my leg in a plaster cast?", Kate said in panic, shaking Maxine's arm.
She took a deep breath and noticed it was no longer dark outside.
"Hey Kate. No worries. You just broke your leg, that's all"
"I just broke my leg? That's all? Oh, my God! What am I going to do the day after tomorrow?", Kate almost shouted.
Maxine ignored it and continued, "The doctor said you could go home today if there were no complications".
"Thank God! That's something! But what am I supposed to do? I have to warn Dylan! I should have checked everything today! And where's Nikki?", Kate rambled.
"Kate, he knows that. I called him yesterday. You don't have to worry."
Kate looked at her bewildered, "Yesterday?", she asked.
Maxine felt it coming, "Uh, you broke your leg yesterday and slept all night".
Kate turned as pale as the bedsheets, "But….then my wedding will take place …. tomorrow?", she concluded flabbergasted.
"Uh, yes, but we will work something out. Everything will be fine", Maxine said firmly to try to sooth her.
That did the trick and she calmed down, probably because those were the shitty words she wanted to hear at that moment.
"Are you sure?", Kate asked with childish innocence.
Maxine winked at her and patted her hand, "Absolutely!"
Shit, I feel so bad about having to lie to her. But it's for a good cause.
"Listen, the doctor will be here soon and tell you that you can go home", she said, smiling.
Kate seemed to notice the bad weather outside for the first time. The rain banged against the windows.
"Uh, with this weather?", she asked, frowning.
"Oh, it's just a rain shower", Maxine said lightly.
"Ah, then there's still a chance", Kate concluded.
"Yes".
No, love, it's pouring down since last night.
Kate looked at her friend, "Max, did you go home? You look like you came out of the laundry basket".
"Kate, I stayed here all night. We're going home together", she said.
At the same time, the doctor entered, "Ah miss McGregor, I see you are awake. How are you feeling?", he asked.
She looked at him bewildered, "Doctor, I want to go home!"
He gave her a smile, "I do believe you, but first I would like to know how your leg is".
She looked at the plaster cast then at him, "I don't feel any pain, but what happened?"
"You broke your leg, a double fracture, your tibia and fibula. That means six weeks in the plaster cast and then we'll take an X-ray to see if everything is going well. For me, you can go home as long as you don't lean on your leg and raise it as much as possible", he said.
She nodded, "Okay doctor".
"I'll get the papers ready for you to leave and moreover, I wish you a speedy recovery", the doctor said before leaving.
He had barely gone out when the door swung open and Nikki almost tumbled into the room.
"Hi ma'am, Hey Kate, how are you?", she asked, putting down a bag.
"Hi Nik. How I am? I'd be lying if I said I'm fine, then I'm lying", she answered.
"Oh? Does your leg hurt?", Nikki asked worriedly.
"No, my leg doesn't hurt. That's not what concerns me. The fact is I'm getting married tomorrow, remember?. I'm still here and I can't walk and I have a thousand and one things to check", Kate said irritated.
"Nikki, Kate can leave the hospital . They are getting the papers ready right now", Maxine said.
"Oh! That's wonderful. Come on, let's go!", she replied enthusiastically.
"Yes, why wait any longer!", Kate said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and that's when she realised that the plaster cast on her broken leg stopped above her knee and so she couldn't bend it.
"Oh no! And now this. I can't even bend my leg! What am I supposed to do? I can't even use crutches", she said, looking desperately at her friends.
"A wheelchair", Maxine said deadpan.
"A wheelchair?", Kate spat out in disgust.
"Have you a better idea?", Nikki tried clumsily.
"Uh…", was the only sound Kate could make before she broke down, trying to hold back her tears.
Nikki put her hand on her shoulder, "Hey, you can go home and you get married. Everything else doesn't matter".
Kate looked up and smiled faintly, "Yeah, you're right. Being in hospital when I should stand at the altar would have been worse".
"And…I brought you some clothes", Nikki said, showing her the bag.
"Clothes? Yes, of course. I only have my uniform here", Kate mumbled.
"Hey? It's mine", she noticed in surprise when she saw one of her dresses.
"Exactly! One day you gave me your key just in case, remember. And now is the opportunity. I also brought a pair of mules and a raincoat, of course. And plastic".
"Plastic?"
"To cover your legs and the plaster cast, otherwise you'll be soaked before you reach the car", Nikki added.
"Just a rain shower?", Kate asked Maxine with a raised eyebrow.
"I…uh…think that I'll go get a wheelchair", Maxine said, pointing to the door.
"Okay, let me help you put on that dress", Nikki said.
Later that day, at Kate's. Maxine and Nikki had tried to calm Kate down, to make her rest, but in vain. She was sitting at the table, surrounded by papers, files and her smartphone. They only managed to make her rest her leg on a chair. She was checking everything for the wedding the next day. Everything was fine, except the weather. It was still raining. Dylan arrived in the afternoon. Nikki opened the door and saw him, dripping in his raincoat. "Oh, thank God, you're here!", she said.
"Hey Nik, Kate is home, I hope?", he asked as he entered.
"Yes, she's in the living room", Nikki answered.
He put his visor cap on the shelf, took off his raincoat and enterd. "Hey sweetie, how are you? Hi ma'am", he asked her and greeted Maxine.
"Oh darling, I'm glad you're here", she said, wrapping her arm around his neck and kissing him.
"And?", he asked.
Kate shrugged, "It doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm stuck with this for the next six weeks", she said, showing him the plaster cast.
"It doesn't hurt. It is the most important. How did it happen?", he asked, sitting down.
"I slipped with my white shoes on the gangway. Stupid", she said with a shrug.
"But the worst part is that I'm going to get married in a wheelchair".
"Listen honey, things could have been worse. We're together and we are getting married tomorrow", he said, patting her hand.
"Yeah, but the weather?".
"Well, the weathermen think the cyclone will move eastwards and it will be dry tomorrow. This is the latest weather report", he said.
Kate rolled her eyes, "I really want to believe you. It have to, because I can't find a location for the party anymore. It's all set up for a lawn party. We only have a few pavilions", she said desperately.
"Honey, believe the weathermen. It will be right", he said with a broad smile.
She smiled and nodded.
Suddenly, something came to her mind, "Max? What about my ship? Who will take command of her?"
"No worries, Kate. Nikki will act as CO and Dylan will be her XO during your sick leave", Maxine said.
Her answer seemed to calm Kate down because she leaned back in her chair and nodded, "Indeed, that's the best you can do".
Dylan went home to get his suit and he stayed at her home to watch over her.
The wedding day.
Unfortunately, the weathermen were wrong. The cyclone slowed down, it was pouring down and it was cold.
Maxine and Nikki showed up early to get Kate ready for her big day. They had both brought their wedding outfit in a suitcase.
Dylan placed four mugs of coffee on the kitchen table and sat down as well.
"What did you say about the weathermen?", Kate asked sarcastically, watching the rain bang against the windows.
He shrugged his shoulders, "Don't try to understand. The weather is not an exact science. These are only forecasts".
"Jolly good!", she grumbled, taking a sip of coffee.
Finally, they managed to dress Kate in her wedding dress. They had wrapped plastic around her plaster cast and covered her in a raincoat. They even had a rain cover adaptable to the wheelchair. Dylan wore a trench coat over his ceremonial uniform. Nikki also donned a long raincoat and a pair of heeled boots. It wasn't pretty under a long dress, but she had chosen the comfortable side. Maxine was more optimistic, she had only put on a light raincoat and held an umbrella. Her bare feet in strappy sandals were soaked within a minute.
The ceremony at the chapel went well, but the reception that followed was a flop. Everyone was trying to take refuge in one of the pavilions. Dresses, suits and shoes were soaked. The barbecue food was already lukewarm before the guests returned to their seats. Everyone was trying to get soup or coffee to warm up. Dylan and Kate were returned home faster than everyone thought. He carried her inside, placed her on their bed and sat down next to her.
"And?", he asked her.
She looked at him frowning, "Do you really dare to ask that?"
"Yes".
"Oh darling, you have a lot of nerve, don't you?"
He chuckled.
"I really don't know how I haven't burst into tears yet. We're married and everyone has been kind to us and we've received lots of great presents, but those are the only positive things. Everything else sucks! It was supposed to be the most beautiful day of our lives and it was downright washed away. And it continues. We can't even make love with this stupid plaster cast….", she ranted, but she was interrupted by his kiss.
"Ssshhhht! We're together sweetie, I'm going to help you to take off this dress and I'm going to prepare you a good cup of tea that you can enjoy comfortable installed. And for the love game, we'll take a rain check, with interest", he said.
"Do you really want to do this for me?", she asked, smiling.
"Absolutely!", he said, taking off her only shoe, "And that makes one!".
He put her in a sitting position and pulled down the zip fastener of her dress, "And that makes two. I just hope you're not dressed like the Victorians with hundreds undergarments", he said grinning.
"Hey!", Kate said, slapping his thigh, "I'm not a nun, you know!"
To be continued
