Going Home

Part 94

Later as Josh closed the door after seeing Margaret and Robert out, Grace headed down the passage towards the living room. But before she reached the door Josh grabed her arm and spinning her around, pulled her into his arms. Then looking down into her eyes he leant down and hugged her.

As he eased back Grace was worried, she said “you okay?”

“I can’t believe he gave me the ute. He must have spent years fixing it up.”

“Yes but as he said he no longer needs it, he has you back now.”

Uncomfortable thinking about that Josh shrugged and said in a serious tone “yeah well I think I got the better end of the deal.”

Grace smiled and pretended to consider this “really, you know you could be right” she teased

“Oi” Josh warned and frowned at her implication.

Unable to resist teasing him a little more Grace added “well you know a car is very useful for getting you from point A to point B and it is fun to drive, what can you do that could compete with that?”

A slow smile spreading across his face Josh said “you’d like to see what I can do hey? Well let’s see I can do this” and leaning down he gave her a hot, demanding kiss. Then raising his head and examining her dazed expression he added “and I can do this” as he pulls her top over her head and ran his hands over her exposed skin watching the tremor that passed through her body. “And let’s see I can do this” he continued as he lifted her up with her legs wrapped around his waist. “Now do you still say that you’d rather have a car around instead of me?”

Grace who could barely think now was beyond teasing him and she answers in a serious tone whilst trying to tempt his mouth back to hers, “no Josh I’d rather have you.”

Grinning, his point made, Josh finally acceded to her wishes and kissed her. Then heading towards the bedroom he said in a smug tone, “that’s what I thought.”

Learning To Trust Again

Rebecca found a chance to speak to Doctor Ian Nichols towards the end of her shift. Most of the backlog of patients had been cleared and while they waited for one to return from x-ray she said sounding as casual as she could ‘so Ian, I didn’t know you knew Jake?’

He smiled and raising an eyebrow countered ‘I didn’t know you knew him either.’

Rebecca smiled too, ‘I met him a few days ago. He helped me out of a tricky situation.’

‘Really, care to elaborate’ he asked with obvious interest.

‘Ah no’ Rebecca said ‘let’s just say he has excellent timing.’ After her brother’s reaction when she’d told him what happened she wasn’t interested in hearing anyone else tell her how stupid she was being. Changing the subject she then added ‘I’ve never seen him in here though.’

‘He’s been in a few times’ Ian said ‘I got chatting to him the first time I patched him up and found out he knew my brother Eric. They’re not in the same unit but they have worked together on different assignments over the years. They socialise a bit too and I’ve seen Jake at a few of Eric’s gatherings. My brother has a great deal of respect for Jake as a cop and a person and from what I’ve seen, so do I. He’s a good guy.’

‘That’s what I thought’ Rebecca said, not looking at him, a little distracted with her own thoughts.

But feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden, her focus moved back to the doctor, as she became aware of his eyes resting on her. Rebecca raised her own to look at him and seeing the curious look he was giving her, she looked away again and tried to think of something to say to deflect his attention. She was worried he was going to ask her questions she didn’t want to answer at present. After a second she blurted out ‘sounds like we’re all of the same opinion.’

She could feel Ian continuing to give her a speculative look as he muttered ‘hmm, seems like it.’ Then after a pause he said ‘Jake’s not an easy guy to get to know.’

Rebecca looked up.

‘Like any of us, he’s known his fair share of suffering’ Ian continued ‘but he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. He keeps to himself.’

Rebecca studied him. She could tell from his words that Ian had guessed her interest wasn’t just professional in nature and she grimaced on the inside, hating that she had given herself away so easily. But that concern was of secondary importance to what Ian had said. She got the distinct impression he was trying to tell her something, without actually telling her.

And as he stopped speaking she was thoughtful. She nodded ‘okay, good to know, thanks Ian.’

‘Sure’ he said then jumped off his perch on the reception desk. Indicating over her shoulder that the patient they had been waiting for was being wheeled back into their department he said, ‘let’s get this guy away and then we can finish up.’

Rebecca smiled ‘sounds good to me, this shift seems to have gone on forever.’

‘I know what you mean’ Ian said.

Learning To Trust Again

Rebecca searched his eyes, wishing she understood him more so she knew what was going on in his head. But not going to be put off by it she nodded and said ‘maybe not, but I’d like to. I’d like to be able to repay you somehow. It would ease my conscious for monopolising your free time and this is nothing, honestly. I have to cook anyhow. So how about dinner?’

‘Tonight?’ he asked sounding a little surprised.

Rebecca smiled. ‘I was thinking tomorrow night, you probably won’t need it redressed again today, unless you get it wet of course.’

Jake looked thoughtful ‘tomorrow?’ he repeated.

‘Yes, if you’re not doing anything’ she said, hope resonating in her voice.

‘I’m working.’

‘Oh’ she said, unable to disguise her disappointment as she lowered her eyes ‘well just come over and I’ll redress your hand and maybe we can do the meal another time.’

Jake was silent for a minute before he said ‘if you make it early, I can do dinner.’

Surprised Rebecca looked up and smiled. She said with enthusiasm ‘sure, that’s fine, how about five o’clock? Is that early enough?’

‘Sounds good’ he said as he rose to leave ‘see you then.’

‘Okay’ and her smile widening at the prospect, she issued an order, ‘and take care of that hand.’

Holding up his bandaged hand, Jake nodded and walked out.

As she watched him leave Rebecca put her hands on her cheeks. Lost in her thoughts for a minute, a silly grin lit up her face.  She’d been sure he was trying to put her off but she was so glad he hadn’t. Now she had to decide what to cook. If it was to be a gesture to repay him for his kindness, it had better be good. But as a door slammed in the corridor outside her focus was brought back to the present and remembering where she was and that she still had patients to tend to, she left the menu for later and got back to work. With a lightness to her step now, she packed up the things she’d used to dress Jake’s hand and after washing her hands, she hurried back into the waiting area to collect the next patient.

Loss and Longing

That night and the following day Stevie snapped at everyone. She knew it wasn’t fair, she was furious with herself but she was taking it out on everyone else. However she could seem to stop it. The work day was torturous, nothing went right and in the end she sent Rachel home early to remove her from the firing line before she lost her as a friend.

Finally it was time to close up but as she stepped outside and locked the door, someone said her name and she started. Without even looking, she knew who it was and she was shocked. Her movements slow, she turned around. Grant was standing a few feet behind her.

“I was wondering if we could talk” he said “I didn’t want to disturb you while you were working otherwise I’d have been here this morning.”

Stevie sighed. She’d thought she was never going to see him again after the way she’d behaved the day before and while she was glad that wasn’t the case, she was wary about what he wanted to tell her. She didn’t want to hear that he thought she was a childish idiot. She knew that already. Taking a deep breath she committed herself. “Okay” she said.

“Will you come back to my place or we could go to your place” he said “I promise you I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to and it’ll be the last time you see me. If that’s what you want.”

She realised then that he thought she was upset, that’d he’d offended her. Now she felt worse than she had before. She said, “I’ll follow you.”

He nodded “I’m parked out the front.  I’ll wait until you pull around.”

“Okay” she said again and turning around she walked to her car.

When they reached his place, Grant let them in and led the way to the kitchen. Tossing his keys on bench he sat on the edge of a stool, his feet flat on the floor, he crossed his legs at the ankles. His eyes were on his hands linked together in his lap.

Stevie remained standing and as she tried to get the words right in her head to apologise, he beat her to it.

He looked up and said “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you yesterday.”

She blew out her breath and looked away.

“I like you” he said “I can’t help it. I thought you might have felt something for me too, but if you don’t, tell me and I’ll leave you alone. I just need to know one way or the other.”

Learning To Trust Again

‘So how do you know Ian?’ Rebecca asked willing her hands to stop shaking as she got out all the equipment she’d need.

‘From here mosly’ Jake said with a shrug. I seem to always get him patching me up when I come in. The first time he worked on me we got talking and it turned out I know his brother. He’s a cop.’

Rebecca nodded, now he mentioned it, she did remember Ian saying his younger brother was in the police force.

‘Oh okay’ she said and as she applied a dressing over the stitches and secured it with tape she made a mental note to ask Dr. Nichols about Jake when she got the chance. She’d love some insight on him and she trusted the doctors opinion. Unable to resist, now she had completed her task, she lifted her eyes to look at him and found him watching her. Looking away again, her breath evaporating, she moved the chair back to a safer distance and wanting to fill the charged silence she said ‘keep it clean and dry.’

‘I’ll do my best’ Jake replied ‘but that’s not always easy in my job.’

‘You carry gloves?’ she asked

‘Yeah’ Jake said.

‘Try to put one on if you are you are going anywhere near water. You’ll probably need to get it redressed anyway if you’re going to be working, sweat will lift the tape.’ Still not looking at him she added in a quiet voice ‘I could do it for you at home if you like, save you coming back here and maybe having to wait.’

‘I don’t want to put you out’ Jake said.

‘No it’s the least I can do’ Rebecca replied looking him in the eye now ‘after all you’ve done for me. In fact it’s not really enough to repay you for rescuing me and ensuring my safety on two further occasions’ and smiling she added in a teasing vein ‘not to mention returning my scarf.’

Jake gave her a crooked smile before looking away.

Pleased, she continued with her intended suggestion, ‘so how about when you come around for me to redress the wound, I cook you a meal?’

Silent for a minute, Jake was no longer smiling as he said ‘you don’t need to do that.’

Learning To Trust Again

Dr. Nichols smiled as he entered his own office and saw who his patient was. ‘Hey Jake’ he said as he seated himself in front of the other man ‘what the damage this time?’

‘Nothing major’ Jake replied with a smile.

‘Yeah, I’ve heard that from you before’ the doctor scoffed.

Jake laughed ‘I’m serious this time. Ask Rebecca.’

Ian turned to look at Rebecca. She nodded ‘it doesn’t look too bad.’

Turning back to Jake the doctor said ‘okay, her I believe. Now let’s get you fixed up and out of here’ and opening a draw he pulled on some disposable gloves

If Rebecca had been surprised to find the two men knew each other she was shocked to find as she listened to the them chat while Ian sewed up the wound, that they knew each other well and that Ian had treated Jake before. She had no idea Jake has been seen as a patient at the hospital before. She must have been unlucky in the past and hadn’t been on when he’d come in, because there is no way she wouldn’t have remembered if she seen him there.

A few minutes later Ian stood and said ‘okay Jake, I’ll let Rebecca dress that for you and you can be on your way. It shouldn’t worry you too much. Just come back in a week to get the stitches out.’

‘Thanks’ Jake said and held up his good hand in farewell as Doctor Nichols hurried out to see his next patient.

Rebecca sat down in the seat the doctor had vacated. She kept her eyes on Jake’s hand, not trusting herself to look at him when she was sitting this close. ‘Okay let’s get this dressed and then you can be on your way’ she said trying to sound casual, but feeling anything but.

‘No problem’ Jake replied his breath stirring the hair at her temple.

A shiver passed through Rebecca and she bit her bottom lip as she tried to focus, she was glad she was only dressing the wound and wasn’t the one doing the stitching. She couldn’t have done it.

Going Home

Part 93

Walking out to the footpath Josh was silent. He didn’t even look at his parents, his eyes were glued to the vehicle sitting on the road outside the apartment. Then looking back at his father, his expression stern, he asked “why?”

Unsure whether Josh’s reaction was good or bad Robert moved towards him and his tone wary, he said “well it is your car, you bought it.”

Looking back at the ute Josh mumbled “but you fixed it.”

Robert smiled as he looked at the car “yes, but I did that for you as much as for me.”

Josh continued to inspect the ute without speaking.

Watching Josh, Robert was still unsure whether he was pleased or not. His expression was so serious. But Robert wanted his son to be happy about this so sounding uncertain he added “it’s registered and road worthy, it’s yours Josh.”

Josh couldn’t believe his father was giving him the ute. It was beautiful and he’d love to drive it but he wasn’t sure what to say. Finally turning to look at his father Josh said “you’re sure? You won’t miss having it at the farm?”

Putting a hand on his shoulder Robert looked at him “Josh I restored the ute for a reason, it helped fill a whole in my life. But I don’t need it anymore, do I?”

Josh knew his father was talking about his absence and what he was asking. He said in a quiet voice “no Dad, you don’t need it anymore.”

Robert released his breath on a sigh, for a minute there he thought Josh was upset about it. Then pulling the keys out of his pocket he held them out to Josh. “It’s your car son and I’d like you to have it.”

Josh took the keys and looked down at them, he said “thanks”

Smiling and patting Josh on the shoulder Robert said “no worries, now how about taking me for a drive?”

Josh looked up with a smile “sounds good.” Then turning to Grace and Margaret who had been watching from the door way of the apartment Josh raised his hand in a gesture of farewell.

Waving Grace smiled and watched as Josh got into the driver seat and Robert in the passenger seat. Then waiting until the car was out of sight she turned to Margaret and said “I don’t know about you but I need a drink.”

Margaret smiles, she felt as relieved as Grace. She agreed with feeling “oh me too” and she followed Grace inside.