It's Complicated (Bigelow Bay Book 2)

by Jakki Frances

  Jogging through the entrance door Greg waved at Holly behind the front desk.

  “Hey Hol, sorry I know you’re closing but one of the kids left his backpack somewhere in the tunnel. He needs it for school next week, any chance I can do a quick run through and grab it?” Greg rolled his eyes with exasperation, despite enjoying helping out at the shelter kids just weren’t his thing.

  “Sure thing Greg. Kids! Who’d have ‘em hey?” Holly waved him through and continued shutting off the facility lights.

  Moving through the darkened tunnel towards the centre of the tank, Greg marvelled at the variety and colours of marine life drifting by, lit only by the weak tank lights and yet still so eye-catching. As he rounded the last corner the tunnel opened into the large main viewing room in the centre of the tank. Despite all the lights in the room being off, he could just make out the shape of a backpack sitting on a viewing bench on the far side of the tank. Breaking into a semi jog, eyes on the prize, Greg burst through the tunnel mouth and with two further steps……..the whole world tilted, twisted and fire burnt through his left leg as he lost his footing and crashed to the floor.

  CHAPTER 5

  “Oh my God, are you ok?” Helene scrambled to her feet, leaning over the large man crumpled on the floor.

  Holding his leg Greg uttered every curse he knew and possibly made a few up as well. Helene took a step back for a moment, unsure whether the man would lash out at her. Taking a deep breath she knelt down and steadied his rocking body.

  “Wow, you went down like a ton of bricks! I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect anyone else to be here, you kind of tripped over me. I thought I had the tank to myself, Holly said I would since they’re closed. I really didn’t expect anyone to come along…..Who are you anyway? You came out of nowhere!” Helene knew she was rambling but she didn’t know what to do. The man was obviously in severe pain.

  Greg continued swearing through gritted teeth. The burning, tearing pain shooting through his knee was all he could think about. He was vaguely aware that someone was talking to him, a small soft hand on his shoulder but his mind was unable to process anything but the all-encompassing pain.

  Realising the man doubled over at her feet was obviously in severe pain and in no condition to stand Helene tore down the dark tunnel to the front entrance. Seeing Holly still stationed behind her computer Helene rushed across the foyer.

  “Holly, some guy just fell over in the tank, it was dark and he tripped. I think he’s badly hurt, he’s on the ground holding his leg and swearing like a sailor!” Her words came flying out in a long run-on sentence.

  “Dammit! That’ll be Greg; he was looking for one of the kids' backpacks. I know it’s dark but how on earth did he manage to fall over? Hang on I’ll call for help” Holly grabbed the phone as Helene turned on her heel and disappeared back into the darkness.

  Greg blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he tried in vain to right himself. His whole leg felt on fire, even though he held it still the small movements of his attempts to sit upright had knives cutting through his leg and separating the limb straight through his knee. Clenching his teeth until his jaw ached, no longer even able to swear through the pain, he closed his eyes, drew his good leg as close under himself as possible and pushed up against the bench seat until he was propped on the edge. Something was definitely wrong with his leg, he’d never felt pain like this, not even when he’d broken his arm as a wayward teenager running from his own stupidity; and the police. With even the slightest movement his pain became white-hot and blinding, there was no way he could stand let alone make his way back to his truck and drive to the ER. He only hoped Holly would realise he’d not come back through the foyer and come looking before locking up for the night.

  “Are you Greg? Holly said you must be Greg, it’s ok she’s calling for an ambulance. It shouldn’t be too long I promise. I am so sorry, I can’t believe that happened, you just came out of nowhere. I didn’t expect anyone or I never would have been there, it’s just so beautiful to look up and see it all in the dark and the quiet. Do you know? Does it hurt much? I know that’s a stupid question really, I mean look at you, you’re sweating and even in this light, I can tell you’ve gone pale and damn you were swearing up a storm a minute ago. I’m pretty sure I learnt a few new words there!”

  Greg tried to focus on the woman beside him; she was speaking so fast and jumping from topic to topic so quickly that he was struggling to keep up. The pain kept pulling his mind back, away from the rambling woman to his leg that felt like it was swollen too big for the skin. His whole knee seemed to become tighter and tighter. A pulsating pain now ran clear down to his foot, which was simultaneously throbbing and tingling with pins and needles, while his upper calf and knee remained burning to a white knuckle level. A hand rested on his good leg as the mystery woman continued to prattle on about how unexpected he was and how sorry she was, Greg had no clue what she was going on about and at this stage, he just didn’t care. All that mattered to him at this stage was the imminent arrival of paramedics and hopefully pain meds.

  Sudden blinding lights flooded the room and the tunnels forcing Greg to close his eyes. As he slowly opened them, his vision adjusting to the brightness a movement in the corner of his eye had his head turn towards the babbling woman; only to swing back again as Holly and the paramedics exited the main tunnel into the centre of the tank.

  “I don’t know what I’ve done guys, I was walking and then I was on the floor. I think I went one way and my leg went the other, and damn I’ve never felt anything like this!” Scissors cut through the leg of his jeans revealing a leg that seemed to be swelling as quickly as he’d guessed. Twice as large, with dark red mottled bruising already appearing from mid-thigh to the top of his calf.

  “Right, let’s take a quick look at what you’ve done, and then we can get some ice on that knee. But first, here, suck on this.” A familiar face dropped down to eye level, handing Greg a green inhaler full of pain medication.

  Greg hissed and inhaled deeply on the “whistle” as fingers gently palpated around his leg, causing pain to shoot through him again.

  “Hey Trevor, man I’m really hurting right now! I tripped over somehow, don’t even know how I just went down.” Greg sucked frantically on the inhaler, recognising the paramedic as someone with whom he’d had dealings through work.

  Gritting his teeth around the plastic inhaler Greg puffed hard and fast as ice packs were gently placed around the fast swelling knee and an inflatable splint was wrapped over the entire leg. Closing his eyes, he held his entire body stiff and still as Trevor and his partner loaded him onto a gurney and into the back of the ambulance. The less he moved and the more he breathed through the medication inhaler the better; the pain remained severe but fractionally less consuming.

  # # # # #

  Watching the poor man being loaded into the back of an ambulance Helene fought the tears threatening to spill. His pain was all her fault and he didn’t even realize it.

  Holly hugged her shoulders as the ambulance pulled away. “Greg will be fine I’m sure,” Holly reassured.

  “I’m so sorry Holly, I really didn’t expect anyone to be around. He was hurt because of me! I can’t believe you let me stay late and have extra time and I injured one of your staff!” Helene’s brushed the tears from her eyes with frustration. “And now I’m crying about it. If anyone should be crying it’s him and you.”

  “Ok, so to start Greg’s not one of my staff. He was visiting with the kids from the shelter, they left just as you headed into the tank. Apparently one of them left his backpack behind and Greg ran back to pick it up, which is why he was there. But how on earth did you hurt him? What exactly happened?”

  Helene took a deep breath to steady her voice as they walked back into the foyer. Sitting quietly for a moment to gather her thoughts she leaned against the ticket desk.

  “It was just so beautiful, the tunnels and central room were all so dark and with the tank lights, all the f
ish and coral and stuff were so beautiful. Walking through I couldn’t look everywhere quick enough to see it all, there was so much to see, so many colours and shapes, all moving constantly. When I got to the centre of the tank I lay down on the floor. I could just lie there and be surrounded. Everything was moving around me and over me, it was amazing and relaxing and like being in another world. But it was dark, I didn’t expect anyone to come along, and I guess he didn’t expect anyone to be lying on the floor in the middle of a pitch-black room in an aquarium tank. He tripped over me.”

  Holly burst into laughter. “Oh Helene, you couldn’t have written it better in a book. Talk about your ‘meet cute’! Greg’s always so serious and reserved, I can just picture him barrelling in there and going arse over tit onto the floor. I mean I know it’s not funny, not really; but it kinda is. If he hadn’t tripped over you he would have thought you were a complete nutter lying there on the floor in the dark. He’s not a sit and watch the fishes kind of guy.”

  Helene worried her bottom lip looking out through the glass doors to the now almost empty car park. “I should really go to the hospital and make sure he’s ok. Apologise or something.” She mumbled lost in thought. “Holly, I’ve left my bag back in the tank room, is it ok if I run to get it. I promise not to fall over or trip anyone else, then if you give me directions I think I’ll go and check to see if he’s ok.”

  “Sounds like a good idea, but don’t stress too much about Greg; these things happen and it’s not like you tripped him on purpose. I bet those kids give him a harder time than you did.” Holly smiled as they walked together through the tunnel. “Hey if we see that missing backpack could you take it with you and give it to Greg since it’s the reason he was there in the first place?”

  Helene grabbed her messenger bag from the spot on the floor where she’d been lying and then spying the troublesome backpack across the room she scooped it onto her shoulders and headed for her scooter outside.

  CHAPTER 6

  “Hey, it’s cupcake lady!” The jovial shout greeted Helene as she was escorted through the ER towards Greg.

  The nurse guiding her laughed at his words, “We’ve given him a good dose of morphine and it appears that Greg is a bit of a ‘cheap date’. He’s one of my man Frank’s best friends and I’ve never seen him so chipper and chatty, he’s certainly feeling pretty good now.”

  Standing back behind the nurse Helene suddenly felt shy to approach Greg; something that she didn’t normally feel. Her transient lifestyle over the past years had cured her of any social anxiety she may have had in her past, now between travelling and meeting readers she was typically very comfortable talking to strangers.

  “Greg, you have a visitor. Someone new for you to talk the ear off, mine needs a break. I’m going home soon but I’ll get Frank to swing by later and check in on you.” The nurse leaned over giving Greg a quick shoulder pat before moving away.

  “Wait, wait, Kasey, I gotta tell you…….This is cupcake lady. She gave me a cake the other day for dinner. You know no one has ever given me a cake before, not even on my birthday and cupcake lady gave me a cake for dinner. It was the best dinner the other day.” Greg grinned, his head swinging between the nurse Kasey and Helene his eyes slightly glazed. “Cupcake lady this is my friend Kasey, she used to hide in the toilet but now she’s brave and we’re friends. I helped make her a gym and Frank makes me steak and beer. I could really go a steak right now Kasey, can Frank bring me a steak?”

  Kasey smiled indulgently at Greg’s intoxicated rambling. “Sure Greg I’ll let Frank know as long as you stop talking about me hiding, surely you have better things to talk to your friend about.”

  “She’s not my friend, she’s the lady who eats cake for dinner. She’s got a camper that got in a paintball war and lost.” Turning to Helene Greg’s eyes drooped with the medications. “Hey cupcake lady, wanna be my friend?”

  Helene smiled good-naturedly and sunk into the chair by his bed as Kasey disappeared into the chaos of the ER. Taking in the goofy grin plastered over Greg’s face and his glazed drooping eyes Helene surmised that he was likely exceptionally comfortable at the moment. The leg of his jeans had been split up the inner seam and his leg was held secure with a black heavy duty splint from mid-thigh to mid-calf. Noticing her observation Greg wiggled his toes and cheerily questioned.

  “So how do you like my bionic leg? It hardly even hurts now, Kasey gave me some great drugs. Hey cupcake lady, why are you visiting me?” Greg’s voice slurred slightly as he relaxed back onto the bed.

  Swallowing the lump of guilt in her throat Helene gave a small smile at the ‘cupcake lady’ title. “Umm, well the thing is, it’s my fault you were hurt. I’m so sorry, Holly told me I’d have the aquarium to myself since they were closing. I thought it would be a great idea to lie down and let the colours and life pass me by while I just took it all in in the quiet and dark. But then you came rushing in and I didn’t see you and you didn’t see me on the floor in the dark and you tripped over me. Believe me, I’m really, really sorry. I can’t believe it happened and you got hurt. How is your leg? Do you know if I did any permanent damage?”

  Greg sat with a blank expression for a moment and then burst out laughing loud, borderline maniacal laughter.

  “Ok cupcake, let me get this straight. You were lying on the floor, which is filthy by the way, watching all the fish and things float past, in the dark and I tripped over you!” Greg blurted, slapping the bed in amusement before tipping sideways as he continued to cackle into the pillow he landed on.

  Helene couldn’t believe that he was laughing at her apology.

  “Kind of…….I thought I was alone and it seemed like a really good idea at the time. You should try it sometime, it’s amazing, and it feels like you’re actually in the tank with the fish when you’re surrounded like that. Actually, you probably shouldn’t try it, someone might trip over you.” Helene giggled at the picture in her mind of that exact situation playing out again. Holly would probably not be quite so understanding. “And my name is Helene.”

  “Helene, cupcake, do you have any idea how disgusting that floor is? Why the floor and not one of the benches? The kids probably pee on the floor in the dark, it’s filthy and you’ll need to wash your hair and your hairs pretty so that’s ok but it’s still revolting.” Greg continued to chuckle softly as he relaxed back onto the bed, the medications were obviously still in effect as his eyes closed for a moment.

  “Wait, what were we talking about? I’m lost cupcake” Greg struggled upright looking confused. “Oh yeah, I tripped over you, see?” Slapping the brace on his leg Greg appeared to have forgotten the injury beneath. “Dammit!”

  “Oh, Greg no! Lie back and stay still” Helene gently pushed on his shoulders until his head reached the pillow, his jaw clenched with pain. “So, what’s the damage anyway?” She indicated to his knee.

  Greg took a deep breath and then another, his eyes closed but the tight clench of his jaw easing as the harsh pain eased to a background burn. Turning, he smiled at Helene’s concerned expression and started to chuckle.

  “I tripped over a cupcake and wrecked my knee. You know the meds are pretty good here. My head’s all fuzzy and tired and as long as I never move again my leg doesn’t hurt too much. I think I’ll stay here, Kasey can bring me a steak. What do you think cupcake, should I just stay here?” Again Greg’s eyes drooped and his words ran together as he settled comfortably back.

  “Something about an MRI….” Helene giggled at the slurred words followed by a contented snore as Greg drifted off.

  # # # # #

  The burning throb of his knee alerted Greg to the fact that he was not dreaming, had he actually tripped over a woman named Cupcake? His knee was now double its usual size, bruised black and blue and encased in a sturdy brace. His mind felt fuzzy and slow as he sat up, taking in the quiet room he had been sleeping in and the hustle and bustle of the hospital ward beyond. Wincing he shuffled on the bed in a vain attemp
t to get his leg into a more comfortable position, under the constant throbbing pain it felt stiff and ached its entire length. Looking around he spied his phone on the bedside cabinet and stretched until it was in his grasp, 6.30am. He’d slept the night away, vaguely remembering having an MRI at some stage overnight and then moving from the ER to the ward. A regular top-up of pain meds had kept the burning manageable but had also made his head spin and he wasn’t entirely sure which of the previous day’s events had been real and which had been a weird dream. He remembered spending the afternoon at the aquarium with the kids, he was aware of the pain in his knee and a quick glance confirmed his injury; but he also recalled a woman named Cupcake who was lying on a floor but was also in the ER with him, Frank may or may not have visited him with steak and Kasey. He would definitely need caffeine in order to sort out the jumble in his mind.

  A knock on the doorjamb heralded Kasey’s arrival bearing a steaming travel mug.

  “I’ve bought you Frank’s favourite blend and a bacon sandwich. They won’t help with the pain but they will go towards clearing the spacey feeling from the meds.”

  Kasey placed her gifts in his hands and perched in the bedside chair glancing back towards the open door across the room. Greg knew she had issues with closed spaces and people being close to her and in fact that the first time he’d planned to meet her she’d been hiding in a bathroom the entire time and never made an appearance. That she now approached him as a friend and sat to chat was a testimony to how far she’d progressed overcoming her fears, something Greg was proud of on her behalf. After all, he knew all about having quirks and issues, he was well aware he had a few of his own.

  “How does the knee feel today?” Kasey always a nurse craned to see his knee from her seat.