“Not gonna lie, it hurts. Not as bad as yesterday I think but I’m not in any rush to move that’s for sure.” Greg gulped the coffee, his stomach growling loudly at the aroma of greasy bacon. “Do you mind?” He indicated to the foil-wrapped sandwich.
“Go ahead it’s all yours,” Kasey replied sipping her cup. “I have to start shift soon but I wanted to check in with you and make sure you got something decent to eat. I remember the ward food being pretty dreary when I was here, but then it beats the cheese sandwiches we get 24/7 in the ER. What I want to know is who was the woman last night, you kept calling her Cupcake lady?”
Greg choked as he swallowed a bite, taking another swig of coffee to clear his throat his brow furrowed. “Cupcake lady? I was dreaming about a cupcake but I have no idea who she was. I was also dreaming about dirty, germy floors; everything’s a bit hazy from last night.”
“That’ll be the meds, you’re a bit of a ‘cheap date’. A tiny bit of morphine and a few anti-inflammatories and you were flying.” Kasey laughed. “Well I’ll drop by and eat my lunch in front of you if I get a chance, otherwise Frank will be in later to catch up and see if you need anything. Gotta run, I’m sure the ER is bustling with men who trip over and various other idiots who need saving. See ya, Greg.”
Watching Kasey’s smurf blue scrubs disappear out the door Greg finished his breakfast, pondering the mystery of a woman, possibly named Cupcake visiting him in the ER.
CHAPTER 7
Helene rolled over and stretched, relishing the pop and crack of her joints as the stiffness in her back eased. She’d stayed in the ER with Greg until he was moved to a ward in the early hours of the morning. Greg had dozed off and on between scans and pain meds, waking to chat happily about Kasey & Frank and his love of steak, about cake for dinner and who shot her camper with a paintball gun. He was an amusing stoner, rarely sticking to a subject for more than a sentence before his mind skipped to another topic. Helene had given up trying to keep up or contribute and just smiled along enjoying his cheery demeanour, slightly confused as to why he kept calling her ‘cupcake’.
The only indication of pain had been when they’d moved his leg Greg had instantly gone grey and quiet, his teeth clenched and his hands squeezing hers until his knuckles turned white. A top-up of morphine had his eyes closing and his body relaxing quickly as the pain eased away.
Smiling to herself as she downed a quick breakfast Helene thought over the events of the previous day. The author in her was excited by the book perfect ‘meet-cute’. I’ll have to have one of my girls meet her man by them literally tripping each other over, she thought.
Sitting to make some quick notes on post its Helene’s mind jumped between the blossoming book idea and Greg and his damaged leg in hospital. No matter how cheery he’d been or how much he brushed off her apologies overnight, she still felt guilty…..his injury was completely her fault there was no way around it. Now she was confused as to where to go from here. Should she visit him today and see how he was? Or should she just leave him to himself and dive into some work? This was the problem with having total freedom to come and go when you please with no schedule to follow, sometimes you didn’t know what to do.
“Well, when in doubt just jump feet first” she mumbled into the last of her coffee. Grabbing her bag she locked up the camper and headed towards the hospital on her scooter. # # # # #
Groaning greeted Helene as she knocked on the door to Greg’s room. The nurse from the previous night, Kasey, had spotted her in the foyer of the hospital and had guided her upstairs to Greg’s room; chatting in that detached professional manner medical people have. Helene guessed Greg and Kasey’s partner Frank were good friends by the way Greg had rambled the previous night and the genuine smile on Kasey’s face.
Pushing the door partially open, Greg froze as he attempted to readjust his position on the bed, his eyes meeting Helene’s in the doorway a slight frown creasing his forehead. Gritting his teeth as he fell back on the pillows he blew out a frustrated breath.
“I’m hoping you’re either the Doc with news or an undercover nurse for a sponge bath.” He smiled shakily in the direction of the curvy woman who’d just entered his room; his brain sending visuals of the latter that made his gut warm and his hospital issue pj’s slightly more snug. The laugh and smile his statement had prompted didn’t help matters either.
“Wrong on both accounts I’m afraid” Helene stepped forward. “You obviously don’t remember me, not that I can blame you what with the darkness and all the medications and such.”
Greg’s intense gaze had her pausing, unsure whether she should make herself comfortable or flee, the silence that followed had her leaning towards fleeing.
“Wait I know you, you’re the woman in the crazy camper….the one that gave my partner and me cakes. You were going to have a cake dinner and gave us a box. You said that we deserved treats.” Greg seemed unsure whether to smile and the wavering expression on his face was almost comical.
Laughing Helene moved to the bedside chair as Greg waved her forward.
“Oh, you were one of those policemen? You look so different without your clothes on……oh god I didn’t mean it that way!” Heat blasted her face as she clamped her hands over her mouth.
Greg took a deep breath as a picture of him without his pj’s and the curvy woman before him assaulted his mind. Swallowing a groan he chuckled at her embarrassment.
“What I meant to say was you look different out of uniform, I never would have recognised you. I’m Helene by the way, I don’t know if you remember meeting me yesterday.”
“Yesterday is a bit fuzzy at the moment,” Greg admitted. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, I dreamt I tripped over a cupcake at the aquarium and ended up here with a leg that feels like it should just be amputated. I’m still waiting for a doctor to come and fill me in on the damage though I’m not entirely sure how it happened.”
Greg watched as Helene’s face fell and her hands started bunching and twisting her skirt.
“Ah, that was no dream I’m afraid; I’m the cupcake,” Helene admitted. “In fact, you kept calling me cupcake last night and introducing me to everyone in the ER as Cupcake Lady. I was lying on the floor in the aquarium tank in the dark and you didn’t see me; you tripped over me. I’m so sorry I hurt you; I just didn’t think anyone else would be there. It seemed like a good idea at the time……”
Greg’s shoulders shuddered as he tried to keep from laughing aloud. Tried and failed. The obvious relief that spread across Helene’s face had him laughing even harder.
“Holy cow! Do you have any idea how filthy those floors are? I’m pretty sure a lot of kids have peed on them over the years.” Chuckling, Greg threw his head back at the thought of this gorgeous woman lying on the floor of the aquarium watching the fish swim around her.
“Yeah, you kinda mentioned that last night.” Helene smiled at his amusement. “I really am sorry I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wanted to stop by today and see if you were ok and apologise again.”
“No apology necessary, it’s all good” Greg reassured smiling. There was something about this woman that just made him smile, something outside his usual nature. “I was rushing back to get a backpack that was left behind. I had brought a bunch of kids from the local shelter there for a visit and there’s always something that gets left.”
Greg frowned and glanced around the room. “Damn, I guess I didn’t grab it before we met. I’ll have to get one of the others to swing by today and try and find it before school tomorrow.” He mumbled to himself.
“VOILA!!!” Helene hefted the battered school backpack from the floor at the foot of the bed. “Holly from the aquarium asked if I could bring it with me last night when I came.”
The look of relief on Greg’s face made Helene glad she’d decided to take the chance and visit him. This wasn’t even his bag but it seemed fairly important to him.
A discreet knock at the door interrupted any
further conversation as a tall man wearing surgical scrubs entered smiling towards them both.
“Hi Greg I’m Michael the orthopaedic registrar, I’m here to discuss your knee.”
“And on that note I’d better go, leave you in peace and such.” Helene stood and smiled as she turned heading for the door.
“Helene wait!” Greg wasn’t sure why he stopped her but when she turned he was glad. “Do you have to go? I mean, do you have somewhere you have to be?”
The shake of her head was all the encouragement Greg needed, “Any chance you’d get me a coffee and come back and hang out a bit. This place is boring and the TV has the choice of cartoons, CNN or Kardashian’s.”
Helene stifled a laugh “So you’re asking me to bring you coffee and save you from Kim K? Well, that’s a request no woman could refuse, I’ll be back in a bit.”
As she disappeared through the door and the doctor began to talk technical terms as he loosened the brace Greg smiled to himself and felt strangely like fist punching the air.
CHAPTER 8
Greg no longer felt like fist punching the air. From what he could work out from all the technical medical jargon the doctor had thrown his way, and then dumbed down for him; he’d torn a ligament in his knee. Thankfully, it wasn’t torn completely through, that would require surgery. But it was torn all the same and that would require rest and rehab to fix. Many weeks of rest, in the brace, together with a regimen of physiotherapy here at the hospital. If he thought he was bored after just a morning laid up in bed he shuddered at the thought of weeks with no work, no hiking, no driving, no walking! He might just go insane.
Helene’s smile dropped as she returned with the coffee, the look of frustration on his face told her that Greg’s news hadn’t been good. She sat and quietly handed him his to-go cup, he was glad she didn’t ask questions or give empty reassurances like the nurses. He just couldn’t take any platitudes right now.
They sat in silence; Helene sipped her coffee watching Greg brood into his own, the tension rolling off him in almost visual waves. Crumpling his empty cardboard cup Greg threw it against the far wall and huffed in frustration.
“Do you want to talk about it with a stranger? I’m a good listener. Or not, I don’t mind.” Helene didn’t flinch at his burst of temper.
“It just sucks you know? I mean, it’s good I don’t need surgery but I’m going to be off my feet for who knows how long, in the brace, on crutches. No driving, no work, nothing! It just sucks” Greg's hand fisted over the brace wrapped around his thigh.
“Greg I’m so sorry, it’s entirely my fault.” Tears burned Helene’s eyes as she sat not meeting his gaze.
“It’s no one’s ‘fault’ Helene, it just is what it is. You didn’t lie on the floor intending to trip someone over, and I didn’t look where I was going. It was simply an accident. It just sucks.” Greg immediately stopped feeling sorry for himself and switched to feeling bad for Helene who continued to blame herself. A wobbly smile fought the threatening tears.
“Upside I can go home tomorrow. I could go today except the physiotherapists don’t work weekends so I’m stuck here until they can go through my do’s and don’ts and set up physio appointments tomorrow. Then it’ll be home to ‘rest’. The downside, I’m going to have to try and phone one of the shelter workers and see if they can pick up the backpack this afternoon, the mobile service in here isn’t great, it keeps cutting out.” He turned his phone to her displaying the one lonely bar of service.
“Look since it is actually my fault no matter what you say, how about I drop the backpack off for you on my way home today.” Helene smiled, desperate to be of assistance in some way.
“That’d be great Helene, I’d really appreciate that. I don’t want Joey to miss out on anything at school; he has a hard enough time without being without his school stuff.” Greg smiled and squeezed her hand in relief.
“One less thing to worry about!” He declared.
Helene pulled the backpack to her feet and sat picking at her skirt as another thought tickled her mind.
“So, you said you can’t drive, what with the brace and crutches and all. How are you going to get home? How are you going to get around at home and to your physio appointments and stuff?” She bit her lip still refusing to meet his eyes.
“I’ll work something out I’m sure. I can see if Frank can help me out and there’s always a cab. Maybe I’ll end up being a champion at physio and be back to driving in no time.” God, he hoped so otherwise, he was going to be very bored.
“Or maybe I could help you out? I mean if you want, I set my own schedule and can work wherever and whenever I want; so I could drive you around and help you out….just until your championship kicks in of course.” Her shy gaze met his astounded one.
Greg was unconvinced; he didn’t rely on others he’d always taken care of himself. He didn’t have people in his home, hell Frank had only been over a hand full of times. His space was his space. He’d certainly never had a woman in his space, he’d always gone out of town for the occasional night of ‘company’. One night only, first names only, never become involved. Involvement leads to expectations which became complicated and messy. But damn if his body didn’t want a little messy with Helene even if his mind knew it would never happen, could never happen.
Nodding, he made his decision. “That would be great Helene but aren’t you just passing through? I mean you have a camper, aren’t you on vacation? Road trip or something?”
A bright smile lit up Helene’s face “It’s more of an ‘or something’, I live in the camper I don’t rent it. I’m staying until it’s time for me to move on; winter or when I feel the times right whichever comes first. So I’m all yours.”
If only! Greg’s mind quipped. SHUT UP! He told himself.
“Then you’re all mine, I mean sure that’d be great Helene. Umm, I don’t think I’d be able to get into the camper though. Do you mind driving my truck?”
Helene laughed at the thought of driving him around town in her camper.
“I don’t actually drive it around town on a daily basis you know, I have a scooter for running around. The day with the cakes I had to fill the water and gas tanks and do a grocery run which is why I had it out in town. But I don’t think you on the back of my scooter would work either. I’m ok with driving your truck if you are; I’ve never got a ticket or had an accident I promise. It’s the least I can do.” Her whole face radiated happiness at the thought of making up for his injury.
# # # # #
Helene pulled up to the address Greg had given her and took in the large rundown building before her. A few children played in the fenced-in front garden as a tired-looking woman with a black eye watched on. Scooping up the pack she’d strapped to the back of her scooter she put on a friendly smile as she approached the woman sitting on the stairs.
“Hi, I’m Helene. Greg asked me to drop this off, one of the kids left it at the aquarium yesterday……” Helene’s explanation petered out at the blank stare from the woman who didn’t move or respond to her greeting.
“Hey, lady, Miss Anita and Mr Noel are inside if you wanna talk to them.” A smiling boy ran across the barren grass and led her inside.
“Miss Anita there’s some lady here to talk to you!” The bellow echoed through the house as the child ran outside again abandoning Helene in the hallway.
“Hello, can I help you? I’m Anita; I’m the house supervisor today.” Helene returned the smile of the woman who appeared from a small office off the hallway.
“Hi, I’m Helene. Umm Greg was supposed to drop off this backpack and I’m here on his behalf. Apparently one of the kids left it at the aquarium but he had a bit of an accident when he was retrieving it and couldn’t bring it himself. He was adamant that it be delivered in time for school tomorrow.” Helene handed the scuffed bag to Anita along with the explanation.
“Oh, I hope Greg’s ok. We wondered why he didn’t drop it off last night but we knew he’d g
et it here before Monday. No excuses for not getting school work done, not even injury apparently. Mind you I doubt Joey would see it that way” Anita laughed and dropped the pack on the desk.
“Are you a friend of Greg’s? He’s never bought anyone else here, it’s always just been him.” Anita perched on the corner of the desk her expression curious as she watched Helene looking around the office in all its messy glory.
“Ah, maybe, kinda….I’m not sure really.” Helene was at a loss, unsure how to answer that question. The truth would have to do. “Actually I’m the accident that Greg had. He tripped over me and hurt himself. We don’t actually know each other, I just wanted to help him out because he was really concerned about it being here for school. To be honest, I don’t even know where or what here is exactly?”
Anita laughed, “That sounds like Greg; he’s not exactly chatty, is he? To fill you in, here is the family shelter. We help out families who are down on their luck with nowhere else to go. Parents who’ve lost their jobs, women and children running from abusive situations, any family that needs a safe place to stay and get back on their feet essentially. Want the full shebang tour?”
Nodding Helene followed Anita down the hallways and through the building.
“So this originally used to be part of an army barracks, the rest of the buildings were demolished years ago to make way for houses but this one was taken over by the city for various activities including a Girl Scout camp I believe. Years ago the building went up for sale and myself and a few friends bought it and turned it into a shelter. After the financial crisis in 2008, we realised that even small communities like ours had families doing it hard and children at risk of homelessness. So we set up here.”
Arriving in a large communal dining/kitchen area Anita stopped and poured them each a coffee before settling at a table. Helene’s head swivelled constantly taking in the building, the children coming and going and the adults who all seemed to be busy with various tasks in the rooms they had passed.
It's Complicated (Bigelow Bay Book 2) Page 4
