by Rosie Harris
‘I think we should go now,’ Robert suggested, taking Lucy by the elbow and propelling her away from Sam’s bed.
‘Yes, that’s very sensible,’ the sister murmured giving Robert a grateful look.
‘It is all right to come back tomorrow, though?’ Lucy asked.
‘Yes, but there may not be a great deal of improvement in his condition by then, so it might be better if you left it for a day or two.’
Lucy shook her head. ‘Please don’t ask me to do that,’ she begged. ‘I’d like to stay now and sit by his bedside so that I am here for him when he does waken.’
‘No, no. You can do nothing for him at the moment,’ the sister told her firmly. ‘He needs complete rest. Come back tomorrow, if you really feel you must. Mid-afternoon would be best. By then I hope you will see some improvement in your brother’s condition,’ she added briskly as she ushered them out of the ward.
Once they were outside the hospital Lucy seemed to be so overcome with grief that Robert wondered if he ought to get a taxi cab to take them home. As soon as he mentioned this, though, Lucy shook her head emphatically.
‘No, Robert, I would prefer to walk. I’ll be all right in a minute,’ she told him, taking great gulps of air and scrubbing at her tear-stained face with her handkerchief.
‘Are you quite sure? You were so brave when we went to the mortuary.’
‘It was because they only seemed to be asleep. It was such a shock when Sam opened his eyes and didn’t recognise me, or even look at me, that was what upset me the most,’ she babbled.
‘The sister explained that was because they had sedated him; they had to do that, Lucy, because he was probably in terrible pain after they’d seen to his injuries.’
‘If he’s in so much pain tomorrow, he still may not be able to speak to us or even recognise us,’ she said unhappily.
‘Give it a few days and he’ll be over the worst,’ Robert said consolingly. ‘He’s being well looked after and they’re doing all they can for him,’ he assured her.
By the time they arrived back in Priory Terrace most of the neighbours had already heard rumours about the accident and were anxious to know more.
Lucy was still too upset to talk about it so Robert told them as much as he knew.
‘You should have come and let me know right away and you should have taken me to the hospital with you when you went to see Sam,’ Patsy said furiously. ‘Which hospital is he in and what’s the name of the ward?’
‘There’s no point in going there now, he is so heavily sedated that he doesn’t know anyone,’ Robert told her.
‘He’ll know me,’ Patsy told him defiantly.
‘No, Patsy, he won’t. He’s very badly injured and he’s practically unconscious. His eyes aren’t focussing and he can’t speak,’ Lucy told her. ‘He has broken one of his legs as well as an arm and the wrist on his other hand has a plaster on it as well. There are also cuts all over his face and I think he may have lost some of his teeth.’
‘You’re exaggerating!’ Patsy looked accusingly from Lucy to Robert and back again. ‘You’re trying to frighten me and put me off because you don’t want me to visit him.’
‘No, Lucy is telling you the truth, Patsy. We were told it would be better to leave visiting for a day or two until he’s stronger,’ Robert affirmed. ‘Anyway,’ he added quickly when he saw she was about to argue with him, ‘they won’t let you see him, even if you go along to the hospital. The sister said it was better if he didn’t have any visitors until he was stronger.’
‘Then why did they let you in today?’ Patsy asked, tossing her head, her blue eyes accusing.
‘We’re family,’ Robert said quietly.
‘Lucy might be, but you’re not.’
‘Patsy, it’s no good arguing about it. I don’t make the rules. Go along if you want to, and don’t blame me if they turn you away,’ Lucy said wearily.
‘At the moment Sam won’t know you and he certainly won’t be able to talk to you,’ Robert added as he took Lucy by the hand and headed for her house.
‘Bring Lucy in here, son,’ Robert’s mother, Barbara Tanner, called. ‘I’ve a pot of hot scouse waiting for you both.’
As Robert took Lucy into his house, which was next door to her own, he gave her a reassuring hug. ‘Mum’s right, you’ll be better staying in with us for the moment because people will be banging on your front door asking for news about the accident and I’m sure you don’t want to deal with that sort of thing.’
Lucy shook her head. ‘I’ll be all right. I need to be on my own to think through all the things I’m going to have to do. There’s the funeral to be arranged and I don’t know where to start.’
‘Come in for a minute or so and have something to eat and a cup of tea before you go home and we’ll talk about it. I’ll help you, you don’t have to see to everything on your own, you know,’ he reminded her.
Chapter Seven
It was four days before Sam was fully conscious. When they finally broke the sad news to him about his parents he was overcome with remorse and blamed himself for what had happened. Lucy found it so difficult to comfort him that she was in tears.
‘Why couldn’t I have been the one to die?’ he raged. ‘I’m always having accidents of one sort or the other and now I’m going to be completely useless. I might never walk again or be able to drive even if Mr Carter does keep my job open for me. All I’m going to be is a burden on everyone else for the rest of my life.’
Lucy reached out and gently took his hand. ‘You certainly will be, if you are going to adopt that sort of attitude,’ she told him as she brushed her own tears aside. ‘In three months’ time your broken arm and wrist will both be as good as new and you’ll be walking again and be able to do just about anything you want to do as long as you follow all the advice the hospital has given you.’
‘You mean like having massages and doing regular exercises,’ Sam said moodily.
‘That’s right, and I’m going to make sure you do them,’ Lucy vowed in a voice that brooked no argument.
‘How will you manage to do that? You’re going to be the sole bread-winner until I’m better, so you won’t have time because you’ll be out at work every day.’
‘That’s right. So because I’m going to be so extremely busy I shall expect you to be cooperative. Even if you’re at home on your own for most of the time, it doesn’t mean you can forget all about doing your exercises.’
It was a further six weeks before Sam was allowed to come home from hospital. He was unable to walk and because of his broken arm and wrist he wasn’t able to use crutches, so it meant that he had to be pushed about in a wheelchair. By then the double funeral for Bill and Margaret Collins had taken place.
Robert and Lucy had debated for a long time about whether they should try and delay the internment until Sam came out of hospital. In the end they decided that perhaps it would be better to get it all over with before he came home because he still seemed to be reluctant to talk about what had happened.
Robert’s parents helped Lucy to make all the arrangements and most of the people in Priory Terrace followed the hearse. Robert stayed at Lucy’s side throughout the entire service, holding her hand and giving her the courage to go through with the terrible ordeal she had to face.
In the weeks that followed Lucy had to put her own life on hold. It wasn’t simply a matter of going to work, cleaning the house and preparing all their meals. She also had to supervise Sam’s medication and take him back to the hospital for regular check-ups. Time and time again she had to tell Robert that she couldn’t spare the time to go out with him, not even for a walk.
More important still it meant delaying their wedding; in view of what had happened Lucy knew it was impossible to go ahead with their plans to be married in July.
‘Do we have to postpone it?’ Robert argued. ‘By then everything will have settled down, Sam should be fit again and well enough to go back to work.’
Altho
ugh she was as disappointed as he was, Lucy was adamant.
‘Sam’s not the problem,’ she pointed out. ‘It’s the fact that it’s far too soon after the death of my parents.’
‘Would you prefer us to leave it until next year?’ he asked. ‘Perhaps early in June?’
‘Yes. Sam will be back on his feet again by then and all our worries will be behind us,’ Lucy agreed smiling.
‘In the meantime, surely Patsy could help look after Sam occasionally so that we can go out together now and again,’ Robert insisted. ‘After all, she’s always claimed that she and Sam are going to be married one of these days so he’s as much her responsibility as yours.’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ Lucy said thoughtfully. ‘She should have plenty of spare time now,’ she added with a wry smile.
Robert frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, lately Patsy has been too busy dancing attendance on Percy Carter to spend much time with Sam,’ Lucy reminded him, her mouth tightening with annoyance. ‘Sam’s quite miserable about it and says he can’t understand why she has to bother about Percy now that he is better.’
‘Probably because he takes her out for expensive meals,’ Robert pointed out.
‘Yes, but that’s going to have to stop. I overheard Mr Carter telling him off about doing that because Percy’s been putting the meals on his expense account and Mr Carter said he wouldn’t stand for it,’ Lucy commented.
‘Oh dear, have you been listening in on the boss’s calls?’ Robert grinned.
‘No, I don’t listen to people’s calls – well, only for a second, to make sure that I’ve made the right connection. Believe me, that switchboard is far too busy most of the day for me to spend time eavesdropping on calls,’ she told him rather tartly.
‘So how do you know about what Mr Carter told Percy?’ Robert asked.
‘They were arguing about it in Mr Carter’s office and their voices were raised so much that everyone in the general office could hear what was being said.’
‘Did Mr Carter mention Patsy by name?’
‘Yes he did; and what’s more, he said Percy has got to stop seeing her.’
‘Whew!’ Robert let out a low whistle. ‘That will put paid to that little flirtation.’
‘Yes, and I’m pleased about it; after all, it’s not been fair on Sam since she’s supposed to be his girlfriend.’
‘Well, there you are, then. Like I said, Patsy can help to look after Sam and take some of the strain off your shoulders. We never have the chance to go out together on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon unless we take Sam with us in his wheelchair and that rather spoils things for us, doesn’t it?’
‘It’s not much fun for him either. He hates having to be wheeled around.’
‘Perhaps he’d enjoy it more if Patsy was the one pushing his wheelchair. Why don’t you ask her if she’ll take him out next weekend? I’m sure she will, if you tell her that we have to go somewhere on our own.’
Although Lucy was in full agreement with Robert’s idea, it didn’t work out as either of them had hoped. Lucy gave Patsy time to greet Sam and have time to talk with him before she brought up the idea only to find that Patsy wasn’t at all keen on taking Sam out and it was only after a great deal of persuasion that she agreed to do it.
‘I suppose I could take him along to the park on Sunday afternoon as long as it is only for an hour,’ she finally agreed reluctantly.
‘That’s great! I’ll make sure he’s all ready when you call round for him.’
‘Don’t say anything to him in case something crops up and I can’t manage it.’
‘I think I should tell him because it will be something special for him to look forward to and he is rather depressed at the moment,’ Lucy murmured.
Sam seemed to be quite buoyed up at the idea and for the first time since he’d come out of hospital he settled himself in the wheelchair without his usual grumbling.
It was a glorious summer day, the sun was shining and there was only the lightest of breezes. Lucy was looking forward to being with Robert so much that she felt quite excited as she put on a red and white cotton dress and red jacket.
She hoped that there would be time for them to go across to New Brighton but unless Patsy agreed to look after Sam for the whole afternoon, that wouldn’t be possible. She would have to try and persuade her to take Sam back to her place for tea and then she and Robert could collect him on their way home.
‘Are you going somewhere special? You look as though you are dressed up for a wedding or a garden party,’ Robert teased when he arrived.
‘It’s new; I intended to wear it on Easter Sunday when we went out in the afternoon but so much happened that day that I never got to wear it. Do you like it?’
‘I think you look absolutely terrific,’ he assured her. ‘Good job I put on my new flannels and sports jacket. I only wish we were going somewhere special.’
Robert agreed with her whole-heartedly when she suggested that they should take a trip to New Brighton if Patsy looked after Sam for the whole afternoon.
‘Great idea. Mr Warren might like to see Sam and have a chat with him and I’m sure Mrs Warren would be happy to invite him to have tea with them.’
Patsy was almost half an hour late and they were all becoming uneasy, wondering whether she was going to turn up at all or whether she had forgotten about their arrangement.
She gave no explanation when she did arrive but said she could only manage an hour so they wouldn’t be able to spend very long at the park.
Sam looked so disappointed that Lucy felt angry. In as calm a voice as she could manage, she told Patsy that she and Robert wanted to go to New Brighton and went on to suggest that Patsy took Sam back to her house after their walk.
‘I’m sorry but that’s not possible,’ Patsy told her. ‘I’ve arranged to go out later on this afternoon.’
Lucy and Robert looked at each other in dismay, knowing that meant their own outing was impossible.
‘Well, in that case, you’d better get going right away,’ Robert said sharply. ‘I’ll manoeuvre the wheelchair outside on to the pavement for you.’
‘Why are you dressed up to the nines, Lucy? That is a new dress and jacket, isn’t it?’ Patsy went on. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wearing red before. You usually go for muddier colours and, of course, lately you’ve always been in black or some dark colour. I’m not sure red suits you; it’s far too bright for your colouring, if you know what I mean.’
‘There you are, then, Patsy. He’s all yours, so enjoy your walk,’ Robert said as he propelled the wheelchair over the doorstep and out on to the pavement.
Gingerly, Patsy took hold of the handles. ‘I’ve never pushed one of these things before,’ she murmured, tossing her hair back. ‘I feel really nervous.’
‘You’ll find it’s not very different from pushing a pram,’ Lucy said, smiling.
‘I’ve never pushed one of those either; it’s terribly heavy, isn’t it?’ Patsy grimaced as, cautiously, she pushed the wheelchair a couple of yards.
‘It won’t be once you get used to it,’ Robert assured her.
‘It’s all right for you because you’re so strong.’ Patsy smiled, her big blue eyes staring at him admiringly.
‘Lucy manages to push me to the hospital when I have to go there,’ Sam pointed out.
‘She’s so much bigger than me,’ Patsy countered. ‘In fact, Lucy’s almost twice the size I am. She doesn’t wear high heels like I do,’ she added, looking pointedly at Lucy’s sensible flat-heeled shoes and then at her own pencil-thin high ones. ‘I think high heels make your legs look more attractive, don’t you, Robert?’
Lucy bit her lip. She knew Patsy was quite capable of pushing the wheelchair and, what was more, she resented her exaggerated comments as well as the way she was flirting with Robert. It also worried her that Patsy protesting so much was making Sam very uncomfortable as well.
‘Come on, I’ll get you going,’ s
he offered. ‘Like Robert has said, once you start moving and get used to it, then you’ll find it’s not difficult at all.’
‘No, I’ll push it and we’ll walk with Patsy to the end of the road, then she can carry on to the park and we’ll go on down to the Pier Head,’ Robert said briskly. ‘Even if we haven’t time to go over to New Brighton this afternoon we can still go and take a look at the Mersey,’ he added.
There wasn’t room for them all to walk abreast on the pavement so Lucy found that she was walking on her own a few paces behind the other two.
‘Why don’t you come to the park as well?’ Patsy suggested when they turned into Priory Road and were about to go their separate ways.
Lucy sensed Robert looking at her and deliberately avoided his eyes because she didn’t want to have to trail along behind Patsy and Sam for the rest of the afternoon.
‘No, Sam’s been looking forward to having some time on his own with you,’ Robert told Patsy.
‘Could you take the wheelchair across the road for me, then?’ Patsy asked in a pleading voice, looking at Robert wide-eyed.
‘No, you do it and we’ll stand here to make sure you can manage it,’ Lucy told her, taking hold of Robert’s arm as he was about to do what Patsy asked.
‘Very well.’ Patsy gave a toss of her head and bumped the chair down the curb, causing Sam to yelp with pain as the rough movement jarred his leg.
‘Go easy,’ he muttered holding on to the side of the wheelchair.
When she reached the other side of the road Patsy hesitated for a moment then tipped the wheelchair backwards so violently in order to get the wheels on to the curb that it tilted sideways. The next minute, before Robert could reach them, Sam had been thrown out on to the roadway.
Patsy was most contrite. Her big blue eyes filled with tears as she looked helplessly at Robert and protested that it wasn’t her fault and that she’d already told them that she couldn’t manage on her own.
‘You could be a bit more careful, Patsy.’
Lucy tried to hide her anger as Robert righted the wheelchair and she tried to help Sam up from the ground, but she knew her voice was strident.
