“I’m a friend of Amy’s. I was working here a few weeks back. Haven’t heard from her a couple of weeks, so I thought I’d come over and make sure she was alright.”
The man’s eyes were suddenly full of sympathy. “Ahh, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you son. Amy was in an accident last week. She’d been painting the roof and she fell off the ladder. Why she was up there by herself I just don’t know.”
Norman knew, though. She was up there because he wasn’t. He remembered her asking him if he was afraid of heights as she couldn’t afford to pay a professional to come and do it. Damn it, Norman! He thought to himself. Why didn’t you just paint the roof instead of trying to wow her with your money and big house?
“Is she ok?”
“She’d been knocked unconscious by the fall. Luckily the postman found her, what might have happened if he hadn’t doesn’t bear thinking about really.”
Norman felt his legs giving way slightly and he leaned back, seeking the solid surface of his car. If she hadn’t been found she could have been lying there for days. She could have died, animals could have got to her. He shook his head, no, the man was right. He couldn’t think like that.
“Unconscious? Did she hit her head? Where is she now?”
The man, Norman really should ask him his name, took a step forward and awkwardly patted Norman on the shoulder. Clearly not used to showing any sign of affection.
“I really am sorry. They took her to the hospital but I don’t think it’s looking too good.”
Norman lowered his head briefly, not wanting the man to see the raw pain that must be showing in his eyes. His poor Amy. He had to get to her.
“Thank you…err... Mr…?”
“Ahh, it’s just Malcolm. No need for any of that Mr.business. I live at the farm next door.”
“Well, thank you for telling me Malcolm and for keeping an eye on the farmhouse. Would you mind if I took over the farm from here? I bet you’re a very busy man anyway and I’m sure Amy wouldn’t want to trouble you any further.”
Thankful to be released from the task, Malcolm shook Norman’s hand, handed over the keys and took off down the track in his truck. Leaving Norman to sink to his knees as the pain and fear overwhelmed him.
Feeling a lick on his hand, he didn’t need to look, he just leaned forward and let the solid form of Rolo catch him. Burying his head in his soft fur he rocked back and forth slowly, trying to ease the pain in his chest. He’d thought that losing his relationship with Amy was the worst thing that could happen, but the idea of losing Amy all together was far worse. His heart felt like it was breaking into tiny pieces and each little piece had made its way into his bloodstream, leaving hundreds of small sharp cuts all over the inside of his body.
Wrapping his arms around the dog he tried to draw strength from him. Rolo stood solidly, happy to provide Norman with all the support he needed. Feeling calmer and more determined Norman pushed himself back onto his feet.
“It’s ok boy. I’m here now and I’m going to take care of you and Tabatha. Then I’m going to take care of Amy and I’m never leaving any of you ever again I promise.”
Almost in understanding Rolo lifted a paw and placed it against Norman’s knee. For such a big dog the Great Pyrenees could be delicate when he needed to be. His confusion at being chained outside and not knowing where his beloved Amy was, had been calmed somewhat by seeing his friend Norman again but he wouldn’t be able to settle completely until Amy was home. He whined softly at Norman, hoping he’d understand what it was that he wanted. Norman rubbed his ears in the spot he knew he liked.
“I know, boy, I know, boy. I’m going to bring our girl home as soon as I can.”
Chapter 2
The drive to the hospital had gone in a flash, Norman couldn’t really remember any of it. Pulling into the hospital carpark he couldn’t help but be concerned by how small and old fashioned it looked. Surely this wasn’t a suitable place to treat head injuries? It looked like it had been built in the last century. Making his way through the building and trying to find the correct ward did nothing to alleviate those fears. The corridors were dark and dingy and whilst everything looked clean, it didn’t really look modern. He didn’t need any more convincing that this wasn’t the right place for Amy to be treated.
Reaching the intensive care unit, Norman made his way to the reception desk and waited while the receptionist finished her phone call. Once she was finished, she turned to Norman and smiled warmly. It wasn’t every day that a tall well-dressed handsome man turned up at her desk.
“How can I help you, sir?”
“Hi, I’m here to see Amy Cahill.”
The receptionist consulted her notes. Amy Cahill is in room 263, it’s just down the corridor on your right. If you could just wait here a few moments though, I’ll find a doctor who can explain her situation to you.
Not really wanting to wait but knowing there wasn’t really much he could do at the moment, Norman attempted to get comfortable in one of the small plastic chairs in the waiting area. He couldn’t stretch out his legs because he would have ended up blocking the corridor but if he sat upright his knees somehow ended up next to his ears. The wait did, however, give him some time to start putting his plans into motion, all that he needed to do now was make a couple of quick phone calls.
A few minutes later and a doctor walked up to him, his hand outstretched. Norman stood up and shook the doctor’s hand firmly.
“Thank you for seeing me. What can you tell me about Amy’s condition?”
“Not a problem at all. I’m doctor Miller. I’m not sure how much you know about Amy’s accident? It seems that when she fell from the ladder she hit her head. Her back is also injured. Scans show that she has a couple of fractured vertebrae. The good news, though, is that I don’t see any reason why this should result in any permanent damage.”
Fractured vertebrae? Norman’s mind was racing again, what would that mean for the farm? Surely it would be a long time before Amy would be able to work again.
“What about her head injury? Has she regained consciousness at all?”
Doctor Miller shook his head sadly. “I’m afraid not, and that is the most worrying thing about her situation. Unfortunately, at the minute, there is nothing else we can do apart from waiting.”
The pair had been walking slowly as they talked and now they stood outside Amy’s door. Norman was suddenly nervous, he wasn’t really sure what to expect.
“Is it ok for me to see her?”
“Of course. I do have to warn you though that she is hooked up to a lot of machinery. Try not to worry too much about that. It’s all there to keep her alive.”
Norman paused before entering and took the time to thank the doctor. It must be such a hard job, he thought to himself. Always working, always overly busy and overly tired but all the time knowing that you hold somebodies life in your hands, knowing that you can’t afford even one little slip.
***
The sight of Amy lying still in the bed and the sound of the soft beeping of the life support machine was almost enough to bring Norman to his knees again. To see his beautiful, sparkling Amy like this was unbearable. He approached the bed and bent down, softly kissing the top of her head.
Amy, sweetheart, it’s me, Norman. I don’t know if you can hear me or not but I wanted you to know that I was here. I’m so sorry about what happened and I feel so guilty. You’d never have been up on that roof if it wasn’t for me.”
Norman stopped and swallowed down the lump in his throat. “I’m going to see to it that you get the best care possible. I’ve already started to arrange things. I’m going to have you moved to the best private hospital in the city.”
He couldn’t help smiling as he took hold of her hand and squeezed it gentling. “Oh, I’ve no doubt that when you wake up you will berate me for it, but I won’t care. If you are angry and shouting at me then that will mean you are awake, and that a
lone will be enough to make me the happiest man in the world. In fact, my grin will be so big you’ll have no choice but to stop shouting at me and start grinning also.”
He lowered his head so it rested against both their hands and allowed his tears to flow unchecked, he kissed her hand over and over, somehow hoping that his kisses would be enough to wake her up. It worked in the fairytales, so why not real life? Eventually, his tears stopped and the sounds of the various machines whirring and beeping seemed to merge together into a rhythm and it wasn’t long before Norman fell asleep.
***
He was awoken by a hand squeezing his shoulder briefly, taking a moment to come round, he yawned, stretched and then focused on the individual standing beside him. He was surprised to see Mark.
“Mark? What are you doing here?”
Mark shrugged, even his usual unflappable air seemed a little forced. “When I got your message about what had happened and what you needed I knew that I had to come and be with you. I’m so sorry about Amy. I want you to know that I’ve sorted everything that you asked for. You don’t need to worry about any of it. An ambulance is on its way to take her over to the city. I’ve spoken to the director there and he’s got his specialist team on standby for when she arrives. We’re going to get through this, Norman. We’ve going to have the best people looking after her and when she wakes --which she will do -- we’ll also have the best damn team working to make her recovery as effortless as possible.”
Norman wasn’t sure he’d ever been more thankful to have Mark as his business partner and friend as he was now. “I really don’t know what to say. Thank you for doing this, Mark. It really means a lot.”
Neither man was that good at dealing with emotions so when Mark grunted an acknowledgment they both settled into a more comfortable silence as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Ever prepared Mark had bought copies of a report with him and he handed one over to Norman.
“I know the last thing you want to be focusing on is work at the moment but I thought to have a read of this might help to keep your mind off things.”
They sat together, reading the report and occasionally stopping to make comments or fetch a coffee. It was over an hour later when the doctor finally put this head around the door.
“The ambulance crew is here to move Miss Cahill now.”
Feeling guilty and wanting doctor Miller to know that this wasn’t a reflection on his work at all Norman followed him out of the room.
“Look, I just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for Amy. I’m sure she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you and your team. I’m only moving her because…”
“You want the best for her.” The doctor interrupted, “and I completely understand that. We do everything that we can here with the resources that we have. Do I resent you for wanting to move her somewhere with the best technology available? Of course not.”
Relieved, Norman shook the doctor’s hand again. “Thank you so much, I will be sure to update you with her progress.”
“Make sure that you do.”
Leaving to continue his rounds doctor Miller walked down the corridor while Norman tried to keep out of the way of the ambulance team as they set about moving Amy as delicately as they could so as not to aggravate her spinal injuries any further. Seeing them roll her out with her whole body in a brace was heart-breaking, if it hadn’t have been for Mark standing by his side and his silent support, Norman wasn’t sure how he would have gotten through it.
***
Walking into the familiar and comfortable surroundings of Amy’s farmhouse after such a long and exhausting day, felt like a godsend to Norman. After traveling in the ambulance with Amy and making sure that she was settled in her new private room at the hospital, Norman had finally conceded that there was nothing else that he could do there. The hospital was going to run some tests in the morning to see if they could see any reason for Amy’s unconsciousness but they had reiterated the words of doctor Miller. All that he could do was wait for her to hopefully wake up.
Checking the old farm clock Norman couldn’t believe that it was nearly 3am, it wouldn’t be that long before the sun was coming up again. Despite feeling bone tired he knew he wouldn’t be able to get to sleep just yet, so set about cleaning the kitchen. It was still as Amy had left if, even with the dirty dishes in the sink. Seeing everything there almost as if the house was waiting for her to return was both heartbreaking and comforting to Norman. Being back at the farmhouse somehow managed to ease some of the tension he’d been feeling for the past few weeks.
He’d really missed this place. He hadn’t realized until now how much he had come to love it. The familiar scent of the lavender polish that Amy used on the wood, the rocking chair by the fire that Amy’s uncle had made, the sound of wild animals in the fields going about their nocturnal business. All of it came together as a balm on Norman’s senses. He felt like he was home.
The familiar feeling of Tabatha weaving in and out of his legs was also wonderful. Picking the cat up he rubbed the top of her nose until she was purring in satisfaction.
“Don’t you worry, lovely girl, I’m here to look after you now. How about the three of us head off to the bedroom and see if we can get some sleep?
”
Moving to the bedroom and getting settled in bed with Tabatha by his feet and Rollo happy on the rug by his side Norman finally fell into an exhausted sleep.
Chapter 3
Never in Norman’s life had he expected to know so much about strawberries. As he stood in the field, now cleared of the old plants and ready for fertilizing he thought back to when he’d last been in this field. He and Amy had been working on clearing the plants away by hand after the tractor had broken, they’d been interrupted by a huge storm and had taken refuge in the nearby shack. Norman turned and looked at the shack, Amy had been terrified of the storm and told him about seeing a church struck by lightning when she was younger, which had led to a man being killed. Norman had provided her with comfort and safety in his arms but it hadn’t taken long before their passion for each other had taken over and they’d made love for the first time.
Closing his eyes he could almost feel Amy’s soft skin against his, taste her on his tongue. He longed for her to be here with him, reliving the memory together. It had been over a week since he’d found out about her accident and there was still no sign of her waking up.
Since then, he’d been splitting his time between the hospital, the farm, and his business, fitting in meetings when he could, even though it felt alien to him now, to sit in a room, feeling uncomfortable in his suit and tie. The whole world of business and money seemed so superficial and unnecessary when compared to the fragile balance between life and death. He had to admit that most of the time he wasn’t paying attention, thinking instead about what jobs he still needed to do at the farm or longing to be by Amy’s side.
He heard the car making its way up the track before he even saw it. The roar of Mark’s Lamborghini was unmistakable and it wasn’t long before he could see the bright yellow car pulling up outside the house. Knowing how much pressure Norman was under, Mark had suggested that they move their usual weekly partners meeting to the farmhouse and that he’d bring dinner with him. He really had proved invaluable over the last few days, doing whatever he could to take some of the pressure off Norman.
Seeing Norman up in the field he turned and waved, Norman waved back and started walking back to the house. Just the thought of having some food made his stomach start to rumble. He couldn’t actually remember the last time he’d eaten. It certainly wasn’t lunch time because he’d rushed straight from the hospital into a meeting and when he’d gotten back to the farm he’d realized he hadn’t stopped at the shop to get any food and he wasn’t yet that hungry that the prospect of eating Rollo’s dog food seemed appealing.
“Well, you look terrible.” Mark as ever was more than happy to tell Norman the truth.
&nbs
p; “So would you if you’d just spent the afternoon digging up dead plants.”
Mark winced in sympathy. “Any news on when the new tractor should be arriving?”
Norman had decided that there was no way he could clear another field by hand and had taken it upon himself to order a new tractor. He didn’t think that Amy would mind, besides by the time she was up on her feet again he planned on having all the fields cleared and hoped that she’d forgive him the little expense.
“Next week apparently, they hadn’t got the one I wanted in stock so it’s being shipped over from the manufacturers. You’ll have to have a go when it arrives, see if it handles any better than that beast.”
Mark stroked his car. “There, there sweetheart, don’t you listen to the bad man. He’s just jealous that he’s not man enough for you.”
Norman laughed and lightly punched his friend on the arm in jest. Looking down at the bag Mark was carrying, Norman’s stomach let out a loud groan.
Bad Boys Rule Page 63
