Till Death Us Do Part

by V, Krissy

  I hear the doctor close the door and then he comes over to me. “Mrs Parrish, Natasha, how are you feeling? I’m going to examine you, you’ve had a bad bang to the head”.

  The doctor continues to examine me, it seems I have concussion and I have broken a couple of ribs, one of which is unstable. They will take time to heal, but that is about the extent of my injuries. They want to put a bandage around my rib cage to help with the unstable fracture and also keep me overnight to check on my head wound. He starts to ask me how it happened and what do I remember?

  I tell him that I was walking down the stairs for a glass of water, as I had a headache because I had drunk too much earlier in the evening. I was halfway down the stairs when I tripped and fell. I must have still been drunk. I remember Felix running down the stairs and calling the ambulance.

  I don’t know why I just lied, but it felt like the right thing to do, what goes on behind locked doors and all that!

  The doctor finishes examining me and then walks to the door to let Felix in. “Your wife explained how she tripped down the stairs when she was going to get a glass of water. She has a couple of broken ribs and a bad concussion, so we will be keeping her overnight to monitor her. Hopefully, she will be able to go home tomorrow.”

  Felix smiles. “Thank you doctor, thank you. I was so worried about her and I’m delighted that she’s going to be ok, thank you.” He shakes the doctor’s hand and then he comes over to me and takes my hand and kisses it. “Tasha, I’m so sorry” he whispers in my ear. “I love you so much babe, you need to get better” he says louder for the doctor to hear.

  After about an hour, the doctor asks Felix to leave so that I can have some rest. He stands and kisses me on the forehead and he says “I’ll be back early in the morning Tasha, I love you” and then he’s leaves and I breathe a sigh of relief.

  The doctor says that he will give me something to help me sleep and I’m grateful for it because I don’t want to think about what happened tonight. I don’t understand it and I don’t want to. I lie there crying and can’t believe I am in this situation. How did I get to be a victim? I have never been a victim. I’m strong and I never give up, but I know that by protecting Felix, I have become a victim. Maybe, just maybe, now that this has happened he might leave me alone.

  I drift off to sleep and have an amazing dream about how my life was so perfect before I got married.

  Morning’s start early in hospitals and the nurse woke me at seven o’clock to ask if I wanted breakfast. I said I would love some toast and a cup of tea, she said she would get some for me. She disappeared for a few minutes and then came back to check my vital statistics. She said that I was doing well and that the doctor would be in in about an hour or so and he would give me a once over and then probably send me home with some good painkillers. This piece of news both excites me and makes me nervous.

  How are things going to be at home? What is going on with Felix? How am I going to be able to be near him? I don’t know any of the answers and it really scares me.

  Felix turns up at nine o’clock and comes into me. “Tasha, how are you feeling today babe? You look much better than you did last night.” He comes over and kisses me on the forehead. I try not to flinch but I must have because he says “Come on babe it was an accident, don’t be afraid, I just want you to come home to me Tasha. I love you, I hate being apart from you.”

  “I love you too Felix” I say, but I’m not sure I mean it at this moment! I don’t know what I feel!

  “Luca and Kammie are coming over this evening for dinner. I said I would cook, they both want to know that you are ok. I called them last night when you fell down the stairs, I just didn’t know what to do, I froze. They were here in the hospital last night too, but they weren’t allowed to see you” he says all of this while rubbing my hand with his.

  I don’t know what to think, on one hand I’m happy that there will be other people in the house with us and on the other hand, I can’t lie to Kammie. She knows when I am lying to her.

  “Let’s just see what the doctor has to say, I might just need rest with the broken ribs, hopefully he lets me home today” I say, not really meaning it.

  I’m so confused, I don’t know what I feel about what happened last night. I haven’t had time to process it and I don’t know that even if I had the time, would I be able to! This is all so new to me, I’ve heard of women who are scared of their husbands, but I never expected to be one of them!

  The doctor comes in around 10am and starts checking all my vitals and then he has a feel around my ribs and the strapping that is helping me to breathe without hurting myself. The pain is quite unbearable so he gives me some more pain relief. “I’m not sure you’re ready to go home Natasha, there is a lot of discomfort from your ribs, you will have to be on complete bed rest for a few days and even then you will have to be on pain medication” he looks from me to Felix “do you have someone at home to look after you Natasha?”

  “Of course she does, she has me doctor” Felix says looking at the doctor.

  “I know that Mr. Parrish, but what about when you go to work? Is there someone who can keep an eye on her, help her to get dressed and do other daily tasks?” he looks at me with sympathy in his eyes. “Are you ok with going home today Natasha?”

  “Yes I’ll be fine doctor, Felix will be able to help me before he goes to work. When he is at work, I have friends and family who will be able to help me out. Please let me go home today and start getting better.” I look at him and I know I am pleading, but I really need to get out of here and start processing what has happened.

  “Ok then, if you’re sure. I still want to keep an eye on you for another two hours or so and then you can go. Mr. Parrish, why don’t you go home and get all the arrangements made for looking after your wife for this week and then you can come back and collect her about one o’clock. Is that ok?”

  Felix is reluctant to leave, but he knows he has to go and make some phone calls to get some help looking after me this week.

  “Ok doctor’s orders Tasha, I’ll be back later to collect you babe” he leans forward and kisses me on the forehead. I smile at him weakly.

  “OK Felix, you can get everything for dinner as well and then we can see Luca and Kammie this evening”. All I want to do is go to bed when I get home. I don’t know why he thinks I want to have friends over, even if it is Luca and Kammie. I just want to go to bed and think about what happened. About why I am in this hospital room and what I am going to do about it.

  Felix leaves the room and I can feel the doctor looking at me. “Was there anything else doctor?” I ask and I am surprised at my own hostility.

  He looks at me some more and then sits on the side of the bed. “Natasha, you were in a bit of a state when you came in last night and I noticed there was some bruising on your neck, how did that happen?” He’s talking to me like I’m a child.

  “I don’t know. I must have hit my neck when I fell down the stairs.” I can’t look at him, I find it so hard to lie. I totally forgot about Felix putting his hands around my neck, it all starts to come back to me. It was better when I didn’t remember.

  “Ok Natasha, how did you fall down the stairs?” Why is he asking me these questions? I already told him, I just don’t understand it.

  “I was going downstairs to get a glass of water because my hangover had kicked in and I missed a step because it was dark. Then the next thing I know I’m here. I could hear voices around me, but I couldn’t open my eyes. It was very scary” I said and I could feel tears in my eyes.

  “It’s ok Natasha. Of course it was very scary, I understand that, but are you sure you tripped?” He really is pushing me too far.

  “Doctor, I told you I missed a step that’s all. I don’t like what you are insinuating. Please stop!!” I shout, I need him to back off because he is getting too close to the truth and I’m not ready to tell anyone yet!

  “Ok, you missed the step, I get it. I’m going to let you rest
before you go back home, I will be back in to see you and sign the discharge papers. I will also give you my number in case you ever need it. I will give you another number for you to keep in your purse, you never know when you might need it.” He smiles at me and then pats my hand before he stands and walks out the door.

  When he closes the door I can breathe again. Was he trying to insinuate that Felix pushed me down the stairs? He didn’t, I tripped didn’t I? I’m getting so confused. I don’t think I know what really happened. Maybe I just slipped, I was drunk after all.

  A few minutes later I hear the door open and Kammie comes flying through the door and almost launches herself at me. I can see she has been crying. “Tasha, oh my god I was so scared. You looked dead when I saw you at the bottom of the stairs, it was horrible.” She hugs me as tightly as she can without hurting me. “What’s the verdict? When are you coming home?”

  “It’s ok Kammie, I have a couple of broken ribs and I have a concussion, I have a big headache and a lot of bruising but apart from that I’m fine, honest.” I look at my hands in my lap because I just can’t look her in the eye.

  “Tasha what happened? How did you fall?” I know she thinks she knows what happened. I can tell by her tone of voice. I can tell because I know her so well and she knows me too. She will know if I lie to her, but I don’t know if I can say the truth out loud, and do I really know myself what happened?

  “I missed a step Kammie because I was so drunk, me and Felix had an argument and I went stomping down the stairs in the dark.” She takes my hand, making me look at her.

  “OK, we will try this again. Or I can give you my version of events and you can just nod if you like” she knows I can’t vocalise what happened. “I think Felix was really angry for some reason, you had a fight, I believe you were heading down the stairs, but I believe Felix was right behind you and he pushed you, how am I doing so far?” god she really does know me “It might have just been an accident and I hope to god it was Tasha!”

  I sit there and just nod my head, I hear her gasp, maybe she didn’t really believe it was true. “Oh Tasha what are you going to do? The man I saw at the club last night was not the Felix we all know. What happened to him and how long has he been like this?” I look at her and just start sobbing.

  “Kammie, it’s complicated, Felix seems to be having some confidence issues these days, that’s all. He will be fine, he loves me so much” I can see her shaking her head from side to side “Seriously, I’ll be fine. Anyway tell me about you and Luca, you looked pretty close when I was leaving” I need to change the subject and get it off Felix.

  “Tasha, I know what you are doing, but just so you know, I will be looking out for you and will be keeping an eye on Felix. Ok ok ok Luca is just everything I want in a man, he is gorgeous and he’s very sensual, I think he likes me too. I went back to his place, but we never got chance for anything to happen as he got a call from Felix and we both rushed over to be with you” she tightens her grip on my hand. “I went back to his after we left the hospital, they wouldn’t let us in to see you, he held me while I cried all the way home and then he cuddled me all night. I needed some reassurance that you were ok Tasha, I was scared” she lets a tear fall out of her eye.

  “Kammie it’s ok, I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be resting for a few days and then I’ll be back on track. Anyway, you and Luca are coming over for dinner this evening, you’ll see everything is fine” I smile at her because I need her to know that I will be fine, that Felix and I will be fine, that everything will be fine.

  We sit and chat about Luca for a while and then Kammie gets up to leave “I’m going before Felix shows up to take you home”, she kisses me on the head and then walks out the door. I lay there thinking about our conversation and then I start to drift off to sleep.

  After a good nap I wake to see Felix standing over my bed, smiling at me. “Tasha, you look so much better after a sleep. Now, I have made arrangements for Kammie and Luca to spend some time looking after you this week when I can’t babe, you’ll be well looked after” he takes my hand and lifts it to his mouth and kisses it.

  “What time is the doctor coming in Tasha, I just want to get you home, so you can start getting better” he says sitting on the side of the bed. “I think I’ll go out and see if I can find him” he stands and walks out of the room.

  The door opens and the doctor comes in with his paperwork ready to be signed. I can see Felix watching him like a hawk, I don’t know what he expects the doctor to do to me. “Hi Natasha, how are you feeling now? You were sleeping when I came in earlier” he walks up to the bed and starts checking my vital signs. He’s writing things down as he goes around the bed. “I feel ok, I’m still tired, my ribs and my head hurt but I just want to get home doctor” I say hoping he will sign the paperwork and let me go home.

  “Natasha, I’m happy enough for you to go home, I just need you to sign the paperwork and then I can give you your follow up paperwork. I’ll give you a prescription for strong pain killers and some sleeping tablets, and then I want you to come back on Friday into outpatients so that I can check up on your ribs. There’s also some numbers with the prescription just in case you need to change your appointment” he says looking at me with eyes wide open as if to say “you know which numbers I’m talking about”.

  “Thank you doctor, I will be back on Friday for my check up” I smile, I can’t believe I can go home, I’m happy to be leaving here but anxious about being at home, does that make sense?

  I take the numbers off the doctor and hide them with my prescription in my bag. He gave me enough tablets to last until tomorrow so I don't need to go to the pharmacy until then.

  Felix helps me to dress then put my stuff together and then he takes my hand and helps me to the car. On the drive home, Felix holds my hand the whole time and he is rubbing my hand with his thumb, he is talking about dinner and what he is going to cook. When we get to the house, he carries my bag and holds my hand, once inside he walks me over to the couch and makes me sit down, he grabs the blanket he has left there and gives it to me. "Felix I'm fine honestly don't fuss around me" I say looking at him. "If you want to do something for me I'd love a cup of tea" I smile at him.

  "No problem babe, coming right up, anything for you" he leans forward and kisses my forehead "Glad to have you home Tasha, I love you" he walks off into the kitchen.

  Chapter 9

  I MUST HAVE DOZED off again because the next thing I know, Kammie is kneeled down in front of me smiling at me. "Hi sleepyhead, how are you feeling?" I smile back at her.

  "I feel fine Kammie it's just a bit sore when I laugh so don't make any jokes at dinner time." I can feel a chuckle coming on, I hope I manage to hold it in.

  "Ok fine, I promise" Kammie says smiling, holding her hand out to me to help me get up.

  I take her hand and she pulls me up gently and we link arms and walk into the kitchen. Luca comes over and hugs me very gently. “Hey hun, how are you feeling? We were worried about you! You look better than you did last night.”

  I smile weakly “Thanks Luca, I know what you did for me, thank you”. I kiss him on the cheek.

  The smell in the kitchen is gorgeous and I walk over to see what’s cooking, it's my favourite - roast beef. Who knew Felix could cook? "Dinner’s going to be 10 minutes babe, why don't you take a seat and relax” he says looking at Luca strangely.

  I sit at the table and Kammie joins me, we chat about work and then I remember I have two second interviews this week. What am I going to do? Will I be able to make the interviews as they don’t take a lot of movement and then I can come home and rest for the remainder of the week. I decide to broach the subject during dinner and see what everyone’s reaction is. It’s not long before Felix is telling Luca to sit at the table and he starts to bring dinner over.

  I notice he has given everyone wine except me, but he has given me a wine glass with sparkling water in it. I presume that is because of the medication and I look
at Felix and smile. He smiles back.

  Dinner is delicious and not much is said while everyone eats. I’ve finished my dinner so I say “Felix that was absolutely delicious, I didn’t know you could cook like this, I’ll have to let you make dinner more often.” I laugh very gently because it hurts, the painkillers must be wearing off.

  “Babe, you always cook much nicer food than I do, which is why I don’t do it very often” he smiles at me, I think he is happy that I complimented him.

  “I need to ask you all something” I say and they all look at me expectantly. “I have two interviews scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, they are second round interviews and I don’t want to put them off. Do you think I should go or should I ring them and postpone?” I sit there looking at them trying to see what they are thinking.

  “Well, I know this is important to you Tasha, but only you can tell if you are feeling up to it or not” Kammie says. She always likes to sit on the fence.

  “Tasha, I know you won’t go if you don’t feel 100%, so I would say see how you feel in the morning, you might not be so sore after another day and night of pain medication” Luca says smiling at me.

  “Babe, don’t feel you have to go I’m sure if you ring them and explain they will understand, but I do think that Luca is right. See how you feel tomorrow” Felix says as he looks down at his wine glass. I know he is only saying that to make me happy, he hasn’t really been enthusiastic about me looking for another job.

  “I think you’re all right, only I can tell if I feel up to it and maybe I should wait until the morning to see if I’m ok. I can always ring them tomorrow morning if I don’t feel up to it.” I look at Felix, he is the one who was so against me getting another job. I don’t really want to let them down and I was excited about both jobs. “Yeah I think I’ll wait till the morning. Thank you for coming over tonight, it means the world to me, it really does, I’m sorry if I gave you all a fright, I promise to be more careful in future.”