He dared to look down past his waist. Nothing past mid-thigh raised the sheet. A vast sea of white sheet covered bed lay flatly before him. He had to be hallucinating. He looked back up at Ellen as fear gripped his heart and squeezed hard. She shook her head back at him as more tears chased down her cheeks. He took one more look at the bed before reality struck him.
“Aw, fuck!” He said sadly and passed out.
Chapter Three
Ellen rounded on the shop assistant furiously.
“What do you mean, you have to go and find the key? Why is the door locked in the first place?”
A fiery red flush rose into the assistant’s already crimson cheeks.
“Company policy, madam. All sorts use it otherwise. I won’t be a moment.” The woman walked briskly towards a grey door.
David tried to disappear into the seat of his wheelchair as Ellen paced up and down outside the disabled toilet door. He’d just about had enough of the day. If it hadn’t been her birthday he would have flatly refused to go out.
“We shouldn’t have come. It’s my own fault. I shouldn’t have let you persuade me. We could have waited until my legs are fitted,” he grumbled into his chest.
Ellen narrowed her eyes at him as she lifted her chin high.
“You are not sitting in that bloody house a moment longer, and neither am I. It’s like a prison.”
David glared up at her.
“I don’t know what you are moaning about. You can go out whenever you like. It’s not you sat in this chair unable to do a damned thing. It’s bloody humiliating having to sit outside a toilet door when you’re busting for a pee, I can tell you.”
Ellen nearly stamped her foot in frustration. This was only their second attempt at a real outing. They had walked up to the local park a couple of times just to get some fresh air but this was their first real venture outside their house.
The previous time she hadn’t counted as they had only made it as far as the bus stop. The bus’s electronic lowered step had jammed and they had given up and gone back home after discovering that the following bus’s wheelchair space had already been taken. It had taken her another month to persuade David to venture outside again and then only because she had swapped her sports car and bought a huge four wheel drive vehicle that would fit him and his wheelchair comfortably.
Now the day was ruined again.
“You wouldn’t be waiting outside if the door was open already, you wouldn’t be desperate and you wouldn’t be humiliated. It’s a bloody joke! It’s not as though anyone else has to ask to go to the loo. This is a department store for goodness sake,” she fumed as David closed his eyes and concentrated on anything but his desperate need for the loo.
Minutes passed. Ellen paced. David opened his eyes again.
He twisted in his chair and willed the woman to come back with the key very soon. The situation had long passed being a joke.
He caught sight of young boy standing by the lift with his parents. The boy stared at David and his mother stared too. She pulled her child closer to her side as she looked him up and down. David rolled his eyes, wondering if she thought he was some kind of monster just because his face was messed up. He puffed out a breath of air. She was probably right. Every time he had the misfortune to see his own reflection he thought exactly the same.
Funny thing was that kids didn’t normally seem to mind so much. The few that he’d come into contact with at the local park were obviously just curious. Some had asked him what had happened and, wanting to avoid the dreadful truth at all costs, he told them daft stories of wild heroics on burning pirate ships or of battles with intergalactic alien federations. They had all been most impressed, not frightened at all of his misshapen face and missing limbs. They had all rushed off excitedly to act out their own daring heroics while limping wildly and pulling ferocious, twisted faces.
He now glowered back at the rude woman and resisted poking his tongue out at her. She shuddered and turned back to her husband as the child grinned and gave him a thumbs up just before the lift doors opened and swallowed the family.
The grey swing door beside them opened again and the assistant returned at last, followed by two burly men. She ignored David completely and rushed up to Ellen.
“I am so sorry. I hope we’re not too late. The key appears to have disappeared.” She gave a nervous laugh. “Ivan and Jack have volunteered to come and give a hand. They can carry your brother into the normal toilets as the doors are not wide enough for the chair.” She smiled widely at her solution to the problem and glanced down at David. She bent her knees slightly and stared right at him before she spoke loudly. “You won’t mind Ivan and Jack helping you go to the toilet will you, dear?”
David blanched for a confused second. He knew he wasn’t much to look at but he was clean, tidy and well shaven. Did she honestly think him both daft and deaf just because of a few scars? She smiled stupidly at him as he raised an eyebrow. He lifted a hand and stuck his little finger in his ear. He waggled it about a bit and then dropped it back into his lap. He looked up at the woman and spoke just as loudly back to at her.
“No, I won’t mind at all so long as they help right now. I’m afraid I am nearly past the point of no return so if you would kindly just press the button for the lift we might be able to get this over with without informing the rest of the entire store that I need to urinate urgently!” He made no effort to hide his sarcasm and the woman’s sickly smile dropped immediately. She stood up straight again.
“Oh, sorry. I assumed you couldn’t…Never mind. Ivan, Jack…Please assist this gentleman upstairs. I must inform management about the key. We can’t possibly have this happen again. I do beg your pardon.” She gave a quick nod as the two men moved forwards.
Ellen’s shoulders slumped in relief as the lift bell sounded.
“We’re meant to be meeting Justin. He’ll probably be along any second. I’ll wait down here, shall I?” she would never leave him unless her being there would embarrass him more.
David glanced up at the two men. They looked strong enough to lift him at least. Although there wasn’t so much of him, he still weighed a fair bit. He looked back to Ellen and grimaced.
“Yes, please do. I can’t bear the thought of how we are going to get this to work and I would rather you didn’t have to share the mortification that this is no doubt going to bring about. I’ll get these guys to bring me back down as soon as I’m done and I’ll see you by the main doors.”
Ellen nodded and walked off between the racks of clothing.
David looked back up at the two men.
“Sorry guys.” He spoke quietly.
“No problem. It’s not your fault mate,” the taller of the two responded. “And sorry about the floor manager too. Apart from being a rude cow she should have the key on her at all times. She won’t let anyone near the damn thing when she’s working. It’s like the disabled toilet is her personal domain. We’ll set up an investigation and get it sorted. It won’t happen again.” He steered the wheelchair into the lift as his colleague followed along behind them.
Ellen walked to the front of the shop and meandered between the clothes nearest the door. The whole day had been ruined. She was tired and angry. After months of sitting indoors with a nearly helpless and very angry big brother she had almost forced him into this trip. If it hadn’t been her birthday she wouldn’t have insisted and he probably wouldn’t have come. All the humiliation could have been avoided.
She stood and stared at some dresses. They were pretty enough but she couldn’t be bothered to look through them. Fashion was the last thing on her mind. She was so glad that she’d called a halt to the boutique plans two days after David had been injured. The whole venture suddenly seemed so ridiculous. Justin still moaned about it but Ellen couldn’t care less about clothes. She couldn’t care less about the sports car either. She had exchanged it for a huge MPV after the bus incident. She’d chosen something practical, a car that would hold a wheelch
air easily and have doors that opened wide enough to allow a stubborn and sometimes very caustic Captain through with some ease.
So much had changed in the last few months. Nothing would ever be the same but when she thought about it she wasn’t really sure that she wanted everything exactly how it had been before…Obviously wished with every fibre of her body that David was still whole and happy but his awful injuries had made her look at her own life very differently.
Everything had happened so quickly. Some days she woke barely able to breathe. The money left to them by their great aunt had changed both their lives immeasurably but she now she could see why the old lady had kept the news of her multi million pound lottery win a secret. All that cash altered people, not always for the better. Their young cousin for one, still not happy and threatening them with going to court even after being given a million pounds. She hated to admit it but she suspected Justin might have changed too.
She had thought that their relationship might be coming to an end. He’d stood her up on a few occasions and been distracted when they had gone out but he’d suddenly begun to make an enormous effort and selected a stunning diamond ring after he proposed. Maybe he had just been nervous before he declared that he wanted to be with her forever. She had been so swept up in the excitement of his proposal she quite dismissed from her mind that she had purchased her own ring.
A tall, elegantly dressed man stood just outside the main door of the shop. He stared at his own reflection in the side window for a few seconds and then ran a fingertip along his eyebrow. Ellen rolled her eyes as Justin caught sight of her watching him. He grinned and pushed through the doors. He bent and kissed her on the cheek.
“Hi darling. Happy birthday!” He held out an envelope towards her and she smiled as she took it, glad that he’d actually remembered it was her special day.
“Thanks. It was good of you to meet us here.” She lifted the flap and pulled out her card. Pretty flowers covered the front. Justin had signed the inside and decorated it with flamboyant hearts. He looked down at her.
“I feel bad about not getting you a present, Ellen but I have no idea what to buy you. It all seems so daft now you can buy just about anything you want for yourself.” He took hold of her hand and began to turn back out of the shop.
She stiffened slightly and stopped short of the doors.
“I’m waiting for David. He’s upstairs in the loo. Would you believe that the door for the disabled toilet was locked and then they couldn’t find the blasted key? Two staff have had to help him use the public toilet upstairs. So humiliating! I’ve no idea how long they’re going to be.” Her frustration was audible in her tone as she looked back over the racks of clothes towards the lift.
Justin pulled in a sharp breath.
“David’s here with you? You mean he’s actually left the house? Are you sure that’s wise? People are bound to make assumptions and are sure to stare. It might be best to keep him out of the public eye a while longer, at least until he’s had some limbs fitted and had a session with that make-up artist.” He looked decidedly uncomfortable.
Ellen took a step back from her fiancé and looked up into his handsome face. There was a muscle twitching at the side of his jaw but she didn’t care about that. Justin’s words were beyond cruel.
“He’s not going to live as a recluse just because he has a few scars, Justin. He lost his legs not his marbles and his face will get better over time. The grafts have only just taken. He’s still really sore but he can’t sit indoors all the time. He’s an intelligent, active man. It’s driving him crazy staring at the same four walls every day.” She spoke more sharply than she meant to. Justin hadn’t yet come to terms with David’s injuries but apparently that wasn’t unusual. David’s counsellor had told them it was normal for people to be afraid of something so severe. Ellen was sure Justin would be fine about it all in time. He had to be. It wasn’t as if the situation was going to change anytime soon.
She had been surprised herself how quickly she had become used to the way David looked. The scars had been a shock at first but now he just looked like her brother again. She barely even thought about his injuries except when they were flung in her face as they had been earlier that day. “Anyway, he’s coming to lunch with us. He really needs to start getting out and I thought my birthday celebration would be a good time for him to start. I phoned ahead to the wine bar. They are making sure there’s enough space for his chair.”
Justin ran a finger around his collar and glanced over Ellen’s shoulder across the racks of clothes. There was still no sign of her brother. He looked back down at Ellen and moved her away from the shop doors where there were not so many people passing.
“That’s something I wanted to talk to you about. I’m afraid old Craddock is being a pain. I have to get straight back to the office. A big client is flying in from America and I have to be there.”
Ellen’s shoulders slumped.
“Oh Justin! Why today? Can’t you make an excuse? I wanted you to be here for lunch. David needs your support and so do I. He needs to regain his confidence and having lunch just like normal people would really help. Can’t you try just for me?” she pleaded.
Justin cleared his throat and glanced around the store again.
“We can go out tonight. There’s that fabulous new Italian just outside town and I’ve booked it already especially.” His expression had lightened markedly.
Ellen sighed deeply.
“But David will probably be too tired by then. Today’s his first real trip out apart from going to the hospital or the local park. I should stay home with him tonight in case he needs me.”
Justin rolled his eyes. His fists balled at his sides in frustration.
“For goodness sake Ellen. He’s not a baby. He can use his emergency buzzer if he needs anything. The restaurant is only a phone call away. Look, we haven’t had a night out together for weeks. It’s your birthday and I want to do something special. I also want to talk to you about an idea I have, something exciting but I want to speak to you alone about it.”
Ellen looked up at him warily. She was pleased that he’d thought to book somewhere for them but was worried about this possible new idea.
“I’m not going back to the designer boutique idea. That was stupid, just so shallow. I don’t know what I was even thinking of. There are hundreds of exactly the same types of shop all over the country already and I don’t think we need any more of them. I want to do something for people like David.” There was a stubborn set to her jaw.
Justin knew when to back off. He held up his hands in defeat.
“I know that…this is just something a bit different that I wanted to bounce off you. It’s to do with your idea, sort of a spin off but I can’t discuss it with you now. Look, I have to get back to work. I’ll pick you up at eight…and dress nice. The place isn’t full of the usual riff raff.” He bent quickly and kissed her on the nose before strode out of the automatic doors.
Ellen watched him disappear into the crowded street as she shoved her birthday card into her bag. She knew that she shouldn’t be disappointed. She had said no to presents anyway but she had hoped that he might splash out on some flowers. Oh well, there was always their dinner date. Perhaps he would bring some along then. A cough interrupted her thoughts and she spun around to find David grinning lopsidedly up at her.
“I scared the prat off then…Good, now we can have your birthday lunch in peace.” He sounded happier than he had done all morning.
Ellen took a deep, calming breath.
“He’s trying David. He’s just not comfortable with the situation. You know what he’s like. Everything has to be perfect.”
David raised what was left of his eyebrows.
“Huh! Well it’s not like I can do much about my situation…I’m not a bloody starfish so I won’t be growing any more legs anytime soon and I wasn’t perfect before all this happened but he was fine with me then. Well, almost fine. He’s always been a
bit of a jerk. I don’t know why you put up with him.” He rolled his wheelchair towards the automatic doors and Ellen followed him, smiling tightly as people moved out of the way.
“He’s okay normally David. He was just a bit put out today. He was going to join us but something important came up at the office. We’re going out for dinner tonight instead. You can come if you’d like.”
David snorted as they left the shop and wheeled himself out into the street.
“Don’t be daft woman. If you want to go out with him then that’s your problem but don’t involve me. I’m just glad he is busy this lunchtime. I’m less likely to suffer from indigestion now.”
Ellen slapped his shoulder gently as they moved slowly through the busy shopping precinct.
“I booked Bar 72 for lunch. It has a nice casual atmosphere and the food’s good too. I think you’ll like it.”
David laughed.
“I’ll like anywhere so long as they serve decent beer.” He looked up at his sister as she began to protest.
“But you can’t have…” She shut up as he drew to a stop in the middle of the walkway and interrupted her.
“Ellen, I haven’t had a beer in months. I was dying for one before all this shit happened. You can’t deprive me now, especially as I want to toast you on your birthday…come on, go easy on me, I’ve bought you a special present,” he cajoled her with sparkling blue eyes.
She sighed and relented.
“Okay, but don’t you dare moan at me if it upsets your stomach. You’re still on those antibiotics and they won’t work if you mess about with alcohol.” She motioned for him to move again.
David groaned and pushed the wheels of the chair forwards.
“If a flipping bomb didn’t kill me, I can’t imagine that a pint of beer will have much effect. My leg only became infected because there was a shard of metal left in it.” The skin on his thigh was still sore but it had improved no end in the last week.
Scarred Beginnings (Scarred Series Book 2) Page 2
