Postcards at Christmas by Imogen Clark

Author:Imogen Clark [Imogen Clark]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Amazon: B07W1X79Z3
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2019-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

He’s awake, it says.

14

CARA

His eyes flicker first but I miss it because I have my head in the crook of his arm and my own eyes closed. I am matching my breathing with his, deep and regular. It is comfortingly familiar and if I forget where we are I can almost pretend that we’re at home in bed. If it weren’t for the relentless beeping of the equipment, that is. So, when his eyelids first show signs of life, I don’t see it.

‘There we go,’ says Dan over the top of me. ‘That’s it, Simeon. Let’s have you awake now.’

Instantly alert, I sit up and stare at Simeon. It’s true. His eyelids are flickering. I squeeze his hand tightly in mine, as if I can somehow transfer my waking energy to him. And then he’s there, his blue eyes blinking and uncertain but most definitely open.

‘Simeon,’ I say. ‘Oh, thank God. I’ve been so scared . . .’

But Dan moves in, gently shifting me out of the way so that he can get closer to his patient.

‘Hey, Simeon, mate,’ he says. ‘My name’s Dan. Do you know where you are?’

Simeon’s eyes flick around the room, taking in the tubes that attach him to the equipment and I see concern in them but he doesn’t speak.

‘Okay, Simeon,’ says Dan, ‘That’s fine. Don’t worry.’

He picks up Simeon’s hand and pinches the tip of his finger between his nails. Simeon responds by pulling away his arm. It’s not a big movement but apparently it’s enough.

‘Sorry, Simeon,’ Dan says. ‘Inflicting pain is all part of the service round here.’

Simeon’s eyes close again and he seems to have slipped away from us again. Dan is making notes on the chart.

‘So?’ I ask anxiously. ‘How’s he doing? Tell me what you think.’

Dan moves his head from side to side, like he’s weighing it all up.

‘Well, we’re definitely moving in the right direction,’ he says. ‘But I need to go and report to the doctor. You stay with him and keep talking to him. If he wakes up again and is at all disorientated or distressed, then ring the buzzer.’

I nod and take Simeon’s hand back into mine.

‘I’ve been so worried,’ I say as Dan sweeps out of the room. ‘I’ve missed you so much. I love you, Sim. Thank God you’re back. And now you can start getting better.’

But as I say this I realise that it’s far from certain that this is going to happen. I’m not sure what I was expecting when he woke up. I hadn’t really looked beyond that, all my attention being focused on him coming out of the coma, but it starts to dawn on me exactly how long a journey we have ahead of us. I haven’t let myself consider the myriad of disaster scenarios that might be awaiting us but now I gingerly let them enter my consciousness. What if he never speaks again, or doesn’t know who I am? What if he spends the rest of his

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