Memories

Chapter 6

"Hey, it's us again," I say as I carry Masie into Savannah's hospital room again.

She doesn't say anything, but she smiles causing your eyes to light up at my voice.

"Hello, Mummy," Maisie says as I place her next to Savannah on the bed. "I made this picture of us yesterday afternoon." She takes the painting and smiles politely. "It's of us at the beach." Savannah smiles again and nods slightly to show her thanks. "Uncle Alex's going to tell us the rest of the story today, aren't you, Uncle Alex?"

"Yes, Maisie monkey, but just let me make myself comfortable," I say as I shrug off my coat.

The weather had suddenly turned from hoodie weather to a cold wind that penetrated the soft fabric and I had needed to dig out my winter coat. Despite me washing the coat in multiple ways, the soft material still had a faint mark on it from where I spilt hot chocolate down my front in the park that day. I should be grateful that I bumped into you that day, but then I keep thinking that maybe you wouldn't have been in the accident and you wouldn't be lying here in this bed.

"Right, so, where were we? Ahh, yes. We had all just gone to bed on Friday night. Well, let's just say the quiet peace didn't last long."

***

"What was that?" The bed shook slightly as someone sat up suddenly.

"What was what?" I asked sleepily.

"There was a noise, didn't you hear it?" Savannah replied from somewhere above me.

"No, I was asleep, but seeing as I'm awake now, you may as well explain it." I sat up and rubbed my eyes before looking over to her. She looked slightly offended. "Sorry, I get grumpy when I've just woken up. What was it Savannah?"

"No, it's probably nothing. Let's go back to sleep."

"Savannah, I know you, you don't get spooked easily. What did you hear?" I whispered.

She rested her head against the wall behind us. "There were voices and then a loud bang."

I glanced across to the clock on the bedside table next to me. After a moment, my eyes adjusted to the glowing red numbers and they changed from a crimson blob to digital figures. "It's half six, the noise's probably just some early-birds fumbling about that let the door close to hard. Come here." I held my arm out against the wall, signalling for her to shuffle over to my side of the bed.

"I can't." I looked questioningly at her and she pointed at the space between us. In my slumber, I hadn't noticed the small pair of feet poking out the top of the duvet. "Apparently, her bed was too hard, so she wanted to sleep on ours."

"It seemed alright last night, but okay. I'm going to try to go back to sleep."

"Good luck."

I shimmied back down into the bed so that the quilt came up to my chin. Just as I got comfortable, a loud crash came from above us. "Was that the noise?" When she didn't answer, I looked up at her and saw that her faint silhouette had vanished.

"You know what? Move over," she whispered in my other ear, making me jump.

I moved as close to Maisie as I dared so that Savannah could lie next to me. She didn't have much space as the girl was lying in the middle of the mattress, but I hugged her close.

"How are you so warm?"

"I don't know, my mum's always said that I'm like a radiator," I explained. She slipped her hands under my t-shirt. "Blimey, your hands are like ice blocks."

"Sorry," Savannah replied before retracting them.

"No, it's okay. I think you need my extra body heat," I said, placing her hands on my stomach again, before wrapping my arms around her body. "Better?"