For Your Eyes Only [h.s.]

Ch. 85 - The Present

Adelaide Styles
October 30, 2022
St. Thomas' Hospital
9:45 pm

"Who's Annie?" I ask, taking in all the people staring at me. Some of the nurses are checking my vitals, but I feel fine. I just have the worst headache imaginable. 

"Adelaide, baby, what do you mean?" The man, whom I assume is Harry since their voices are identical, asks me. 

"I'm sorry, I just... you've talked about Annie?" I tell him, growing suddenly nervous that I've said all the wrong things. My throat hurts as is, let alone having to talk too much.

"Talked? Talked, you mean, you've heard me this whole time?" He asks as I look at him, his eyes so hopeful and I'm so scared of what to say. I don't know what to say.

"Ok," a doctor says, stepping forward, "let's just take this one step at a time. Mrs. Styles, we'll let you get checked by the nurses and Harry and I will be right back." He says to me, patting my shin. When I look down, I see that my left leg is in a boot.

The crash. A flash, just like the ones from before pops into my mind. 

"There was an accident?" I ask the room, trying to give meaning to the image. Everyone looks at each other, but no one really says anything at all, until Harry walks back over and sits on the bed taking my hands in his. 

"Yes, Adelaide." He says so gently it makes me wonder how I could forget someone so loving. "There was a crash. You're ok, you're going to be ok. That's all that matters right now, ok? You keep telling yourself that, and we'll be right back." He says, and smiles at me.

That smile, I've seen it before. This isn't like the flashes, this time I can see the smile and take in his face. I know his face. I take a finger, and run it along the crease of one of his dimples. "You have a nice smile, Harry." I say, smiling. He feels, safe to me. I don't remember him entirely, but I certainly want to.

I catch one of his tears on the tip on my finger. 

"You've always loved my dimples." He says, shutting his eyes as the tears become more steady. He grabs my hand and cradles it in his own, gently tugging my fingers apart so his cheek rests in my palm.

"My dad says he trusts you." I tell him, unsure why that's something I can remember so easily. Out of everything running through my mind in bits and pieces, every second I stayed with my dad is clear as day to me. 

"What?" He asks, opening his eyes and looking shocked. "What do you mean, your dad? Tom, Tom hasn't been able to make it to the hospital."

"I mean, my dad. He told me he trusts you, that I should choose you." Harry looks to the doctor before turning back to me.

"Let the nurses check things out, I'll be right back. You just... you just remember what your dad said." He runs his hand along his jaw. "You can trust me." He says with a smile. He disappears and the nurses, all gentle with me, begin to make routine work of checking the machines all beeping around me. 

"Has he been here-?"

"Harry's been here everyday, Mrs. Styles." A nurse says to me even though she's locked eyes on another nurse, silently communicating with one another. 

"And is he... well, has he been kind to everyone?" I ask, trying to get a sense of the man.

"Oh, Mr. Styles is incredibly generous and very kind. He comes in the mornings, breaks to take care of Annie and get some things done, and always comes back to visit you in the evenings before it's time to get Annie to bed. A very good man."

"Who is this Annie?" I ask, but all the women grow silent around me, as if they're afraid my knowing will hurt me for some reason. "Who is Annie?" I ask again, more stern in my tone.