Echoing love

Chapter Three

Lavenders mums PoV
Clara Fray was anxious, so anxious she hardly noticed the pain in her hand. That was a dull throb she could live with, though the blood was soaking through the towel someone had wrapped loosely round it.

'Hold on, we'll be there soon.'
She could hear the hysteria in Kyle Robinson's voice. He'd disobeyed his dad for her! She felt sick with worry-or had she felt sick before the smash? Without doubt her head hurt as well. Mr Robinson had appeared looking for her, and she knew why. She'd seen him watching Lavender five minutes prior. It was because of the care his son was showing her.

Hadn't she been warning Lavender for weeks? The taxi jolted, making her bleeding hand tingle.

Clara closed her eyes as pain stabbed through her.

'Sorry,' Kyle said. 'Not long now.'
She knew exactly how far it was; didn't she walk this way four times a day between home and the restaurant? She watched Kyle through her half shut eyes. She couldn't really blame Lavender; he was a fairly strong attractive lad, he was tall and had well defined muscles. He had apple cheeks and a baby face. He was a nice lad, but he needed to realise what he was doing to Lavender.

He'd flattered her; swept her off her feet. Lavender thought he was in love with her and she with him and that'd they'd get married, have a family and live happily ever after. Perhaps Lavender also saw it as a way out of being poor and the daily grind in the restaurant.

Clara grimaced as the taxi jolted again. She couldn't see it ever happening. Michael Robinson wouldn't let it. He wouldn't want his son marrying the likes of Lavender, even though she was like a first spring flower, beautiful and perfect in every way, she radiated a golden sparkle.

The taxi was pulling up next to the curb. Clara was heaving herself up on her elbow as Kyle jumped out of the car and with the nimble ease of a youth he ran around the car to help her. She almost fell into his arms and he had to steady her to keep her standing.
'We can manage,' he called to the driver. As he went to get out of the car to help.
She'd only taken two steps towards the hospital door when she'd doubled up in pain again, and she knew Kyle was using all his strength to keep her standing.

'Just a few more steps,' he whispered. He was being kind to her because he loved Lavender, but even if Lavender got what she wanted- even if they ran away to elope- Clara was afraid he wouldn't be right for her.

Kyle didn't think things through. He'd get in trouble when he got back to the restaurant for coming with her. Cause them trouble too, but he wouldn't see that; he lived for the moment. Entertainment was higher up on his programme than stability and safety. They all knew he and his dad didn't get on, that what he did in the restaurant could be done twice as efficiently by Asan Ramanga or Ellis Ferry.

To her Kyle was too young to be in a proper relationship. He wouldn't be able to look after Lavender; he needed a maid himself, someone to run around after him. Most likely he'd leave her a few years later after he'd had his fun. Lavender hadn't lived long enough to know this was the likely end, but Clara had.

Lavender would be far better off with Ellis. He was reliable and more mature. He was one of them. That was Lavender's route to happiness, but she was throwing it away without a second thought m, turning down every advance Ellis made.

The disinfectant smell of the hospital caught in her throat and made her cough. She'd thought the hot, spicy aroma of the restaurant had killed off her ability to smell anything else. The scent of onions and peppers and spices she thought they were stronger than any other smell in the world. The stench was in her clothes now, in her hair, ingrained into her skin, and no amount of washing would get rid of it.
Kyle was guiding her towards a chair, and she slumped down.

'I'll wait a while to see-'
'No, you go back.'
'Lavender will want to know . . .'

Clara's head swam. He was a compassionate person, she could give him that. He had none of his dad's ego.

She didn't know how long she waited, but at some point a nurse came and took her into a room. She sat her down and unwrapped her hand. The sight of raw flesh and flood turned her insides to liquid. Before she knew what was happening she was puking on the nurses shoes. She wanted to cry with the shame and the excruciating pain. The she felt a bucket being placed into her hands, but it was way to late by this point. The next thing she knew she was being forced onto a bed and being wheeled down the corridor, she was placed into an empty room to relax. It was such a relief.

'Go back to work,' she told Kyle when he came to her bedside. 'Your dad'll be cross if you don't. I'll be alright now.'

'I'll wait a few more minutes. I'll wait outside, if you want. Lav will want to know what the doctors find.'

The doctor came and started asking questions. How long had she been feeling unwell?
It had been about a week to be honest. She'd been having these fits of nausea and stomach cramps and of feeling generally unwell for a few years now though. She ought to be used to them.

'Diarrhoea too?'
'No, but I've had constipation, she admitted.'
The doctor was you hand very kind, but hospitals and everything to do with them made her shiver. When she was told they suspected the problem was stomach cancer, the word cancer frightened her.

'Does that mean I'll have to have the tumour out?' Clara began to break out in a sweat. 'That's a dangerous operation, isn't it?'

'No love, lots of people have it out. It's done quite often these days.' Clara didn't care how many people had had the operation before her; she didn't want it.

'We're not going to operate straight away. Your going to need a few days rest. See if it settles down again. Sometimes it does of its own accord.'

Clara calmed down. That sounded better. A few days rest, what more could she ask? If she felt well, she'd be able to cope. She would try to convince Lavender to finish with Kyle Robinson.

They gave her something for the pain then, and she could feel herself drifting off.

Au: short chapter I know, just needed to do a filler chapter on what happened with Clara after the accident.

Comment whether you think Lavender should stay with Kyle or go back to Ellis.

As always guys vote and comment, thanks for reading💕