Forked Roads Back

96 - TESSA

A FEW DAYS LATER, Dad is now well and truly on the mend.

After the excitement of Archie and me arriving had died down, I asked the doctor what had happened, as Dad was being cagey to try and protect me.

He had pneumonia, a nasty attack of it at least, and the reason he collapsed was due to a momentary lack of oxygen. With the quick work of Mel, who he had been with at the time, and the help of all the wonderful doctors here at Whipps, he was getting back to his old self again.

After nine hours of thinking I might have lost him, I wasn't willing to leave his side. The nurses set up a cot for me, with Archie and Mel helping me out in making sure he was never alone. He's in and out, with some powerful meds knocking him out, but with each new day, he's getting stronger and stronger, the colour returning to his cheeks. Yesterday, the doctors told us he only needed to be in for a few more days, and this was music to my ears.

Today is day five, and my neck is killing me, not that I'd ever admit it. It's the first day I've contemplated leaving his side to go home and get some fresh clothes, as so far Archie had been driving back and forth for me. But now that Dad's road to recovery is more clear, Archie has managed to convince me to go home, unpack my suitcase and spend a night in my own bed.

As much as I wanted to stay, I am excited.

Dad comes out of the bathroom to find me packing the last few things. He chuckles, throwing my slippers over to me to slip into the side of the bag.

"Thanks," I tell him, zipping it up. "Now are you sure you don't want me to stay tonight?"

"For the tenth time," he chuckles, even though it's more like the fiftieth time, "Yes, I am fine. You need to have a night in your own bed."

I smile, but I knew that if I didn't go home tonight, my neck may walk home by itself.

"You got everything?" he asks. He gets up with ease, now no longer attached to an IV, and comes around to where I'm just closing up my bag.

"Yup, think so. Arch is treating me to a coffee before we go though, so I'll be back up in a bit.

He smiles at me. "I'm glad he's back."

"Me too," I admit just as Archie comes through the door. The weather has taken a turn in the last day and he's dressed in an arctic ski coat, covered in snow. He's holding up a similar one and hands it to me.

"It's snowing?!" I ask him.

"Yep! It's like a blizzard out there."

I rush to the window and it really is a blizzard. The trees were now covered in a thick blanket of snow and gone were the beautiful autumn colours we'd had a week ago.

"You ready for coffee?" Archie asks, taking his coat off now that he was inside.

I nod. "You bet. Dad, I'll catch you later okay. I'll be back up to get this." I tap my bag at the same time Archie leaves both of our coats on the chair.

"Bet you're excited to get some real rest now that Tess is going home," he jokes, putting an arm around my shoulder.

Instinctively I lean into him, but swat his stomach at his dig. "You're getting the coffees for that!"

He rolls his eyes, but starts dragging me out of Dad's room before I change my mind. "Catch you in a bit Andy!"

When we get downstairs, the cafeteria is quite full so Archie tells me to find a table whilst he ordered. I find one in the middle of the room, checking my messages whilst I waited.

I had a few messages from Charlotte, but I'd mainly received a flurry of messages from Jamie. I'd called him and told him about Dad, but because he was on the mend, I insisted he stayed in Australia. Dad was coming home in a few days, and he didn't need to worry. I miss him, of course I do, but for some reason, part of me knows he would have resented being pulled away... or maybe that was me being hard on him.