Every time you make a move

Love Dares You-Pt.3

Saturday 10th January, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Monica really wanted a drink.

It had been a few weeks since she last had one. And even if it almost killed her the last time, even if the mere thought of the taste and smell of alcohol made her stomach churn with repulsion, even if the doctors back in Dublin strongly advised against it for a while (or forever), a drink would probably be the cure to many ailments such as her constant angst, her chronic tiredness, her mental and physical pain...

Now half-asleep and squinting in the low-lying winter sun, she sat slumped in the chair beside Johnny's bed after another restless night, waiting to nod off.

There was a sofa against the wall across the room that would've been a lot more comfortable, but the truth was Monica didn't want to let of her son's hand as he lay on what must've been Day 4 of being in a coma, even it felt much longer.

Perhaps it was because each time the doctors checked, they hadn't noticed any significant changes to Johnny's stabilised condition, and that's what made the days drag on...

Then, a child's voice took Monica out of her fatigued daze:

"Mummy!"

Roshni Bulsara ran into the hospital room with a foil helium balloon in the shape of Thomas the Tank Engine in one hand and her Auntie Paula in tow, towards her elated mother's open arms.

"Oh, my little girl! My joy..." Monica cooed, lifting her daughter off of her feet.

"This feels much better than alcohol" she thought, pressing her face into Roshni's soft black curls as she held her close.

Her friend Paula McIntyre gently smiled in the background, taking the Thomas the Tank Engine balloon from the girl and tying it to the foot rail of Johnny's hospital bed during the mother and daughter's reunion.

"I missed you, mum" Roshni spoke into her mother's ear.

"I missed you too, my love," Monica kissed the side of her daughter's head, pulling away slightly, "How's the arm?"

"Not so sore anymore, but I still can't write with it or hold a knife and fork properly" Roshni shrugged, holding up her cast that had been ever so slightly tattooed by Paula so far.

"It's okay, it'll be time yet before you get used to it" Her Auntie Paula then said, sitting down on the sofa by the wall.

Monica's arms grew tired the longer they bore the weight of her nearly-a-decade-old daughter. As she lowered Roshni back onto the ground, she noticed that she was wearing an unfamiliar pastel lemon yellow knitted garment embellished with a view pearls and white beads that complimented her raven hair, olive skin and blue eyes rather well.

"Is that a new cardigan?"

Roshni nodded, "Auntie Paula took me to Camden market on the way back from Margate yesterday!"

Paula followed with a wink, "It's from the 1950s."

"Don't tell your father" is what Monica would've normally said, despite knowing that Freddie used to run a vintage stall with his bandmate Roger.

Instead, she gave her friend a side glance, "It's lovely, but I hope Auntie Paula isn't spoiling you too much!"

Paula passed Roshni a paper gift bag made of medium-sized silver cardboard, "Go on then, give it to your mum."

Roshni then handed the bag to Monica, "This is for you!"

Monica was pleasantly surprised, "For me? Thank you..."