Lucy In The Sky

Doctor Robert

PAUL'S P.O.V

I walked through the hospital's sterile hallways making my way to Lucy's room. It was still early morning, the birds were singing and the sun rays were seeping through the windows, giving the plain white walls a yellow tint. I tiptoed my way to Lucy's room and quietly opened her door, visitors weren't allowed until 2pm today because she was meant to wake up from her sleeping drugs, so I had to be careful that no nurses caught me creep in. 

I went to sit in the same uncomfortable blue seat next to her bed, I noticed a big bunch of luscious daffodils, six 'get well soon' cards, a bar of chocolate and bag of grapes on her bedside table. I knew she would be delighted to see all her gifts when she woke up so I added mine to the collection: a dainty bracelet made from little pink beads that used to be my mothers. I left a note alongside it, 'Lucy, get better soon, love Paul xx'.

I watched the sunlight beam onto Lucy's colourless face, it seemed as though the light was giving her a sense of life again. It was like God's little message to me that she was getting better. I smiled at the thought, picked up my guitar and played some songs for her. When the clock struck nine thirty I decided to leave Lucy, I knew the doctors would be along soon so I sat in the waiting area and ate my sarnies and had a ciggie outside. 

LUCY'S P.O.V 

The sleeping drugs my doctor, Dr Robert, gave me wore off at around 10am on Thursday. My doctor was an intimidating man who scared me a little; he had an odd look in his eyes and would not empathise with my situation. He would tell me what's wrong with me, tell me what to do and what not to do, then leave. A lot of the nurses were like that, I could only presume it was because I was a young woman suffering a failed pregnancy at such a young age with no husband, I was an outcast. 

I propped myself up in bed and stared at the walls, still finding it incomprehensible that I was sat on a wobbly hospital water-bed after having a miscarriage. I remember everything the doctors told me, that I suffered an ectopic pregnancy, I had lost a vast amount of blood and I was not stable enough to leave hospital until Tuesday. 

I rubbed my eyes after staring at the walls and out of the window, observing the sunrise and birds fly in and out the trees. I always admired birds, they had not a care in the world, they didn't have to worry about their boyfriends, passing their exams or going into hospital. I always wanted to be a bird.

I looked beside me at my bedside table, it was bursting full of wonderful gifts. I picked up the cards; from my parents and brother, George and Pete, Stu and Vicky, distant family relatives I forgot existed, one signed by all my class at college and one from John. I peered inside his card 'To Luce, get better soon hon, I'm sorry, love John xxxxx'.

I noticed a huge vibrant bunch on daffodils dominating the table, they were some of the most beautiful flowers I had laid my eyes upon. 'Get well soon!! George & Pete' read the note that was tucked into the flowers. I felt beyond happy that all these people were so generous and thinking of me. 

I picked up a big bag of grapes and nibbled on a few, from my mother of course. I also noticed a large bar of chocolate with a note saying 'sweet like you, John xxxx', I giggled to myself at the cheesy comment and at John's efforts to be kind. In the corner of my eye I saw a little box, almost falling off the table. I read the note before opening the package; 'Lucy, get better soon, love Paul xx'. 

I opened the box with care, revealing a beautiful bracelet. The beads were fuchsia and looked like pink pearls with tiny, hand painted flowers on each bead. I wondered where Paul found such a gorgeous piece of jewellery and I shed a tear. It all became too much. The gifts. The fact I was in hospital. Everything.

-

The doctors came in shortly after my crying spree, they examined me and told me I had made a miraculous recovery and my health was improving rapidly. They gave me more pills to take four times a day and took a blood sample. Once the doctors had left a woman came in to give me 'breakfast', a bowl of porridge, fruit and a yoghurt; although the porridge looked more like a bowl of slime. I smiled at the woman and thanked her for bringing me the food, expecting her to be like the other disapproving nurses.

"Ye're welcome, pet. There's a young lad outside... he's waitin' fer ye, y'know." she told me in her thick Liverpudlian accent, smiling. "He seems very sweet, plays great guitar." she giggled as she took the empty breakfast tray and left. There's a boy waiting for me outside playing guitar? I grinned at the thought and hoped that it would be John, coming to attempt to fix our failure of a relationship. 

I climbed out of bed and took a look in the mirror. I stepped back in horror of what I saw. A pale, make-upless mess with dark bags under my eyes and hair that resembled a birds nest. Not to mention the unflattering gown the hospital had dressed me in. My heart sunk and the reality that what had happened over the past few days sunk in again. I had lost my child and I was and still am terribly ill. My emotions felt all over the place and I wanted to cry again, but I decided to stay strong, hold back my tears and go and visit who I hoped was John instead.

I walked out of the room that I had called home for the past few days and shuffled down the corridor towards the waiting room, the soft sound of guitar leading me to my visitor. I wandered through closer to the waiting room and heard the words "Threee cooool chicksss" be sung in a husky voice that I recognised- but not as John's. "Are walkin' down the street, swinging their hips" of course I recognised the voice, it was Paul! Admittedly, my heart sunk when I realised that it wasn't John. It made me realise that perhaps John didn't want to fix our relationship as much as myself. 

I quietly made my way into the waiting room without Paul noticing, he was sat on a chair in the centre of the room, guitar rested on his leg. A young boy was sat on his knees in front of Paul, staring up at him in admiration as he sung. Suddenly, joy overwhelmed me. I remembered the wonders of life, I saw the amazement in the little boys eyes as he watched Paul do what he loved; perform. It made me realise how much I neglected Paul as a friend over the past few weeks, I never wrote to him whilst he was away in Hamburg and I hadn't met with him since he arrived home in England... yet he was still sat here, waiting for me to wake up. 

PAUL'S P.O.V

I finished the song and automatically looked up to check the clock when I noticed Lucy was stood watching me. I leapt up and ruffled the little boys hair that had been watching me sing for the past few minutes, I flicked him a coin I found in my pocket, "Here, put this towards gettin yerself a guitar." I whispered to him as I bounced off towards Lucy.

"Paul!" Lucy yelped, opening her arms to hug me. I embraced her for as long as I could before she pulled away and beamed a smile at me.

"Lucy, you're awake! I've been dead worried about ye, we all have. Have ye seen all yer gifts? You've been very popular recently, got the whole neighbourhood worrying about you! I - I'm sorry to hear though... about what happened. It's terrible, like." I said, looking into her eyes. She looked tired, big black circles were still surrounded her eyes and her cheeks were still colourless.

"I'm okay, really. I see John has been to visit, I have a card and chocolate bar from him. Has he been down often? It's very sweet of you by the way... to come and see me out of visiting hours." 

"John's been down tons, he's all over the place worryin' about ye! No problem, I popped down to give you yer present and play ye a few songs. I hate the thought of you layin' in that room all alone, it's eerie y'know!" I said chuckling, linking arms with Lucy as we slowly began to stroll down the hospital corridor. It felt as if we were speaking for hours, we had so much to tell each other. Our lives had changed dramatically since we last properly caught up and it was there and then I made a promise to myself that I would do anything to keep Lucy out of harms way, I loved this girl and I wanted no more misfortune to come to her.