Another Day

Chapter 19

George did stay. All night in fact. He sat in a chair next to my bed, and he fell asleep with my hand in his. For a moment I left it there, just looking at it. Then I thought of Danny, and I pulled away.

Sleep came eventually, but only fleetingly.

In the morning, a nurse woke me up to take a phone call. I followed her out of the room, moving cautiously. She handed the phone to me and left, her white shoes tapping away on the hard linoleum floor.

“Hello?” I breathed into the phone.

“Donna.”

“Danny?”

“Yeah, yeah, are you alright?”

Relief-along with a fair bit of guilt-washed over me. “I’m fine”

“Linda said you were attacked.” His concern was almost accusing. I smiled a little. “Nothing too terribly damaging, I’ll be out soon.”

The line was quiet for a bit as I fiddled with the chord.

“I’m coming back to London; do you know when you’ll be home?”

I bit my lip “Why don’t you come see me, if you can.”

Danny sighed and I could just see him scratching at his head and his eyebrows pinching together. “I’m really busy.” He said shortly. There was a biting edge to his voice, like maybe I wouldn’t want to know exactly what he was busy with.

“Oh” was all I said.

“You understand right?”

“Yeah” I replied, feeling terribly let down.

He cleared his throat. “Well, I have to get off here, call me when you can come home, bye.” He said in a rush. I opened my mouth to reply but before I got the chance he had already hung up. I stood holding the phone for a while longer before putting it back on the cradle.

Maybe it was best he hadn’t said I love you. I wasn’t sure if I could have said it back.

I walked back to the room, disappointed. George was just waking up. He smiled at me as he yawned.

“Morning love.”

I almost blushed. Love. “Morning”

He hopped to his feet and stretched, towering above me. “I’m going down to the canteen, would you like to come?” I shrugged. Well why the hell not?

The walk was mostly in silence, and so was the meal. George focused on his food intently and paid little attention to anything else.

“Sorry, I’m a fast eater.” He said, glancing at my barely touched plate. “No it’s fine” I mumbled “I’m not very hungry anyway.”

We threw our trays away and went back to the room, having nothing else to do. I was only staying here for observation, so I didn’t have to be hooked up to a bunch of machines, but I still couldn’t leave.

As we made the trip George kept asking if my side was bothering me.

“George I’m fine”

“It doesn’t hurt at all?”

“It’s a stab wound, of course it hurts.” I snapped.

He just grinned.

Later the doctor came up for a chat and said I would have to stay another night, but wasn’t sure about the next. I nodded absent-mindedly, not exactly paying attention.

After he left George turned to me. “So what do you want to do?” He asked.

I shrugged. “Do a cartwheel and whistle the national anthem?”

George laughed, coming to sit in his chair. “No really, what do you feel up to doing?”

Honestly, I felt terribly sleepy. A nice nap was calling my name. “I’m tired” I said. He nodded and stretched back in his chair. “Then sleep, I’ll be right here.”

So I did.

Most of the day in fact.

It was a little after noon when I opened my eyes to find George pressing a kiss to my forehead. “What’s that for?” I mumbled at him, sitting up a little. He sat next to my hip. “The lads want to do something in the studio for a bit, I’ve got to run.”

I frowned. “Why?” I asked stupidly; drowsiness still blocking a lot of my filters. He smiled. “It’s kind of my job you know.” I nodded, disappointed.

“When will we get to see each other again?”

The question hung in the air for a long time before it really processed in my mind. I swallowed and looked away from him, not entirely sure on the answer. “I don’t know.”

He sighed, and suddenly leaned in for a kiss. It was tender and very sweet. I didn’t bother to restrain myself, there was hardly any point, and I just didn’t want to. He pulled back. “Bye Donna.”

I watched him leave, defeated. He didn’t even look back, just kept forward, swinging the door shut behind him. It felt like he was walking out of my life forever. Perhaps he was. If I wanted to see him again, I would have to make the effort. But I couldn’t do that, I still had Danny. I couldn’t leave him. I didn’t want to.

Then why was I so upset at the idea of losing George?

As soon as the door closed behind him I started to cry. Tears welled up uncontrollably and nothing could stop them from spilling over onto my cheeks. I felt horrible to treat him so two-faced like I did. I was just scared. And I didn’t want him to go.