Are We Out of The Woods Yet?

Part 29

Robert had woken up in a great deal of confusion. He'd opened his eyes to be greeted by a grey ceiling and the sound of constant, echoing, rhythmic beeping. There had also been a smell...like cleaning products. "Robert!" Robert had known it was Diane before he even saw her. She'd stood up from where she was sat and leant over him. "You're awake!" She'd said, before bleating on about how she'd go and get the doctor. That was when Robert had begun to grow anxious. He was in hospital. Again. Or was it again? Maybe he'd never left at all. Maybe he'd been in a coma for months and everything about...Joe and...fifteen grand had all been a drug infused dream. After Diane had left, he'd sat up, his pupils almost falling out of his head as he scanned the room. Then a hand had flown to the left side of his chest. He winced, shit. It hurt. Did that mean he still had a stitched up bullet wound? So he had been in a coma. He was thankful to have oxygen supplied as he wasn't sure he could've breathed on his own now he'd been hit with the truth. He was sitting up in bed when the doctor came in to the room, followed by Vic and Diane.

"Oh, no. Come on Rob." Vic told him off.

"You're supposed to be resting." Diane cut in.

"How long have I been out?" Robert ignored the pestering, getting straight to the point. He'd ask the Doc what he needed to know and then get the hell out of there.

"About four hours." Robert's brow creased as he focused on the doctor, looking for signs that he was joking with him. It would be a pretty sick joke to make if he was though.

"It can't be four hours." Robert said in certainty.

"It was that long love." Diane decided to speak up again, for reasons unknown to Robert. He didn't need her whinging to wind him up right now. He was feeling stressed enough.

"Why? How long do you think you were out for Robert?" The doctor asked carefully, he'd come round the bed to stand on his right. They were on first name terms now were they? Robert felt belittled by that and it was, to him, patronising.

"I don't know. What month is it?" Vic had been biting her nails out of worry, he'd seemed to have lost his memory. Why hadn't she insisted he got himself checked out before he'd collapsed?

"It's February." The doctor informed him.

"February..." The word slipped off Robert's tongue in a quiet voice, he couldn't believe how long he'd been asleep. "I've been in a coma for...months..." That earned him quizzical looks off everyone in the room.

"Robert, you arrived in hospital three and a half hours ago." The doctor explained to him carefully. "You collapsed due to what we think was a heavy blow to the chest..."

"Yeah, a bullet. I know that." Robert scowled, did they really think he couldn't handle that?

"Robert love." Diane came closer to the left side of the bed. "I think you're a little confused." Robert tore his eyes from the doctor to Diane. He looked her up and down judgingly. "Oh love. The state of you, let's hope we can get the police onto whoever did this to you soon as possible." Ross came to Robert's mind at her words, Ross had shot him...He knew who'd done it. But how...if he'd been asleep...

"Yes, but first we need to make sure Robert understands what's going on." The doctor stated, resting a hand on Robert's ankle. "Are you thinking you've been in here since October Robert?" He asked Robert who turned back to him from Diane. Robert hesitated, this was a right or wrong answer he was about to give, the pressure mounted on his shoulders. If he was wrong he'd look like an idiot. "You can be completely honest with us, there will be no judgement we're all just concerned for your health in here." Robert nodded, a little reassured by that.

"Yeah. But now I'm not sure." Robert held his left hand in his right, the right thumb stroking the left in soft comfort. He decided to look upon the white sheets of the bed.

"Ok, well done. You're doing well." The doctor told him. "However, you haven't been in a coma at all, this time. You woke up from that coma last October and from your check-ups you've been doing just fine. Your scar has been healing well." But it still hurts, Robert thought. "You're in here tonight because earlier you collapsed in your home." It isn't really mine, Robert thought. "And this is where I need to ask you another question. If you're not feeling up to it right now, we can talk about it once you're ready." Robert braced himself. "Is that ok?" Robert nodded almost immediately. If he didn't answer now he'd be restless wondering what they were going to ask.

"Ask me the question." He said. The doctor nodded, going ahead with it.

"Since you were wounded, your lung has been healing well. However, the muscle that was ruptured, it will always be tender compared to the rest of the lung." The doctor paused to check Robert was following. "We think you've had a blow to the chest." He said for a second time. "Fortunately it didn't break the muscle tissue. But you almost gained a collapsed lung." Robert swallowed uneasily. "There was air trapped between the wall of your chest and your lung, but fortunately, we've managed to insert a small tube under your arm and get the air out. You were lucky it wasn't worse." Robert nodded, understanding that, grateful it wasn't worse. "It will feel slightly numb under your arm for a day or so, but it was only a thin tube so there isn't any need to worry about healing there, you can't tell it was ever inserted." Thank goodness there would be no more scars. The doctor seemed to pause. "The question I need to ask is, were you attacked earlier today?" Attacked? Robert blinked. Vic stepped forward with her phone in her hand, the front facing camera on. The doctor hesitated but then let her go ahead. Robert looked at Vic then at the phone as she put it right in front of him. He saw his reflection and then he knew for certain. None of it had been a dream. Not Joe or the fifteen grand. It had all been real. Vic took the phone away almost as quickly as she'd held it out. "Are you ok Robert?" The doctor asked. Robert didn't know what his expression was, but he didn't feel great.

"Yeah...can I uh, answer the question later, I mean it's a bit blurry right now you know?" None of it was blurry at all, now he could remember it loud and clear. But he couldn't tell the truth. It was not Police business, it was his. Besides, if he told the police about the incident they could arrest him for assault. The doctor nodded, walking round to the end of the bed.

"Yes, of course. You can tell us when you're ready." He bowed his head and went for the door. "Oh, do you have any questions?" Could he just leave before it started to show that he was withholding information, Robert pleaded.

"No, thank you." The doctor left the room at that.

"Right, come on Robert, let's get you in to bed properly."

"I'm ok." He told Diane, moving himself back against the pillows.

"Alright, but maybe now you can get some rest." Diane suggested. I think I've had enough of that, Robert thought. But he was more clever about his answer. He needed the two to leave.

"Yeah, I think I will." He sighed, putting it on that he was exhausted. He slid down the bed so he was lying down, positioning the pillow correctly to rest his head upon. "You two go and get coffee or go home, I'll be alright here." He encouraged them both. Neither one of the women wanted to leave but if he was requesting they go, then for the good of his health, they would do as he asked.

"We'll see you soon alright?" Vic came forwards and traced a hand lightly through his hair. Robert gave her a wonky smile, making her smile back at him.

Once they'd finally left, Robert felt he could relax a little bit more. But it didn't stop the feelings of annoyance at the fact that he was wasting time being there.