Joshua's eyes widened as a couple of nurses brought a tray up to take off his bandage but there was a delivery too, hot food judging by the steam. He sat still as they removed the bandage, rubbed his burn down but smiled, tapping his shoulder as food was presented to him. A big fat double cheeseburger sat on a plate of fries.
He looked up from the plate and asked "who requested this?"
"Oh... let me check" one of the nurses replied in a hurry. She looked at the food notes and said "Nurse Knight. Why, is there something wrong? Are you vegetarian, sir?"
"No, it's just close to my favourite food" he admitted.
The nurse smiled, avoiding his eyes as she left the ward. He slowly ate it before chomping it down. If he was alone, it didn't matter and his table manners didn't matter too much. He just took a large chunk before chewing it and swallowing it back down. Whoever that nurse was, she was a godsend, she knew what he liked and she provided it, meat, good chunky meat in a bun with fries on the side, what more could a man ask for?
He finished most of it before he heard heels clanking on the floor. He took a deep breath, hoping it wasn't Sarah, hoping she hadn't forced herself to come back, not while his bandage was off.
A hand pulled back the curtain slowly, waiting for him to say no and although he was tempted, he didn't, he just let her open it, this small, dainty hand.
"Mr Reid, I see you enjoyed lunch. For dinner I have arranged another bowl of pasta with meatballs" Nurse Knight said patiently. She didn't look at him like a victim, although she looked at him, there wasn't a hint of disgust there, just a friendly smile.
"I look forward to it" he commented before remembering. He looked down at the bed sheets, embarrassed as he said "sorry, I forgot... I'm not bandaged"
"It's fine Mr Reid, it shows you're healing well" the nurse commented. She cleared her throat as Sarah approached with her sunglasses on and her handbag hanging on her arm.
"Hey babe, how are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine" he replied as she smiled at him, placing her hand on his shoulder.
The nurse quickly left to give them some space. Joshua caught Sarah's look of disgust as the nurse walked. "Who the hell does she think she is? She's always coming over, worse than that doctor guy"
"She's my physiotherapist" Joshua replied, trying not to snap.
"I bet she has helped only male patients. I mean, just look at her, she might as well be giggling and flirting with you, doesn't she have any self-respect or has she given it all up to work?"
"Sarah, please, she's trying to help"
"She's trying to get you into bed while you're vulnerable, that's what. She doesn't care about you as a person; you're just a number and something she can just jump into bed with at a moment's notice to have a quick one with. I'm going to talk to the doctors, get you a male physiotherapist because women should stick to treating women"
Joshua just rolled his eyes. He listened to her droning on and on about her modelling career and heard her phone go off multiple times, people offering their sympathies to her, the girlfriend of a burns victim. It only made him feel worse inside, like he was right. What he saw in the mirror was disgusting, pure ugliness and no one, not a person would be able to look past the face that was now his face. The doctors were there to help, paid to help but still he caught the odd glance, the odd fear. Were they scared of him, of his face or of talking to him? He was angry, sure but not because of Charlotte, she was worth the burns but because of Sarah. He'd met Jennifer, sat down and talked to her about possible plans, physiotherapy plans to get him back on his strength.
She seemed to genuinely care, she didn't seem to notice the scar either but those hazel eyes saw it, everyone saw it but few commented on what they saw, commented on the face that he now had, burnt and scarred like something out of a horror film thanks to a fire. He didn't want Charlotte seeing him, seeing his face. All he wanted to do was go into hiding and never come out of hiding but when he was around Nurse Knight, Jennifer as she preferred, he felt like a human being and not a monster. It was like she silenced all the fear and the hatred in the room, one simple act... talking to him, like he was an adult, made him feel like an adult and made him feel human. He could feel relaxed around her, like there was nothing to fear, nothing wrong with him either but with Sarah, he just felt like he was a sympathy card.
"Babe, so many people have shown their condolences, isn't that sweet?" she asked as she tapped his shoulder.
"Baby, I don't need people feeling sorry for me, I don't want them to think I'm some walking freak show or something to feel sorry for" he replied, not trying to sound rude but he had to stop her.
"Oh come on babe, they just want to show you some support, you should be happy!" Sarah complained.
"I... I don't need it" he whispered.
"Baby, they should see you, they should see how brave my boyfriend is! Just look at what you've been through... you went into a burning building and saved two people. Let the world hear your story, the newspapers would love to hear it, I'm sure because they love stories like that, true stories about everyday heroes. Don't you agree?"
"No... no I can't agree to that, Sarah, I'm sorry but... no, Sarah, I'm not giving interviews or having my photo taken"
"Oh and before I forget, I have got a really good plastic surgeon to agree to look at your face... see if he can repair it then you can... look normal again?"
Joshua just ignored her, turning away from her as he slept in his bed. A tear rolled down his cheek as he realised what he'd become, a monster with a hideous face and a girlfriend who seemed to want to fix him, why try when it was impossible? The doctors already told him that his face wouldn't look any better, it wouldn't change much more than it already had. He looked strange enough as it is without other doctors potentially making it worse. He had to put a stop to it; he had to refuse it all. He'd had enough surgeries to repair the damage as much as possible, he was in for physiotherapy soon enough and yet he felt himself screaming at the top of his lungs, telling everyone to leave, to get out and not look at him if they were going to be all sympathetic. That was his face now; there was no changing that, even if he wanted it to change.
YOU ARE READING
Hope
Romance(The cover was done by Luna357) Joshua, a builder with a girlfriend finds his life turned upside down when a fire in his home, shared with his little sister and his mother, ravages and burns the house. Realising his little sister's still trapped i...
