Phoebe's Performance

Arrangements

Chapter 20

It took me a few moments to recognise the slamming front door reverberating round the house and realise Eve had literally just left the mansion.

I'm on the street. "Eve," I shout toward the head of black hair. She's down the end of the street and about to turn the corner. If she does I might lose her to the great London transport network, for there's always a bus around the traps. But she's fast, must be pacing to some electronic beat of music for she strides quick and long. She's getting away and doesn't acknowledge my hollering by turning around and stopping to chat.

My voice will go hoarse if I keep shouting and all this exertion after her might be to no avail. So I hurl my body forward, pushing myself into a sprint. My chest heaves and I chastise myself. Why was I so caught up talking to Mickey, explaining the situation of me moving in? Mickey was pleased that I'd be leaving her flat but to be honest, I'd kind of thought I'd find a place of my own, and not move in with my boss. "Eve!"

She finally hears and stops on the pavement. Adrenalin surges through my being and my feet propel closer to her. She swivels around and I'm so ecstatic that I wave frantically. She takes her headphones from her ears and I'm able to slow down. She cocks her head to the side and waits for me to reach her on the footpath. Eve's gaze flickers over me as I wipe the perspiration from my forehead. She wears a slightly amused expression on her face as I inhale a few sharp breaths.

"Eve, you just left," I pant. "I just wanted to be discrete but before you went, I need an update. Annika is busy talking to Otto about some arrangements...."

I can't quite meet her eye because I don't want to explain that those arrangements involve my living situation.

"Okay...."

"But she wants me to gather a report...When do you think he will recover?"

"It's hard to say...."

"I know these things are difficult." I nod my head a few times, thoughts race through my head. "But in your professional opinion, what do you think? You'd have seen loads of patients before with broken limbs...."

"I can't really give a recovery time frame...."

"But Otto's hand's going to get back into shape, right?"

She smiles tightly, her lips forming a thin line and I realise I'm beginning to get impatient. I know the word therapist is in her job title. But come on, she's the more hands on type, no one is lying back on the sofa talking about their feelings. Otto's broken his hand and a break is about bones and tendons and...isn't this just science? The bones are all back in the right places.

She pushes her hands in her pockets. "It's early days. He's got very little movement and I don't like to promise anything because it really depends on the patient. He's got to give it all and be committed to doing the exercises. But like I told him, we can chart his progress over the weeks."

"Of course he'll do all the exercises. I heard him say he wanted as many as possible."

"I don't want him to overdo it either. He'll have to take it slow. The body needs to heal. You can't rush these things. I'm sorry." She gives a tight smile. "The most important thing is for him to keep the mental side strong. This is going to be a long, hard journey for him. You must understand that Phoebe. You did it yourself. Remember the depression you faced when you were discharged from hospital."

"I thought I was okay."

"You did but what ended up happening?"

"I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't watch television. All I did was cry."