Rescue Heart

Chapter Eight

 Sorry that this took so long to arrive. I've been super busy, working lots and dealing with an eventful week at the horses. There's never enough time for actually enjoying time to myself in between lol. This hasn't been proofread, as I was conscious that I was taking forever, and I just wanted to get this out to you guys ASAP. I hope you enjoy, and that this has been worth your wait! xxx

C h a p t e r  . E i g h t

Sleep tried its very best to evade me at every cost during the night, until eventually, before the first light of dawn began to creep in through the cracks in the curtains, my body shut down on me. It was only for a few less than blissful hours, haunted by restlessness and worried dreams. Then the beeping of the alarm clock dragged me roughly from my faint slumber. I was greeted back to the world of the wakened by some much needed love from Lass, and I lay with her for a while, snuggling against her soft coat.

“I don’t have the will or the energy to get through today,” I murmured, threading my fingers through her sleek fur. “I really don’t.” She nudged my fingers away so that she could snuggle in closer, her tail wagging meekly as she forced a little smile from me.

Woody stood at the bottom of my bed, his chin resting on the frame, with his woeful dark eyes imploring me, almost as if to say, Where is my mummy? The lost look on his sweet face broke my heart, because there was nothing that I could do to fix it. For a brief moment, I forgot about my own misery and loneliness, because I didn’t depend on Mum as much as he did.

My phone started to ring, and I groaned under my breath. Grabbing it, I quickly noticed that it was Tom, who was to be in for some sharp words when I answered. “I love you, and all, but what are you doing phoning me at seven in the morning?” I grumbled.

“How was Mum last night?” he asked, his tone distinctly anxious. His worrying softened my annoyance.

“No change,” I replied quietly. “Her condition is stable for just now, her body just needs to take time to fix whatever needs to be fixed.”

There was a slight pause on the other end, before Tom sighed softly. “Better than a deterioration, I suppose,” he mumbled, and it was evident that he’d been hoping for signs of improvement. “I’ve got some bad news of my own, though. I can’t get away from work today. My boss’s wife went into labour this morning, I am the one who has to cover for his absences. He said he’d let me away tomorrow, though, so I will drive up tomorrow morning.”

His words hung in the air as my foggy brain processed their meaning. When I realised that it meant yet another day and night of being utterly, helplessly alone, where my poisonous thoughts and worst fears could consume me without rationale, my chest tightened painfully.

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry, Tess. I’m really annoyed, trust me, and you know I’d much rather be there for you. Until tomorrow, though, you’ll have to manage without me.”

“I’ll cope,” I said feebly, knowing as full well as he did that the words coming from my mouth were a white lie. “It’s just one night.”

“Just one night,” he echoed, as if to reassure both him and I that I would be alright. “And I’m sure if you need anyone, Ollie would come over if you asked him.”

This had already been privately promised to me, but he was both the first and last person I wanted. I was caught in a conflict of my selfish and selfless emotions, and it was becoming a violent war between want and need.

“Anyway, I’d better head, and I’m sure that you’ve got a lot to do as well,” he sighed heavily. “Take it easy, Tess, and you can phone me at all if you need to get a hold of me. I love you.”