A Time to Love

Chapter 9

           'Where is he?' Sarah shouted as she threw her bag on the floor and her jacket quickly landed on top of it. She peered through the living room door and then up the stairs.

'Hello' she heard a husky masculine voice call from the kitchen.

Following its trail, she burst through the kitchen door but what she found shook her. Her father was sitting next to the kitchen table, wheels were now doing the job that his legs should have been.

'Oh dad' she cried as she ran into his open arms.

'Careful' he warned, still fragile from his injuries and when he caught he worried expression, he squeezed her hand tightly.

'Don't worry' he tapped the wheels of his chair 'this is only temporary, I'm determined.'

'Sorry' Sarah answered, though she didn't know if it was because of the pain she had caused her father with her cuddle or because of the now lack of use of his limbs.

She pulled a chair out from under the table, only just noticing the brown haired woman in a nurses uniform standing by the sink. Noticing her attention had deviated, her father proceeded.

'Ah Carol, this is my daughter...erm...' he slapped his hands against his head as he forced himself to remember.

'Sarah' she finally answered for him, to save him the frustration of forgetting something as trivial as her own name.

'Yes, that's it, Sarah.'

The silence grew awkward as dad twiddled his thumbs and Carol slurped her tea

'Where's mum?' Sarah asked eventually as if only just realising that they were the only ones at home.

'Gone to...' he looked at Carol for a reminder.

'She's gone to pick up the twins from school.'

Sarah could see a sadness and frustration in her father's eyes. They were heavy and, where they were usually bright, they had become sad slits. She turned to Carol and indicated that they leave the room, to which she obliged.

'I'll be back in a second dad, I'm just going to have a chat with Carol.'

'This memory issue that he seems to have, it's temporary right?' Sarah asked as she slowly closed the kitchen door behind her.

Carol hesitated before deciding 'Sarah, I think this is a conversation you should have with your mum.'

'Well, she's not here and you are. Plus you're a nurse, you'll give it to me straight.'

Carol diverted her eyes to the floor, sighed and then brought them up again to look directly into hers.

'We don't know if your dad will ever walk again, or get his short term memory back.'

Sarah looked over Carol's shoulder, witnessing her dad so helpless and vulnerable just broke her and tears began to stream down her face like a waterfall.

'That's why I'm here, I'm taking him to a rehab unit. We're only here to collect his things.'

***

'So you left in a hurry yesterday.' Lucy said as she leaned against the work space in the rehearsal room

'Yeah' she simply replied, leaving no space for elaboration until Lucy questioned her hurried exit.

'If you must know, it's my dad. He's out of hospital.'

'That's great isn't it?' Lucy asked as she pushed off the table and wrapped Sarah in her arms.

'Well, yeah, he's alive but...'

'But...?'

'He might never walk again or have a short term memory.'

Sarah leaned forward and held her head in her hands as she released a long sigh and gazed blankly at the ground. Lucy pulled her back against her body.

'I'm so sorry' she whispered as she stroked her friends hair.

'Listen, why don't you come round to mine tonight. We can have a few drinks and a chat.'

A gentle knock came on the door before Sarah could answer anything, they both looked up just as Zander spoke.

'Hey, sorry to interrupt' he smiled at Sarah, while fighting his every urge to not ignore her piercing stare as he looked away and back towards Lucy.

'We've got a read through in five minutes.'

'I'll be with you in a second.' Lucy answered

But Sarah knew her intentions 'It's fine, you go and I'll see after for a costume fitting.'

***

'Come in' Sarah called out in response to the chap on the door after lunch but a surprise was waiting for her as she lifted her head from her sketchbook.

'I was expecting Lucy'

'Yeah, sorry. She's just going through a few lines. We thought it would it be best if I went first.'

Assuming the silence to mean his entrance was granted, Zander closed the door behind him. Sarah focused on her sketches, trying to ignore the heat that shot up her body as he walked past.

'I can come back later if it's not a suitable time right now.'

'No' Sarah pushed the chair away as she stood.

'You're here now, we might as well get on with it.' She waved her hand at him in a request to get him to stand, a request which he duly obliged to.

'Do you know what height you are?' she questioned as she reached for the measuring tape, brushing against him as she bent down to reach it.

'About five six' Zander swallowed hard and exhaled quickly as Sarah's body touched his waist when she stood back up.

Sarah allowed the measuring tape to fall down Zander's leg and as she kneeled by his ankles, she could see him close his legs tightly together.

'Stay absolutely still' she demanded as she climbed to her feet and placed the tape against the top of his head.

'Five seven exactly' she finally concluded.

'You can have a look through here' she pulled a plastic box out from under the table.

'Or there's these' she placed the sketchbook in front of him.

Zander glanced over each page as he flicked through them. 'Well, they're all spectacular. I can't possibly choose.'

'Ok then, well, that's all I need for now. Send Lucy in on your way out.'

Sarah held the door open for him, ignoring his persistent stare when he refused to leave.

'Was there anything else?'

'Yeah actually. What happened between us...'

'Forget about it. I already have' she answered coldly and closed the door immediately as he stepped through it.