Work Text:
TRUTH by Lil_Guppy
12am
I hold your hand in mine, so cold, so lifeless... so...still, eyes closed, barely breathing, the machines doing it for you.
It’s unbearably warm in this room, the old man left about an hour ago, Murph insisting on driving him, not that he wanted to leave - neither of them did, never seen the Cow look so drained... grey, the cares of the world and all that. Got some news for you, sunshine... but – no - you have to wake up first then I’ll tell you, though I think you may have guessed anyhow...
I stroke a thumb gently over the back of your hand, that cute little nurse, you know the one, legs up to there, just came in with a cuppa, and a blanket, said I should ‘try and sleep, Mr Bodie, he’ll still know you’re here... they do, you know...the patients... they can sense the presence of loved ones’
I look up at her, is it that obvious? Maybe you have guessed after all, mate,
The nurse, Tracey? Teresa? Puts the coffee in my free hand, slides one of her hands under her apron, ‘Mr Cowley left this for you, said a dram might make it less of a long night’ His hip flask! I notice she left enough room in the cup for a Cow sized dram. Bless her...
1.00am
C’mon, mate ‘m not letting you go... not yet, too much to do, feels daft talking like this, sunshine, the docs just been in, said it’s all your decision now, whether you get back from that edge you seem to be on, there’s a slight frown, as if you’re not sure what your doing...where you are... I stroke your hand again... I feel a slight twitch; as if I tickled you, C’mon Ray, turn round...
3.00am
Ray, sorry mate, dozed off there... wait; did your thumb just move over my hand?
I call the nurse,
She checks the dials on all the machinery plugged into you... “I just need to make a call... won’t be a minute...”
Christ, Ray, wasn’t stopping Mayli’s bullet enough, you had to go in on your own, so much blood, you got a target on your chest now, invitin’ them all to take a shot?
3.30am
Good news, Sunshine, doc says you’re starting to fight back!
Another coffee appears in my hand; I can’t stop shaking, set it down on the locker,
I lift your hand up to my lips, kiss the scrapped knuckles... that twitch again...is that what’s bringing you back, Sunshine? The contact? If only you knew mate, I’ve been touching you all along... and I don’t think I’m about to stop...couldn’t stop, even if my life depended on it...
4.30am
The coffee’s cold now, forgot it was there; too busy watching you, holding onto you, hoping if I hold you won’t take that step and leave me behind, I touch your bottom lip; you shift again... I lift your hand again, kiss the knuckles one by one... as I get to your index finger, there’s a flicker of your eyes... right you stubborn golly... this is it... I turn your hand palm up, place a kiss dead centre... as I fold your fingers over to hold the kiss, your eyes open...
“What took you so long, Bodie?”
“Welcome back, Sunshine”