Through the Glass (32 page)

Norah came in and checked Flick’s vitals. “How are you today, Jim? Did you sleep?” she asked whilst she filled in numbers on the chart again.

“I did, thanks. I’m okay… I’ll be better when Flick wakes up.” He didn’t shift his gaze from his sleeping beauty.

“Well, we’re all hoping for the same thing, Jim. Just hang in there, honey.” The older lady smiled kindly and then left the room.

~~~~~

After a restless night, filled with dreams of Felicity, Jim met Penny at JFK the following morning. She hugged him so tight he felt like he was going to pass out. They made their way to the hospital by cab as soon as they had dropped Penny’s bags at the hotel and she had freshened up. She squeezed Jim’s hand throughout the whole cab journey. Jim was still astounded by the change in their relationship.

On arrival at the hospital, Jim opened Felicity’s room door and Penny stepped inside. She gasped and rushed to her daughter’s bedside. “Oh, no…no, no, no.” She turned to Jim with a pained expression, and he hugged her to him as she sobbed, her hands covering her mouth. He let her cry until her tears subsided, and then he pulled a chair next to the bed and helped her to sit. Her legs had apparently weakened through the shock of seeing her only child lying unconscious.

Once she was calmer and he felt better about leaving, he touched Penny’s shoulder. “Look, Penny, I’ll leave you to have some time alone with her, okay? There must be things you want to say.”

She looked up at him with puffy, sad eyes. “Say? But…she’s not awake, Jim.”

“No, but the nurse said she may be able to hear you… Go ahead…I’ll leave you to it.” He smiled reassuringly and left the room. He walked to the family room and pushed the door open. Thankfully, it was vacant. He pulled out his phone and called Euan.

He answered the call after one ring. “Hey, bro, how’s it going? Is everything okay?”

“Hi…it’s not great. Flick’s off the ventilator and breathing by herself. She looks so different though. She’s pale…kind of grey. There’s been no response from her. They say there could be brain damage, Euan.”

He was silent for a moment at the other end of the line. “Aw hell, Jim, I don’t know what to say bro. That’s not good, eh? How soon will they know more?”

“When she wakes, I guess. It’s all a waiting game. Penny’s here now, so at least I’m not alone. We can support each other.”

“Bless the poor woman. She must be devastated.”

“Aye. She’s a bit of a wreck…pretty much like me.”

“Well, keep your chin up, eh? Stay positive. And make sure you both eat and rest. Don’t worry about shit here. Jasper is great, and I’m a big hit with the local
ladies
so the business is doing fine.”

Jim snorted. “Euan, the average age of the
ladies
around there is sixty-five, so I’d be careful about bragging there, mate.” He couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.

Euan chuckled down the line. “Look after yourself. Love you, bro.”

“Aye, love you too you ugly swine.” Jim hung up.

~~~~~

The next two weeks followed the same routine. Hospital, eat, shower, sleep, etc. Friday of the second week came around, and Penny was feeling unwell. She stayed in her room to get some rest, and Jim went to the hospital alone. He walked into Flick’s room to find Norah going about her hourly checks.

“Hi, Norah. Any change?” His words were hopeful as always. But as always, Norah’s words did nothing to fan the flames of his hope.

“Not yet, sweetie. But she’s a tough cookie. We haven’t given up and neither has she.” She patted his shoulder as she did every other time and left him.

He clutched a piece of paper to his chest. It was a print out of an email that Julian had sent him. It showed the front page of The Glaswegian, the headline of which read,
Mystery Artist Takes Glasgow By Storm.
He intended to read it to Flick as he sat with her.

“Hey, gorgeous. You’re looking brighter today.” He spoke softly, leaning in close to kiss her forehead. “I think you have a bit more colour to your cheeks.” He pulled up a chair and held her hand as he read the article to her. He watched for any response as he read but received none. “Anyway, it sounds like the exhibition is going down really well. People just love your work, Flick. I want to take you to see it soon, so you need to wake up…Flick? Wake up for me, eh? Please.”

Nothing.

Feeling lost and drained, he leaned his head on the bed beside her hand and eventually dozed off.

He dreamed about Flick again. This time they were lying on a bed in a white room. She was stroking his hair as he looked lovingly into her eyes. He touched her cheek and covered her mouth with his own. He feathered her cheeks and eyes with kisses. “Please don’t leave me again, sweetheart. I couldn’t bear it,” he whispered. She didn’t speak. “I keep losing you. I don’t want to keep losing you.” She simply stared into his eyes and ran her hands through his hair over and over. “I love you,” he told her again.

But no sooner had he said that than she started to drift away from him. Tears trailed down her beautiful face, and she held out her hands to reach for him. He grabbed for her and managed to pull her back. Her hands found his hair again and he leaned in to kiss her. “Don’t go…please don’t go, Flick…don’t go.” But she began to drift away again. He tried to call after her but his throat constricted trapping the words before they could be spoken.

His eyes sprang open. His breath was huffing in and out in short, sharp spurts. It took a moment for him to realise he was still beside her in the hospital, lying with his face turned away from her. He could still feel her hand stroking his hair as if it had been real…
wait a second…that is real.
He sat bolt upright and turned toward her face.

“Oh my God!” He jumped to his feet and leaned over her. “Flick, it’s me, Jim!” His voice was urgent and panicked. He stroked her cheek waiting for a response. Her eyes fluttered open weakly.

Shakily, she reached her hand to his cheek. “Jim…please take me home.”

His eyes stung with the tears that threatened to overspill. Okay, she knew who he was, but did she know what had happened? Did she know where she was? Did she know what she was saying?

He took a deep calming breath. “And where’s home, Flick?”

“Wherever you are, Jim.”

Chapter 29

Jim paced around the family room as he nervously chewed at the skin around his nails. Why had they rushed him out? It was a good thing that she had gained consciousness. This wasn’t one of those scenarios where she suddenly wakes up to say goodbye and then dies, was it?
Fuck!
No it can’t be like that
.
It just can’t.

Penny burst into the room. “Jim! They won’t let me see her! What’s going on?” The anguish in her eyes tugged at his heart.

He pulled her into him. “I don’t know, Penny. She woke up, and then when I called for the doctor they ushered me out and asked me to wait in here. It’s driving me mad.” They hugged, clinging onto to each other as they waited.

After half an hour, Doctor Guzman finally came into the family room. He asked them to sit. Jim didn’t like that. It made him think the worst.

Dr. Guzman smiled warmly. “Jim, you look terrified.”

“I
am
terrified. Please…what’s going on?”

“Okay, well she has regained full consciousness, which is marvellous. We have done the necessary tests, and we are very pleased to see that cognitive function appears to be unharmed. Felicity’s just speaking with Detective Rand and telling him what she remembers of the events leading up to her being discovered in the rest room. She’s a little upset as you can imagine, now that she’s aware of the implications of being in here. But all in all, she’s very fortunate to have escaped permanent damage. Now I know it’s tempting to go in there all guns blazing…talking to her, asking questions, etc. But I feel it would be best if you let her be for today.”

Jim stood, holding his hands up. “Whoa…no way, mate. I’m not leaving her. Never again am I leaving her.”

The doctor placed a firm hand on Jim’s shoulder. “Jim, believe me, I understand fully how hard it must be to hear this, but she’s been though quite a traumatic ordeal both physically and now emotionally, and from hereon in, it may be a bumpy ride as she’s learning about what’s happened to her. She needs time to process it all and to maybe let things sink in. She has a lot to come to terms with here.”

Jim exhaled what felt like all of the air from his lungs as he sat down again. “Please, Doctor Guzman. Please, you don’t understand. I
have
to talk to her, even if it’s just for a few minutes. And her mum will want that, too. We won’t overcrowd her. I can promise you that. We’ll even go in separately if that’s better but
please
.” He pleaded and prayed that the doctor would understand.

Doctor Guzman pursed his lips and for a moment it seemed like he was sticking to his guns. “Fine. Five minutes each and then you go and come back tomorrow. That’s my final say on the matter.”

“Thank you, Doctor Guzman. Thank you.” Penny was wringing her handkerchief.

“Aye, thanks for that.” Jim nodded. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help, doctor.”

Back in the room, Felicity was slightly more elevated in her bed. Her face brightened as she saw Jim enter. He rushed to her bedside and leaned in to stroke her hair back and kiss her forehead.

“Hi, gorgeous. How’re you feeling?” He caressed her face lovingly.

“Jim…you came all the way to America for me?” Her lip trembled and a tear escaped the corner of her eye. He caught it with his thumb.

“Of course I did. I couldn’t stay away. I…I couldn’t believe that you were alive when I was told. When that plane crash happened…I thought….that you were gone…that I’d lost you. I had to come and see for myself that you were still here.” He stroked her cheeks happy to be touching her again.

“Thank you for coming, Jim.” More tears were set free. “It means such a lot to me that you came.”

“Hey, hey…shhh. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re going to be fine. You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you again. No one will get to you again. I promise.” He pulled her head into his chest as he smoothed her hair down and kissed the top of her head as she clung to his arms. “There are so many things we need to talk about, Felicity. So many things I need to explain.”

Norah knocked on the door. “Jim, it’s time to go so that Penelope can come in and see her daughter.” She left again.

He looked down into Flick’s eyes. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay? Your Mum has been so worried.”

“Wait, what? The two of you are here t-together? And you’re both still alive?” She smiled.

“Oh you’d be surprised what can happen whilst you’re in a coma for a couple of weeks.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I lo—” He stopped before the words escaped. “I’ll tell your mum to come in.” He turned to leave the room feeling relieved.

~~~~~

Penelope squeezed Jim’s hand as she passed him in the doorway. A sob escaped her as she reached Felicity’s bedside.

“Hey, Mum, don’t cry. I’m going to be fine. The doctor has said so. I’m so sorry for scaring you.”

“Felicity, you’re lying in hospital thousands of miles away from home after someone tried to kill you and you’re apologising for scaring me? My darling silly, silly girl.” She leaned forward and kissed Felicity’s head. “Felicity, sweetheart, it’s me who needs to apologise.”

Her lip trembled again. “Mum…really…don’t—”

“Felicity, please. I need to get some things off my chest and I only have five minutes.
Please
.” Penelope squeezed her hand. “They’re saying you need rest, and I promised to be brief. So I’ll just speak and I want you to listen.” Felicity simply nodded. Penelope took a deep breath. “I have brought all of this on.”

“Mum—”

“Felicity, please. If I’d just stopped being such a busybody you’d have had a long, happy marriage with that wonderful man out there, who adores every hair on your head by the way. You would have probably had children, and I would be a grandma. Your father would maybe have seen his grandchildren, too. This is
my
fault entirely. If not for me you’d never have been over here trying to be a high-flying executive in the art world.

“You’d have stayed doing what you loved and what you were so good at. You would still be painting, darling. But above all else you would be
happy
. Jim has been wonderful, Felicity. Despite my
disgusting
treatment of him, he has been so gracious, and I don’t deserve that. He has been kind and warm. He has taught me what it means to really love someone. And that you don’t need flashy cars and big houses or lots of money. He’s been like a son to me over these past weeks when we thought we had lost you.” She let out a sob and Felicity squeezed her arm, her own tears now falling freely.

“Sorry, love…I want you to realise that it was
me
who caused your divorce. I put so much pressure on you to be successful and to marry into wealth.  I will understand if you want me out of your life. I had some misguided opinion of what life should entail. Which is stupid considering I adored your Father, and we
had
true love…hah…he must have really loved me because he put up with such a lot.”

“Oh, Mum.”

“I want you to know that you have my complete and utter blessing to be with Jim. You should have had it all along. You never really stopped loving him. And I have it on good authority that he feels the same. Once you’re well, tell him how you feel. Promise me?”

Felicity sighed as she touched her mum’s cheek. “I promise…and, Mum?”

Penny covered Felicity’s hand with her own. “Yes dear?”

“Don’t ever say anything about me not wanting you in my life, okay? All I ever wanted was for you to be proud of me.”

Penelope sobbed. “Oh Felicity…darling…I’ve
always
been proud of you, so very proud.”