The Cruel Twists of Love (15 page)

“
Sorry Maggie, It will not happen again”

“I think about it
but he is due back any minuet so you better go Carol but I’m warning you if I see you again on my ward your feet will not touch the ground, do you hear me Carol?” Helen rushes back to her bed. Four years he was with her and when did he finished it with her?

          Maggie the Sister of the ward enters and
rechecks Helen chart

“
Sorry I heard you did he really finish with her for me?”

“
You will have to ask Phillip that question but the only thing I do know is that he looks happy”

“
But we have not been together very long” And Maggie smiles kindly at her when the door opens

“
Is everything alright Maggie?” Phil asks the Sister

“
Yes Phil I do know a thing or two about medicine.” and smiling at Helen

“
He one of my best students on my ward. I will call you if I need you Phillip” and going out of her room when Phil checks her chart. Phil looks concerned as he reads her records. 

“
What wrong Phil? Is there something wrong with my chart?”

“
No Helen nothing wrong” and he clips it at the bottom of the bed and gets into bed with Helen

“Helen
did the nurse give you anything to take?” the nurse Carol, she filled her chart in that why he was worried.

“
No she just did my blood pressure, why?”

“
She cut a patent before” shit she guessed she was hurt, but violence.

“
Why? We have not been seeing each other long. Have you only just finished with her?”

“I finished with her that night after the club”

“Why? I was with someone else then and you didn’t even know me”

“I know, but what I felt when I looked at you
I wanted that with someone even if it wasn’t you, shush now, I love you Helen and that all that matters” and kissing her hair

“
Did she cut her bad?”

“
No, but she slashed her face. Carol pretended she fell and she got away with a caution because the patent didn’t press charges as it wasn’t deep” she can tell he worried when he holds her to him tightly.

“
Shush now Helen you need to sleep” his hands stroking her back and Helen laying her head on his chest for the comfort of his breathing.

“I’m still hungry
do they feed people here?” and her stomach gives a load rumble in agreement

“
Nil by mouth Helen for two hours, then you missed dinner when they moved you here. I will get you something from the canteen, I will not be long” and trying to get up

“I want you cloned so I can hold you and have my food at the same time” and she tightens her hold on him

“Let me go Helen” and he takes her hands of him and sliding out of bed laughing

                She feels her hair being brushed softly with his hands.
And slowly opens her eyes to his, but they not his eyes staring at her but the nurse from before and she is holding a pair of scissors and cutting Helen locks of long hair from her. She cannot find her voice to scream when her hair comes away. Phil grabs at the nurse suddenly to stop her then the scissors disappear into Phillip’s body. She doesn’t recognize her scream that coming from her own lips when Phillip slumps to the floor.

“Helen, wake up”
and she is being softly shaken awake

“
Oh Phil, I thought she hurt you” she cries into his arms

“
God Helen, are you hurt?” why would she be hurt it was only a dream, but her hand going into her hair…

         Her relief
when her hand touches her hair but it was wet to the touch    

“
Don’t Helen” she confused, what wrong with her? With Maggie the sister rushing into her room with a security man

“
They got her, it bleach Phil”

“
What’s bleach? Someone tell me what is going on?” and looking at Phil then Maggie

“Carol came in when I went for your food, did she hurt you?”

“I, I don’t think so. My hair what she done?” she can feel the heat now on her scalp.

“
Shush Helen, I wash your hair baby” and he picks her up and she notices a bunch of hair on the floor, her hair.

             He carries her into the shower fully dressed and in matching scrubs. She can see small cuts in hers
when he turns the water on.

“
Close your eyes” he close to tears when he looks at Helen and she cannot bare the pain in his eyes, so she closes them. She can feel the water washing over her hair but refusing to soak up the moisture.

“I got some oil for Helen” Maggie voice and coming a little into the shower and passing the bottle to Phil as he washes the bleach out then squeezing the oil onto Helen hair.

“How bad is it?” she asks, and scared of the answer

“It going to be o.k
.” and he turns the water off and leaves the oil to soak into her hair.

“
It has not been on for long, my poor Helen you having a hell of a day” and hugging her tightly, she can feel his tears falling when she hugs him close. The fear of losing him was worse than the fear of her hair but she knew it was worse than he was admitting to. She seen her hair on the floor, but she just wanted to hold him and to feel his breathing next to her body.

“
We need to undress you Helen, that’s my favourite part getting you naked” he teases her playfully, but the tension in his voice is unsettling her nerves

“I get some more scrubs” Maggie strok
es Helen arm reassuringly before she leaves them.   

          Phil slowly encourages Helen back to her room, wrapping his arm around her protectively as other patients stop and stare with their wet appearance.

“Oh Phillip, honestly you really are hopeless. Jane could you mop this mess up before someone falls” Maggie says huffily, and leads the way back to Helen’s room.

          Sitting her down onto a chair he starts to undress Helen

“I can manage Phil” she says embarrassed by his care. He lifts her top off and Maggie wraps a blanket quickly around her bare shoulders. She notices the sharp cuts in her top when he hands it to Maggie. Then sliding her bottoms of as she rises a little but there were no cuts in her bottoms. How did she sleep through that? She can feel his tears when he kisses her and lovingly holding her face in his hands. There a small cough from Maggie when Phil deepens his kiss on her lips.

“
Sorry Maggie, but Helen likes to get naked in hospitals” he jokes at Maggie and blushes a little from her stare

“
Sorry Maggie, I forgot you were there”

“
That quite all right Phillip, but we need to get someone to check Helen over. I will phone Dr. Matthews”

“I’m alright honest” Helen protests
but she was a little shook up, but she was alright.

“Maggie right, Helen
she cannot get away with this, so it needs to go through the right channels”

“
Can I have my food when I wait?” she feels famished

“It gone cold by now Helen” but he smiles and looks relieved that Helen was alright.

“I go warm it up for you” Maggie says and picking up the food box by Helen door 

“
No thanks sorry but can I have it cold please” and her stomach grumbles in agreement

“It will not take a
minute to do” and Maggie hurries out with her food. Phil burst into laughter at Helen frustration when she is refused food again…

          Phil is looking at Helen wrapped in her blanket
when she eats. A blue cheese and pasta dish that looked disgusting but Helen thought it was the best meal she ever had.

“
Good Helen?”

“
Ummm ” she nods in-between her mouthfuls

“
How can you be so skinny and eat like that?” she twinkles her eyes at him when she finishes her food. Helen only ate like this when she was starving which she was. She shrugs at him and her blanket slips down of her shoulders.

“I better go change Helen
and you should get dressed too” she doesn’t want him to go and tears spring into her eyes with the fear of not having him near her.

“It alright baby, you safe”
but it was not her she felt scared for.

“I will not be long Helen”
and picking her contraband flowers and taking them with him.

       Taking her blanket of her she notices little white marks on her
skin and some were bleeding a little when the knife that was used cut into her skin. Why couldn’t she feel the knife on her skin when she slept she thought? Come to think of it why did she fall asleep? She was waiting for Phil to come back with her food then nothing. She wraps the blanket back around her and cries. And the shock of what could have happened finally hits her. Shaking and curling up on the floor as she cries. 

           She fel
t safe as soon as Phillip put his arms around her and lying down opposite her and looking into her eyes when he strokes her face.

“
You know you got a bed?” he smiles when he remembers their first night

“I forgot
next time the bed” her tears still falling down her cheeks

“
She cut me a little, how didn’t I feel her cutting?” his sweet smile turning to a look horror

“
Show me Helen” and he unwraps her blanket to have a look then wrapping her tightly in his arms again. She can feel him shaking next to her skin when she rests her head on his chest. The soft beat of his heart reassuring her everything was alright

“
Come on back to bed Helen” and he gently lifts her and puts her back onto the bed

“Dr Matthews will be here soon” unwrapping the blanket and examine her wounds like the doctor he was

“They not going to scar Helen but they do need to be cleaned”

“
Let’s put these on shall we, Dr Matthews is a man and he doesn’t need another heart scare with your need in being naked” he playfully teases her and giving her a bag with fresh underwear from home

            Dr Matthews has asked her so many questions
and her head was starting to ache. She didn’t know what he wanted her to say, no she never met Carol before this night and she had no idea how she didn’t feel the cuts on her skin, the bleach in her hair should have woken her when she breathed in the smell. She takes a drink of water that was on the table to clear her head. And he examines her scars again and measuring them and he records each one of her cuts.

“
Can I take a photo of your scars?” Helen feels sleepy so she just nods, checking her eyes when he shines a light into them.

“Sister Bates could you have Miss Evans water analyzed, I think I worked out why she could not feel the scalpel” and he hands Maggie Helen’s water.

“What did she do to my hair?” Phillip would not tell her no matter how much she asked.

“
There a large amount of hair missing, I think it would have been worse if she didn’t hear Sister Bates doing her rounds early” Helen starts to cry again, she knew it was only hair but that what made you feel like a woman. Why the bleach if she was going to cut it. And she searches her hair with her hands for the missing patch. Helen feels a large bald patch at the back on the right. Its smooth flesh of skin where her hair should been and makes Helen cry out for Phil. He is by her side in seconds because he was waiting the other side of her room and he stops her hand stroking the bald patch.

“
Shush it o.k. Helen I like bald chicks just ask Maggie” and kissing her hand

“I only wanted food
?” she says quietly and he holds her to him

“I know Helen, but I think it looks sexy” and kissing her bald spot

“Sorry Dr Taylor but can I take the photos now and then you can sneak those flowers back in before Miss Evans goes back to sleep.” she did feel sleepy, she struggled to stay awake for the photos then giving into the drugs from her water and sleeping.

            She home she thinks when Phillip drives into her street. Her mother fussing her and calling her mobile hairdresser as soon as Helen came through the door and her dad was on tea duty. Helen knew it was going to be a lot of tea before bed. Helen was so tired and just wanted to sleep but she knew Phil would have to leave so pretended to want the attention and asking for more tea as she became needier of Phil presence with her.

“
She can be here in an hour” And her mum hanging up the phone and not asking Helen if it was alright. For Helen’s mother hair had to be immaculate at all times. But Helen followed her dad in curls so had to live with it messy most of the time.