The sun slanted down through the window, throwing an oblong of light across the end of the bed, and warmed a room made too cold by air-conditioning. Ben lay in the bed, still and pale as a corpse. His condition had improved since Dwayne had brought him in last night but he still wasn't real crash hot.
The hospital was quiet and empty at this time on a Sunday afternoon and Ben's first, and only, visitor would have the pleasant surprise of finding him awake. Although that was the only thing she would see that was pleasant.
Kath stepped quietly through the door, her gaze fixed on Ben's prone body. She'd lied to Neil to get here, told him she was going to visit her grandparents. He might call them and find out she had lied but Kath doubted it. He didn't care for her grandparents. She didn't really care anyway. A white hot blanket of anger had been thrown over her feelings when she found out Ben was in hospital and it only now dropped away completely as she saw him. Replaced by a feeling of compassion and sick guilt.
"Oh," she cried, moving to the side of his bed as gingerly as if he hovered between life and death and the slightest movement might topple him the wrong way. "Oh, Ben."
Dragging a chair to the side of his bed, she dropped bonelessly into it, and laid a hand on Ben's arm.
"What did that bastard do to you?" she said in a breathless, little voice.
Ben's head was bandaged with white gauze that was a bare shade whiter than his face. One eye was patched and he had a bandage on his cheek. What injuries existed beneath the blanket Kath could only guess at.
"He... he woke this morning and he was so happy. He was smiling and laughing... He made me breakfast in bed, Ben," she said. "I should have known something was wrong. The only other time I've seen him so happy was the first morning of our honeymoon."
Tears came to her eyes and she dabbed at them with a tissue pulled from her crowded bag. A wrapped rectangle shape protruded from its top.
She blew her nose, a loud, rattling noise in the stillness of the room.
"I should never have even spoken to you," Kath said. "It was tempting fate. It was tempting him."
Ben stirred. "It was fate," he murmured.
"Ben?" said Kath, jumping to her feet. "Ben? Are you awake?"
"Mmmm."
"I'll get a doctor," she said. "Hold on."
She raced out of his room and down the hall, feeling incongruous running in the reverential silence of the hospital but not caring. At reception, she gasped out a request for a doctor, took a few deep breaths and told the nurse it wasn't an emergency.
The nurse told Kath she'd send Ben's doctor right away.
When Kath got back to Ben's room he was wide awake and waiting for her. Despite her excitement at his recovery she was apprehensive that he might hold her responsible, blame her somehow for Neil's actions. But the wide smile he gave her banished all those worries.
"Hi, Kitty Kat," he said.
"Hey, bruiser," on impulse she leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now," he said, his eyes wide. "What was that for?"
"Just to say hello," said Kath. "That's all."
Although that wasn't all and she knew it. But she wasn't going to tell Ben that. Not yet. Instead she asked what happened.
Ben sighed. "You know what happened, Kath," he said. "You know what happened and you know who it was."
"Are you sure?" said Kath, knowing what she was about to do and hating herself for it. "It could have been a random attack. There's been a lot of trouble with gangs of teenagers around here lately. Maybe you looked like a plump target."
"They knew my name, Kath!" said Ben. "They knew my name and they were calling me."
Kath opened her mouth to speak, not that she knew what to say, more inexplicable defending of her husband probably, and stopped as Ben's doctor walked in.
"Hello, Ben," he said. "Hi, Kath, how are you?"
"Good thanks, Dr White," Kath replied. "And yourself?"
"Holding up, my dear, holding up," said Dr White. "Now then, how is my star patient doing?"
"Nothing a new skull and some steel ribs wouldn't fix," said Ben. "Actually I'm not too bad except that I feel like I was caught in a stampede. What happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"I left the club to go home and next thing I knew a bunch of guys were beating the shit out of me. Even that I don't really remember I just know I got my arse kicked."
"Young Dwayne Martin, a security guard, found them and pulled them off you. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them turns up on the ward here today sometime. Apparently Dwayne gave them quite a good whack."
"I'm sure it was no less than they deserved," said Kath.
"In my opinion they probably could have used a little more," said Dr White. "Bloody kids are nothing but trouble around here nowadays."
"So it was Dwayne that brought me in?" asked Ben. "Did he say who it was?"
"He mentioned he thought he recognised some of the local boys. One or two names I'd rather not mention right now," he looked pointedly at Kath, who looked away.
"What's the damage?" said Ben, sensing Kath's discomfit and changing the subject.
"Nothing too serious," Dr White told him. "You've got some pretty serious bruising around your eye and a small fracture on your skull. They're the main reasons we're keeping you in for a little while. But apart from that it's just some bad bruising."
"And a half," said Ben.
"Now if you'll hold still," Dr White leaned over him, wedged his eye open and shone a pencil light into it. Then he did the other eye. "You don't appear to have any concussion so barring any unforeseen complications you'll be out the day after tomorrow."
"Cool," said Ben.
"Now," said Dr White. "You say you don't remember who did this to you?" Ben shook his head. "Well, if it should happen to come back to you I'd suggest calling the police to press charges. The sooner people like that are off the street, the better."
Dr White paused at the door on his way out and looked back at Kath, seeming as if he were about to speak. Instead, he gave a small shake of his head and left.
"That's a relief," said Kath after he left. "At least you won't be cooped up here for too long."
"No," said Ben. "I won't."
Kath stood awkwardly for a moment, not sure how to present her gift. Dr White had interrupted her and when he paused on the way out it had further distressed her. She'd been sure he was about to say something about Neil. She decided direct was best.
"I bought you something," she said.
Feeling her face flush hot she reached into her bag and pulled out a book.
"Here you go," she said, offering it to him. Ben smiled at her, and her face warmed again, and that was good. But she saw the last of the angry stoniness fall from his eyes and that was better.
"You wrapped it and everything," he said, turning it in his hands.
"I wasn't sure what to get you," she said as he unwrapped it. "But then I remembered in High School you were a mad Stephen King fan, and I know you've probably read and own them all but I wanted to get something—"
"Kath," said Ben, cutting her off. He'd finished unwrapping the gift and held it in front of him, looking at her. It was Night Shift by Stephen King. "I have read it. Once. In High School. But I don't have it. Thank you, very much," he said. "It's very thoughtful."
"That's okay," she shrugged. "I didn't want you going any crazier while you were in here." She hesitated, chewing her lip. "Ben," she said. "I feel really bad about what happened the other night..." she trailed off.
"Forget about it," Ben said. "You didn't start the fight."
"I know, but—"
"Forget it," he said firmly, but still smiling.
"Listen," Kath said after a while. "I have to go soon but is there anything you'd like?"
"Well," he said. "If it's too much of a pain in the arse, tell me, but if you don't mind there are a couple of things I need."
"Of course it's no
trouble," she said. "What do you want?"
"First, could you go to my motel room and pick up my laptop for me, please?"
"Not a problem."
"Second," he paused. "Can I have a kiss goodbye, please?"
Kath smiled at him. "It was yours before you even asked. What's the third thing?"
"The third and most important thing," said Ben. "Is I'd like to see you again."
Kath thought for a moment. She liked Ben, had never really gotten over him, but did she want to risk Neil's fury? Did she, hell, why not admit it, if only to herself, did she want to expose Ben to another beating from Neil and his mates? And while she wasn't a hundred percent convinced that Neil had been involved, she knew his buddies almost certainly were.
"Okay," she said, knowing both of them would live to regret the decision, not knowing how much. "I'll see you tomorrow."
CHAPTER TWELVE