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Great Writing - Home > Extended > Let no man put asunder - chapter 19
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Extended Work
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| Let no man put asunder - chapter 19 | |
| By LynB | ||
| 21 November 2006 | ||
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Chapter 19 For a moment, Eliza could not take her eyes off the bottle of tablets on the table in front of her, then she turned her attentions to the still form lying on the sofa next to her. She shook him again, crying with anger and frustration. “Wake up, damn you!” she yelled, tears streaming down her face. “You dare die, you bastard, and I’ll kill you!!” She flinched as he suddenly stirred. He opened his eyes briefly, then closed them again, almost as if it was too much effort to keep them open. He muttered something under his breath, but she could not make out what it was. She knelt down beside him, and cupped his face in her hands. “No, don’t close your eyes! Stay awake! Please, Jon – you have to stay awake! Come on!” “Get off me” he moaned, his speech slurred. “ Let me die! Want to die…” “Tough!” she snapped, shaking him again. “You are not going to die if I have anything to do with it! Now, do as you’re bloody well told, and open your eyes!” “Can’t… too tired….” “Please, Jon! Please, you have to try and stay awake! Look, I’m going to ring and ask Bill, the guy who lives in the flat above mine, if he’ll come and help me get you into my car, then I’m taking you to hospital!” “No” he moaned, as a tear rolled down his cheek. “no…. so tired…..” Ignoring his protests, she picked up the telephone, and rang her neighbour. As he stood by the sofa, he turned to Eliza, and said: “You don’t half know how to pick them, don’t you? The last one was a psycho, now you’ve moved on to a mental case!” “Try showing a little compassion” she snapped, her eyes blazing. “You’ve no idea what he’s been through, so just keep your crass comments to yourself! Now, are you going to help me, or not?” “All right, keep your hair on!” he said, holding his hands up. “Come on, pal! Let’s be having you!” “No, let me sleep….” “You can’t sleep, mate!” he replied, feeling a sudden pang of guilt over his comments of a few minutes ago. “I’ve got to get you into Eliza’s car! Come on -lean on me! Oh God, it’s no use, Eliza! I can’t lift him on my own – he’s a dead weight!” “Well, once you get him up, it should be quite easy to get him into the car!” “Eliza, he’s semi-conscious! How the hell do you suggest I do that? You’ll have to call an ambulance. I’ll wait with you until it gets here.” “Oh God, Bill! Why the hell did he do it?” “Must’ve been bloody desperate. God alone knows what must have been going through his mind, but there’s one thing I do know – we’ll have to keep an eye on him. We’d better turn him on to his side, just in case he throws up, otherwise he’ll choke!” “Oh God, why didn’t I think of that! What kind of a nurse am I?” “A very scared one, by the looks of it! You’ve got the hots for him, haven’t you?” “No, I haven’t! He needed a friend, that’s all! No more, no less!” “Whatever you say, Eliza! Come on, the ambulance is here! Do you want me to come with you?” “No, thanks, Bill! I’ll be all right – thanks for helping me out!” Eliza sat by the bed, as Jon drifted in and out of consciousness, firmly gripping his hand. She tried talking to him, but he only answered her occasionally, and his speech was still slurred. Despite her pleas, he found it very difficult to keep his eyes open, and became very agitated, only calming down when she gently stroked his cheek with her hand. She looked up as the doctor appeared. “The first thing I need to know is what and how much he’s taken” she said. “Also, have you any idea when he took them?” “I brought the tablets with me” said Eliza, handing her the bottle. “I’m not sure exactly how many he took – the bottle’s half empty, but I’d already taken some myself. As you can see, they’re sleeping tablets – I only take them occasionally. I don’t think it’d been that long when I found him – maybe a couple of hours at the most.” “Do you know if he took anything else? Alcohol, maybe?” “No” said Eliza, emphatically. “I don’t keep alcohol at home – I’m teetotal. Anyway, I saw a glass on the table, and there was a little water left in it. What are you going to do? Will he be all right?” “Well, to make sure that all traces of the tablets are removed from his system, I think the best course of action is a gastric lavage, but as he’s not fully conscious, we’ll need to intubate him first. Are you his next of kin?” “No, I’m just a friend. He’s separated from his wife, and he’s staying with me at the moment. All I know is that he suffered a nervous breakdown, and his wife won’t let him see his kids because of his mood swings. I think that’s why he did this!” “Do you know how we can get in touch with her?” ”No, I’m afraid I don’t. I only know her name, not her telephone number. Mind you, after this, I could think of a few more names for her. He’s lost everything now she won’t let him see his kids! It’s not fair!” “Well, that’s not up to me to judge. My immediate concern is to begin treatment straight away. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait outside while we carry out the procedure. A nurse will show you where to wait, and also where you can get yourself a cup of tea. Try not to worry, and we’ll call you when we’re finished.” As Eliza sat in the small room, with just a small table, and few soft chairs, it suddenly hit her what had happened, and she began to cry as if her heart would break. She eventually pulled herself together, and began to slowly sip her cup of tea, as she tried to stop her hands from shaking. In her profession, she had seen her fair share of patients in this situation, but Jon was different – she loved him. It was tearing her apart, thinking of him lying there, so still, so helpless. What on earth had gone through his mind, when he sat there alone, so desperately unhappy that he could see no point in living, swallowing pill after pill until he drifted off into peaceful oblivion. Her train of thought was broken when a nurse opened the door, and beckoned to her to come. She sat next to him on the bed, holding his hand, watching him as he slept. He was breathing slowly and evenly, and he looked very peaceful. Still, looks could be very deceiving, she knew that. She felt her eyes begin to close, and she rested her head on the pillow next to him, as she drifted off to sleep. She was jolted awake, when she felt him shifting around in the bed. She lifted her head from the pillow, and glanced at him, realising he was awake. “Oh, shit!” he whispered, his voice still hoarse from having a tube down his throat. “I couldn’t even get that right! I couldn’t even kill myself without stuffing it up!” “Please, Jon – don’t talk like that! I couldn’t just sit back and watch you die, could I?” “You just don’t get it, do you?” he said, turning his head away, as he began to sob. “What have I got to live for? I’ve lost everything! Look at me, Eliza! I’m a wreck! My wife can hardly bring herself to look at me, and, as if that weren’t enough, she even wants to take my kids away from me! There’s no point, any more, Eliza! You should’ve just let me die! Why didn’t you let me die…” Tears poured down his face, as huge, shuddering sobs shook him from head to foot. Eliza winced as they tore at his already irritated throat, making him gasp for breath. She watched in horror as he reached over to the drip in his arm, but before he could take hold of it, she leaned over and pushed his hand away. She put her arms around him, and held him firmly, rocking him back and forth, as she gently rubbed his back in an effort to calm him down. “It’s all right” she whispered, stroking his hair. “I’m here! It’s all right!” “Oh God, Eliza! I’m so scared! I’ve never felt so alone! There’s nothing left – I’ve got no one to love me….” “That’s not true, Jon!” she protested, unable to hold back any longer. “I know this isn’t the right time, but I can’t keep it in any more! You have got someone to love you – me! I know I shouldn’t, and I know I can’t have you, but I can’t help it! I love you, Jon – so help me God, I love you!”
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