Chapter 27

“Want to see daddy!” said Rosie, bouncing up and down on the bed. “Want to see daddy!”

“Well” said Donna, impatiently.  “If you stop jumping up and down, so I can change your sister’s nappy, then we can go and see daddy in a little while, after we’ve had some lunch.”

“Want to go now!”   Rosie sat on the bed, her arms folded, her bottom lip sticking out.

“We can’t go yet” replied Donna, lifting her off the bed.  “Visiting hours don’t start until the afternoon – we can see daddy then.  He’ll be able to come home soon!”

As they walked through the unfamiliar corridors, trying to find the ward, Rosie looked up at her mother, a worried look on her face.  Donna ruffled her hair, trying to reassure her.  As they walked into the ward, Rosie looked round for her daddy, she hated it when he was not around – she was a real daddy’s girl!  Eventually, she spotted him, and, before Donna could stop her, she ran over to the bed.

“Daddy!  Daddy!”

He turned around at the sound of her voice, her smile melting his heart.  All of a sudden he felt very tearful, he could not explain why.

“Cuddle, daddy!” said Rosie, holding out her arms.  “Pick me up!”

“I can’t, sweetheart!” he said, his eyes filling with tears.  “It hurts too much!”

“Why?” said Rosie, looking hurt and confused.  “Why does it hurt, daddy?”

“Daddy had a poorly tummy” said Donna, picking her up.  “The doctor had to do an operation to make it better, but it’s still a bit sore at the moment – that’s why he can’t pick you up.  It’s not because he doesn’t want to, it’s because he can’t!”

Rosie seemed satisfied with that, and sat on the bed with him, quite happy just to share a cuddle, and talk about what she had been doing.  As she was chatting, one of the nurses came over, and picked up the clipboard at the bottom of the bed.  Rosie asked her what she was doing.  She was going through an inquisitive stage, and asked questions about everything, sometimes driving her parents to distraction.

“You’re a pretty little girl!” said the nurse, smiling at her.  “What’s your name?”

“My name’s Rosie, and my sister’s name is Clare!”

“They’re pretty names!  What about mummy?  What’s her name?”

“Her name’s Donna!” said Rosie, revelling in all the attention she was getting.

“And daddy?  What’s daddy’s name?”

Rosie hesitated, suddenly coming over very shy, and hiding her face in Donna’s lap.  The nurse tried again.

“You must know what daddy’s name is!” she said, smiling.  “What does mummy call daddy?”

“Lust bunny!” said Rosie, without a moment’s hesitation.

She looked around her, puzzled as to why everyone was suddenly helpless with laughter.  Donna’s face was scarlet – she could have fried an egg on it.  She glanced up at her husband, who was trying his utmost not to laugh, but failing dismally.

“Oh, you little bugger!  Please, don’t make me laugh – it hurts!  Oh God, how embarrassing!”

“You can’t keep secrets with children around!” said the nurse, trying in vain to hide her amusement.  “Oh, that’s made my day!”

She walked away, still chuckling to herself.  Donna was not amused, she was absolutely mortified.

“I’m glad it’s made her day!” she said, her face gradually returning to its normal colour.  “Lust bunny, indeed!”

“I know!” said Jon, trying to keep a straight face.  “I think I prefer stud muffin!”

“Not much chance of being either at the moment!” said Donna, bending over to kiss him.  “Anyway, we’d better go now, you’re getting tired!”

“No, I’m not!” he protested, gripping her hand.  “Don’t go yet!”

“Yes!” she said, firmly.  “Anyway, they’ll let you come home soon!  You need to get your strength up!  Try and get some sleep, and we’ll see you tomorrow!”

As they all sat there together by the pool, Donna told Steve and Laura about the newspaper article her mother had sent her. They were absolutely horrified.

“Does Jon know about this?” said Laura, as she read the article, a look of horror and disbelief on her face.

“No” said Donna. “I daren’t tell him yet, at least not until he comes out of hospital.  God knows what it’ll do to him, he’ll be devastated!  He worshipped that little girl, and this is how he’s repaid.  I just don’t understand it, though – she seemed like such a sweet little thing when I met her, this doesn’t seem like the kind of thing she would do….”

“Maybe someone put her up to it!” said Steve, looking over his wife’s shoulder at the paper.  “Sometimes children can be easily swayed, especially if it’s someone close to them!”

“Maybe!”  Donna lay back in her chair, her head was aching with all the thoughts that were whizzing around in her brain.  “but he sent her a letter explaining why he did it – he showed it to me before he sent it!  It just doesn’t make sense!”

“Maybe you should keep it from him until you get back to England” suggested Laura. “I think after he finds about it, you’ll need all the support you can get!  Oh God, this is awful!  He doesn’t deserve this, he’s such a lovely guy!”

“He is!” said Donna, suddenly overwhelmed by everything that had happened.  She  covered her face with her hands, and began to cry.  “How am I going to tell him, Laura?  I don’t know how much more he can take….”

“Anybody who knows him will know it was totally out of character” said Laura, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.  “He’s overcome everything else that’s been thrown at him, I’m sure he can get through this, too!”

“I don’t know!” said Donna.  “I think this might be the straw that broke the camel’s back!”

A couple of days later, Donna received a call from the hospital, telling her that Jon was fit enough to return to the hotel.  She left Rosie and Clare with Laura, and got in the car for the short drive to the hospital – she was just beginning to get used to driving on the right hand side of the road!  Before she had left, she had hidden the offending newspaper in her handbag, so he did not see it.  She did not see any point in upsetting him unnecessarily.

When they arrived back at the hotel, she left him sitting in a comfortable chair in front of the TV, and went to put the kettle on for nice cup of tea.  She felt they could both do with one!  Rosie was sitting with him, but she was under strict instructions not to climb on his knee, as Donna did not particularly want to scrape him off the ceiling! She smiled to herself as she heard Rosie chatting away to him.  Her heart missed a beat as she heard her say:

“Want to read newspaper, daddy?”

“Thank you, sweetheart!” he said, taking it from her.

Donna rushed through into the room, and attempted to take it from him.

“Donna! What’s got into you?” he said, looking surprised.  “Give me that paper!”

“No, love!” she replied, holding on to it.  “You need to rest!  You can read it later!”

“I want to read it now!” he said, beginning to get annoyed.  “Can I have it, please?”

He reached out, and took it from her.  As he opened it up, he saw the headline, staring him in the face. As he began to read the article, he felt the sting of tears in his eyes, and he held his hand over his mouth, trying to choke back the sobs that were rising in his throat.

“Now you know why I didn’t want you to see it!” whispered Donna, her heart silently breaking on his behalf.  “I was trying to spare you…”

“Spare me what exactly!” he yelled, throwing the newspaper to the floor.  “How much more am I supposed to take?!  What are they trying to do to me, Donna? I can’t stand this any more! I can’t stand it…..”

She crossed the room and put her arms around him, holding him tightly.  He fought against her embrace, alternating between anger and tears, but she held on.  He eventually stopped fighting her, and gave himself up to her loving arms, as she held him close to her heart.  She had never heard him cry like this before, great, heaving sobs that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul.  She still did not know who was responsible for that vicious article, but one thing she did know – her love for her husband was all-consuming, his life was her life, his joy was her joy, and, right now, his pain was her pain - her sole aim was to find out who was the cause of it, and God help them when she did…..