Page 73 of For One Moment With You
‘Thank goodness.’ Alex looks relieved. Then he looks troubled again. ‘I’m supposed to have an assessment at uni next week.’
‘Then go home,’ I say quietly. ‘Honestly. You’ve been so great coming here.’ I pause, speaking seeming to take a lot of effort. ‘But there’s no need to stay now.’
‘You’re sure?’ Alex glances at Adam. ‘I can miss the assessment. I’m sure they’ll understand.’
‘I’m going to be around for a while. I’ll keep an eye on your mum,’ Adam says. ‘I’ll keep you posted – I promise.’
‘Really?’ Alex looks grateful. ‘I’m going to stick around for a few more days. But term ends in a month. I can come back and stay for Christmas – if you’re still here?’
‘Christmas?’ I look at him, astonished. ‘I’ve only been here a few days. It can’t be Christmas yet.’
‘Mum, you’ve been here nearly three weeks in all.’ Alex looks worried again. ‘Are you sure you’re going to be OK?’
I shake my head. ‘But you were here. Yesterday – just before they took me in for surgery.’
Adam says gently, ‘Tilly, that was six days ago.’
I’m staggered, truth be told. But what’s a few days between friends? I can’t get over how lucky I’ve been.
* * *
With the bleed fixed, I very quickly start to feel better. And though I’m told my brain will take time to heal, very soon, I’m ready to be discharged.
‘You have somewhere to stay?’ the dark-eyed nurse, Athina – as I now know her name is – says.
‘Of course. I have a room in a guesthouse.’ I pause. ‘At least, I think I do. It’s where I was staying before. I’m sure they’ll have a room. I mean it is winter.’
But Athina shakes her head. ‘Tilly, you must not be alone. What about your friend?’
‘You mean Adam?’ I blink at her. ‘What about him?’
She rolls her eyes at me. ‘He has a place. And I think he would be very happy to look after you. He’s been here every day for you. You should go there.’
‘But I don’t need looking after.’ I look at her, puzzled. ‘Do I?’
‘I think…’ Athina comes over and sits on the edge of my bed. ‘None of us like being looked after. We don’t want other people to be… put out, I think you say? But answer me this. If a friend needed help, you would be there for them. It’s what we do. Am I correct?’
‘Every time,’ I say without hesitation. Even if they’re not a friend and a total stranger – like Michail. Isn’t helping him the whole reason I ended up here?
‘So it is the other way around.’ She pats my hand. ‘Adam wants to help you. Maybe you should let him. Tilly, I think I said before, Adam is a good man.’
I’m stunned into silence. But maybe she has a point. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Adam helped me. It’s just that I’m not used to being helped.
Athina gets up. ‘He is here. Your clothes are in the cupboard.’ She gestures towards the bedside table. ‘I will get your medication.’
As she walks away, my heart warms as I watch Adam come towards me. ‘You don’t have to do this,’ I say immediately. ‘I mean, it’s very nice of you. But it’s a lot to ask.’
‘No one asked. I offered,’ he says.
‘Thank you, but…’ I break off. ‘Oh shit. I’ve just thought I have my suitcase and all my stuff at…’ I struggle to remember the name of Nicos’s brother.
‘At Andreas’s place? Don’t worry. We can pick it up on the way.’
I shake my head, miserably. ‘I can’t believe how much trouble I’ve caused so many people.’
Adam frowns. ‘Tilly, you have not caused any trouble for anyone. They want to help you. People love you. They care. It’s what happens.’ He pauses. ‘You should probably get dressed.’ Glancing around, he pulls the curtain around my cubicle.
Left alone, I find the clothes I was wearing when I came in, clean and folded in the cupboard beside my bed. I slip out of my hospital gown. My jeans are baggy when I pull them on, my sweatshirt deliciously familiar. ‘OK. I’m decent,’ I call out, putting on some socks and sliding my feet into my trainers.
