~ 2 DAYS LATER – 27th MAY 2001 ~
Serena stepped from the shower, her head still a little dizzy from the Chemo yesterday. She ran a comb through her hair, she’d lost a little but mostly it was just thinning even though she was sure it was inevitably going to fall out. Steam from the shower had filled the bathroom, she gasped a little for air. She held tightly onto the towel wrapped around her body and reached for the door handle, it was wet with condensation so slipped easily around her fingers, she grasped at it again and finally pulled it open, the steam escaped quickly down the hall. She walked in the direction of her room. A pain like a thousand needles slammed into her head, she leant cautiously against the balcony along the stairs, her head jerked backwards with a sharp jilt. She spun around trying to gain her balance, she clutched at the balcony as if it were her lifeline. Then nothing. Deep, dark, nothing.
She plowed down the stairs her head banging against the side, yet pain wasn’t felt, her eyes closed tightly, as her body seemingly lifelessly cascaded down the stairs. She hit the ground with a loud thud, the newly formed cut on her head bleeding onto the wooden floor. The blood mixed in with her damp hair as she lay unconscious and unaware.
~ 10 MINUTES LATER ~
Kevin knocked on the door, awaiting some reply, the red roses in his hand glistening in the late morning sun. No reply came. He knocked again, harder this time.
“Ser?” he called through the wooden door.
The wooden door which refused to reveal its secret lying behind it, coupled over on the cold wooden floor s crimson puddle surrounding it.
He called again, then pressed his face up to the frosted glass, the picture was blurry, he pushed his face up closer to the cold glass, then he saw it, the secret the wooden door kept hidden. He looked around in anguish, he had to get in there. He pounded on the door, trying his best to beat it into submission. His shoulder slammed into the door, pain shot up his arm, but he refused to give up. An elderly man approached a look of concern on his face.
“Can I help you?” he questioned
“Serena” Kevin called still pounding on the door
He turned to face the man, “My girlfriend is in trouble, please get some help”
Mr. Harvey knew something was wrong by the look on this strangers face, he moved in front of him, pulling out his key. It fitted the lock perfect and the door swung open to reveal what it had been hiding, Serena out cold on the floor, a pool of crimson surrounding her pale face.
Kevin rushed to her side, coupling her head in his arms. He turned back and look at the elderly man.
“Call an ambulance” he screamed, shock pealing off his face
~ AN HOUR LATER ~
Kevin paced the corridor of the hospital in confusion, they had been shut away in that little room for so long, he wanted to know what was going on, he wanted to see Serena.
“Mr. Richardson?” a voice questioned from behind him
He spun around to meet face to face with the same Doctor he’d seen before.
“Is she okay?” he stuttered out
“She’s in intensive care, it was a bad black out this time, she also have multiple fractures, and cuts, the one across her forehead is quite deep. But she’s stable, that is if she can pull through, she’s as yet not awake, and we’re uncertain whether she will indeed wake up. I'm sorry”
He studied Kevin’s face looking for some emotion. Kevin’s expression was vacant and clear, everything flashed before him, then in an instant it was gone.
“Could this be the end?” he pondered
“Mr. Richardson? We know this must come as a shock, but we think it’s unlikely she’ll wake up”
“Could you be wrong?”
“I hope I am”
“Can I see her?”
The doctor nodded then lead Kevin down to the door, and opened it allowing him to walk in. There were a few people in the room, a heart monitor beeped away in the corner, the line pushing it’s way across the screen. A young nurse looked at Kevin intently with sad eyes as she watched him walk up to the single bed. A slither of light pushed it’s way through the closed curtains, shining just above her head. She looked dead. Her head bandaged up tightly had a splatter of blood seeping through, her face was pale and showed no emotion, her lips pursed into a thin track, neither been a smile or a frown.
His hand ran down her cheekbone a shiver shot up his spine, her face was cold. The nurse moved a chair over by the bed, silently Kevin thanked her, the sat down. He felt the tears well up inside of him begging for escape, he didn’t hold them back. They ran a wet trail down his face.
He didn’t want to think it, but inevitably he could think of nothing else. Could this be the end? Could it?