Sydney's Song (35 page)

“You're back,” Nurse Graham stated the obvious.

I tried to suppress my sobs, unsuccessfully.

“Shh darling, I'm here.” Pete whispered, tapping my back, trying to comfort me. “It's okay. It's gonna be okay. Shh. Love?”

A few more meds swept in.

“Why's Sydney crying?” Pete demanded the audience.

“Because I'm so happy!” I wailed.

“She's happy,” someone told Pete. “Because you're talking. You're aware of your surroundings. Welcome back to the land of the living.”

It was Dr Elektra.

“You're an American,” Pete stated with wonder.

There was a quiet moment.

“Of course,” the doctor replied smoothly after a short lull. “I'm Dr Elektra, your ward doctor. And very good. You're aware of my accent. We need to play twenty questions here. Tell me, what's your name?”

Pete knew his full name but could not answer where he was. The doctor silently showed him a hospital logo on the patient chart.

“MGH?” Pete's eyes widened. “I was born here.” He tried to sit upright. Couldn't. I straightened up from his chest, but his arm tightened as he looked at me. “Sydney? Are we really in Boston?How come? Why are we in the US? What's going on?”

He did not remember anything about his accident. He had no recollection whatsoever about these past six months either, even when his eyes had been open.

But now he was very alert. His speech was normal, defying the prediction that he would need speech therapy if he ever “returned”.He answered the doctor's questions lucidly and posed his own with amazing rational clarity. His voice and expression were calm and well controlled. His eyes clear. There was no sign at all that he was suffering from a grievous brain injury.

The relief I felt was tremendous. Forever in my life I would thank God each time I remembered this moment. The moment God granted me my two big wishes.

I would be lying if I said that I had been utterly confident Pete would ever
return
, even while telling everybody else so. I had to confess too, after seeing several of Dr Rushworth's other patients, I had the morbid fear that Pete might end up with speech difficulties and stay mentally disabled forever.

These issues had always been foremost in my mind when I prayed.And how I prayed day and night! I asked God for Pete's return. And I asked that he return in his normal respectable self, his wit intact.Before today, they had seemed like enormous requests, but I asked God anyway. And He had granted me my prayers.

How blessed I felt.

Pete had spent three weeks in a coma and nothing much had been recovered in the first month. All these months he had been awake but completely oblivious. Since the coma duration and the first-month recovery were the indicators of a patient's long-term recovery, Pete's chance of returning to normal had been close to nil. His sudden awareness and normal speech were nothing short of a miracle.

Whoever God was, He had restored Pete to me. So yes, other people could be godless as they pleased. For myself, from that afternoon I became a believer. I had no more fear about the future because, after the recent ordeal, I
knew
God had the power to help me.

Patiently Dr McGlynn detailed his condition and progress while Pete listened in astonishment. He had no idea at all how he had come to be there.

We held hands tightly while the doctors and nurses checked on him. His grip was hard as if he was afraid I would leave him to face these strangers alone. It touched me that he clung to me when scared, or at least, wary. Dr Elektra and Dr McGlynn pretended that they did not notice this and continued to talk reassuringly. Dr Elektra turned the TV on to the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony broadcast, showing Pete that it was really September 2000.

“Almost six months…” Pete wondered aloud. “My leg and arm must be okay now. So can we get rid of the casts?”

“Not yet,” Dr McGlynn answered. “Yours weren't minor fractures.Your shin was fully broken in two. The bones protruded haphazardly from your skin. We used metal plates to hold it together. We saved your leg, yes, but it takes time for the bones to fully heal and grow.The same applies for your arm. But eventually, you may reclaim the full use of your arm and leg.”

“They're itchy under the casts. Stink, too.”

“Unfortunately that's unavoidable. We'll give you something to ease the itch. Won't eliminate it completely, though.”

“All the more reason to get rid of the casts.”

“Can't grant you that wish. You want to heal properly without side effects. Later, I'm confident sessions of extensive physiotherapy will give you a complete recovery. Yes, I'm very pleased with this development.” The doctor beamed at me, “As Sydney surely is.”

Happy tears still ran silently down my cheeks. When Pete looked at me again, he smiled his first smile in ages. How it banished all the blues!
My love, my sunshine
.

He pulled me towards him for a long-overdue kiss. I wasn't aware of the others leaving us, too lost kissing him back for all I was worth.How good, oh how good, to be held close to his heart again.

“Alone at last,” Pete said later, “For a while there, I thought they'd never leave. Now honey, how are you?”

I phoned and texted everyone when he slipped into a peaceful nap.

“He's back Eve! He's back!”

“That's because of you, Sydney! God hears you. We'll be forever indebted to you,” Eve wept with me over the phone. “I love you Sydney…”

Lance came immediately. He was hugging and kissing me in a blaze of joy when Pete shouted at him to let me go.

“Great to have you back and grumpy,” Lance hugged and thumped him. “Welcome back!”

“Thank you. And find your own girl! Don't touch Sydney.”

“Hey, not even a brotherly hug and kiss?” Eyes dancing with mischief, Lance grabbed my waist and planted a smacking kiss on my cheek. “You can't stop me, can you now?”

Pete attempted to sit up and winced in pain. I rushed to help him.He wiped my cheek with the end of his bed sheet and kissed me there himself. Lance fell over laughing.

Then Pete asked, “Sydney? Did I have an accident? Where are we?

Why is Lance here?”

Confused, I pulled back and looked at him. He quickly grabbed my hand and laced our fingers as if afraid I would leave him.

“Pete, don't you remember? Dr McGlynn was here explaining everything to you.”

“Dr McGlynn? Who's he?”

“Dark hair? Brown eyes? You spoke with him before you slept.”

“I don't remember.”

“But Pete, you talked with him for a very long time. He explained everything in details. How can you forget meeting him?”

“Honey, all I know is seeing you skinny. What's your weight today?”

“You're skinny too at the moment. But think darling, what else do you remember?”

He was quiet. He looked at me. Looked at Lance longer, trying hard to figure out how he came to be with us. His gaze travelled around the room. He fixed his eyes on the hospital logo. And something dawned.

“MGH,” he wondered in a hushed tone. “But why are we in Boston, darling? Why aren't we home in Sydney? What are we doing here?” Worry was written in his eyes. “And I don't remember any doctor. Will he open my casts? They're annoying.”

“You still need the casts.” Patiently I repeated the doctor's explanation about his condition. I explained why he was in Boston and how his accident happened.

“But I always wore my helmet,” he protested in complete astonishment, his eyes bewildered.

It was sad that he didn't have any memory of the incident.

He did not have any memory of these last months in hospital.

And he had totally forgotten the entire waking-up episode before his recent nap.

“Honey, why don't I remember?” he asked with apprehension.

“Chill out bro,” Lance hitched his hip onto the bed beside Pete.“You have Sydney here to remind you of everything. She's your excellent nurse. She loves you to distraction. Even when I couldn't see what was so awesome about a sick man who couldn't even respond to her. They thought you'd be a vegetable, Pete, and for a while there you really were. But Sydney still loves you, regardless.Lucky guy.”

Just then we heard certain footsteps click-clicking on the floor outside and my heart fell. Lance looked at me knowingly and lifted his brows.

“Pete? Guess I better leave you to visit with your Mom, okay? I'll just grab myself some dinner.”

Pete clutched my fingers tighter.

“I need my dinner, okay?” I implored.

“Oh. Okay,” he pulled me down for a quick kiss. I hugged him, my heart overflowing with gratitude that he was now aware of me.

When I straightened, his Mom stood inside the door glaring at me.I walked out in composed dignity, nodding politely at her. As usual she ignored me. And as usual, it made me sad.

“Bye for now,” Lance told Pete behind me. “I'll just keep Sydney happy.”

“I know why you're following me,” I elbowed Lance. “Well, tough. Your crush Nurse Eigenheusen is rostered off this evening.”

“
No
…” he made a crestfallen face. Nurse Eigenheusen was the prettiest creature in the entire hospital. Some naughty patients called her “Nurse Egg” because of her mouthful name, but it did not stop her from being very tall and very beautiful.

Lance chatted with me while I was having my dinner. I had only eaten some when Eve rushed in to say that Pete demanded my company. I made an immediate move to stand up, eager to rush back to Pete, but Lance held my elbow to stop me.

“Tell old Pete Sydney has to eat,” he told Eve. “She has to look after herself too.”

My newly acquired sister and brother threw a look at each other, agreeing, and Eve left again.

“What was that look?” I questioned. “Why did Eve and you exchange such a look?”

Lance looked left and right.

“Out with it,” I prompted.

“Um. Your parents…” he looked up at the ceiling.

I put my fork down.

“
Well
… I guess it's okay if you know now. Your parents were concerned about you. They felt very bad for making you sad after their divorce. For making you dependent on Pete. So they sorta asked Eve and me to look after you. They didn't want you, um, thinking of suicide.”

“Suicide?” I gaped. Unbelievable! “Why would I want to die when my love needed me? All I wanted was to care for him until he healed.It never crossed my mind to be anywhere away from him. And I'd still love Pete whether my parents had divorced or not.”

Lance had the grace to look sheepish. I thought of my parents.
They
loved me
… And I laughed.

“Honey, where've you been?” Pete phoned me close to 2am a fortnight later. “I'm so worried. Nobody's visited for days.”

At this stage, the hospital was still subjecting him to a set of brain scans and tests. His sudden return to awareness intrigued the meds.Unfortunate for Pete, he was going to have a lot of problems. He forgot many things. Especially immediate things. Stuff that happened recently. Words spoken not long ago. He had to finish reading a book in one sitting, or he would struggle to remember the threads from a previous day's reading. The long and short of it was—Pete suffered permanent short-term memory loss.

“Darling,” I yawned, very sleepy. “I was there last night past the visiting hours, giving you a massage.”

“That's what Nurse Fleming said, but I don't remember at all.” Pete sounded agitated. Nurse Fleming was the son of Sister Fleming. He was a very entertaining bloke with a great sense of humour. If he could not calm Pete down, then Pete must be in an exceptionally bad shape. “Feels like I haven't seen you for days—it's unbearable. I'm so lonely. You can't believe how quiet it is here.”

“That's because it's only two in the morning. Most patients must be sleeping.”

“Really?” he was really confused. “Were you asleep?”

“Mmm.”

“I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to disturb you. The nurse programmed your number on the speed dial and I felt I'd go mad if I didn't hear your voice. Sorry to wake you.”

“Pete. Don't feel bad. Ever.” I sat upright in my bed. “Call me any time. How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good. Apart from my plaguey arm and leg, of course. It's just too lonely here,” he paused. “Honey, why aren't we married yet?”

“Is this a real question or are you being whimsical?”

“A real question. For the life of me I don't remember why. They say you've looked after me in every possible way—”

“Pete!” I had ceased helping him with intimate matters as soon as he regained awareness. “That was when you were sick! I was only nursing you.”

“Well I'm still sick—”

“Your wits are back now.”

“But you still have to massage me a few times a day. You wash me and you know my body. Now how come I still have to keep my hands to myself?”

“Pete!”

“Darling, explain that.”

“Pete… Do you remember how old I am?”

“'Course I do. You're 18. Your birthday is February the fourth. It was raining all day on your birthday, and we spent it roaming The Art Gallery and The Museum of Contemporary Art. You love walking in the rain so much. Since it was only misty rain from the one gallery to the next, I obliged you. You were laughing so happily Sydney. I'll never forget how happy you looked, playing in the rain.And that evening we saw a play at the Glen Street Theatre in Belrose.”

“Really Pete, you remember all that?” I asked eagerly, my hopes soaring high. “What happened on your birthday?”

“We drove to Hawks Nest. We were crazy about surfing.”

“Yeay! You
do
remember!”

He was very pleased too to retain older memories. We chatted joyfully and I was struck by the realisation that this felt very good.To be up all night. Talking and laughing with him. In the quiet early hours. I could live like this. The peace and solitude felt so beautiful and sweet.