Chapter 9. Hospitalised
Mary opened her eyes. She was in bed. In bed clad in a white gown. Slowly her
mind returned, The last thing she remembered was getting into the ambulance. A
nurse came by, "Oh good, you're awake now. How are you feeling?"
"Where am I?"
"In Settle hospital. You passed out in the ambulance."
Panic! "Where's Vernon? Is he alright? What have you done with him?"
"He will be okay, he's in theatre at the moment having surgery on his foot. He
will be back down here in a hour or so. Now how to you feel?"
"Very weary."
"Then go back to sleep for a while, the doctor will be around again in an hour
or so. There is nothing physically wrong with you, you were just exhausted from
your ordeal and suffering from mild hypothermia. A young lady came and left you
fresh clothes a couple of hours ago but she had to leave to head back to
London."
"Must have been Sonja ......" whispered Mary as she drifted back to sleep.
The doctor woke her two hours later and checked her over. "Miss Curtis you seem
fine except for exhaustion and for the marks on your buttocks which do seem to
be several days old and healing."
"I sat heavily on a rock when I first came."
Funny shaped rock Miss Curtis. And the marks on your breasts?"
Despite her weariness Mary thought quickly. "Chafe from the wet sweater I
expect."
"Miss Curtis, if you have been beaten we can get help. There is ....."
"No, no, no. I sat on a rock. That is ALL" She emphasised the last word. "Now
please tell me where Vernon is, Can I see him?"
"He's in the bed over there but hasn't come round yet. Only came out of theatre
a short while ago."
"Can I sit with him?"
"Not yet, wait till he wakes. You still need more rest. Lay back down again."
Mary slept for another hour and felt somewhat better when she awoke. She was
desperate to pee and got out of bed and shakily walked to Vernon's bedside. He
was awake but still drowsy. She kissed him. "Rest a while longer, you'll be
alright now." Seeing her out of bed, the nurse directed her to the loo and
insisted she return to bed but once the nurse had moved from the ward, Mary
again moved to Vernon's bedside. Vernon lifted the bedclothes to show Mary the
plaster on his leg. His toes showed through the bottom and it went halfway
between his knee and his crotch.
"My god, Vern, what did they do to you?"
"I don't really know. Haven't been awake long enough to find out but I know you
saved my life."
"What are you doing there young lady?" The firm voice of the nurse broke through
their conversation and brought chuckles from other patients in the ward.
Blushing at having been caught looking under Vernon's bedclothes she answered
with a question, "What have they done to him?"
"Oh he's all right where it counts," the nurse replied amid more chuckles from
the patients. "Now get back to your own bed."
She cat-napped for another hour or so but sat up when the surgeon came round to
see Vernon. Unfortunately for her the drew the curtains around the bed and
didn't talk loud enough for her to hear. As soon as they left, Mary was out of
bed and by his bedside. "What did they say?" she enquired only to be answered by
the nurse who had reappeared and was telling her to get back into her own bed.
Shakily Mary stood and looked defiantly at the nurse. "I will when I have found
out what is happening to him, what they did to him and how long it will be
before he is released from your clutches!"
The statement was greeted with a loud "Good onya gal," from one of the others in
the ward. Mary blushed at her boldness but stood he ground even though she had
to cling to a bed rail for support.
"Nurse," Vernon interrupted, "Mary saved my life and nearly lost her own in the
process. Without her I would still be lying face down in a fast running stream.
Surely it isn't too much to expect that she would want to know what damage has
been caused and if it is repairable. She is hardly likely even if I wasn't in
pain, to jump into bed and make mad passionate love in front of the whole ward."
"You can have ten minutes," the nurse snapped.
When she left the "Good onya gal" patient said, "That's right don't let the old
battle-ax tell you what to do, she's only on for another hour then its little
Lisa and she's okay."
Vernon explained how he had torn muscles in his knee and twisted and dislocated
parts of his ankle. He would be in plaster for six weeks at least and then it
would take probably six months of physio and practice before he could walk
reasonably well again and a year before they thought he would attempt fell
walking. He should be able to leave the hospital in four or five days.
Tears came to Mary's eyes, "Oh Vern, a whole year before you can walk the moors.
You love that. A year will be hell for you."
"At least in a year I will be able to walk again. I won't be rotting in a box
underground." Vernon took Mary's hand and said, "I can't thank you enough for
what you did. I'll try and make it up to you when I can but as of now I release
you from slavery. You are a free woman again."
"No, no, no," Mary cried causing glances from those around them, "You mustn't do
that. You must add the days you are in here and can't be my master to the days
at the end of the actual fortnight. I have to work out my guilt."
"You more than did that earlier. But we'll talk about it when I get out."
As predicted, once Lisa came on duty things were a lot more relaxed. Mary was
able to spend the whole evening holding Vernon's hand and chatting about nothing
in particular. Vernon asked Lisa what had happened to their clothing. "Oh Maisie
in laundry is looking after them. She put most of the things through the washers
and dryers. She even ironed the notes in your wallet! That is now in the office
safe. I can get a staff nurse to get it if you wish but I doubt you'll will want
it today."
"Can I see Maisie and thank her?"
"She will be on again in the morning and I will leave a note for her to bring
your clothes and money to you," Lisa answered
Next morning during battle-ax's shift when the doctor did his rounds, the doctor
told Vernon that his secretary in London had phoned to enquire on his progress
and said that Vernon had health care plan and should have a private ward. Vernon
replied that was fine provided Mary could have a bed in the same room. The
doctor said it wasn't allowed. "Then I stay here and you don't get your private
ward fee." Smiling, the doctor remarked that he'd heard the story of his rescue
and whispered that he would not notice if the nurse pushed another bed into the
private ward but wait until this shift is over. I'll ask Lisa to get one of the
porters to do it.
Maisie, arrived after the doctor's left. She was a young, bubbly girl, probably
educationally backward but with a caring personality. "I did the best I could
with them. They were pretty muddied up." Laying both piles of clothes on his bed
she gave them back their wallets. Vernon opened his and remarked the notes
seemed new and fresh. "Oh, I ironed them for you to dry them and get the creases
out, Sir." Maisie seemed proud of her efforts.
Vernon took a £10 note out. "Maisie, this one should have been left folded."
"Why Sir?"
Vernon folded the note in quarters. "So it can be stuffed in a bra of course."
Vernon acted on his words and popped the note into the top of Maisie's dress.
With his other hand he pulled her head down and kissed her cheek.
"Oh Sir, you are a one. Thanks. You didn't have to give me anything. It's part
of my job."
"You did much more than you had to of that I am sure. Thank you, Vernon replied.
Battle-ax returned, Maisie left.
Vernon was soon installed in his private room and for the remainder of the
afternoon, Mary sat with him. She was much better and the doctors told her she
would be discharged in the morning.
Around 3 p.m. WPC Wallis arrived. She had been detailed to write a report on the
incident. At the same time Tim Blakensop appeared to try and get a story for the
local paper. Tim wanted to sit in on the conversation between the lady police
officer and Vernon and Mary but WPC Wallis said that would be against
regulations. "But we don't want to have to go through it all twice, Constable,"
pleaded Vernon, "If we just pull the curtains round, Tim could wait outside.
That would accommodate regulations. This is not a criminal matter."
This suited Tim as well. Although ignored by the WPC, Vernon could see a hand
holding a tape recorder at the end of the curtain. WPC Wallis was a pleasant
young woman and soon had the whole story out of them. Just when they thought she
was through, she snatched the recorder from Tim's hand, switched it off and told
him to take a five minute pee break. Tim of course protested, fearing there was
something he was going to miss but WPC Wallis was resolute. "You have your story
here, you can have a few more minutes after I have gone but what I have to ask
about now is not for your ears and nor does it concern your story. If you don't
accept that I will confiscate this whole tape. Understood?"
"Okay." Tim sauntered out.
"Mary I have to ask you this and we can go somewhere private and alone if you
wish. The doctor reported what he termed a non accidental injuries to your
bottom. Do you want to talk to me in private about it?"
"No. Anything I say can be said in front of Vernon."
"The doctor said they resembled cane marks. How were they caused?"
"I sat heavily on a stone."
"Can I get the police surgeon to look at them?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to and because they have been looked at enough already."
"So you are still going to say they were caused by a heavy sit down although the
marks do not indicate this to be the case."
"I sat on a rock."
"Had it anything to do with the false rape accusation?" Mary was surprised they
knew about that. "Oh yes," the WPC went on, "We always check for criminal
records and that's what came up - and only a few weeks ago too."
"Was this a punishment beating?"
"I sat on a rock," Mary repeated again.
"That's your story and you're sticking to it." The police lady smiled. "Is that
your story too Mr. Rocher?"
"Of course," Vernon agreed.
"Well Miss Curtis, if you change your mind here is my number and I will do all I
can to help you. There are also organisations in your part of the country that
help battered women......"
"I was not battered!" Mary's voice rose but she took the proffered business
card. "I won't need this she added."
"That's all then." The WPC closed her notebook, smiled and said, "Good luck to
you both. You need it after yesterday's experience. You're a lucky man Mr.
Rocher to have a girl like this."
Tim returned and tried to find out what the rest of the conversation was about
but had to be content with just the interview tape. That was enough. By the
evening the local paper ran a rather exaggerated version of Mary's heroic
rescue.
Mrs. Harris came in during the evening visiting period and volunteered to drive
Mary home or at least to Vernon's house when she was discharged.
Sonja phoned during the evening to find out how he was and to brief him on the
bank presentation. They had agreed to a trial run with the software so Stuart
was ecstatic. He knew once it was up and running they would want to keep it.
