"It's a minor injury. Her left leg is fractured and her hip has taken some damage. But she will be fine," the doctor reported, as she flipped through the pages of the reports, which were handed to her by the nurse.
Kate and I sighed in relief. I turned to look at Sarah, who was still unconscious and breathing softly, her leg in a plaster cast. It dawned upon me that, in the fight between Kate and me, Sarah had to face the consequence. I had let my ego get the better of me and stayed away from her, denying her the love of a father. The poor girl had no idea what a roller coaster ride she was in for.
"Let us know if there is anything we can do. Our nurses will provide medication and dressing. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to tell us," the doctor said. Given her calm nature, I inferred that it was not the first time that she was dealing with such an accident.
The doctor and the nurse took their leave, leaving Kate, Sarah and me in the room. Kate went and sat on the edge of the bed facing Sarah and began to caress her head. I stood there, watching the mother and the daughter, who were once my family. I felt uncomfortable to stay in the room, and yet, there was a part of me that wanted to stay. I made my way towards the door when Kate got up from the bed and came near me.
"Noel, please stay. For Sarah's sake," she pleaded.
I looked at Kate's weary face. Her worn-out yet pleading eyes and her hair, pulled into a messy ponytail, gave me an idea that she was having a rough time. My heart melted. I nodded and sat on the chair near the bed.
Memory is a strange phenomenon. It not only brings to mind images of the past but evokes emotions and feelings too. No matter how hard you suppress them, the unconscious part of the brain stores them, only to bring them up in the circumstance you least expect. This was one of those circumstances.
I remembered the day Sarah was born, and how the nurse handed her over to me. I remembered teaching her to walk and talk. She was a smart and cheerful child. She preferred to spend more time with me than with Kate. Back then, she would leave Kate's side and sidle up to sleep next to me. I would cuddle her, and she often fell asleep in my arms. When she was sick, I spent sleepless nights beside her, making sure that she had all the things she needed. I became aware of a teardrop trickling down my cheek, as I pondered on these memories.
I saw Kate staring at Sarah the whole time. I had no intention of inflicting any pain on her, but I had to address a sensitive issue.
"Do you want to call Derry?" I asked.
She raised her eyes to meet mine and stared at me hopelessly. I could see tears welling up in her eyes, revealing the answer to the question I had posed. Oh, God. What have I done?
I excused myself and went out of the room. I called Bella and informed her about the situation. I asked her if it was possible to bring my mom to the hospital. She assured me that she would be there with my mom in thirty minutes. I ended the call and sat on the bench in the corridor, thinking about how to deal with the situation.
~~~~~~~~
It was at seven fifteen in the evening when my mom and Bella arrived. My mom headed to the bed and, sitting beside Sarah, began to weep. She grabbed her hand and began rubbing it before kissing it. Bella approached me and gave me a tight hug. My eyes fell on Kate, who was looking at Bella and trying to make sense of who she was. Bella, on noticing Kate, went towards her and began to say something in an inaudible voice. Bella hugged Kate and then came near me. She told me that she had some work to be taken care of. I hugged her again and thanked her for bringing Mom. Before leaving, she requested me to keep her informed about Sarah's situation.
"Kate. Let's go to the canteen. Mom will look after Sarah," I said.
She nodded and followed me. We went to the canteen and ordered a veg-sandwich and peach juice. We sat facing each other, eating our shares. The entire time, Kate did not dare to look at my face. She continued munching her sandwich and sipping her juice in silence. I decided to break the ice by speaking up first.
"Is everything right, Kate? Is the money sufficient?" I asked sounding a bit concerned.
"Yes. I work as a hostess in one of the restaurants. The money is enough to get the groceries and pay the bills," she replied.
There was silence. Such an awkward silence always made me uncomfortable. So after weighing the pros and the cons I finally decided to address the elephant in the room.
"I don't mean to interfere in your personal life, but how are things with Derry?"
She stopped eating the sandwich and looked up at me. "After our divorce, he stopped visiting me," Kate replied.
"So he left you alone?" I asked.
She shook her head and looking down, continued eating her sandwich.
Back when we were together, Kate was the most beautiful lady in the neighborhood. I was aware of the looks the other men gave her because of her beauty. But now, it had all vanished. The beauty had disappeared and there was no sign of any smile on her face. Her condition was pitiful.
We finished our snacks and returned to the room. My mom turned around to look at us. I saw her looking at Kate with pity. She approached us and said, "Noel, I am staying here tonight with Sarah. You two can take a rest and come back tomorrow morning."
"No, Mom... I mean... I... I will stay here..." Kate protested.
"Kate, Mom is right," I interjected. "You are exhausted. I will drop you home and pick you up early morning," I insisted.
She looked at me and nodded in agreement. I went and kissed Sarah on the forehead and hugged my mom. With that, we departed from the hospital and drove towards Kate's home.
~~~~~~~~
Over a period of time, my anger towards Kate had subsided. I knew we both wanted to talk about the past, but now was not the time. As I parked the vehicle inside the garage, I accompanied her to the door. She thanked me for all the support. As I gazed at her worn-out face, I became aware of the loneliness which I had seen in my own eyes a few months ago.
"Kate, do you mind if I spend the night in the house?"
A part of me wanted to console her and a part of me, to see her suffer. Yet a mere glance at her melted my heart. She had been my wife once upon a time, and she had fulfilled her duty as a spouse except for one thing: she had cheated on me. I had to push away the past and be a person to support her in the present.
