claire_louise Posted October 15, 2005 Report Posted October 15, 2005 Thanks again everyone! Finally finished the next chapter, it took a bit longer than expected but here it is... Chapter Seven Kirsty reluctantly hung up the phone, her hands trembling, her entire body weighed down by physical and emotional exhaustion. She had been so frantic with worry about Kane that she hadn’t slept a wink. After the initial phone call from the prison she had stayed awake at the dining table – accompanied by Irene who had been woken by her hysterical sobbing – making and then discarding a string of unwanted cups of tea. “How’s he doing?†said Irene, looking concerned as she steered a fragile Kirsty back to her seat. “He’s ok, I think,†Kirsty said wearily. She allowed Irene to sit her down and pour her yet another cup of tea. “See, what did I tell ya? He’s a fighter.†Irene smiled reassuringly at her and shoved a plate of eggs and bacon under her nose. “Now eat your brekkie, girlie, it’ll go cold.†Kirsty screwed up her nose. “Sorry, Irene, I know you went to a lot of trouble, but I just couldn’t manage it.†“Well, how about getting some rest then, eh? A couple of hours sleep and you’ll be right as rain.†Despite having to stifle a yawn, Kirsty shook her head adamantly. “No, really, I’ve got too much to do today. I’ll rest later, I promise.†“I dunno, you young people, you think you’re invincible,†said Irene, more to herself than anything, as she cleared away Kirsty’s untouched breakfast. Kirsty smiled ruefully. She definitely didn’t feel invincible, but right now there were much more important things than sleep. Now, more than ever, she was completely focused on proving Kane’s innocence and getting him home. And she knew exactly where she had to start. The funny thing about hospitals was that, however nice or homely they were made to be, they always still felt like hospitals. The psychiatric unit in Yabbie Creek was no exception. It was situated in a towering old house, ivy creeping up one side of the white-washed stone walls and baskets full of fuchsias hanging on either side of the front door. From the outside, it looked perfectly normal, but from the moment Kirsty set foot inside the door she could feel it. The atmosphere, coupled with the smell of copious amounts of disinfectant – used to cover up the only odours that were worse – was so intense that it threatened to swallow her up. She took a moment to become accustomed to it, feeling lucky that she wasn’t one of those people who had a phobia of hospitals. It was ironic, really; of all people, she should hate the places more than most. She remembered the times she had spent in hospital after the Mirigini sinking and the mineshaft collapse, but oddly enough these were not the terrible memories they ought to have been. Maybe she was just used to seeing the silver lining to every cloud, but when she thought of those times she didn’t recall the terror or the pain. Instead, all she thought of was Kane. In the bush after the boat sank was where she and Kane first bonded, although they didn’t know it at the time, and when she got to hospital all she had wanted was to make sure he was ok. Then, when she and her family had been trapped in the mineshaft, it was Kane who had refused to stop digging for them and saved their lives. In the hospital he had presented her with an engagement ring, her most prized possession, so in a funny kind of way the place represented good memories more than bad. Still, she’d never been in a psychiatric unit before and something told her this would be different. Stereotyping told her to expect raving lunatics climbing the walls, the very thought of which made her physically shudder. But the woman on the phone had been so nice… “Mrs Phillips?†As if on cue, the exact same woman appeared before her as she stood awkwardly in the entrance. She was in her mid thirties with curly dark hair, dressed in a crisp white nurses’ uniform and wearing a warm smile. Kirsty nodded uncertainly. “We’ve been expecting you. Come with me, I’ll show you through.†Smiling timidly, Kirsty did as she was told and followed the nurse up an ornately carved wooden staircase and down a corridor, past a series of identical mahogany doors. “Here we are,†said the nurse at last, turning to one of the doors on the right and giving it a soft knock. Kirsty’s heart-rate rose dramatically, the reality of what she was about to do beginning to hit home. “Now, she’s just had lunch so she should be quite alert, but don’t expect too much.†She opened the door despite their being no answer – Kirsty guessed the knock had been more out of courtesy than anything – and led them both into a spacious, sunlit room. It was nicer than Kirsty had expected. The walls were painted pale yellow and their was a view of the gardens from the window. There was a single bed, a small wardrobe, a bedside table with a jug of carnations that were just starting to droop, and a television set on one wall. At first Kirsty thought the room was empty, but then her eyes came to rest on a small woman who was huddled in an armchair in the corner. She was dressed in a blue tracksuit that was too big for her and her dirty blonde hair was streaked with grey. The woman was so tiny that she looked like a doll in the oversized chair. Kirsty didn’t mean to stare, but she couldn’t help it. When the woman glanced up unexpectedly and caught her eye, Kirsty bit her lip and looked away in embarrassment. “Cath, there’s a visitor for you,†said the nurse kindly. “This is Kirsty: your daughter-in-law.â€
Nim Posted October 15, 2005 Report Posted October 15, 2005 I've just read all the chapters and I'm loving it. Can't wait for the next chapter.
Murrin Posted October 15, 2005 Report Posted October 15, 2005 I really enjoy this writing, it is very good! What I like particularly is that you have it writing in plain English.. does this make sense? What I mean is that I can understand perfectly.. so thank you for that!
Jackieleanne Posted October 17, 2005 Report Posted October 17, 2005 What a great chapter, I can't wait to read more.
claire_louise Posted October 17, 2005 Report Posted October 17, 2005 Chapter Eight Kirsty smiled politely and said hello, feeling acutely uncomfortable as Cath continued to stare at her. She was worried that Cath’s mental state might be so bad that she wouldn’t even acknowledge she was there, but after a while she noticed a slow smile beginning to creep over her face. Kirsty was not only relieved but startled by the dramatic change it made to her appearance; suddenly, she could see Kane in her, and the recognition was enough to dispel all her worries. This was the woman who had brought her soul mate into the world – what reason was there to be afraid? “Kirsty’s come a long way to see you,†the nurse told Cath. “Shall I get you both some tea?†Kirsty nodded and thanked her, perching herself tentatively in the empty chair beside Cath. “Kane’s told me so much about you,†she said as the nurse left the room. “Kane,†Cath repeated, nodding her head rhythmically, as if she had been reminded of something she had long since forgotten. “He sends his love. He would have come himself but…well, I suppose they told you that he’s not, er, around at the moment.†Cath was still nodding; Kirsty couldn’t tell whether she was responding to her statement or simply lost in her own world. “Um, I brought some pictures to show you,†Kirsty persevered, fishing a photograph album out of her bag. She opened it at the first page, on which her and Kane’s wedding photo was proudly displayed, and turned it round so that Cath could see. She gazed at it without reacting for such a long moment that Kirsty began to think that it was hopeless. But then, slowly, she reached out her hand and began to stroke the place on the page where Kane’s cheek was. The skin on her fingers was paper-thin and wrinkled beyond her years. “He scrubs up pretty well, doesn’t he?†she said, smiling encouragingly. “You know, he planned the whole wedding for me as a surprise. He got my dress and everything. You should be so proud of him; he’s a credit to you.†When Cath looked up from the photo at last, Kirsty saw that she had a sad little smile on her face. On impulse, she leant over and took Cath’s tiny hand in her own. “Mrs Phillips, there was another reason why I came to see you,†she said, figuring now was as good a time as any to say her piece. “I wanted to ask you if you’d had any other visitors. Can you remember?†There was no reply, so Kirsty pressed on. “Someone told us that Scott had been to see you. Kane’s brother,†she added to clarify. She thought she saw a flicker of recognition in Cath’s eyes and grasped on to it. “You see, we’ve been trying to find Scott for a long time, but no one knew where he was. We think he might be able to help get Kane released…you know, from goal. So if he said anything, anything at all, about where he’s living or what’s been up to, it’s really important for us to know.†Tears were beginning to stream down her face as she came to realise that Cath was unlikely to be able to help. When Kane had first heard through a friend of a friend that Scott had visited their mother, she’d been so elated, so hopeful that this was finally the lead they’d been praying for, that she hadn’t allowed herself to contemplate what would happen if it was just another dead end. Her hopes crashing down around her, she blinked away the tears and looked directly at Kane’s mother, thinking that, if silence was all she understood, maybe silence was the only thing that would work. She looked deep into her eyes, searching for the woman underneath the shell, knowing that she must be in there somewhere. The two women held each other’s gaze until, to Kirsty’s surprise, she saw Cath’s eyes well up and a single tear meander its way down her pale cheek. For several moments they sat like that, both crying without making a sound, connected not by words but by their shared love for one man. “Anderson,†Cath said at last, still in a whisper but sounding quite firm. “Anderson?†Kirsty repeated in confusion. “Anderson apartments,†she said. “Yabbie Creek.†The name rang a bell, but for a second Kirsty couldn’t recall what it meant. Then it hit her – Anderson Luxury Apartments was a new development that was being built not far from there. But the apartments weren’t finished yet; no one could be living there. Still, Cath seemed so sure… “Thank you,†she said, giving her mother-in-law’s hand a comforting squeeze. She knew that she had taken it far enough; the information Cath had given her might not turn out to be what she was looking for, but she couldn’t risk upsetting her further. However, it seemed that Cath was only just getting into her stride. “Anderson apartments, Yabbie Creek. Money wouldn’t feed a sparrow but the boss is a top bloke…†Kirsty realised with a flicker of hope that Cath must be repeating what Scott had said to her when he visited. “You mean, he’s working on the site?†she asked hesitantly. Before Cath could say any more, they were interrupted by a bright voice. “How are you getting along?†asked the nurse as she bustled in with a tray of tea and biscuits. Kirsty glanced at Cath but she had gone silent again, as if she knew not to betray their secret. Kirsty felt a sudden surge of affection for her mother-in-law and gave her a warm smile before replying, “Fine, thanks. Just fine.â€
Jackieleanne Posted October 17, 2005 Report Posted October 17, 2005 Awww what a lovely chapter, glad things are starting to look up, I hope we get to see a nice Scott as well who will help his brother out.
I love music Posted October 17, 2005 Report Posted October 17, 2005 Super story. I really look forward to your updates.
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