Chapter 12
By the time everyone got back from coffee, Buffy was asleep – it had been a long morning for her, and she’d undergone surgery, so it was only to be expected.
Bernice and Willow left, saying they would come the next day, Joyce said she wanted to wait until Buffy was awake again, before going home to wash and change.
Three hours later Joyce got her chance and told Buffy she’d be back later that evening.
********************
“…………Well where the HELL do you THINK I’ve been, huh? - Of course at the hospital…and I DID try and phone you at the conference, but they told me Jacobs and Co weren’t there this week!” Joyce held the phone tight her knuckles were white. There was suddenly silence from a spluttering Hank.
“Look, I don’t care what you’re doing, if you’re playing around on Maureen then that’s her look out, but don’t blame me because you had to read about your daughter’s accident in the morning paper………well the news then, all I’m saying is, is that it’s not my fault, I tried to contact you………well of COURSE the lines to the hospital were busy, there’s been a plane crash, there were 354 people on that plane alone, 350 of which needed hospital treatment, even if they weren’t injured they’d be in shock! – THEN there were all the other people injured and killed on the runway and highway!
I honestly wonder sometimes what you use for brains Hank – look, I’ve just got in, I’m tired, hungry, I want a shower and a change of clothes before I go back, now if you don’t mind…what…cell phone number? – Go on then…………………………right, got it – but don’t expect hourly bulletins, I’ll let you know how she is every morning, and if there’s anything significant happening, now, if you don’t mind…bye!”
Joyce put the phone down, only for it to ring immediately again.
“Hello?”
She excused herself from the journalist and put the phone down, then lifted the receiver and put it on the side, she wouldn’t get a minutes peace if she didn’t.
**********************
“What did you have for dinner, honey?”
“Soup…and Jello”
“Is that all you wanted?” Buffy nodded sleepily at her mother.
“I managed to speak to your father, I’ve got a cell-phone number to get him on now………you close your eyes and rest now, I’ll be here when you wake up”
“Staying the night?” Buffy slurred from the meds she’d had given her
“Of course, I’ll be right here” Joyce patted the recliner seat Buffy gave a brief smile and went straight to sleep.
******************
Joyce spent a fairly comfortable night in the recliner, the main problem was the noise, there had been a couple of emergencies in the night.
Morning dawned and the change over of the nurse’s shift bought in a young nurse to check on Buffy. While this was being done, Joyce took the opportunity to freshen up herself.
*******
When Joyce got back into the room, Buffy’s head was no longer swathed in bandages, and as Joyce walked around the bed to sit, she saw the reason for her daughter’s forlorn look
“They shaved my hair off!”
“I know baby, but it’ll grow back – they didn’t take it all off – and it was to save your life” Joyce said
Buffy nodded miserably – all the same she felt freakish.
“The nurse said there was this specialist coming to see me today – he’s quite a hottie, all the nurses fancy him like crazy, so she says”
“Oh, that’ll be nice, a bit of good scenery about the place!”
“MOM!”
“What, I’m just saying…I mean, I’m back on the market now – and Dr Travers is a bit old and crusty for me!” Joyce joked. She then opened her purse and said, here, this is the cell phone-number for your father, I’ll go fetch the trolley with the phone on it”
Joyce did just that, and Buffy spoke to her father.
****
“All he was bothered about, was who was paying for all this – the hospital, the specialist – I can’t believe him!” Buffy fumed
“Honey, calm down. I can believe it, I know what he’s like after all these years”
“I could hear Maureen in the background, she didn’t sound too happy, yelling at him to do this and that for Chelsea”
“What did he say?”
“He yelled back he was on the phone to me from my hospital bed, I said I’d phone in a few days”
Buffy’s breakfast arrived and Joyce said she’s go home and get a few things done and be back after lunch.
“What about the gallery?”
“Mr Duggan is being an angel, he said I could have as much time off as I needed, his wife will help until I’m ready”
“That was nice of him”
“Isn’t it – well honey, I’ll be off and I’ll see you this afternoon, bye baby, get some more rest if you can” Joyce kissed her daughter’s forehead and left, leaving Buffy to eat her scrambled eggs.
****************
“There you go, one silky dressing gown, I pair silky jammies, your make-up case, latest editions of Cosmo and Style magazines, and two packets of sugar-free mints – that was everything, hmm?”
“Wet wipes?” Buffy asked
Joyce opened her purse and produced a packet of wet wipes
“One packet of wet wipes”
“Thanks mom”
“So, what did the doc say about you when I left?” Joyce pulled the chair up and sat by the bed
“Well, he’s very pleased with his embroidery”
“What?” and Buffy just lifted her hair to show the shaved head with the stitches.
“Oh, yes, right, go on”
“My blood pressure is fine, so was my water sample, I need to put on 18lbs and this surgeon thingy doctor, the specialist will be here later to see about my foot”
“Eighteen pounds eh, I wonder what Coach O’Connor would have to say about that!”
“Well, I’m bound to put it on anyway, not getting any exercise”
There was a knock at the door and a large black lady came in carrying a tray.
“Hi Pearl, hmm, smells yummy!” Buffy sat up and cleared the table across her bed, handing her mother the magazines.
“Enjoy darlin’ be back for the tray later” She left and Buffy lifted the lid
“Barbecue chicken and French fries…and chocolate mousse – well I can see it won’t be hard to put 18lbs on!”
Buffy tucked in and said between mouthfuls,
“I’ve ordered roast pork for dinner – and apple pie. Oh and look over there, see those pink flowers?”
Joyce looked up from reading, she was smiling
“Uh huh”
“Daddy sent them” Joyce cast her eye over what could be described as a mediocre bunch at best………
“Broke the bank I see”
“MOM!”
“Well…did he say anything about coming to visit you?”
“The card said he’d come when he can, and he wants to know who’s paying for all this”
Joyce angrily slapped the magazine down on the night-stand and said,
“That man is obsessed, by MONEY! – Ooh, he makes me SO mad!”
******************
“Sorry for the delay honey, had a couple of emergencies, see you at dinner – how are you feelin’?” Pearl took the tray from in front of Buffy
“Fine thanks Pearl, going to see this specialist doctor later, about my foot”
“Dr Carling?”
“Um, yeah, I think so, he’s English, does sports injuries”
Pearl mock swooned and grinned a mile wide, showing Buffy several of her gold teeth
“Doctor Hottie we call him, ooh, I could just eat him up and then some!”
Buffy giggled and Pearl left with a big grin and a wave, Joyce grinned too
“She’s nice!”
“She’s lovely, she was telling me her daughter is obsessed with dancing, that’s why she has three jobs to pay for lessons for her!”
“Wow”
*****************
Buffy was dozing, and Joyce sat reading when she heard talking outside, and then in comes Dr Travers with a young and very good looking doctor.
This, Joyce presumed, was ‘Dr Hottie’ – and boy, was HE aptly named!
Buffy woke and blinked
“Miss Summers, this is Dr Carling, he’s here to see about your foot – I’ll leave you to it, there’s a couple of things, emergencies, you know” Dr Travers left
Buffy sat up and ran her hands through her hair, being careful of the stitches and looked up into the face of the most gorgeous man, he had light brown and white blond streaked hair, with sharp chiselled cheekbones, full lips, and the bluest of blue eyes she’d ever seen,
She was aware that he’d spoken, but not what he said
“Um, er, I’m um – sorry! Just woke up, would you run that passed me once again?”
“I said, hi, I’m Dr Carling” and looked into the face of a little green-eyed angel……………………………
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