Scarred By Love

and put a strain on her.'

Her blood pressure is fine, Bridget. I think I can decide what' s best for my own wife, don' t you?'

Bridget the nurse didn' t seem happy with the answer, and scowled as she turned and left.

Ignore her,' Eddie whispered, leaning in close. She' s upset because I' m breaking the rules. You were on Hadley Ward, but I wouldn' t leave a cat in the care of that lot. So I pulled some strings and got you transferred here, where I can keep an eye on you.'

He turned then, to check the doorway was clear, before leaning in closer.

`And about our little problem... Trust me, I' m sorting it out.' He winked and patted her arm. Now get some rest and don' t worry.'

Roz watched him leave. He closed the door. She was on her own.

He' d told her not to worry. She would have laughed, had she been able. After all, what did she have to worry about? Nothing much¼

Her husband had been having an affair with Doctor Carla Wilson and divorce seemed likely. She was going to lose her marriage, her house and her lifestyle.

That' s if she survived, which didn' t feel all that probable.

She raised her head, painfully, and lifted the neck of her hospital-issue gown. Three dressings were dotted across her abdomen.

She touched them gingerly, wincing at the soreness. Perhaps they had her on some drugs to mask the worst of the agony.

Another dressing was on the side of her chest. She also had the wound on her arm. Defensive?

And, of course, the one on her neck.

She experimented with trying to speak, but any words were smothered by the spasms in her throat. Mute then, for now.

She flopped back, exhausted.

Who had attacked her? Why? And how close had she come, she wondered, to dying?

She closed her eyes and concentrated on remembering. She was walking home. In the alleyway. Footsteps. Moving closer. Starting to run. And then¼ then, what?

Unfocused memories teased and niggled. An image began to form. A sleeve? It hurt to concentrate this much and she had to let the image go. Had to relax... Sorry to wake you.'

It was Bridget, the nurse. She had stuck something in Roz' s ear, jerking her awake from a nightmarish slumber.

Bridget removed the thermometer and recorded Roz' s temperature on a chart.

Doctor Mayle' s orders. He wants you well looked after. How are you feeling?'

Roz went to answer, but couldn' t. She shrugged instead and managed a weak smile.

Bridget smiled in return. Still can' t speak, eh? Don' t try to force it. There' s no rush.'

She made more notes on the chart, before replacing it at the end of the bed.

Is the patient well enough for a visitor?' This came from a woman in the doorway.

She was pretty and in her late 30s, wearing a white coat.

Roz knew who it was and the monitor recorded the spike in her heart rate.

Bridget turned to her. It' s Doctor Wilson, right?'

Carla Wilson nodded. I wanted a quick word.'

She moved further into the room and towards Roz' s bed.

Look at you,' she said with shock. I' m so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?'

Forgive her? For what? For sleeping with Eddie? Or for¼

Roz suddenly had a flash of memory streaking across her tired, addled brain.

A sleeve. A gloved hand. Raising up and striking down. Stabbing.

Her chest was burning where the knife had plunged into her skin.

Doctor Wilson,' Bridget said, the patient can' t speak. I think you' re upsetting her.' Oh yes, Roz was upset.

She wanted to scream and shout, but her body wouldn' t allow her to do any of those things.

She just lay there, staring at Carla Wilson, her heart rate accelerating. Doctor

Wilson, I really think you should leave.'

I' ve hurt this woman. I need to apologise.' Then apologise and leave.'

Bridget was in the process of ushering her out when Eddie appeared.

Carla?'

Eddie. I' m sorry. I had to come and¼'

Bridget. Out now!' Eddie jerked a thumb. I can handle this.'

Yes, Doctor Mayle.'

Bridget left.

Sorry, Roz.' Eddie looked embarrassed. I had no idea Carla would come up here.' He took Carla' s Wilson' s arm and led her back to the doorway, clearly thinking Roz wouldn' t be able to hear. He was wrong.

This changes everything,' Roz heard Carla say. It changes nothing,' Eddie said.

But she knows it' s me.' I want you to leave her alone. Don' t go near her again.'

I can' t just walk away.'

You have to. You can' t be

She wanted to scream and shout, but her body wouldnÕ t allow her to do any of those things

involved.'

Was Eddie protecting Carla? Roz had another searing flashback an arm. That sleeve again. The knife, slashing through the air, almost killing her.

You started this,' he said, but I' m ending it. Ending it today.'

You can' t!'

Please, go. I' m going to take care of Roz.'

Take care of her?

Roz didn' t like the sound of that. It sounded like he was going to finish her off.

She patted her hand around the bed, frantically searching for the emergency buzzer. She found it, pressed it, again and again.

She heard the alarm sounding and Eddie hurried back in, removing the buzzer from her grasp.

No! Roz didn' t want Eddie. She wanted help from someone else. But what did she expect? This was his ward.

Bridget returned, but

Eddie waved her away: It' s fine, I' ve got it.'

And so the nurse left them alone.

Calm down, Roz. Calm down.' He stroked her head.

She flinched away and he reacted like she' d slapped him.

Forget about Carla. You won' t have to worry about her any more. You won' t have to worry about anything.'

But Roz couldn' t calm down. Because the vision of the sleeve had stuck in her mind.

It was Eddie' s sleeve, attached to the old jacket he kept in his shed. The one he used for doing the dirty, heavy-duty jobs outside.

He' d once spilt oil on the sleeve. Never had been able to get rid of the smell. Or the stain. That smell returned to her now.

She could remember smelling it as her attacker lunged and the knife pierced her clothing and skin.

She could see the stain, up close, by her neck.

Eddie' s jacket.

Eddie left the room, but only for a few moments. He returned holding a syringe.

She stared at him in horror. Did he really love Carla Wilson so much that he was prepared to kill his wife to clear the way?

Roz, I' m going to give you something to calm you down. It' s a sedative.' He inserted the syringe into one of her tubes and depressed the plunger. This will make everything go away. Trust me¼'

She was too weak, too paralysed with fear to stop him.

There. All done. Don' t try to fight it.' He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. I' m sorry, Roz. Sorry about everything. But it' s all over now. Time to move on.'

Roz could already feel the sedative working.

Her mind was drifting away. She was, as he said, moving on. She couldn' t focus, couldn' t think.

Couldn' t breathe.

She felt like she was dying. The monitors surrounding her bed went crazy. Her chest felt hollow as her heart stopped, and then the blackness swallowed her¼

She awoke abruptly, gasping for air, her head pounding.

Hello again.' Eddie' s smiling face was close. He flashed his pen light in her eyes. It' s good to have you back.'

Ed¼ Eddie?' she somehow managed to croak.

Don' t speak.' He placed his finger against her lips, initially terrifying her, but there was only softness and love in his gaze.

It was Bridget,' he said. She frowned, still scared, not understanding.

Bridget,' he repeated.

She gave me the wrong vial. I injected you with¼' he shook his head. It doesn' t matter. I got you back. Even though she went crazy and tried to stop me from resuscitating you.'

He gingerly touched an angry red swelling on his forehead. His cheek was scratched too.

Over the following days they had discovered, via the police, that Bridget had created a deranged shrine to Eddie at her home.

It had contained souvenirs and mementoes stolen possessions.

That old oil-stained jacket that Roz had recognised, had been pilfered by Bridget.

She wore it, apparently, because it was like being hugged by Eddie.

She' d also worn it when she followed Roz and tried to stab her to death.

It was the affair with Carla Wilson that tipped Bridget over the edge.

She didn' t actually know about the affair, but over the week leading up to the attack, she' d seen how sad and withdrawn Eddie had become, while living in the hotel. She' d blamed Roz for it, thinking she' d kicked him out for some reason.

And blaming Roz led to wanting her dead, so Eddie could be happy and free.

After failing the first time with her stabbing spree, she swapped Roz' s drugs to finish the job.

Bridget was nuts,' Eddie said. Insane. Like I must have been to choose Carla over you. I' m so sorry, Roz.'

Roz stared at the cuts and scratches on his face from Bridget' s frenzied attack.

Eddie had, literally, fought to keep Roz alive. That had to mean something.

You saved me,' she said. Her voice was still croaky, but improving.

No.' He kissed her. We saved each other.'

It would take time to forgive everything.

The emotional scars, as well as the physical scars, were still raw. But they would heal. Together.