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‘D oes that look straight to you?’
Heather looked at the board covering the broken window and took a step back.
‘Maybe move it a touch to the right’. Graham moved the board a touch to the right. ‘Now?’
‘Hmmm, maybe a bit to the left’.
‘Bloody hell, that’s putting it back where I had it a moment ago.
That’s fine where it is’.
‘You shouldn’t be getting yourself stressed out my love, don’t want you having a heart attack as well’ said Heather as she picked up the card rack that was knocked over by the brick.
‘Good job that card rack was there, as the brick hit that before my face’.
‘Did it really?’ asked Heather looking at the dent just above the ‘congratulations, you passed’ card section.
‘See, told you that card rack would be a good idea’ said Heather winking at him.
Before Graham could reply the phone rang.
‘Good morning, Leyton’s convenience store. Hi love, how are you? What? In hospital? Is she ok?’
Graham mouthed her to ask who was on the phone, but Heather ignored him.
‘She’s in there now? Right, we’re coming straight there’.
‘Who was that?’ asked Graham.
‘It’s Hazel; she’s been taken to hospital. That was Harry on the phone, apparently they had a brick thrown through their window and Hazel got cut by the glass’.
‘Oh my god, the poor woman. How is Harry?’
‘He sounded a bit shaken up on the phone, I said we would meet them at the hospital now’ said Heather as she grabbed her coat. ‘Did he see who did it?’
‘He didn’t say, but it’s got to be the same thugs, who would want to hurt those two?’
Graham got in the car and checked up and down the street for anyone dodgy looking.
‘What are you looking for?’ asked Heather as she clipped in her seat belt.
‘Just checking those kids aren’t about. I hope the police are taking this seriously now. Does someone have to be killed for them to do anything?’
‘I know love; we will chase them as soon as we get home. I want to make sure Hazel is ok first’.
Graham turned the key but the engine wouldn’t start.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘Don’t know, it won’t bloody start for some reason’ said Graham as he turned the key again.
‘Is there fuel in it?’ asked Heather.
‘Are you being serious? Why would I forget to put fuel in it?’
‘Don’t get snappy; it was a perfectly reasonable question to ask. Have you got your foot on the clutch properly?’
Graham looked down at his feet and spotted an apple stuck under the pedal.
‘Whys there a bloody apple under the clutch pedal?’
‘We do own a shop love; it’s quite possible that it fell out when I went to the cash and carry’.
Graham turned the engine and the car fired in to life, lurching forward and hitting the back of a mobility scooter.
‘You had it in gear!’ shouted Heather as she got out to assess the damage.
Graham wound down the window and popped his head out.
‘I don’t know why Derek parks that thing so close to our car. There’s nothing wrong with him anyway, he’s just fat’. Heather ignored him and started writing a note.
‘What are you doing now?’
‘I’m leaving him a note so he knows it was us. We’re going to have to pay for the damage now’.
‘It serves him right for parking the damn thing there in the first place’ said Graham, as he selected the correct gear and reversed out of the car park.
‘How do you work this damn contraption?’
Harry gave the coffee machine a gentle kick as it erupted in to life, delivering him a cup of what looked like oil. ‘Harry!’ came a shout from behind him.
He turned and saw Graham and Heather running up the corridor. ‘How is Hazel my love? What an awful thing to happen’ said Heather, giving him a hug.
Graham put his arm around him.
‘Have the police been in?’
‘Not yet, no. Hazel is doing Ok, just a few cuts around her face, but she’s in good spirits’ said Harry deciding not to drink the coffee he just bought.
‘Can we go in and see her?’
‘Yes, but she’s a bit groggy and still has a few cuts around her face.
It’s just up here’ said Harry, as he gestured them up the corridor.
A doctor came out of the door just as they went to walk in.
‘Mr Smythe, I’m glad you’re here, can I have a word with you in my office?’
Harry looked at the doctor’s face, which wasn’t giving anything away’.
‘Can we go and sit with Hazel doc?’ asked Graham.
‘I would give it half an hour, she’s just having a sleep at the moment’ said the doctor.
‘We’ll go to the café for a bit and meet you back here in half an hour’ said Heather.
The door to the office clicked shut as the doctor gestured for Harry to sit down in the brown chair at the desk.
‘Is everything ok doc? Hazel just has some cuts and bruises doesn’t she?’
The doctor sat down at his desk and stroked his unshaven chin. ‘Well, yes she does, but whilst we were monitoring her she had a heart attack’.
Harry sat there stunned for a moment trying to take in what had just been said.
‘A heart attack? But my Hazel is always so fit, I don’t understand?’ The doctor lent forward on to his elbows.
‘There could have been an underlying heart condition or it could have been the stress of the attack, but although she is now stable, her heart is weakened and we can’t rule out another attack’. Harry felt tears run down his cheek.
‘We’ve been married for forty years doc, I can’t lose her yet. Can she come home?’
‘We would like to keep her in for a bit longer to monitor her heart, but she is stable at the moment, which is good’.
Ok, thank you’ said Harry as he got up and walked towards the door. ‘I will be back around to see Hazel very shortly Mr Smythe, and we are doing our best for her’.
Harry didn’t hear as he walked in a daze back down the corridor. He looked through the window at her connected up to various machines. She looked content and peaceful.
‘Do you want to come and sit with her Mr Smythe?’ Harry turned to see a nurse holding the door open. ‘Yes please, thank you nurse’.
Hazel’s hand felt warm as Harry gripped them tight and stroked her perm.
‘You are going to be ok my love, I’m going to be here all the way to make sure you get well. We’ll have you home soon enough and baking bread’.
Hazel seemed to smile at him.
Harry got comfy in the chair next to the bed and fell asleep.
‘I’ve changed oil on cars that’s thinner than this coffee; I don’t know how they get away with selling this crap’.
Heather took a sip of her tea, which tasted equally as bad.
‘At least you didn’t have to pay too much for it. Do you want to get a newspaper as well?’
‘No, hopefully Harry won’t be too long with the doc and we can see Hazel’ said Graham, forcing down a mouthful of coffee.
‘I hope that she’s ok; I can’t think of any good reason that the doctor would want to see Harry in his office’ replied Heather.
‘No, me neither. The bloody police better find those damn kids, that’s two of us they have put in hospital now’.
‘I’m going to call them for an update now actually, you’ve just reminded me’ said Heather taking out her phone.
Before she could dial the number a young kid ran behind Graham, slapped him on the head, and ran off.
‘Oi, you little shit, come here’ shouted Graham as he got up from his chair and gave chase.
‘Love, come back’ shouted Heather after him.
‘Try and catch up slap head’ shouted the kid.
‘I’ll bloody slap your head if I catch you’ shouted back Graham. Just as he was about the reach the kid a large lady emerged from the café carrying a tray of drinks. The full force of Graham knocked her in to the waste bin and the drinks up in the air.
Before he had time to react four large cups of coke landed on his
head, knocking him to the floor.
‘Don’t just sit there, help me up!’
Graham looked up to see the large woman with her ample backside wedged in the bin. A couple of the café staff tried to release her but to no avail. The young kid he was chasing was in fits of laughter in the corner.
‘When will you ever listen to me?’ said Heather as she threw a packet of tissues at him.
‘I do apologise madam, I’ll pay for your drinks you lost’ said Heather as she gave the woman a twenty pound note’. ‘Come on, let’s get back before you kill someone’.