Harrys Bakery.

Hospital Bound

The sound of faint beeping filled my ears as I started to come to. I groaned and rubbed my head as I attempt to open my eyes. My eye lids felt heavy. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and finally opened them.

The sunlight was coming through my window and I had to blink a few times to focus. My eyes strained as I looked around the room. It stun in the same effect as when you walk outside for the first time.

‘Char?’ A familiar voice spoke. I rolled my head lazily to the side and smiled when my sight landed on a very concerned Harry. He was dressed in a tight white long sleeved top and black skinny’s. He had his head resting between his hands and his hair was messy all over his head. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in days.

‘What are you doing here?’ I laughed as I cover my face with my arm, embarrassed.

‘I haven’t left.’ He replied simply. It made me grow even more embarrassed, had I been snoring? An even more tormenting thought came into my mind. How long had I been sleeping for? My mind began to race, what day was it?

I sat up quickly. Too quickly, my head spun and I fell back against my pillow again. Harry stood up and rushed to my side.

‘Easy Char,’ He soothed, ‘you shouldn’t move.’ I moved my hand to my head to feel that my skull had been wrapped on one side. I poked at it and winced. ‘Don’t do that,’ Harry scolded, I pouted at him and poked at my wound again, it was large taking up most of my right side. That bastard got me good.

‘How long have I been out?’ I asked as I let my hand fall lazily back to my side

‘Three days.’

‘Three?’ I echoed ‘Three whole days? Oh my god,’

‘I don’t know why you are so surprised, you did just feel the wound. It was much worse three days ago,’ Harry sat at the edge of my bed and looked at me, ‘you lost a lot of blood Char, they said you were lucky that I got to you when I did, because if I hadn’t...’ He tugged at a curl ‘Let’s just say, you were lucky.’

‘So basically, I would have been dead if it wasn’t for you?’ I knew what he meant, I don’t know why he didn’t just say it, it annoyed me kinda that he felt the need to, I don’t know, keep it a secret? Well, god, if I lose a lot of blood that is bound to happen; I don’t know why he felt the need to not say it. Harry just nodded at my response. ‘Thank you for coming.’

‘It’s alright. Are you hungry?’

My stomach growled in response. Harry laughed and said ‘Okay, I’ll get some food, ’ He gracefully walked over to the doorway then stopped, lingering, ‘I’m glad you’re okay Shorty.’ Harry then gave me one of the most heartfelt smiles I had ever seen then looked as though something had shocked him, ‘Oh! You should probably check your phone too, goes off every two minutes.’ Before I could even ask where it was Harry spoke from behind a shut door, ‘Second draw, left side table.’

Once I had retrieve my phone I was actually surprised by the amount of messages, missed calls and Facebook notifications I had. He wasn’t kidding, my phone had been going off.

I sent Kat a quick message letting her know that I had awakened. Then called my mother to update her on everything that had happened, well, up to what I know at least.

We were just saying our goodbyes as Harry entered with a bagful of food. I must say, this boy goes all out. He was unloading chocolate, chips: hot and cold, sandwiches of all kinds, banana’s, apples, orange juice, coke; he even went out of his way to buy a ‘Girlfriend’ magazine.  When I looked up at him to ask him why he opened his mouth and said shyly, ‘I, uh, I didn’t know what you liked, so I just got you the whole cart...’ He flushed a little when he pulled out another item from the back, ‘But I also made you this,’ He handed me the warm take away bowl and a Spork, I always loved sporks. A spoon mixed in with a fork. How clever!

Harry sat back in his arm chair as I opened the lid, he had gone out of his way to make me, the most delicious looking spaghetti bolognaise I had ever seen and to top it all off, he even put grated cheese on it! My stomach roared in approval as I dug my spork into the meaty goodness. I placed it in my mouth and I swear, it was the best thing I had ever tasted.

Harry watched on nervously, so I thought I might as well be nice to him, first time in a while, so I had some catching up to do.

‘You made this?’

He nodded and fiddled with his thumb nail

‘There is no way you made this,’

‘Why, is there something wrong with it?’ he looked up from his nail picking

‘Yes,’ I lie ‘there is.’

‘Oh.’ He came to collect it and take it away but instead I scoop a big spoonful of it and shove it in my mouth.

‘The problem is, there isn’t enough of it.’

The smile that crossed his face made my heart skip a beat, I am guessing by that reaction, he was really nervous about giving me the food.

‘You really like it?’

‘No, dummy,’ I said between massive mouthfuls, ‘I just devoured that, and I hated it.’ I tease as I place the lid back on the container and move it to the side table. He flipped me the bird playfully and I pretended to catch it and put it in a pocket. ‘That was amazing Harry, how did you learn to cook like that?’

‘My mother was quite handy in the kitchen,’ He smiled ‘She use to let me help her all the time.’

‘I wish my mother was awesome in the kitchen like yours,’ my mother was a good mother but her idea of a good cooked meal normally had some kind of burnt pasta, don’t get me wrong, she tried so hard, but there is just some things a women isn’t meant to do, hers just happened to be cooking.  ‘I would love for her to share that recipe with me if that would be okay?’

Harry’s smile disappeared and he stood, straightening his tie he spoke simply ‘My mother is dead, Char.’ A bolt of guilt surged through me and I felt like the worse person in the world for bringing it up.  ‘She was murdered four years ago.’ My happiness I felt before was now replaced with sadness and I wanted to pull him onto my lap and hug away the pain that was clearly showing on his face.

‘Harry, I,’ I stammered, trying to find the right words, ‘I didn’t know, I am so sorry.’

‘Oh no, it’s okay,’ His voice was laced with sorrow and I knew he was lying, ‘I didn’t expect you to know, it’s not something I announce.’ Harry turned away from me and stared out the window, ‘Infact, you are the only person I have ever told.’

What? I didn’t believe him. He would of had to have had told someone else before me, surely.

‘Everyone else already knew,’ he continued, answering my unasked question, ‘My mother was a famous chef, she opened a little shop here, not too far from your house actually when she decided the big life wasn’t for her.’

‘Oh, really? Maybe I know it. What’s the shop called?’ I knew nothing about the shops near where I lived, but I wanted him to keep talking, it was nice seeing this side of him, it was a side I never thought I would see.

‘Lucky Ducks,’ He answered instantly, almost as if he knew exactly what was going to come out of my mouth next, ‘it’s a little blue shop. It’s still open but mum’s apprentice is head chef now, I haven’t been there since she has taken over, I just,’ He turned back to me and sat on the bed again, this time he grabbed my hand, ‘Char, will you come with me to my Mothers old restaurant? It would mean so much.’

How could I say no to something so delicate like that? I felt honoured he wanted to take me to such an important place.

‘Yes, Harry,’ I smiled at him, ‘Of course I’ll come with you.’

‘Thank you Shorty, I don’t think I would be able to do it alone.’ He smiled, ‘You’re such a good friend.’

‘It’s not a problem man, really.’ I smiled at him but all I could hear in my head was: 

You’re such a good friend. You’re such a good friend. You’re such a good friend. You're such a good friend...

Was I just friend zoned?