To Begin Again

Chapter 4 - The Visitor

Jenny wanted to be able to take a walk in the fresh air and sit in the park enjoying the sunshine drinking coffee and reading.  Instead she had been told that she had to spend the next week stuck inside the same four walls in her hospital room bored senseless and she had only been here since this morning.  Jane had promised to bring some of her books when she came to visit tomorrow but that was hours away.  It was only 8 o’clock it had been a long horrible day and now the strong pain killers they had administered when she first arrived had worn off and she had to admit that her arm was causing her a great deal of pain, it felt like a nagging tooth ache that wouldn’t go away.  Although she had been given some pain killers since then they weren’t as strong and hadn’t helped at all and so here she was lying in bed wide awake unable to sleep with nothing to do and bored.  She was just debating what she could do to make herself tired enough to go to sleep when there was a knock at the door and a person who looked like a hospital orderly came in.

Jenny assessed her visitor carefully he was a man of probably about 30 maybe a little more, tall and quite good looking with hair as dark as hers.  “I just thought I would see if you needed a little company, as you appear to be unable to get to sleep”.

“Oh thanks that’s really nice of you” Jenny smiled at him “you are right I am more than a little bored and not feeling tired at all.  So, please take a seat some company would be nice”.

The orderly was in fact Loki who moved to the seat next to the bed and sat down, they chatted happily for some minutes before she said “I was just wishing my friend had brought my books today but instead I have to wait until tomorrow.  I would love to read a good book just now reading usually helps me get to sleep”.

“What kind of books do you enjoy reading?” Loki asked.

“I enjoy lots of different types, a good murder mystery or historical book would be nice but I’d even settle for something heavy like Shakespeare at the moment anything other than these four walls to stare at”.

Loki laughed “I might have something in my bag that would interest you, let me go and get it I won’t be a moment” and off he went out of the door.  Jenny presumed he had gone to the staff area where he would have kept his bag, it wasn’t long before he was back and in his hand he carried a very old leather bound book.  “I’m not sure if this is your type of thing but well it might help to send you to sleep if nothing else” he smiled at her as he handed her the book.

Jenny accepted it turning the book over in her hands “Thank you.  This book is very old, yet I can tell that it has been treasured and looked after.  Are you sure you don’t mind me reading it, seems like it might be special to you”.

Loki smiled “how observant of you it is special to me but, you can keep it until you leave on Friday if you want to or if you don’t like it you can give it back to me tomorrow night.  That is, if you would like me to pop in to see you again at about the same time”. 

“That would be nice it’s so kind of you.  I can let you know what I think of the book then” Jenny smiled at him.

Loki got up and moved to the door smiling back at Jenny.  “Until tomorrow night dear maiden” and bowing he left the room.  Jenny stared after him and couldn’t help but giggle to herself.  The way he had spoken to her made her smile if she didn’t know better she would say he was a character straight out of a Shakespearean play.  As she looked down at the book she noted it had a green hardback leather cover with gold lettering on the front and spine.  Jenny loved books and this one although clearly old was to her eyes exquisite.  She looked at the title ‘Norse Mythology’ it read.  Jenny couldn’t help but smile to herself, well she thought if I’m going to meet Thor on Saturday I might as well find out some more about him and this book is just the thing to help.  As she started to read she wondered how on earth the orderly knew that this was the best book he could possibly have left for her to read this was a really weird coincidence.