Just Me, Him, and Ten Others - (Ruth Harris Series)

Chapter 12

Hunter put his un-casted hand on my leg when I lay down beside him. For a few minutes we didn't speak. We just lay there, quiet and calm and content. The beds were comfy here - or perhaps all hospital beds feel that comfortable when you're not strapped to them. Anyway, I lay on my side and put my chin by his shoulder, so I could smell his neck and stroke his chest with one hand. He, in turn, rested his face in my hair, and left regular kisses on my forehead. This may not have been the way I imagined us together on a bed when I got out of the mental hospital, but it was certainly still nice.
               'Hunter,' I said quietly, when I remembered that my visit had a time limit, 'I had a flashback while I was waiting outside.'
'Oh?'
'I went back to my tenth birthday. It was weird, like I was really living in the memory, but it was all new to me. I didn't know any of it had happened until five minutes ago. I must have been dissociating back then.'
'You were ten.' Hunter said, with a sigh. 'Just a kid.'
'It's okay. It's not like I was upset about it back then. I was just, confused sometimes.' I smiled reassuringly but Hunter didn't see it. He kissed my forehead again.
'What happened in the flashback?'
'You came up to my room to wish me a happy birthday, and gave me a present. It had a cute note on the back about how I inspire you.'
'Ah, I remember thinking that would make you blush.' Hunter smiled down at me. The effort made him wince, so I stroked his cheek in a ditch effort to comfort him. When the roles were reversed we were much better at playing our parts.
               'Is that all you remembered?' he asked me. I tilted my head back down again.
'Well, when I went to open the present, Bertie came in and...stopped me. You went downstairs.'
               Hunter exhaled sadly.
'I'm so sorry, Ruth. I should never have left you alone with that bastard.'
'Don't talk like that. You had no idea what was going on -'
'I should have worked it out. There were signs.'
'It's not normal.' I said forcefully. 'Nobody would jump to that conclusion. Don't blame yourself.'
               Hunter opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself upon seeing my stern face.
'What happened next?' he asked. I stiffened.
'It's, I-I, er...nothing. Do you know what happened to that present in the end?'
'You mean the one I gave you?'
'Yeah.' 
'Er...no. I don't even remember what it was. Sorry.'
'Damn. I wish I could remember - it was probably very sweet and very embarrassing for you.'
'Yeah yeah.' Hunter snorted. 'I was a sucker for you, even back then.'
'Even though I dressed up like a princess every year for my birthday?'
'Yes!' he said. 'I love you, Ruth, with or without a princess dress - preferably without anything on at all. Ow!'
'Cheeky sod.' I laughed.
               'Ruth...' Hunter murmured a few cosy minutes later. I quickly looked up at him.
'What is it? Am I crushing something? Are you in pain? What's wrong?'
'No, no, nothing like that. I'm perfectly comfortable next to you.' Hunter said, offering me a small smile. He was drawing circles on my knee with his finger. 'I just, it's, I, I wanted to ask: when I didn't show up this evening for our visit...you didn't think I'd ditched you, did you?'
'Oh. No.' I said, nestling back down. 'But Julie did.'
'Wow, thanks a bunch.'
'Well then, I'll have to pick that bone with her another time.' Hunter said, smiling wider now. 'But for now, grazie per esserti fidato di me.'
               I lifted my head again, shocked.
'Who told you how to say that?'
'Andy, aka my Italian teacher.'
'What? Really?'
'Yes ma'am.' Hunter grinned. 'I've been taking lessons from him ever since you went into the hospital. It's supposed to be a surprise, so don't tell him I told you. Soon I'll be able to understand everything you and your mum say about me!'
'Oh no, I don't think he'll teach you those words.' I laughed. 'Hunter, I'm amazed! You're really learning Italian?'
'Yep. It's harder than I thought.'
'Well now I can help you too! If Andy can speak it, you can, believe me.' I said, trying not to move too excitedly beside my broken boyfriend. 'Mamma Mia, you're learning Italian for me, Hunter! That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard of. I wish I could give you a proper hug!'
'Go ahead, I won't break. Or at least, the right side of me won't.'
                So I shimmied myself up on the bed and squeezed my arms around his shoulders tightly; but it was a feeble thank you, certainly not proportional to the gift Hunter had given me. So, I shimmied back down, turned gently over onto my front, and kissed him instead. Hunter seemed to appreciate that a lot more.