muse_shuffle | July Disc Two
Track 12. It’s a delightful curse to have wasted so much time
(Sarah Blasko - ‘Planet New Year’)
Riley didn’t bother going to his apartment. Despite the horrific hour they arrived back in Princeton, Tab assured him she would be fine to wait for her lift at the hospital and offered to park his car for him while he went inside. Riley out right refused, knowing that Lachlan getting shot at night in that very car park led to most of this tragedy in itself. He even made her promise to wait in the waiting room at Medical Ward where he knew she would be safe and then literally bolted down the corridor towards the nurses’ station to find out what room Tara was in.
It was pushing two am. He knew (or at least hoped) his friends would be sleeping, but he still had to see with his own eyes they were okay. Lachlan was to start his vigil as a witness in court in just a few short hours and Riley had no intentions of leaving his side. No one knew when he would be called up to testify. Until then, it was a waiting game. A phone call from Pat had revealed that Tara herself had been excused as a witness on medical grounds. Stress, no doubt, had killed her baby so with her on strict bed rest until it could be determined the second child was safe, appearing in court was an impossibility.
Riley moved as a quickly as he could towards the private hospital room, though making a very concerted effort not to make his shoes squeak or foot-fall too heavily on the linoleum floor. He slowed down as he approached and could see through the closed glass door of the room that Tara was asleep, but Lachlan, as expected, wasn’t.
Riley’s heart clenched at the sight. Lachlan was lying up on Tara’s hospital bed beside her, his arms wrapped securely around her like he was trying to shield her from everything beyond that small gurney. She was asleep in his arms, but he had his head resting on top of hers, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked white. Riley couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through his best friend’s head at that moment. How could anyone possibly fathom it? Barely days after losing a baby and he was being forced into a court to face the woman who nearly murdered him.
Resting his head against the glass, Riley tried to fight back the wave of guilt he felt for being away when Lachlan needed him the most. They’d come as quickly as they could without breaking any laws or putting themselves in danger, but Riley still felt he was too late. Lachlan looked terrible and Riley wanted nothing more than to go in there and hug him, but it was a private moment. Lachlan was seeking comfort in the arms of his new wife and that didn’t need to be intruded upon.
He stepped back and turned away from the door. He’d intruded enough as it was. He moved back along the corridor to the closest bench and sat down, dropping his tired head into his hands. The drive had left him exhausted, but he had no intentions of going anywhere. He would be there if Lachlan needed him or not and hopefully he wasn’t too late to this time be at his friend’s side through yet another whirlwind of seemingly unstoppable heartache.
- drcampbell, doctortara & asinthecity referenced with permission
Words | 564
(Sarah Blasko - ‘Planet New Year’)
Riley didn’t bother going to his apartment. Despite the horrific hour they arrived back in Princeton, Tab assured him she would be fine to wait for her lift at the hospital and offered to park his car for him while he went inside. Riley out right refused, knowing that Lachlan getting shot at night in that very car park led to most of this tragedy in itself. He even made her promise to wait in the waiting room at Medical Ward where he knew she would be safe and then literally bolted down the corridor towards the nurses’ station to find out what room Tara was in.
It was pushing two am. He knew (or at least hoped) his friends would be sleeping, but he still had to see with his own eyes they were okay. Lachlan was to start his vigil as a witness in court in just a few short hours and Riley had no intentions of leaving his side. No one knew when he would be called up to testify. Until then, it was a waiting game. A phone call from Pat had revealed that Tara herself had been excused as a witness on medical grounds. Stress, no doubt, had killed her baby so with her on strict bed rest until it could be determined the second child was safe, appearing in court was an impossibility.
Riley moved as a quickly as he could towards the private hospital room, though making a very concerted effort not to make his shoes squeak or foot-fall too heavily on the linoleum floor. He slowed down as he approached and could see through the closed glass door of the room that Tara was asleep, but Lachlan, as expected, wasn’t.
Riley’s heart clenched at the sight. Lachlan was lying up on Tara’s hospital bed beside her, his arms wrapped securely around her like he was trying to shield her from everything beyond that small gurney. She was asleep in his arms, but he had his head resting on top of hers, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked white. Riley couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through his best friend’s head at that moment. How could anyone possibly fathom it? Barely days after losing a baby and he was being forced into a court to face the woman who nearly murdered him.
Resting his head against the glass, Riley tried to fight back the wave of guilt he felt for being away when Lachlan needed him the most. They’d come as quickly as they could without breaking any laws or putting themselves in danger, but Riley still felt he was too late. Lachlan looked terrible and Riley wanted nothing more than to go in there and hug him, but it was a private moment. Lachlan was seeking comfort in the arms of his new wife and that didn’t need to be intruded upon.
He stepped back and turned away from the door. He’d intruded enough as it was. He moved back along the corridor to the closest bench and sat down, dropping his tired head into his hands. The drive had left him exhausted, but he had no intentions of going anywhere. He would be there if Lachlan needed him or not and hopefully he wasn’t too late to this time be at his friend’s side through yet another whirlwind of seemingly unstoppable heartache.
- drcampbell, doctortara & asinthecity referenced with permission
Words | 564