I sighed, letting the hot water soothe my throbbing head. I opened my mouth and let some water trickle in.
Back in the bedroom Pete had picked up my clothes and had folded them neatly at the end of the bed. That brought on a fresh wave of prickling in my eyes. What had gotten into me? I was on the verge of blubbering for God’s sake!
I sat down on the bed and struggled into my underwear and shorts, clipped my bra back on and dragged my singlet over my head. The compression bandage was rolled up beside me. I picked it up and looked at it. I had no idea how to wrap my ankle properly.
I was about to tuck it into my pocket, hoping that Steve was over his anger and would re-strap it for me when I got back upstairs, or that Joel would know how to do it, when Pete returned, juggling another glass of water and a plate of toast and Vegemite.
He passed it to me with a smile. “I know how much you Aussies like your Vegemite,” he said softly as he knelt down in front of me again, plucking the bandage from my other hand.
“Eat,” he said, and proceeded to strap my ankle up nice and tight. I managed to force down the toast. He’d been a bit heavy handed with the Vegemite, but I could forgive that. No one who wasn’t a true Aussie knew how to spread the mightiest of ‘mites.
Ankle all strapped, he stood up. He was dressed now in his tennis gear. Of course, he had his semi-final this evening. He would be heading over to prepare.
I finished off the last crust of toast, and Pete helped me to my feet, taking the plate into the kitchenette. I put the crutches under my arms and headed towards the door.
“Thanks for this morning,” I murmured to him as he came up behind me. I felt his lips on the back of my neck.
“No, gorgeous, thankyoufor last night!” he sighed with feeling. His hands snaked around my middle, and he leaned closer to kiss me on the cheek. “I’ll be remembering it until the next time I see you. Are you still in Melbourne tonight?” I heard the hope in his voice and I giggled.
“We’re booked until the end of the Open, although Steve might change our plans now,” I replied. “Why? Do you want me to come down again tonight?”
“Mmmm hmmm,” he groaned against my skin, his lips on my shoulder. “If I win, I can’t think of a better way than celebrating with you, and if I lose … well, you can help me forget about it.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Good luck this evening.”
“Thanks,” he whispered. He opened the door and let me out into the deserted corridor, blowing me a kiss before closing the door behind me.
With a grin on my face, I made my way towards the elevator.
The doors slid silently open on the seventeenth floor and I staggered out on my crutches. The hallway turned sharply to the right, and our room was at the very end. I pulled my key out of my back pocket, limping down the hall.
The door wasn’t fully closed. Swallowing back the sudden, inexplicable tightness in my throat, I leaned heavily on the crutches and pushed it open. The apartment was in darkness. All the blinds had been drawn the night before, and I’d switched off the lights as I’d left. Obviously, Joel wasn’t back yet, or if he was, he’d had such a sleepless night that he’d just gone straight to bed. Steve was likely sleeping off a hangover.
I moved crutches-first into the gloom. There was a funny smell in the place. In my sensitive hungover state, it made me gag. I reached out to flick on the light switch.
What I saw when the light came on – what was all over the floor,all over the walls, sticking to the bottoms of my feet, took the strength out of my legs.
Then it was dark again. Blessed dark.
My eyes opened. My face was pressing wetly against something sticky and slimy. The smell was overpowering. I swallowed hard and groaned weakly. My body hurt from the fall. How long had I been unconscious?
“Mel? Oh shit, Mel! Thank God! You’re alive!”
“Am I?” I asked, trying to push myself off the floor and sliding in the goo that covered me. “I kind of wish I wasn’t.”
“Don’t move – the ambulance will be here soon,” Joel hissed. I couldn’t see him.
“What happened?” I asked groggily. The sticky, coppery fluid on the floor got into my mouth and I lost it. The toast I’d just eaten came straight back up.
Once it was all out, I managed to push myself up to sit against the wall just inside the doorway.
“I don’t know,” Joel muttered, his voice cracking. I tried to wipe the blood from my face, but I only managed to smear it around more. I focussed on the puddle of vomit near my knee – it was much easier to look at than the body on the floor … Steve’s body.
Joel walked the long way around the prone form of his father, sprawled out in an awkward position, his eyes open and staring sightlessly. It was hard to tell what had happened to him – there was so much blood. I didn’t want to look, but my eyes kept straying back to it.
Joel crouched down in front of me, a tea towel in his hand. He dabbed at the blood on my face, on my arm, on my chest.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice shaking. I shook my head. I didn’t feel like I’d ever be able to talk again.