Medication
He watched her eyes flickering open, small soft butterfly movements. He liked to watch her while she was sleeping as it was the only time she was at peace. It was like a lottery waiting to see how she would be when she awoke, so it was always with some trepidation that he looked on. Normally he would have to wake her at seven so that she could get her son up and getting ready, but today was the weekend and he let her lie. She was awake now and she looked up at him. “Is it the weekend,” she questioned. “Yes,” he said calmly. “Oh thank god for that, does it mean that I don’t have to get up yet?” He stroked her hair knowing how difficult the start of the day was for her. “No you don’t have to get up if you don’t want to.” She snuggled back down into the duvet and sighed. The bed felt safe to her and it was only when she was lying here in bed that she felt that safety. “Do I have to have a bath today?” she enquired. “No not if you don’t want to, why don’t you just have a wash?” He sometimes wondered how he managed to keep looking after her. It was hard work. Mainly because she never wanted to be on her own.
He usually did the shopping before she was out of bed. It was easier to get it over and done with without any hassle. As he always got up at about 6am it gave him plenty of time before she would be getting up anyway. The shop was always virtually empty at this time in the morning and he liked it that way. He always wondered whether she was alright while he was away, but he worked under the assumption that she was sleeping. However he still rushed his way through the shopping in order to get back anyway. Once home he would quickly unpack everything then put it all away, before he took her morning medication up to her at 9.30am on the dot. “Morning sweetheart,” he would say as he entered the bedroom. “Oh is it time to get up already,” she would reply in a weary voice. “Time to take your medication,’ he replied. “Oh ok,” she would say grumpily, sitting up to take her tablets. “Can I stay in bed for a while?” “Course you can sweetheart. Shall I come and wake you up later?” “Yes ok,” she would grudgingly agree. As he walked back down the stairs he wondered whether she would ever be the vivacious, happy young woman he had met all those years ago.
* Rebecca King lives in Norwich with her partner Andrew and her three children, where she endeavours to write.
