Chapter 4
Then he realised it was more than that.
It was a person.
Max's eyes shot open and suddenly saw a golden blonde hair head resting on his chest, while she tried to hug him. Then Max realised this was the girl, the angel from the beach. The one he had tried to save.
"You - you ok! You're alive! Oh my God," Max exclaimed.
The Angel stood up, with tears in her eyes. She was looking at him and slowly smiled at him.
"Yes, I am fine. But I feared we had lost you. You died on us on the beach. But the medics managed to bring you back. I have prayed and prayed for days, waiting for the doctors to tell me if you had passed on or had woken up. When the doctor called yesterday, I wanted to come immediately. But he told me you went back to sleep from the medication. I could only come today. I happened to try my luck during visitors' hours this morning, only to thank the Lord, when I bumped into the Doctor and was told you are indeed awake. I am sorry for hugging you, but I saw you crying. I just knew you needed that hug. I needed it. I am so glad you are awake. Oh, my word, your arm, your neck. What did the doctor say is wrong? He won't tell me anything. I am so sorry. It is all my fault that you are in this position. I made sure he was fired. And arrested for shooting you."
Tears still leaking, she continues: "I am so sorry, it is all my fault, all of it. I should never have left that function with my sister. I should never have come. I am so sorry. I promise you…"
"Sshhhh, enough now. It was in God's plans for all of this to happen. He told me. The day before yesterday. Just before I woke up. Don't run yourself down and look rather on the bright side. If you hadn't left that function, I wouldn't have seen two beautiful angels running down the beach in my time of sorrow. It gave me hope that God is there with me. Ok, you may not be an actual angel, but I believe the idea behind it was to make me realise my life hadn't ended. But rather a new chapter was starting. You see, I lost my wife suddenly. Six months ago. I woke one morning, and found God had taken her away from me, leaving me with a 6-year-old little girl with autism. My heart shattered as I didn't know what to do, as I had to change my ways, quit working for myself and go find a full-time job. The job I managed to find was packing shelves for a disgruntled boss. But that is all I could find and stuck it out. I suppose I lost that job now. I don't know how my daughter is, or what they said to my mother or mother-in-law. Or what happened to my car. I even wondered about you and your sister. But now you are here. Are you both okay?"
"We are fine. We were shaken for a few days. But better now. My sister, Clem, has gone back home while I chose to stay to see how you are doing. My father and mother are so angry at what has happened. He is the one who is paying this hospital bill, my father. He is ensuring you are getting the best care possible. What did the Doctor say is wrong with you?"
"Umm. Hello? Sorry but we have to take Max for a scan. If you want, you can wait here till he is back," the Sister, walking into the room with an orderly, saying.
"Come Max, let's go to the space machine," the sister joked, with a grin on her face. And off they pushed Max out of the room.
As he was leaving, he said to the angel. "Wait for me here, please? I will be back. Please don't go."
"I will be here," she replied with a bright smile.
After been in the machine for quite a while, from the constant buzzing, whirring, thumping and clicking sounds he had to subdue, for the last 20mins while the did a full scan, and the many bumps while traveling back to his room, Max's head was now throbbing again and body was in agony.
He pleaded for more pain meds, with tears in his eyes as he was fitted back into place in his room. The nurse that brought him back, said she would speak to the sister.
Max's eyes were shut to try to push the pain away, forgetting he still had a visitor.
Suddenly, he felt a soft hand lightly trying to hold his right hand. Max's eyes opened and he saw the Angel was sitting next to him in a chair. Her eyes closed with tears as her mouth slightly moved silently as if in prayer. Max squeezed her hand and her eyes shot open to look at him and he smiled at her, and said:
"thanks".
She smiled and resumed praying, with her head bowed over his hand. Max closed his eyes, and drew on her strength and healing, drew on the Lord's strength and healing.
A short while later, the Doctor came into the room with the African nurse from earlier.
'This must be my replacement assigned nurse' Max thought.
"Hello, I am Doctor Gerber," spoke the Doctor to the angel. "I was wondering if you would mind stepping out while I chat to Max on the scan results."
"No, let her stay. Please" pleaded Max. "It is fine, especially as she claims her father is paying the bill."
"Well if you are sure. Wait a sec," and Max watches the Doctor turn towards the Angel lady with his eyes going wide. "You are … you were the one on the beach that Max spoke about!"
Max's eyes looked at the angel to see her smile and nod. But, he saw something, as if she were trying to say something silently to the Doctor, which Max didn't quite understand and chose to find out later.
"What did the scan say, Doc?" asks Max with anticipation.
"Ok, so the good news is there is nothing wrong with your brain, your neck and your upper spine. So the neck brace can come off. Bad news, you are still having headaches, which we will monitor but suspect it is from the stress and post trauma of the incident. I will allow for the next two days 2 milligrams paracetamol every 6 hours to help you with this. But if you don't need it, please rather tell the nurse to lessen the dosage or give you none. You still have swelling around the spinal cord, at your L4 area. But it seems ok. So I will also give you inflammation meds to reduce the swelling. Soon, as the MRI is ready, we can see better in that area. Your pelvis is looking good from its repair but will take time to heal. Paracetamol will also help with this too. But if the pain gets worse in this area, I have made a note for the nurse to give you 1, up to five milligrams of morphine, when needed. Rather not depend on this please. Everything else is looking good and healing well. It is going to be a long process, but I believe in a few days' time you should pretty much be pain free most of the time. I will come see you again tomorrow to check up but until then you rest and get well."
"Thanks, Doctor."
"My pleasure. Miss, could I speak to you outside for a moment please?"
"Umm ok," replied Angel.
'Geez I can't keep calling her that,' Max thought.
Moments later she re-entered the room and Max noticed a guy in a black suit closing the door on us, strange.
"So, what was that about?" asked Max.
Angel blushed and tried to not look at him directly.
"Who are you?" asked Max. He wanted to know.
"I mean, really. Who are you? What is your name? Why is there a suit guy outside? Why did the doc want to talk to you? How is it that your dad can afford to pay for all this, and why?" Max pushed.
Angel sighed. She came to the bed and sat down. She looked up at Max, directly into his eyes, and said: "Hear me out before you say anything, ok? Don't stop or interrupt me. But forgive me. I will tell you everything, ok?"
"Ok"
"My name is Carolyn. I am from Denmark. My sister is actually, Clementine."
She stops, takes a breath, then continues: "My father is the Crowned Prince of Denmark, as is my grandmother the reigning Queen."
Max gasps.
"So we have the funds to cover the hospital bill. My sister and I were here on a diplomatic visit to attend a fundraising event, but we grew bored of it during the function and slipped out before it ended. We wanted to come to the beach, without the 'armed force'", and she gestures towards the door.
"And just have a nice stroll on the beach, with an ice cream. You must understand since we have been born, we felt like prisoners. We can't do anything without the cameras or army of bodyguards. And just wanted a bit of alone time. After buying some ice cream, we walked for a bit on the beach only to suddenly be accosted by three masked men. I pushed Clem away, kicked one guy as hard as possible in between his legs, and shoved him against the other. Screaming, I ran after my sister and forced her to run faster. After a while, we came across you. I had no idea but I knew you were the one we needed to trust and go to. From there… well you know what happened right?"
"Yes I remember it all until I pass out." answered Max.
"After you passed out, my goons had formed a ring around us two while the others went to your car and tried to get Clem to open the door. She was in a crying fit state, preventing them from having success. The police and some security company cars arrived. Everyone had their guns out at everyone. Eventually, I pushed through the wall of idiots. I shouted at them, my security, the police and the other security guys. I then pointed them out, identifying my body guards. Then I pointed out the three bad guys, still on the ground. And I pointed at you, was our saviour, until Juan shot you. I was unladylike at slugging him as hard as I could, but got by with minimal effect. I demanded medical attention for you. At my orders, my bodyguards put their guns away. The police proceeded to arrest Juan and succeed after I overrode Juan and ordered him to be arrested. To go with them, while the security guys were trying to help Philip, my other bodyguard, stop the bleeding on you."
She sighed deeply. "Short side of the story. I was taken back to the hotel with my sister. You were taken away to hospital and later Daddy was on the phone screaming his head off at us, on loud speaker. Then at the bodyguards, and then demanded that all medical expenses be paid. He also ordered that we pack up and come home immediately. And that he would have the embassy collect Juan and soon as he lands in Denmark to be placed under house arrest pending investigation. I refused to leave. I told my father I was NOT leaving until I know you are ok. We fought for a bit, until my mother interjected on the phone and calmed him down. We then agreed to allow me to stay under strict 'house arrest', pending your health status and decided from there. All functions, visits, etc here in South Africa, were cancelled. I was NOT to leave the hotel unless under full guard and only to see you. Clem, later that evening after the phone call, left to go home with Juan and her team of bodyguards. The rest of my goons stayed behind. For days, I stayed in the hotel, phoning daily, sending Philip to the hospital daily to check on you, until now."
Max was quiet, completely in shock. And he is trying to comprehend all this info. Trying to determine if this is still a dream, for all this sounds like one. No way would he, a low shelf packing widower, actually cross paths with someone as beautiful as this. And to discover then she was untouchable, not meant for him, a Princess! They don't mix with the poor.
God, what are you doing to me? Max pleaded silently.
"Max, please speak to me" Carolyn pleaded. Her eyes pleaded for forgiveness and hoped he would talk to her.
"So, you are a Princess." Max blurted.
"Yes," she replied anxiously.
"Why are you… I - I am sorry. I am trying to un-juggle this confusion I have in my mind. Why are you here, with me, a poor shelf packing widower? I mean, I am grateful you or rather your folks are covering the medical expenses. I don't blame you nor them for what happened. I am just trying to understand why you didn't go home and leave it to someone else than you to check on me and report back to you back home? I am sorry if this is rude but isn't this not allowed? What would your people say about you hanging around someone who has no title, no assets except a car which is properly impounded or stolen by now? I always believed royals didn't really interact unless they really had to."
Max saw his words were hurting her, so he tried to fix it: "Listen, I said it wrong. I am sorry. I am so confused. I really do appreciate your concern for me and want to ensure I am getting better. I really do. But I worry what the outcome will be when the media and your country people will think when they find out. I fear this, I have seen this on tv. Like what it did to Princess Diana, twenty-years ago. Like what it did to her boys. I am not trying to be ugly or hurt you. To be honest, if you were not a royal, I would have thought God was sending you to me. A new beginning. And I wanted to grab it with both hands. But I know royals don't mix with the lowers. Whatever you call it. Oh God, I don't know what I am saying. I want to keep the Angel. I want to keep you. I want to get to know you. I believe so badly that you were sent to me. But now I feel like it was all a joke, not from you, but from the Devil, and it hurts me."
"Max, stop. Please stop. Just stop," she spoke, wiping her tear wet eyes with her sleeve.
She breathed deeply, then spoke. "You are right in many ways, but I too believed for days while sitting, stressing and praying in the hotel, that you were sent to me. You see, I am 29 years old, and in two months, my father will be crowned King, as my grandmother is retiring. Please don't tell anyone but this is not yet for public knowledge. So, when he becomes King, I become Crowned Princess. As I am over 25 years old and not married, my father will be forced to arrange someone of his choice to marry me, per our law. He and my grandmother have been stalling this for as long as possible so I could find myself. To find my soul mate as my father had found my mother. So yes, I should be searching for a husband of my choice. But I wanted to go where God was leading me. I believe he led me here to Port Elizabeth. I believe he led me to the beach. Led me to you."
She wiped her face again. "Max, you have no idea, but I believe you are meant to be the one. I don't care about the fact you are poor, don't own a house, or that you have a daughter. Oh, I saw photos of her on your Instagram page, and she is a sweety. I don't care. If it is meant to be by God's will and my country refuses to agree to it, then I will abdicate, and my sister will become Crown Princess. At least she has 9 years to find her soul mate before she is forced into marriage. Please, don't push me away. When I saw Juan pull his gun out at you, I charged out of the car and ran to try to stop him. When he shot you, I thought, no, it felt like a piece of me was torn apart. I never felt like this in my whole life, ever!"
Tears were streaming down her eyes as she told him this. "I thought for a second you had died, I had lost you. I felt like a part of me died too. I couldn't control it. But when that guy shocked you back to life my heart came alive again."
Max takes her hand and pulls her closer, looking into her eyes deeply, he says: "Then, if it is God's will, then I will gratefully accept this blessing of you being given to me. Off us getting to know each other. I will not push you away. While I am in shock, I am greedy to say I don't want YOU to leave. I want YOU, not the Princess, but YOU, my Golden Hair Angel. so please know, I am not wanting you for your money, title or fame. Did you know I am a semi-royal follower and never heard of you?"
She giggles. "Let's take it one day at a time, ok?"
"Well just as well as time is up for visitors, and time for Max to take his meds after a meal," spoke the Sister at the door.
In surprise both Max and Carolyn look at the door.
"How much did you hear?" asks Max.
"Only the part you said something about one day at a time – I swear, I didn't come to listen. And you can check with these two big hunky guys here at the door," she winks.
"Please can I stay? I can help feed him, please Sister?" begs Carolyn.
"I don't see why not" says the Doctor walking in at that moment. "As long as Max relaxes and rests, I have no issues to bend the rules. If that is alright with you, Sister."
Both Max and Carolyn 'puppy eyes' the Sister. Sister looks at the Doctor only to discover he was also giving her a terrible impression of 'puppy eyes' while trying to suppress his grin.
"Oh all right. And Doctor, you are terrible with those Puppy Eyes" she laughs.
"No wonder why my wife never makes my favourite spaghetti when I beg," and he laughs.
Max and Carolyn suddenly burst out laughing after trying to hold it back when they hear one of the guards snort to keep from laughing outside the door. And the tension was broken, as they would say.
"Ok. Enough of that or everyone is out," Sister tries to look sternly at everyone but fails. "If I am not happy with the patient's progress, I will chase you out. Understood!" She aims at Carolyn.
"Yes, ma'am," Carolyn replies smiling. Max snorted to not laugh. If only she knew.
"On a different matter," continues the Sister. "Max your phone battery is dead so I have put it on charge, later I will bring it to you, okay"
"Thank you, Sister," replied Max.
"Your meal will be here shortly. I want you to try to eat something. And then afterwards a nurse will bring your next meds. Then I want you to rest. Which means you, miss, will have to leave. You can come back this afternoon during visiting hours."
"Yes Sister," the two replied with grins.
"Well, I am glad to see you are already on the mend. I will see you tomorrow, I was just stopping in as I forgot to write all your meds and notes in. Till tomorrow, cheers," the doctor says as he exits the room and is followed by the Sister.
Max and Carolyn burst out laughing for a bit and then calm down in fear of eviction. Only to sit and stare at each other.
A few minutes later, an orderly brought in a meal with two cups of coffee and left, closing the door.
"Let's see what they decided to give you. I heard some hospital foods are more toxic than what you can get off the street," Carolyn jokes, lifting the metal dome covering the plate.
At the first smell, Max chokes on a bit of vomit and quickly tries to push away the bed tray, and cover his nose.
Carolyn, in alarm drops the dome to grab the tray and looks at Max, only to look back at the food and then the smell register in her brain and shock her to jump back.
"Oh my God. That smells terrible! Worse than fish gone bad!" She exclaims.
She quickly grabs the dome which was on the bed where it had landed on Max hip area. In the process of trying to grab it as fast as possible, she pushed it down onto the bed, unaware of the bad part and caused a wave of pain through Max, which he had to bite his lip to not cry out loud while groaning in pain.
Realising what she did, she carefully lifted the dome this time and covered the rank plate. She took it to the other side of the room, then returned to Max with sorrow tears in her eyes.
"I - I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," she pleaded but Max stopped her by shaking his head.
"It is not your fault. These accidents happen," he said, while taking deep breaths in and out to ease the pain.
Two so minutes later, Max said.: "There is no way I will eat that slob. Geez. I rather eat bread than that. I suppose the coffee too is bad. Maybe it's better to stick to water."
Carolyn slowly takes one of the coffee cups and sniffs it after lifting the lid. She ponders for a second then samples it.
"Not espresso or filtered coffee. Needs more flavouring and sugar. But it definitely is better than that poison. You can try. I am used to filter or expresso. Not this instant stuff, sorry."
Max takes the cup. Carolyn puts a straw into it and helps him to sip a bit. "Hmm. Not bad. Not my brand of coffee too, but it is better than that! I wonder if there is a café in this hospital. Is my wallet in the cabinet drawer?"
Carolyn: "what you need, I will pay for it. Chips, sweets, sandwiches?" She turns to the hospital metal cabinet on wheels and pulls out the drawer and opens the door of the bottom section.
Max: "I can't expect you to pay for everything."
"Well, you will have to as there is nothing here except your shoes and socks, no clothes."
She looks at him sheepishly. "Are you naked?" with a grin.
"Umm, wouldn't you like to know. I suppose I am under this pathetic piece of material. I guess I am naked except where the bandages and plasters are. Umm can you call the nurse for me please."
"Why, what is wrong? You are okay. Did I do…"
"Oi! I am fine. No you didn't do anything wrong. I just need some help, which I am a bit embarrassed to ask you to help me with at the moment" Max cheeks redden.
Carolyn looks at Max, then her eyes widen. "Oh!"
She stumbles off the chair for the door, swings it open so fast that the two guys on the other side swung around in alarm, reaching for their hidden gun under their jackets, when they saw no danger and relented. They looked at the princess with questioning eyes but she ignored them for a second, looking up and down the passage. Frustrating huff emits and she turns to one of the guys, telling him to please find a nurse to come assist Max.
Without waiting, she walks back into the room and stands by the window crossing her arms and keeping a distance from Max.
This whole time Max watched this and eventually couldn't hold the grin on his face as he watched her grow pink in the face from embarrassment, huddling by the window.
"Hey, you okay? I just needed help to relieve my bladder, not clean my bum," he teases with a snigger.
She glares at him for a second then bursts out laughing in realisation on how she must look and act. She slowly went back to him and was almost at the bed when the door burst open and in stormed the Sister and nurse with a rush.
"What happened! What did you do? Max, are you okay?" Sister asks in a rush, while the nurse busies herself with checking the IV lines after practically pushing Carolyn out the way to check his vitals.
"Calm down, we are fine," Max says, with a smile. "I just need help with relieving my bladder and couldn't ask Carolyn to do this."
Sister sighed very deeply, and narrowed her eyes on Max for a moment. Carolyn relaxes. Then the sister pointily looks at Carolyn and says. "That fool made it sound like a life and death situation. My poor heart stopped for a second."
She breathed. "Let's check your catheter bag," Sister lifts the covers on Max's left side to reveal most of his left leg, thigh and stomach. Carolyn could see the transparent bandages, zig zag lines of stitches from the operation to fix his pelvis, and saw a yellow pipe coming from his centre area which was still hidden by the covers going over the hip area and down to the ground.
Sister bent down and picked up the urine bag which was actually filled to its max. Carolyn felt she should turn around and give him more privacy but at the same time wanted to know more, and see all the damages her bodyguard did to him.
The sister quickly turned off the shut off value, detached the bag then gave it to the nurse. The nurse silently handed over a new one to her. With it reattached and the valve re-opened, it was working again. Carolyn could see fluids flowing into the bag at a rather rapid pace. Sister rehung the bag on the side of the bed and quickly lifted the covers, to covertly inspect below without revealing all to Carolyn. She nodded, happy, and recovered him.
"Next time, please just press the bell button there" she pointed to it. "And we will come calmly. But if you press if more than 5 times in a row, then you will have a whole lot of us in here."
With a smile she turned to leave with the nurse when she noticed the food in the corner of the roof.
Stopping, she turned around and asked: "Why is the food there?"
"Sister, I am sorry, but for some unknown reason as soon as Carolyn lifted the cover the smell made me want to vomit, I feared it could be the meds or something. I chose to rather stick to water and sipped a bit of coffee. Carolyn was going to send one of the goons, oops, I mean guards, to go buy some apples and oranges if they have, so I can eat them in small bits. I am terribly sorry" Max proclaimed.
The sister frowned, turned and lifted the lid and sniffed. Then slammed the dome down so hard it clanged loudly in the room, causing one of the guards to swing around again in fear of danger.
"That is off! What on earth is this garsley stuff, URG!" and she quickly grabs it and storms out the rooms holding the food at arms left like something dead in it.
Max and Carolyn burst out laughing at this episode. One of the guards at the door waits for a nod from Carolyn, then closes the door.