There Is More Light Than Dark

Chapter Ninety Seven

Thursday August 25

'So, you going straight home or to rehab?' Dean McCoy smiled as wide as he had done for a long time as he stood at the door of Harper Lewis' room. He leaned against the cold jamb and let his head cool down. Five laps of the ward and then two flights of stairs on the crutches were enough to cook him for now and the three coffees he'd had already didn't help.

She looked up from the magazine she was reading and smiled back. She looked at the brace on his leg and nodded.

'Impressive! How many laps have you done so far, hot shot?'

'Lost count. But they tell me it's a record.'

'Oh I bet they do! They'd tell you anything just to hurry the hell up your leaving here!'

McCoy laiughed and shuffled awkwardly on his crutches.

'Lewis, there's someone I'd like you to meet. My wife, Chloe and my... daughter, Rose.'

They appeared at the doorway, Rose carrying her bunny and Chloe sipping on a coffee. She wore tight jeans and a t-shirt, and her reddy-brown hair was curly and mussed up, like she'd just got out of bed. Lewis instantly felt like she was someone she would get along with.

'Hello, guys! I have heard so much about you two - it's like we've been friends for months already!'

Chloe smiled and walked over to shake her hand. Harper slid to the edge of the bed, wincing as her thigh started to take some pressure from her foot reaching the ground, and stood carefully. As Chloe got close she dropped her hand and saw Harper Lewis limping over to hug her. They held each other for longer than McCoy felt comfortable with but as they broke he saw they were both crying. Chloe sobbed heavily and hugged her again.

'Harper, I just want to thank you for... everything.'

Lewis let the tears fall and felt her own t shirt becoming wet and warm as Chloe's headwas buried in her shoulder. She gently stepped back and looked at Chloe like she might have looked at her own mother in another life.

'You don't have to thank me for anything, Chloe. You've got one hell of a human being there with you, I can tell you that.'

Chloe caught herself and wiped her eyes, looking up at Harper who sat back against the edge of the bed smiling and crying still.

'Well, I can tell you that he is better for having you next to him, Detective!' They hugged again before McCoy spoke up, his own voice a little croaky.

'Righto, show time's over. It's like a positive vibe Dr. Phil thing going on here, don't you reckon Rosie girl?'

'Who is Dr. Phil? Is he the man who sewed up all of your legs?'

They all laughed.

'No, honey. He's just some silly Doctor who tells people how to run their lives better on TV.'

'Run their loves better? What do you mean, mummy? How could you run your life better?'

'You know sweety, I don't think we could.'

Chloe and Rose walked out a few minutes later to run the rest of their errands before they returned to pick McCoy up on discharge later that morning.

He walked with Lewis, each limping in their brace, to the tearoom down the hallway and made them both a coffee. The room was small and sterile and smelled strongly of the pungent disinfectant and harsh linen wash hospitals used. The coffee was tolerable.

'So, what are you gonna do now, Detective?' Lewis looked at him across the cafeteria style table and watched him as he pondered, searching the coffee cup for how to put it.