Signs

Chapter 23

Weeks passed.

They went to their therapy sessions once a week and Camila's physical therapy twice a week. Lauren reluctantly went back to work at Camila's insistence, spending as little time as she had to at the office.

As more time passed with Camila still having no sensation in her legs, she became less and less optimistic. She tried to plaster a smile on her face and fake positivity for Lauren's sake, but slowly but surely, her hope of walking again was dwindling.

Despite her fake positivity, and the progress they made in therapy, things were still hard. They argued when Camila got frustrated at herself and Lauren tried to calm her down. Camila would shout, letting out thirteen years' worth of anger and frustration that she had silently held inside. She still talked with her hands a lot, a habit she hadn't had time to break yet.

Lauren would let her rant, knowing how important it was for Camila to be able to vent out loud. No matter how frustrated she got she would never try and silence Camila, knowing firsthand what it was like to see her struggle with being silent.

Even when they fought though, it didn't last long. They never went to bed angry, and would apologise to each other as they cuddled in bed, reasoning with each other and working through their frustration.

It wasn't all bad though. Lauren's nightmares stopped and she learnt to let go of her guilt, and Camila relaxed more as Lauren took better care of herself and stopped treating her like she was breakable. Therapy had helped them a lot, they were quicker to laugh, and the scars they held inside healed. Camila left the house more often, for things other than therapy and counselling, and they spent more time as a couple.

- --

It was a Thursday and Lauren was at the office.

She'd gone home at lunch time to check on Camila, bringing her a sandwich and some flowers. At this rate, she was surprised the florist had any plumerias left. Sofi was already there, on her own lunch break. They'd all eaten together, chatting about their morning as they sat around Lauren's table. When Lauren left Camila had been fine, parked in front of the TV with a book and her coffee, Sofi sat on the next to Camila, flicking through the channels. Lauren had kissed Camila goodbye, promising to bring home a curry on her way home from work.

Typing away at her keyboard, Lauren was interrupted by her phone vibrating. Camila's name lit up the screen and Lauren smiled as she answered. She loved to be able to hear Camila's voice whilst she was at work; she hadn't had the liberty of this before.

"Hi darling," Lauren said as soon as the call connected.

Her happiness quickly turned to panic as she heard Camila's sobs on the other end. Lauren shot up out of her seat.

"Camz what's wrong?" Lauren panicked, scrambling for her coat and bag.

"I was j-just trying to take a bath," Camila's sobs came through the other end, "I c-can't get up."

Lauren's heart leapt into her throat as she hurried out of her office and straight into the elevator, pushing the button for the ground floor. She could hear Camila's breathing hitch as she cried, sniffing as she tried to keep the tears in.

"I'm on my way, just- just don't panic, I'm coming," Lauren said, her voice quavering as she herself panicked.

Her driver was already waiting outside, Troy having phoned and let him know in the time it had taken Lauren to make it to the ground floor. She threw herself in the back, waving him away as he tried to open her door for her.

Her heart was bounding as she got into the elevator at her place. She ran to the door, her hands shaking as she tried to unlock the door.

"Camz?" she shouted, dumping her bag on the floor unceremoniously as she rushed down the hallway. The bathroom. Camila said she was trying to take a bath.