Coraline Murphy

33.

Previously...  1918, 3 days after Sol and Coraline returned from France...

On her way to the kitchen, Maria could hear Dr Goldmann speaking with her boss.

"You really think she'll be okay?" Sol was asking the doctor.

"Only time will tell," the doctor replied. "Sometimes with such traumatic head injuries, the fits can become recurring. If that is the case, there is medication we can try, but it can also become something that Miss Coraline would have to learn to live with. But if you keep her calm and rested, she'll have the best chance of recovery."

"Calm and rested? Coraline Murphy" Sol scoffed. "May God help me."

The doctor chuckled kindly. "And may he bless you also. Yom tov, my friend."

Sol thanked the doctor, and Maria watched as her boss walked straight back to Coraline's room.

----------------------

Later that afternoon...

Sol stood in the doorway to Coraline's bedroom, watching as Maria fussed over the young woman lying in the bed. The kindly housekeeper had put a cold compress on Coraline's head, who was very grateful for the relief it was bringing to her splitting headache. 

"Now then, dear," Maria perched on a chair beside Coraline's bed. "I'm going to go and make us some lunch soon. Is there anything you fancy in particular?" 

Coraline smiled tiredly at the older woman. "Anything, Maria. I'm very grateful to you." 

"Nonsense," Maria stood up, blushing slightly as she brushed down her apron. "Shall I go and fetch your Sol for your?"

This time it was Coraline's turn to blush, and before Maria could embarrass her further, Sol stepped into the room, shooing Maria from the space and smiling wryly at her chuckles. How many times did he need to convince the woman that his relationship with Coraline was platonic - that of a pair of siblings... 

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" He asked gently. 

"Much better thanks, Sol. I'm sorry for all of this - it's so embarrassing."

"Nothing to be sorry about," he said gruffly. "As long as yer alright, that's the main thing, innit?"

"You... you won't tell them about this when we go back in a few weeks, will you?" She looked at him, her eyes vulnerable and pleading.

"Coraline..."

"Please, Sol. They'll send me back to my father."

"Yes, but..."

"I have a purpose now, Sol. With the troops - I feel like I have a family."

He could see that she was starting to get worked up; starting to panic at the thought of being sent back to her abusive father. 

"What about Jack? Don't you want to see him?" It was a low blow, even for him, but he was anxious to put her off going back to the front lines. 

"Jack and Elaine are well - Elaine has sent me the odd letter telling that now the men are away fighting, my father is so busy with business that he's never home."

"Then why don't you want to go back? You don't expect me to believe that it's because you want to be with the troops?" 

"Fine!" She gave in. "I want to go back because there's the chance, just the tiniest chance but a chance non-the-less that I might see him."

"Your fella?"

Coraline nodded, looking down at her hands which were on her lap, her cheeks reddening. "I know it's stupid, Sol, but I don't know what else to do. I can't write to him because I don't know what regiment he's with, and even if I did, I don't have a penny to my name to even pay for a stamp."

Sol sighed heavily, but let her continue.

"If I go back to Elaine and Jack, I'll be sitting around every day, wondering whether my Tommy is still alive. At least this way, if he is, I might just find him, and if he's not, hopefully I'll die out there too." She was breathing heavily now, trying to stave off the panic and tears that threatened to overwhelm her.

He didn't know what to say to that. The logic was beyond flawed, but who was he to comment on the madness of love?

When she looked back up to meet his gaze, he was surprised to see blood starting to drip from her nose, and he leapt to his feet to grab a handkerchief. "Fuck, Coraline," he muttered, as he pushed her so she was leaning forwards, hoping that might slow the flow of blood. "Pinch your nose, yeah like that." 

He sat with her for the next thirty minutes, periodically getting her to move the cloth from her face to check whether the bleeding was at the very least slowing, if not stopped. When he was satisfied that she'd stopped bleeding, he sat back in the chair, letting out a sigh of relief. 

"Sir?" Maria appeared at the door, a tray of food in her hands and look of dismay on her face. "Goodness, Miss Coraline - what's happened?"

"Nosebleed," Coraline shrugged, looking worn out. 

"I'm going to call the Doctor again," Sol got to his feet. "Will you stay with her, please Maria?" 

"Of course," the housekeeper nodded, scurrying over to Coraline and gently feeling her forehead with the back of her hand. "Poor lamb," she was muttering, and she helped the young woman take a sip of water. 

----------------------

"Yeh, that's right. The doctors at the hospital over there said the X-Rays came back clear - nothing broken." Sol was on the phone to Dr Goldmann, who was patiently listening to Sol's explanations of what had happened. 

"Well that's a good thing, my friend," the doctor tried to ease Sol's worries. "The first thing that would come to mind would be skull fracture, but as you say, that's ruled out. Keep an eye on her, and call me again immediately should she have another nosebleed."

Sol thanked the doctor and went to check on Coraline, who by now was resting, her eyes closed so that she looked peaceful as she slept.

"She'll be alright, Sir." Maria spoke softly to him from where she was sitting in the room. "I'll leave you with her?"

He nodded, taking the seat that Maria had just vacated. He hoped she was right.