Kelly had the pleasure of meeting with Danny’s sister, Janice, the following evening again.
His sister’s arrival had certainly seem to brighten Danny up, and Kelly soon discovered that Janice also had Danny’s amiable nature, which made her easy to talk to.
They even had a chance for a small private chat, when they had to wait outside in the corridor, while the nurses drew the curtains around Danny, so they to attend his leg.
“It good you were able to come over to be with him,” Kelly said, “I think seeing you has lifted his spirits again, I think hearing you talking about back home and everything, is also helping him to want to recover quicker now, so he can be on his feet again and join you, and the rest of his family and friends”
“I am just happy that he is going to be alright,” Janice replied, “Since he has been stationed here, this was what I was scared of happening, or even worse, that he would be coming back in a coffin,” she admitted a little shakily, “To be honest I am glad when he told me he had decided to leave the army, and was coming home”
“Yeah, I think can understand that,” Kelly nodded
“I hate leaving him again, but I have to go back for tomorrow morning, as I have to get back to work,” Janice then explained, “But I am glad I came now, just to put my mind at rest, and at least I know in a couple of weeks he will be home for good”
“True, it won’t be long until you will have him back with you again,” Kelly forced herself to smile cheerfully, knowing Janice’s gain was going to be her loss. But she didn’t want to dwell on that now, she was just happy that Danny was going to get better.
“I am so glad I got the chance to meet you too,” Janice told her, “It makes it easier for me, going back, and knowing that Danny has someone here who cares about him, apart from his army mates that is. I have to say Danny seems very fond of you as well, in fact I have never known him to talk so much a about a girl before.” Janice then revealed
“Oh, it’s probably just because he hasn’t really anything, or anyone else to talk about,” Kelly laughed, deciding to make light of it.
“Actually, I think it might be just a bit more than that, so don‘t underestimate the affect you have on him,“ Janice advised, with a small speculative smile.
Kelly wasn’t sure what she should make of this, or how she should say.
But she was saved from making any reply, as the conversation was brought to a halt as the door opened and one of the nurses popped her head around, to tell them they could come in again and see him, because they were finished.
****************************************
Janice was a little tearful when she had to say goodbye to Danny, before returning to England the following day.
But he reassured her he would keep in touch by phone, to let her know how he was progressing, and when he would be fit to finally leave and be able to come home.
So the next few weeks, he focused all his attention on getting back on his feet again.
Kelly came to visit him every day, and was pleased he was making good progress. Though there were still days he felt down or in pain. But she would chat with him cheerfully, telling him funny incidents that might have happened in work, or about Billy and Chrissie’s latest argument, which had them falling out and making up again in the same day, managing to make him smile again
“I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you around,” he confessed quietly one day when she was sitting with him, “I think I would go crazy in here”
“It won’t be long till you are finally out of this place, look at you now. up and about and able to walk with a crutch.” Kelly reminded him.
“Yeah,” Danny nodded, looking thoughtful, “Speaking of which, I want to take a little stroll around the hospital grounds right now, I think the fresh air will do me good.
“Sure, if you think you will be ok,” Kelly replied a little anxiously.
“Of course I will be ok, you will be with me,” he smiled.
Kelly felt the familiar little jolt of attraction, as she met his hazel eyes, but decided this was not the time to act on it.
“Okay well lets get your dressing gown on, we don’t want you catching a cold or anything, especially when you are doing so well” she told him briskly, picking up his dressing gown that was lying across the bed, and proceeded to help him into it.
Thankfully they were on the ground floor so it was just a matter of traversing through a few corridors before they got the entrance, and outside onto the hospital grounds.
“Ahh! that’s better,” Danny remarked in satisfaction, taking in a deep breath of the open air around him, making Kelly smile.
“There is a bench around the other side of the building, I guess we could just take a stroll as far as that, then it means you can sit down if it is too much for you.” she suggested.
“Sounds like a plan,” Danny agreed happily, then hobbled along, leaning heavily on his crutch, whilst Kelly walked next to him, making sure he was okay and could manage offering her arm in case he needed to lean on her as well.
“You are doing really well,” she told him encouragingly, as they reach the corner of the building, and now turned down the path towards the bench a few yards away.
“Yeah I am,” Danny agreed, then before Kelly realised his intentions, he swiftly scooped his free arm around her waist, and pulled her towards the little nearby niche in the wall of the hospital building, and somehow getting her up against it, his body pressing up against hers
“Danny what-” she started to protest, but then was silenced as his lips now locked onto hers, and he kissed her hungrily.
Getting over shock of his actions, she found herself happily kissed him back, her arms sliding around his neck, now clinging to him, recalling how much she yearned for him to hold her like this again and how she had missed it.
It had been a while from they had actually been this close, not since before they had fallen out.
Even when they had made up after that, with Danny’s injuries and hospitalisation, they had only held hands, and kissed briefly on the lips, or on the cheek.
But now they were making up for that lost time, but then Danny pulled away from her a little, and let out a small satisfied sigh, “Mm, you don’t know how much I have been wanting to do that for a while now” he told her huskily,
"I would have done it sooner, only with those damned nurses and visitors popping in and out of my room all the tim,e I couldn't get the chance until now, and I finally figured out a way to get you all to myself, you don't know how good it feels to be able to kiss you properly at last"
“Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea,” Kelly replied unsteadily with a small smile
Danny chuckled softly, “I missed you so much Kelly,” he then said proceeding to place small urgent kisses over her face on her forehead and closed eyelids, the tip of her nose and cheeks, before he found her mouth again
She let her body press against his even more, drinking in the thrilling little sensations his nearness was sending through her body in delicious waves.
“I don’t ever want to let you go again,” he then said against her mouth, “Marry me Kelly,” he pleaded softly
She was so wrapped up in the hazy heat of desire he was creating within her, it took a few moment for his words to sink into her brain and then for it to registered the implications of them
She pulled away, looking up at him, wondering if she had heard in correctly
He seemed deadly serious as he looked back at her, “I mean it,” he then said earnestly, as if reading her mind, “After what happened to me its made me realise, you need to grab the chance when you can, or you might never get that chance again. And I have been lucky to get this second chance Kelly, so I intend to make the most of it,“ he pulled her closer to him and kissed her again, as if to confirm this.
“I love you Kelly. I have known it for a while now, and the idea of going back to England without you is something I don’t want even think about anymore. I want you in my life, I need you in my life”
Kelly found herself swallowing hard, still reeling from the shock, and trying to get her head around it.
“A-Are you sure Danny? I mean I can understand after what happened with the explosion and everything, you have been traumatised, and you might not be thinking straight right now-” she then pointed out weakly
Danny smiled at her reasoning as if he half expected her to say something like this.
But then he shook his head, “No Kelly. Even before it happened, when you were out of my life, for that short time, and I thought I had already lost you for good. That was when I realised it . And that was why I wrote the letter,” he then explained, “Its just now, I am more determined that I am not going to let you simply disappear out of my life again. Having you with me these past few weeks has only confirmed what I already knew,” he confessed
He now reached up with his hand to stroke her cheek, his hazel eyes eagerly scouring her face with a certain intensity, “I am just hoping you feel the same way, and that you want to be with me as well”
Kelly stared back at him still a little stunned, whilst trying to gage her own feelings and emotions at this latest revelation
She had been so practiced in trying to hide her real feeling for Danny over these last few months, it was difficult to admit how deep they ran, now she had the opportunity.
She hadn’t dared herself to believe that he could be part of her life longer than a few months, but now he was asking her to marry him. It seemed unbelievable.
She had not wanted to admit how good they were together, as if it was meant to be.
But she realised what she thought had been love with her ex Johnny, it now suddenly seemed like a silly infatuation, compared to the depth of her feelings for Danny, and the way he made her feel right now.
The thought of spending her life with him was very appealing.
If he went back to England without her, she had kept telling herself she would eventually get over it through time, and maybe meet someone else.
But now looking into his face, and basking in the love and warmth he had for her, reflecting in his eyes, she knew she didn’t want anyone else.
She felt so right with him. And she didn’t want to lose him. To know he felt the same way was more than she had ever hoped for.
Overwhelmed by this realisation, the tears started to well up in her eyes, “ I think I do love you Danny, in fact I know it” she then blurted out, “I tried to stop it happening, but I couldn’t, then I was in denial because I was scared., and I didn’t think we had a future together”
He smiled happily, and squeezed her closer to him again, and she buried her face into his shoulder, drawing strength from him for this momentous occasion
“We can have a future together.” he then told her with conviction, “all you have to do is say yes. Let me take you away from this hellhole of a country, with its stupid politics and prejudices, and show you there is a better way of life where there is no divides because of what religion you are. and I will take good care of you, I promise”
“Kelly now pulled away to look up at him, her eyes still filled with tears, but now she had tremor of a smile on her lips, “When you put it like that, how can I refuse?” she replied
Taking her reply to mean she was saying yes, he then proceeded to joyfully respond by claiming her mouth again, in a triumphant kiss.