Matthew's POV
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I have a bit of a history with nurses and it is not something I wish to relive at any point in my life. Even being branded a hero by almost all of the them as they see to my shoulder and back pain. Resting my head back in the white pillow I close my eyes briefly, Ross' mom has paid off my healthcare this time around which is a relief. At least I will not be footing a huge extortionate bill upon my leave.
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The joy of being in hospital away from pretty much all of my friends is that I can actually rest rather than having Rachel waltz into the room and pretend to care about my wellbeing. Taylor has been on my mind particularly as I have had nothing else to occupy myself with, it's never easy to block images of her out of my mind let alone when I have no plans or distractions.
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I have played down all of my injuries; from the pain in my shoulder to the fractured knee. Ross has gone along with it and Jay too, because Taylor would be over here like an absolute shot should she find out that I have a leg in a cast. Plus I'll be able to walk again in no time. My aim is to get myself discharged imminently, the nurses will not deny my green eyes. The doctors however may advise otherwise but I do not intend on spending more of Ross' mom's money.
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Every time my eyes close unfortunately there's just this cloud of smoke that clears. A black billowing cloud that eventually lifts and I'm there in that one moment racing through stone blocks for an outstretched hand, intent of pulling the person free from under a few concrete slabs. The building walls falling around me, light from the sun shredding through the holes in the walls. The gurgling sound of the pipes falling to the floor. A scream, high pitched and full of terror. It was perhaps one risk to far, a sign that my luck had been running out. The first time that I had thought of running away, of fleeing the walls that were caving in around me. The heat from the fires spreading above me, flames licking at the ceilings. Threatening to burn me alive.
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The hand that I reached too late, the rocking of the ground as first responders called out. The concrete slab that fell on my thigh, trapping me and pinning me. The hand next to me now lifeless as the female that had been trapped breathed her last breath and I felt my leg squish into the rubble. The belief that I was going to die taking hold as I thought of Taylor. As I said goodbye to her for a final time in my mind.
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Except every time that I open my eyes, the smoke clears and I'm no longer trapped. I remember the excruciating pain as I limped through the rubble and the dust, propped up on the arms of a paramedic. My leg pulling behind me allowing me to fear the loss of my ability to walk. However as I twitch my toes now I'm sure that I will be fine.
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"Morning" Ross says swinging through the private suite doors and disrupting the quiet.
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"Morning" I mumble propping myself up on the pillow and awaiting news from the doctors. It's important that I get out of hospital, it's been almost a week. Taylor will be flying home soon and that is on my mind.
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"News is all over your photographs" he quips and I smile slightly. I had taken a few shots, inside of the collapse of the building itself rather than of any of the victims which seemed somewhat unethical.
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"Front page, the Wall Street journal" he laughs placing a newspaper on the bed which I stare at in disbelief.
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"You're about to get a rise" he laughs as I look over the image I took inside of the towers.
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"What a mess it all was" I say sadly as he watches me. He takes a seat in one of the leather armchairs, smiles softly and looks down at his phone.
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"I can cheer you up" he declares pulling his phone out and scrolling.
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"Here" he says softly handing me the phone.
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"TayTay?" I laugh and he shakes his head laughing.
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"Yes Taylor is named as TayTay on my phone, but read the message" he laughs slightly.
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Henry and I are on route back to Italy tomorrow. Hope the book meeting went well. Missing you both. Tay x
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"So she's travelling now right?" I ask and he smiles.
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"Also doc says you're free to go" he smirks and I sigh shaking my head slightly.
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"See I told you" he smiles looking at the grin on my face.
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"Now get your ass out of the bed, I have tickets booked for our flights." He smiles an easy open grin that tells me he is just as excited about seeing Taylor again as I am. I swing my legs over the bed bracing myself for the sheer pain which inevitably takes hold of me.
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"I remember the thigh pain, it's a bitch" he laughs.
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"Want me to wheel you out" he quips, happy to be the one that is well rather than the injured party.
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"Not been too long since I've been out of hospital remember" he sighs and I laugh as he offers to tie up my shoe lace and I shoo him away making a meal out of the tie myself.
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"No I'll walk with the horrible leg boot" I laugh as he grasps my hold-all bag and swings it over his shoulder and we head over to the door. Ross ushers me over to the reception to check out of the hospital suite, he's accustomed to the whole process of being in hospital by now. Having been admitted a few times himself for various accidents.
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As Ross deals with the nurse, his hands rested on the side casually as she gazes into his blue eyes helplessly, I shrink behind him pushing my brunette locks back and checking that I have all of my belongings.
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"She liked you man" I laugh as we finally leave the hospital through the double doors.
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"She looked like Rachel!" He laughs and I shake my head as he unlocks the door to a hire car, a navy blue Mercedes.
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"Bags are all in the back" he explains as I twist to look in the rear of the car and yelp from the pain in my shoulder.
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"Easy man" he sighs as I look down at my phone and check through my emails from the company.
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"You need to rest up in Italy" he sighs as I imagine lying on a lounger in the sunshine with Taylor next to me. The way her hair flows over her shoulders and the curve of her back supporting her baby bump. My phone buzzes through a call from Paul, my associate in London and I hold it to my ear.
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"Matthew, how are you holding up man?" He asks casually and I smile telling him that I am fine and out of hospital.
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"Jesus man on a side note the images you captured, are pretty much gold dust. It's important to me and everybody else that you know how much of a big deal this is" he says earnestly.
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"We're talking Wall Street journal" he sighs laughing and I nod along.
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"So you'll be happy to know that the royalties are pretty good, think of it as a very good bonus in your bank account." He says easily.
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"Thank-you" I say softly nodding to Ross who only smirks mouthing the words I told you so.
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"Take some time off man. That's a lot of trauma, mentally and physically" he says and I smile slightly.
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"What did I say Matthew, I knew I saw something in you” he says before I thank him and end the call not wishing to further discuss the money I’m making over an attack that was so full of tragedy and misery. It feels somewhat hypocritical to earn so much money, especially when my intentions were to merely help during the distress.
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"I'm guessing they're happy" Ross smiles indicating into the parking at the airport and finding a suitable bay. He pulls out his phone and arranges for the hire car to be collected as I look over at him and wonder why he had pleaded with me that day to leave the scene of the attack so vehemently.
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“That day, when it all happened… did you think that I would really” I begin as we step out of the car having a last smoke on American soil before we head into JFK.
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“We didn’t know that those planes were the only attack, we had no way of gauging whether there would be another attack or a bomb” he says pulling on his cigarette before looking at me.
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“Man I’m sorry to put you through that” I say softly shaking my head and putting my hands in my hair. Finally reading Taylor’s message about how she will be in Italy tomorrow and smiling to myself as the car gets picked up and Ross hands the keys over.
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"Here I'm paying your mom back for my hospital fees. They're that happy with me" I laugh as we’re walking through the terminal. Ross shakes his head, pushing back his blonde hair and laughing.
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"She was happy to pay Matthew" he explains as I check my balance on my account and sigh unbelieving.
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"I'll pay her and I'll get us some nice food and a few beers on the plane" I tell him before we leave New York behind, the stars and the stripes hanging above us in the terminal. We cruise through the walkway, Ross encumbered with the bags and my slow ascent through the terminal due to my injuries. A slight tension emanates from the passengers due to the recent attack that is still fresh in peoples minds. It’s in the way people are looking around, gazing at one another. Suspecting one another and passing judgement; it seems the America we once knew will take its time to heal from the attack.
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We pass a group of older people eyeing everybody that walks past them, worry and concern on their faces as they inspect people around them for potential threats. I watch them standing by a gift shop as I gaze into the store windows seeing the plush teddy bears and music boxes. Smiling to myself I pull Ross to a stop and look pointedly at the large fluffy teddy bear in the window.
“That’s one expensive teddy bear” Ross laughs as we walk over to the window and I eye up the three hundred dollar price tag and the plush golden brown fur of the soft toy.
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“It’s for Henry” I smirk walking past him and his shocked expression as I traipse through the doors in my hospital boot and head straight for the counter.
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The manager eyes me carefully when I ask to purchase the bear, most likely he assumes me either unable to afford such a frivolous and luxurious purchase or just plain mad to spend that amount of money on a soft toy. He pushes his cropped grey hair back and ushers the store clerk to retrieve the bear from the window.
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The clerk, a young woman, wraps the bear in silk sheets first followed by tissue paper. Before placing him in a golden box wrapped with a red ribbon. I smile looking down at the gift and decide that Henry will love this bear as I pay confidently and turn to Ross who only looks at me bemused.
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“So we’ve gone from saving lives to purchasing teddy bears.” He laughs as I smirk at him.
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“He will love it and I will be the best darn godparent there is” I laugh as we stride through the shop.
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“I suppose so. I need to up my game!” He laughs easily and I smile as we head over to drop our bags off before our flight to Italy. I realise as I cross the concourse that the concept of home has changed for me. America is a place I always considered to be my home yet now as I leave for Italy, a place I barely know, I register how the knowledge that Taylor will be there makes me feel more at home than being in a country that has been all I have known for so many years.
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