Melody watched as Adams mood quickly changed. He went from slow and sulky to happy and bursting with life in a matter of seconds. He practically dragged her down each isle, throwing allsorts of stuff into the trolley. Stuff that she was sure they didn’t need.
She paid for their shopping and Adam raced it through the car park to their car. “Slow down.” Called Melody behind him. “What's the rush?”
“Nothing, I just want to get home. I hate shopping.
She laughed at him. “I never would have guessed.”
They pulled up outside Adams old block. Adam ran up to his flat with the tiniest hope that Morgan would be there, angry and ready to scream at him that he wasn’t home. He stood outside the door hesitating. At least while he hoped he could imagine it was true and that she would be inside waiting for him, mad that he had stayed away for the night.
He forced him self to unlock the door, the darkness spilled out into the hall. She hadn’t come back, his mail sat on the floor untouched. She hadn’t been back at all. He walked back down the stairs, his head low, and the mail still in the flat.
“No mail?” asked Melody sarcastically.
“No, no mail.” He said sadly.
“She’s gone Adam, for god sake give it up and get on with your life, with our life.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you two never got on, but it’s not like her and you need to accept her as part of my life.”
“But she isn’t part of your life is she.” Spat Melody. “She took her self out of your life.” She said as she forced the car into first gear and sped off driving with her temper.
Adam got out of the car as soon as they pulled up. He didn’t bother to wait for Melody as he stormed up to their flat. Melody watched him race up the stairs his expression set in a grimace. ‘I’ll win this’ she promised her self.’
She walked in behind him and threw her bags onto the sofa. “Is this what its going to be like?” she shouted. “You always thinking of her, but here with me? I mean its not like you have ever been involved that way is it?”
Adam didn’t answer her, he stood grinding his teeth determined not to shout back.
“Answer me Adam.”
The doctor hadn’t been happy to let Morgan go home, but she had insisted that if he didn’t she would just discharge her self. She had spent a month in intensive care and a couple of weeks recovering on the ward. All she wanted to do was go home and see Adam.
“Now I hope you will take better care of yourself.” Said the nurse. “Hypothermia is a serious illness. You were very lucky that, that guy had left something at work or you would have been dead when he found you in the morning.
Morgan looked down not wanting to answer. So what if she died. Who would care? Her parents wouldn’t know and Adam probably wouldn’t even notice. He hadn’t bothered to see her she had discovered after asking the nurse, so why would he care if she died?
The nurse handed her a bag containing her old clothes reluctantly. Morgan’s clothes had been dirty and torn, the hospital staff refused to let her leave wearing them, and instead they had arranged for one of the hospital volunteers to collect some clothing for her from the Salvation Army. Morgan had only agreed in hope it would get her home quicker.
She stood fidgeting with her carrier bag that contained her old clothes, really they should have gone straight into the dustbin, but Morgan owned little clothes and didn’t want to let them go.
"Take these four times a day" said the nurse as she handed Morgan a course of antibiotics.
Morgan took the bottle, but said nothing.
The nurse handed her a card, Morgan looked at it first before grabbing it at the corner as if it would bite her.
“This is the number of the GP here, if you have any problems or feel I’ll then please call.”
“I will.” She said giving an empty promise.
***
Morgan slowly walked up the stairs to their flat. On one hand she was looking forward to seeing Adam, but on the other she was ready to shout at him for not visiting her. She had been in the hospital for over a month and not received one call or card.
The flat was cold when she opened the door. Cold and dark. The windows were white from the snow that had fallen the night before and undisturbed.
Morgan flicked on the light switch and looked around; she could see her own breath floating out like a ghost of air.
"Adam?" she called, but all she got back was the faint echo of her own voice.
She dropped her carrier bag by the door and shut it behind her. Her stomach felt as cold as the flat as she walked from room to room looking for Adam. She hesitated outside his door, the only room she hadn’t checked. She knew he wouldn’t be in there, the signs around the flat gave a clear indication that he hadn’t been home for at least a week.
Morgan eased the door open. Light from the hallway rushed in. The room was empty, all except the made bed. The pit of stomach went cold as she took in what she saw. He had to be here? He just had to. She ran over to the wardrobe and flung open the doors, the emptiness greeted her, making her choke back a sob. She reached her arm out and touched the cold wood at the back, hoping in some way that it was just an illusion.
She slumped down on his bed, burying her face in hands, she let the tears fall. All this time and he hadn’t come to see she had hoped it was just work or something else, when in fact he hadn’t even been home to notice she was missing. Did he feel anything for her? Had he been worried in the slightest?
