Splintered Memory by Natascha Holloway

at university. She was eager to find them a perfect marital home, and even though she knew that they only had a very small budget it wasn’t able to dampen her excitement.
    Matt felt guilty that he didn’t have much money to put towards a deposit, but Charlie didn’t care. Harry had already agreed to pay whatever deposit they needed.
    He hated the thought of having to take Harry’s money, but he knew that there was no point in being proud about it. Charlie was Harry’s only child, and she was also his pride and joy. He’d known that Harry wouldn’t have taken kindly to him refusing his help, or in him keeping his daughter in a horrible student flat until he’d earned enough money to be able to buy them somewhere that she deserved.
    Charlie went to see lots of flats and houses, but she couldn’t find anywhere that she thought was right for them. Matt smiled at her refusal to be downcast about this, and he told her that they’d find somewhere eventually. She laughed in response to this, and when he looked at her she said; “we’ll find somewhere?” He smiled back at her guiltily, knowing that he hadn’t been helping.
    Matt was happy where they were if he was honest, and their flat was conveniently close to the hospital which suited him. He was also worried that for Charlie to find somewhere within their budget they’d have to move further away from the hospital. Yet she surprised him a couple of weeks later. He was just leaving the hospital as the sun was rising, and he saw Charlie walking towards him.
    “Bad night ,” she said seeing his expression.
    He nodded , and smiled at the fact that she’d been able to tell this from his face alone. She kissed him and drew him into a hug, and he couldn’t help smiling again at the fact that just her being near him was making him feel better about what had been a truly awful night. He’d lost two patients, and he was feeling despondent and exhausted.
    “I have something to show you ,” she said.
    Matt normally loved her surprises, but he was incredibly tired and he wanted to go home to bed. As he began to say this to her though, she flashed her big brown eyes at him and he smiled. She smiled in return knowing that she’d won, and she took his hand in hers and led him away from the hospital. After a short walk, in which he stifled yawn after yawn, she stopped them both in front of a small house and looked at him expectantly.
    “What ?” He asked a little grumpily, at a loss to fathom out why they were stood where they were when he’d much rather be in bed asleep.
    “Welcome home ,” she said as a smile formed across her beautiful face.
    Matt didn’t say anything, and he instead just stood there staring at her.
    “Well ?” She finally asked after a couple of minutes of silence.
    “It’s so close to the hospital ,” he said to her.
    “ I hadn’t noticed. Oh but that’s handy isn’t it,” Charlie said before laughing lightly.
    Matt laughed too, and then he kissed her.
    Charlie pulled back from h is kiss though and said; “plus everyone will be able to remember our new address really easily.”
    “Why ?” Matt asked looking at Charlie curiously as a smile was once again spreading across her beautiful face.
    ***
    “She’s fighting intubation,” Emily told Matt as he hurtled full pelt towards Charlie’s room.
    Matt had just been about to return to the hospital when Emily had called his mobile. She ’d called him from one of the hospital phones though, and recognising the number he had initially been too afraid to answer the call.
    What if it was bad news he’d thought? What if they’d been ringing to tell him that her condition had deteriorated, or worse that she’d succumbed to her injuries? This is what he’d known that they’d say, just as he had said to other people’s families and friends in the past when he’d been the one delivering bad news.
    “With no change in her vitals b efore it happened?” He demanded as they raced along the