ESP

"I'm not sure Lainey. Crutches might be a bit limiting and the anti-biotics may not work properly with alcohol. We'll have to wait and see. I am serious though, go and shop!"

Elaine visited me for breakfast the next morning and as soon as it was opening time for the myriad of shops, she was gone. "See you tonight dear," she said as she exited the ward. Courtney, the nurse looked at her excited exit and commented, "I hope your credit card is charged, Mr Yates. Everything in this town has a tourist price." She giggled as she exited the room as well. I wasn't looking forward to a whole day of TV in a lonely hospital room, but the regular visits by the nurses and food domestics, offering me snacks and tea passed the time. I got to know the various workers easily, especially Courtney who was a local.

That night just as I was contemplating the neatly set out hospital dinner meal, Elaine floated in all excited. "Hey. How is your leg? You'll never guess who I ran into today? James! I think he is more of a shopaholic than I am. We spent the whole day visiting every shop possible. I promise I didn't max out the credit card. You should see the prices of everything. No maybe you shouldn't! Your accountant brain will go into overdrive. It was really great to have a local tour guide though! He knew all of the right places to shop and eat." That all came out in a burst, and then she sat down, kissed me and relaxed into the lounge chair beside my bed.

We looked at each other and then I replied to her many questions. "Hi Lainey. Good to see you. Yep, the leg is fine. It's still a bit sore, but they give me pain killers for that. The swelling has gone down, so doc says that's a good sign. Maybe my old age isn't such an impediment after all! So, tell me about your shopping trip with good old James."

She then went on to explain in great detail, the events of the day and how James had helped her. She also informed me that James had promised to do the same the next day. I did say that I trusted Elaine, however, I saw that glint in her eyes while she was retelling the day. I did have a suspicion that her excitement wasn't just about the shoes she almost bought. She stayed until eight that night. As she was leaving, she turned to me and said, "Guess what Bill. I didn't have that dream last night. It has gone! Isn't that great?" I nodded and waved her off.

I slept the sleep of the drugged that night. Literally! My leg gave me a lot of grief that night, which was normal apparently, so a pain killer injection it was. The next morning, I woke with a start when I realised two things. First, the late time and second, that Elaine was sitting beside the bed, looking very tired and nervous. "Hi sleepy-head," she croaked. "I thought that I would have to go shopping today without speaking to you. The nurse said that your leg was troubling you last night and that they had to knock you out with wonder drugs. How is it now?" The look of concern in her eyes made me feel a bit sorry for her, so I underplayed the leg.

"Hey Lainey," I mumbled in a fuzzy way. "I'm fine. Unfortunately, I may be in here a bit longer. There are some blood vessels that the doc is concerned about. She came in last night after scanning the leg. Apparently, there is a hint of a haematoma. Rest and drugs will be the order of the day for me. Now what about you? Did you sleep well? You even look a bit tired this morning. Did that dream come back?"

There was a slight hesitation, which I didn't pay attention to at that moment. "Umm, no. I didn't have that dream again Bill. I am so pleased about that. It has been part of my consciousness for so long, it almost feels strange that I am not having them anymore. Anyway, I was going shopping again today, but do you want me to stay here with you instead? You do look a little worst for wear today."

"Lainey, I will be bad company all day, I think. I will be in and out of sleep as the drugs work. You go out and do like we said, shop til you drop! Now go. I think they have already opened!"

She once again left the ward and I fell again into a fitful sleep and non-sleep. Nurse Courtney came a few times into my drug induced haze. "That wife of yours sure can dance Mr Yates. But a word of caution from an old local who has seen the sights and knows the people around here. That man she is dancing and spending time with is a snake. Watch that one! I can tell you from personal experience." Then she left again.

I wasn't sure if what I heard was some sort of narcotic dream or not. However, I didn't have the conscious where-with-all to fully digest what was said, so I just slept. I woke to the smell of dinner waiting for me on the bedside table. The food helped me to come more to my senses which was probably not a good idea. My leg hurt like hell! After dinner, I settled back onto my pillows in that peculiar half lying, half sitting posture. That was when Elaine wandered in. She looked tired and a little fidgety.

"Hi Bill. Sorry I am little late. How was dinner?" She then kissed me on the cheek.

"Hi Lainey. The usual. They try their best, but it is never quite like a home-cooked meal. How was your day? Do I need to get a part-time job when I get back home just to pay the cards off?"

Elaine smiled at this. "No Bill. James paid for most things today." As she said that, she seemed to stop herself from saying anymore. There was an awkward silence for a while. Until nurse Courtney came in to do my obs. Courtney looked at Elaine with a silent knowing look that women seem to perfect from a very young age. Elaine eventually looked away and spoke to me. "So, Bill, tomorrow is the planned visit to the vineyard and winery. I am guessing you won't be able to come. What a bummer Bill. This leg is really causing you some grief. I will come in tomorrow and spend the day with you." As she said this, she glanced at Courtney who almost nodded in approval.

"What is it between these two?" I couldn't help thinking. "It is almost like a secret code of gestures and nods!" I would have to ask Courtney what it is about at some time. It did look like I was going to be here for a while. I'd ask Elaine, but I know she was dying to do more shopping.

"No way Lainey. I really appreciate you coming in when you do. I miss your company, but I know that there is nothing more boring than sitting around in a hospital. I know you want to be here with me, but this is your holiday too. I feel so bad that my foolish stunt is costing your holiday time as well. Go and have a good time at the vineyard. Promise me that you will bring back a box of some great wine that we can share when I get out of here."

Elaine couldn't contain her excitement. "OK thanks Bill. I will see you again tonight. Make sure to treat the nurses well!" And then she was gone. Courtney hovered in the room for a while and was just about to attend to someone else when I called her over. "Courtney, can I speak with you for a moment?"

She hesitated but stayed. "I am sorry Mr Yates. I should not have said anything to you earlier. I apologise if I said anything out of turn."

"Courtney, you said something about my wife being a good dancer and that to watch out for that snake or something like that. Sorry, but I was a bit out of it when you told me. Is there anything I should know? And how do you know Elaine is a good dancer?"

Courtney visibly paled, but she came over and sat down beside the bed. "Mr Yates, what I am about to tell you is not something you will want to hear. Last night, my friends and I went out to 'The Pink Pussy Cat', a popular night club here in town. It is known to all of the locals as a cheap place to go out if you just want to dance. Well, at about nine o'clock, I noticed Mrs Yates come in. She was escorted by James Sloop. He is a known pussy hound in this area. He has a real way with any woman he sets his eyes on. He had a go at me once and was so good at what he does, sweet talks, he nearly had me undressed in his apartment! I sort of fell under his spell. He is extremely good at that. I watched them for a while and it was very obvious that Mrs Yates was close to him." She paused here. "I am not sure how to say this without being blunt, Mr Yates, but she was very close to him. He had his arm around her most of the night and when it came to the slow dances, she was closer. It was almost like they were a couple. I saw his hands wander far too low and his lips wander far too close to hers. They left at about eleven and I am not sure where to. He was still holding her close and even stopped to kiss her while they waited for a taxi. I am so sorry Bill. Can I call you Bill? It is way past my nurse/patient protocol me telling you this, but I feel you need to know." She stifled a small sob and left the room.

"WTF!" I said out aloud. This info took me completely by surprise. I would not have expected anything like this from Elaine in a million years. There had to be a perfectly innocent explanation for all of this. I trusted Elaine and have done all of our married life. There was never any indication, implied or explicit, that she would step out on me. She was the paramount example of a loyal, loving wife and partner. She was the beautiful mother of our two children, children who adore her for her steadfastness and love for them. I adore her for the same reason. She is my chosen partner in this life and we, at least I thought it was 'we', looked forward to spending our twilight years together, enjoying what life had to offer, together.

This visit to James was supposed to be just a one-off thing. I liked the guy. He seemed trustworthy and I sort of was pleased when he took Elaine under his wing while I was laid up here. I still felt guilty that I had spoilt our holiday with my stupid accident on the slopes. Was this all a setup? There was no way that my accident was a setup, so how did this progress so quickly into what Courtney had detailed? Elaine is not an impromptu person. She takes a while to make any sort of decision. This is definitely not like her. She only met him again, what two days ago? The first meeting was with me there. He hardly paid any attention to her at all. If it was his intention to make a play for Elaine, he would have doted on her from day one.

My mind was in turmoil and my leg was in pain again. I buzzed for the nurse and Courtney came in. "Are you always on duty here? You always seem to be here when I am awake. What gives with you nurses?"

Courtney smiled and said, "Mr Yates, us nurses work in weird shifts. Sometimes I finish at ten thirty and start again at six in the morning. Sometimes we have split shifts. We aren't treated very well by the system, but luckily, we like our job looking after unfortunates like you! Now what can I do for you? Is that leg troubling you again, or is it what I said before?" She looked knowingly at me. I detected a look of pity also. That was something I didn't need, but I wasn't going to vent any frustration on someone as dedicated and honest as Nurse Courtney.

"You're right. It is a combo of both, but I think only the leg can be dealt with by drugs."

"I will call in the duty doctor and he can come and look at the leg for you. Just be patient, pardon the pun, as he does have a few people to attend to first."

She was about to leave when I asked, "Courtney, is it possible to have a phone for a while? I need to make some calls."

"Sure thing. It is not usual hospital procedure, but seeing as this ward does not have bedside phones, I will see what I can arrange."

"You are an angel Courtney," I said as she was leaving.

"I have been called that before Mr Yates!"

The doctor did come in soon after that and again examined my leg. "Your leg is healing Mr Yates, but there is bound to be some residual pain as the blood vessels resume their normal function. I am happy that the swelling has gone down considerably also. I will give you some pain tablets, but I don't think an injection is necessary anymore. Rest up and you will be out of here in a couple of days."

The phone arrived soon after that. The hospital orderly who brought it in explained to me how to use it. He said that all calls would be added to my account. He also gave me a paper copy of the local phone directory. The first call I made was to our hotel. The receptionist was very polite and fortunately for me, recognised me. The first thing she asked was how my leg was. I spoke with her for a while about the accident and my recovery experience. Casually I asked if my wife had been any trouble, throwing wild parties, etc, in the room while I was away. I treated it as a bit of a joke and the receptionist continued in just as casual a manner and joked, "No Mr Yates. No big parties. She only had your brother there last night. As she walked in at eleven thirty, she introduced me to him. He seemed like a very nice man. I think I have seen him around here before. I thought he was a local, but you know how it is. We see so many people coming and going through here. When can we expect you back here?" I told her what the doctor said and hung up.

That wasn't usual. Receptionists don't normally give that sort of info out freely. I wonder if she also, like Nurse Courtney, suspected something was up and was giving me the heads up, but not in so many words. I was seething as I put all of the facts together.

Elaine goes shopping all day with James who is extra helpful.

Elaine goes out dancing with James.

They are spotted being a little too close on the dance floor.

They kiss each other as they are leaving.

They arrive at our hotel room together later that night.

Elaine comes into the hospital room the next morning, this morning, looking very tired, but excited.

They are spending the day together again today.

This was not a good list. My emotions were focussing on anger and I could feel the slow boil beginning. Coupled with the utter disbelief in the facts, it was a wonder that I was in any logical state of mind at all. It takes me a long time to get angry, as I usually find other ways to allay those feelings. The main way is usually by sitting down with my life partner and going through the issues. Was that possible now? How would I approach Elaine with this? I needed to make sure that I was on the right track before I asked Elaine about it. If I was wrong, I would damage our relationship by showing such complete mistrust in her. She would be devastated by a false accusation so serious.

The next call I made was to Elaine's mobile. It went straight to voice mail, so I calmly asked how her shopping day was going and that I would speak later when she came to the hospital at night.

I then called the hotel receptionist again and asked her to inform my wife to call me as soon as she comes into the hotel. I was about to give her the hospital number, when she interrupted me. "I can't do that Mr Yates. Mrs Yates and your brother arrived here about ten minutes ago and went straight to your room carrying a box of wine. They are there now. Would you like me to page the room for you?"

I felt as if my heart had stopped. My conscious mind zeroed in on the receptionist's voice and nothing else would register. "They are in the room now Mr Yates!" I could not believe that it had got to this. Was Elaine on drugs? Had she been drugged? What had happened to my Elaine? The woman I knew for so long had seemed to disappear and been replaced by someone who looked like Elaine, but had experienced a complete character change. This was not her! This was not her! The receptionist's urgent voice took me out of my fuzz. "Mr Yates! Mr Yates! Are you still there Mr Yates?" I mumbled some sort of reply and hung up.

I didn't know what to do. Here I was stuck in this room, while all of this was happening out there beyond my control. What was I going to do? As I sat there, in a haze, Nurse Courtney came in to do my obs. "Mr Yates, you look terrible. Are you feeling all right? Please lie down. I need to do your blood pressure, etc. Relax please." She made me lie down and put the cuff on my arm. As the machine did its reading, she looked concerned. "Your blood pressure is too high Mr Yates. You need to relax. Is there something I can do?" Her look of concern was genuine, but it changed to a more worried look when she realised that I had been making some phone calls. "Is it to do with what I told you earlier?" she asked.

I grimly nodded and told her what I had found out. "Oh Mr Yates, Bill! I am so sorry. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. It was all my fault. I started all of these doubts and investigations!" She was definitely distressed now. I told her that it was not her fault and that if she hadn't told me what she knew, I would have found out some other way. "Is there anything I can do Bill?"

I thought long and hard about that. What could a nurse stuck here in hospital do? She was just as stuck here as I was. It dawned on me that there may be a way to get proof of what Elaine was alleged to be doing. I needed proof before I could do anything. "Courtney, do any of your friends have time off at the moment? I would pay them generously for their time. I just need them available for tonight and tomorrow."

She thought for a moment and brightened as she remembered someone. "Yes! Nicole, a student nurse, is on days off at the moment. I am sure she could use some extra cash. You know how students are! What did you want her to do?"

I told her what I wanted and she immediately phoned Nicole with my proposition. It must have taken a while for Nicole to be convinced, but when Courtney mentioned payment, generous payment, the objections seemed to disappear.

Damn! My leg hurt.

That night, sure as eggs, in came Elaine, bright as a button, obviously very excited. She had a smug, satisfied look on her face. "Hi Bill. Missed you today! How is your leg? You don't look too well."

"Hi too Elaine. My leg is a little better. Doc said I would be out in two days, so, sorry, you may be on your own a little longer."

"Don't worry about that Bill. I can look after myself. By the way, the trip to the vineyard was a real hoot. We were there all day. It is a wonder I can walk straight after all of the tastings we had. James and his brother took me on a tour of the whole operation. I am so sorry you missed it. We just got back in time for me to come here. I have to say I am tired out. Do you mind if I leave early tonight? I have to get to bed. Tomorrow, you and I had planned to drive to Glenorchy, remember? The driver is still booked, so I will go and I promise to take plenty of pictures for you." She got up to leave.

"Sure, and thanks Elaine. I will see you tomorrow night then. No sense in coming here so early if you have to meet the driver. Love you and see you then."

She had a downwards glance as she replied, "Love you too Bill."

Now I knew for sure that what had been said about Elaine was true. She had lied outright to me about being at the vineyard all day. She hadn't. She was in the hotel room with James for at least half the day. The other things she said began to take on different meanings.

"All those tastings we had!"

"I have to get to bed!"

"I am tired out!"

"A wonder I can walk straight!"

All innocent enough, but such was my state of mind that what she said could no longer be trusted. What had Elaine, my Lainey, done to my vision of her?

I spoke directly with Nicole and explained in great detail what I wanted her to do. She seemed almost excited about her task. I couldn't feel excited with her. What I had asked her to do would cost me a lot of money and quite possibly, cost me my marriage.

I couldn't sleep that night. I tossed and turned, not because of my sore leg, but because of the constant pain in my heart. I dreaded the hurt that was about to befall me and my family. How would I approach Elaine about all of this, if it was true? This accusation goes way beyond any other falling out which we have ever had in level of seriousness. The ramifications of this were going to last forever. What about our children? How would it affect them? I know I would never be able to trust Elaine again. I have read of couples who were able to let bygones be bygones, but crap, this went to the very core of our relationship. I know sex is just sex, but when two people promise to be exclusive to each other, the shared intimacy transforms the sex into a powerful intimate experience of love. To shit on that exclusivity, is to shit on the love. Forever from now, if this was true, every word and action by Elaine would have to be second-guessed and checked for accuracy. What sort of relationship was that? Not one I could engage in, that's for sure.