ACCIDENTAL INJURY

Carole sat shivering in the car. She couldn't believe what she had
just been told.

Bob was usually so careful. How could he have been knocked down. What
was he doing in town at that time of night?

She called a cab.

The nurse at the hospital told Carole that Bob had been brought in with
a woman called Sarah. She apparently had cuts and bruises, but was OK.
Carole knew Sarah, she worked in the same office as Bob.

Sarah, that made sense. Bob had been having an affair just as Carole
suspected.

She had tried to bring the subject up a few weeks ago.

"How could you accuse me of something like that. You are completely out
of order."

Bob had made her feel really guilty. But Carole knew there was
something going on.

"Mrs Marshall, you husband is in here. Now don't be alarmed by the
machines. We're only monitoring him. He is unconscious, but you can sit
and talk to him."

Carole looked away from the sight of Bob's badly bruised face. He had
suffered minor head injuries and had had x-rays on his back and
head.

"I know it's difficult, but it really does help if you talk to
them."

Carole started to talk, without really saying much. She told him about
the dent in the car, she told him about the latest sports news. She
started to talk about the office gossip, then she realised that they
didn't have much in common. She couldn't think of anything much to say,
so they sat in silence as they had done throughout most of their
married life.

Carole looked around the room wondering what she could say. It was then
that she noticed Sarah.

Carole had imagined this confrontation with different endings. All of
them involved her fighting for her man, fighting to save her marriage.
She was surprised that she didn't feel any bitterness.

She slowly walked to the door. As Sarah started to back away, she
called her in.

"It's OK. You come and talk to him. He'll probably respond to
you.

She did feel guilty. She was his wife and was passing the buck onto her
rival.

Sarah hesitantly came into the room and sat down next to Bob. Carole
went out to get some air. She sat on a bench trying to evaluate her
5-year marriage.

They both agreed to concentrate on their careers. Now they were
successful, but obviously unhappy.

At Bob's bedside, Sarah gently held Bob's hand. She explained to him
how much she loved him, but they were breaking up two marriages and
that she had decided to move away to avoid any more heartache.

Bob opened his eyes, but Sarah was gone.

By the time Carole go to the hospital, the doctor had already made his
rounds. He told Bob that he had suffered sever back injuries, which
probably meant that he would be in a wheelchair.

Bob was sleeping and she took his hand and kissed it.

Bob opened his eyes.

"I saw you Carole. I know it was you who knocked me down.

Carole opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"Sarah's moving away because of you. The only thing keeping me going is
the thought that you're stuck looking after me for the rest of your
life. Either that or you go to prison."