Chapter 28
It was a day or so later, and Nina felt weak but better. She’d been administered fluids, what she’d been told were antivirals, and strong pain relief to manage her symptoms. As she sat up in bed, the noise from the TV of the patient in the next room mingled with the distant sounds of the hospital. It was no longer an effort to breathe, but her throat was still sore, and she was still coughing more than she’d ever thought possible. Her sense of smell was dulled, but she could still detect a faint antiseptic smell that seemed to permeate the room, a constant reminder that she was in a hospital. Occasionally, the smell of food would waft in, a trolley would go past and a member of the staff would pop their head around the door with a smile to check that she was okay.
From her window, she could see the skyscrapers of Bangkok, and somewhere from below, she could hear the traffic, sirens, and the street vendors now a hum. As Nina stared out the window, she could almost feel the humidity outside and she thought about how odd it felt to be in a hospital in what was, to her, a very foreign land. The nurses and doctors, though, had been amazing. Seemingly very good at their jobs, at the same time as being kind and diligent. Despite that, she couldn’t wait to get out of the place. Hospitals were so not her thing. Overall, the whole experience had not been too bad. Obviously, she would have preferred not to end up struck down by influenza and hospitalised on the other side of the world, but it hadn’t been too bad at all.
After a chat with a nurse and something to eat, she had enough energy to shower, and just as she’d put on a clean pair of pyjamas, her phone rang with a call from her mum. She answered the call. ‘Hello, Mum, how are you?’
‘How am I? How are you more like?’
‘On the mend. I’ve just had a shower and I’m going back to the hotel soon. Definitely turned a corner.’
‘Good to hear.’ Nina’s mum said, with a relieved tone in her voice.
‘I’m feeling much better, thank you.’
‘I spoke to Robby last night,’ Nina’s mum said. ‘He said he thought you were on the mend, and it seems as if another night’s sleep has meant that you are. Thank heavens. I’ve been worried sick.’
‘The care here has been brilliant, I have to say.’
‘Yes, yes, from what you’ve told me and the pictures Robby sent me, it seems you’ve done okay.’
‘I have.’
‘Not that I wanted you to get sick in Thailand, but maybe it’s the place to do it.’ Nina’s mum chuckled. ‘I don’t think I’ll be taking my chances on trying it.’
‘Everyone has been amazing.’
‘Yep, Robby said. ‘You have to be careful these days. I’ve heard some horror stories about people getting their teeth done in Turkey.’
Nina rolled her eyes. Going to Turkey for a new set of teeth was hardly in the same ballpark as what she had just been through. Everything she’d seen in the hospital, not that she was a medical expert, had actually made her feel more than safe and in quite capable hands. But maybe her mum was right, and you never did know.
‘Anyway, I wonder if you would have received the same on the good old NHS,’ her mum asked.
‘Who knows?’
‘So, if you’re being discharged, what are you going to do about your flights?’
‘I was talking to Robby about it last night. I’m not sure yet. He’s changed everything, so we’re booked on a flight to go home in a week’s time. Robby has spoken to the airline, and we can change it at any time for a fee. It’s all covered by the insurance. It doesn’t really make any difference. I’m just not sure what to do. I don’t want to run before I can walk.’
‘Have you spoken to the doctor about whether or not you’re safe to fly?’
‘I have, and she thinks it will be fine, but because it’s a respiratory thing, that’s the only concern with the flight being a twelve-hour duration.’
‘Yes, I see.’
‘I’ll give it another couple of days and see how I feel. The airline is fine as long as there is space on the actual plane itself, and the hotel has been brilliant. We’ve really been lucky, to be quite honest, Mum.’
‘Yes, you have. You do hear some horror stories, don’t you? You’ve been lucky in that everyone has rallied around you. Maybe it’s a good idea to just stay there for a bit and make sure you’re strong enough for that long flight.’
‘Yeah, but it would be good to get home to my own bed and just finish off recuperating there.’
‘You never have anything that’s quite like your own bed,’ Nina’s mum pointed out.
‘Yes, you’re right. I just feel exhausted; even that shower has taken it out of me.’
‘You need to be careful. What else did the doctor say?’
‘She said that I would probably be poorly for a while and that it would be a couple of months to completely get over this.’
‘Oh dear, that’s ages.’
‘I know. I was like, it’s just the flu. But she said with the severity of the influenza I had, it is not going to be easy to just flick off as if it was an everyday thing.’
‘No, that much is obvious. You don’t get put into the hospital for nothing, even if you are in Bangkok and the travel insurance is paying for it.’
‘True. So, yeah, I’m going to have to take it easy for a month or so.’
‘Yes, good idea. Okay, well, darling, then I’ll see you later. What time is Robby arriving at the hospital today?’
Nina looked at her watch. ‘I think he should be here any minute now.’
‘Excellent, great. I’m glad you’re sounding so much better. Speak to you later, darling.’
‘Yes, bye, Mum. Love you.’
‘Love you, darling. Yes, bye. Keep me updated.’