And Now You're Back by Jill Mansell

Author:Jill Mansell [Mansell, Jill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2021-01-20T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Shay had spent the night in the waiting room outside the ward, dozing for only a few minutes at a time on the hard plastic chair. Now he listened to the muted sounds of the hospital as it came back to life around him, and the rattle of the breakfast trolley making itself heard further down the corridor.

Finally he was allowed back onto the ward. The nurses assured him that his father was doing as well as could be expected, but Red was still looking dreadful. His skin was ash grey, the lines around his mouth pronounced. Much of his face was covered by the oxygen mask. His arms lay at his sides and Shay saw that the rose-gold three-diamond gypsy ring was looser than ever on the third finger of his right hand.

He pulled up a chair and waited, watching his father’s chest rise and fall, hearing the effort it was taking him to breathe. There was a drip in his left arm and an oximeter fastened to his index finger. His skin was waxily pale.

But he was still alive. As a machine beeped in an adjacent room, Red’s eyes opened and he registered Shay’s presence with the faintest of smiles. Lifting the oxygen mask, he said, ‘You still here? You should get some sleep.’

‘I’m OK. Do you need anything?’

‘Wouldn’t say no to a double Scotch.’

Shay knew this was to try and reassure him, but how could he be reassured? He’d left his phone in the car whilst he’d been swimming in Hestacombe Lake with Didi. There’d been increasingly concerned texts and voicemails left on it by Rosa, and he could only imagine how panicked she’d been as his father’s condition had taken a sudden turn for the worse. Whilst she’d been dialling 999 and calling the ambulance out to Frog Cottage, he’d been lying in the sun on the tiny lakeside beach, not even pausing to spare a thought for Red. His mind had been entirely occupied with Didi, with talking to her, longing to kiss her and run his fingers through her dark hair, to trace the curve of her suntanned cheek, to pull her into his arms and—

Red started coughing helplessly and Shay stopped thinking about Didi. Once the coughing episode was over, he replumped the pillows, helped Red to take a few sips of water and made sure he was comfortable once more. He had to stop thinking about her. His father needed to be his number one priority at all times. The situation with Didi was impossible anyway.

‘Go home now.’ Red’s words were muffled by the oxygen mask. ‘I can’t sleep with you sitting there watching me. It’s putting me off.’

‘I’d rather stay here.’

‘I’m the sick one, so I get to decide. And you need to be getting a move on with the house.’ Indicating the ward doors, he creaked, ‘Off you go. I’ll see you later. Tell Rosa I’m sorry I gave her a scare.’

‘OK.’ Shay gave his arm a squeeze. ‘I’ll be back this afternoon.

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