Her First Child: A totally gripping and unputdownable psychological thriller by Sheryl Browne

Author:Sheryl Browne [Browne, Sheryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781803143309
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2022-12-08T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-TWO

2000

Eve

The butterflies in my stomach are more frantic than ever as we wait in the reception area of the Oak Development Centre, thoughts buzzing manically around my head. What questions will she ask me? If she asks me to tell her about Jacob, about my father, what will I say? I’m sure I won’t have the right answers. My mum hasn’t spoken since we got here, other than to say, ‘Stop fidgeting, Eve.’ She placed a hand over mine to stop me twirling my watch around my arm, and I was startled and sad at the same time because I realised she doesn’t actually touch me very often. We don’t hug or anything. We used to, I think, years ago.

The butterflies go into a frenzy as the doctor comes out of her office to meet us. I’m surprised she does that, but I suppose that’s how they do things here to put people at their ease. ‘Hello, Eve,’ she says, extending her hand as she approaches. ‘I’m Georgia. I’m hoping we can have a chat about a few things. It’s nothing to worry about. Just an opportunity for us to get to know each other. What do you think?’

Suspecting I shouldn’t say what I think, which is that I’d rather not be here, I nod uncertainly, my eyes travelling to her name tag. It reads Dr Georgia Sutherland, and I guess she wants me to call her by her first name to make me feel more comfortable.

‘That’s fine, isn’t it, Evie?’ my mum says, getting to her feet, but Dr Sutherland stops her.

‘I thought it might be a good idea for just the two of us to have a chat initially, Mrs Lockhart,’ she says, looking at her kindly. ‘If that’s okay with you?’

‘Oh.’ My mum’s eyes skitter to me and back to the doctor. ‘Yes, of course.’ She smiles, the same brittle smile she wears when she gets annoyed with the doctors at the hospital. She was annoyed the last time Jacob was taken in. The doctor who’d been doing his checks asked if he could have a word with her in the corridor. I heard him say they were going to transfer him to the paediatric intensive care unit so they could monitor him more closely, and then something about the injury to his head and also something about the IV drip they’d put into his arm when he came in. It wasn’t working properly apparently. I couldn’t make out much of what he was saying, even though I moved close to the door, keeping myself flat against the wall so they didn’t see me. I heard my mum’s reply, though. ‘I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my life,’ she snapped. ‘Do you honestly think Jacob’s injury could have been caused by anything other than an accident? I’ve told you, there’s a loose rod on the stairs. I fell. Jacob was in my arms. As for the drip, I doubt very much whether Eve or I could possibly have trapped the tube without realising.

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