Prognosis Bad Timing by Andrews Amy

Author:Andrews, Amy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amy Andrews
Published: 2021-01-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

CARRIE arrived at the centre on Wednesday morning and was surprised to see Charlie wasn’t sitting at his desk. Surely she hadn’t beaten him in? They’d barely spoken since his comment on Friday, trading polite, brief conversation only.

She opened the door to the staffroom to find him sitting at the table, turning an envelope over and over in his hands. His usual mug was in front of him.

‘Morning.’

Charlie glanced up from the yellow envelope that contained his test results. For once her pinstriped primness didn’t register. ‘Morning.’

‘Would you like a refill?’ she asked politely, switching the kettle on at the wall.

Charlie tapped the envelope against the wood of the table. ‘Yes, please.’ He drank the cold dregs of his current cup and held it out for her to take.

Carrie put her laptop on the table and took the mug. She put coffee into both the cups, aware of his brooding presence behind her, and poured the boiling water, adding sugar and milk to his and milk only to hers. She carried them over to the table, plonking his down and taking a seat herself.

He was still staring at the envelope. She blew on the hot liquid and took a sip. ‘Worried it’s a letter bomb?’

Charlie gave a grudging smile. ‘What’s in here is potentially explosive.’

It could potentially detonate his whole life.

‘Looks official,’ she commented. The envelope was a generic yellow one they used in most government organisations.

Charlie nodded. ‘It is.’

Carrie took another sip. ‘So...you’re just going to look at it?’

Charlie threw the envelope on the table. ‘They’re my test results.’

She nodded. So he had a blood test the other day, not made a donation. ‘From the blood test you had on Friday?’

‘You’re very observant.’

Carrie smiled. ‘I have a four-year-old. You have to be on the ball.’

He chuckled. ‘Yeah, I bet Dana keeps you on your toes.’

‘That she does.’

A few more moments passed where they both sipped at their coffee and stared at the envelope. It was hard to believe that a piece of yellow paper could be so compelling.

Carrie glanced at him. What was he waiting for? Obviously whatever was in that envelope was big for Charlie.

Just what exactly did he have?

‘Are you sick?’

Charlie tore his gaze from the centre of the table. ‘I hope not.’ He picked the envelope up and stared at the address label. He couldn’t explain why he was reluctant to open it or why he hadn’t just gone into the computer system and looked up his own results.

Six months of his life had been focused solely on what was inside this envelope.

He glanced up at Carrie. She was looking at him expectantly. Waiting for him to elaborate. What the hell —he’d do anything to delay opening the envelope.

‘Six months ago I was pricked with a used syringe by a Hep B positive drug addict.’

Carrie gaped, her belly tightening into a mass of knots. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that. A familial disease maybe, hell, even cancer. But Hep B?

‘Oh, God. I’m sorry. How did

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