Taboo: A gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked. by Kerry Barnes

Author:Kerry Barnes [Barnes, Kerry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Once Upon A Book
Published: 2022-03-27T16:00:00+00:00

Her nap was interrupted when a sharp, high-pitched alarm sounded from one of the machines hooked up to her sister. Harper couldn’t catch her breath before a team of nurses and Edward Morley came through the door and moved Harper and her chair away from the bed.

Shaking all over, Harper could hardly stand up.

‘Please, can you wait outside?’ asked a nurse, she hadn’t met before.

‘But what’s happening? My sister. Is she okay?’ asked Harper, frantically trying to peer over the nurse’s shoulder.

‘Please wait outside. We need the room,’ came the response in a no-nonsense tone.

Harper paced the floor outside. Everything ran through her mind, from how she would kill the man who had done this to Erin, to how she would break the news to Eddie and her mum if her sister died, to pleading with God to save her.

The door suddenly flew open, and the nurses and the surgeon reappeared. Two nurses were pushing the bed while Edward held a machine that pumped oxygen into Erin’s lungs.

Harper could only stare in horror as tears streamed down her face.

That was until Hatty placed a consoling arm around her shoulders. ‘Come with me. Let’s go somewhere private.’

Harper sucked on her bottom lip, as the tears wouldn’t stop. Like walking up a mountain, her legs felt so fatigued, and her body ached with grief and worry.

Hatty guided Harper into a bereavement room. The room was bright but small. On the Formica coffee table was a vase filled with plastic flowers. They reminded Harper of her mother’s artificial flowers that had never been dusted for as long as she could remember.

‘She’s dying, isn’t she?’ said Harper, wiping her cheeks.

‘Your sister has sepsis.’

‘What does that mean, exactly?’

‘It is how the body can react to septicaemia. It can start to fight itself in an inflammatory response. Now, I know this sounds like another language. It means that her body needs a lot of help. Her blood pressure has dropped and it’s affecting her organs. She needs oxygen, dialysis, and further surgery. The surgeon is preparing her now because he thinks there is a build-up of infected tissue he must remove.’

Harper felt as though her head was suddenly in a vice, and her ears were ringing.

‘It’s a lot to take in, but please know this: Edward is doing everything he can. He’s a brilliant surgeon. Trust me, Harper. If anyone can get her better, he can.’

Hatty opened the door to a nurse holding a tray of fresh coffee.

‘Harper, as much as we are all being positive, I think it would be wise to let your mother know.’

No sooner had she said that than Harper’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller and suddenly sat up straight. ‘Roxy. Sorry, love, I didn’t realise the time.’

‘Harper, I waited, but you didn’t show. I hope you don’t mind, but I locked up, set the alarm, and—’

‘Roxy, you’re a star. Thank you, darling.’

‘Harper, are you okay?’

‘Sorry, yeah, I’m fine. Could you open up tomorrow for me? I’ll add a bit more in your pay packet.

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