The Choice by Samantha King

Author:Samantha King
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Piatkus
Published: 2017-04-20T04:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SIX

‘Please don’t panic, Mrs Castle; everything is fine. It’s Professor Hernandez.’

I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder as I wake with a start. ‘What time is it?’ I open my eyes and peer groggily at him. I hadn’t even realised I’d fallen asleep.

‘Still early. Not much after seven. I’m sorry to wake you. You must have really tired yourself out going walkabouts last night.’ He smiles. ‘You did very well, by the way. Excellent progress.’

‘My family?’ The doctor is always telling me to rest; he must have a good reason for waking me up, I think, my heart beating faster as I struggle to sit up in bed, wide awake now.

‘We’ve managed to get hold of your husband. I thought you’d want to know immediately,’ he tells me, helping me prop myself up against the pillows. ‘I just spoke to him and he’s setting off from London right now.’

‘Oh, thank God. And my son? He’s bringing —’

‘He coming alone, he told me. To avoid too much drama and distress.’

‘Oh. OK. I guess that’s sensible. Thank you.’ A burning ache of disappointment tightens my chest. I have to force myself to breathe in, breathe out, in again. I can see Professor Hernandez is pleased to be able to give me some good news, so I try not to spoil it by letting my mood crash.

‘He’ll be here in a couple of hours. Depending on traffic.’

‘A couple of hours. So soon. After all this time it feels a bit strange,’ I say, but don’t expand on my sudden rush of nerves when the doctor raises his eyebrows encouragingly at me.

Instinctive, habitual loyalty to Dom makes me reluctant to admit that it’s actually Aidan not my husband I’m desperate to see. It took a while for my brain to remember the tension in my marriage, but now those images have returned, they won’t budge. I do want to see Dom, but I’m also scared: of what I’ve remembered, and of what he knows – or doesn’t know…

‘A good husband will understand that,’ is all the comment Professor Hernandez offers.

‘A good husband would have visited before now,’ I snap. ‘Sorry, I just can’t believe I’m still not going to see Aidan.’ I desperately want to cry, but I don’t want to have to explain my tears.

‘And your daughter, too, I imagine.’

‘Sorry?’ The deafening sound of my heartbeat roars in my ears, blood pulsing through me in a sudden hot rush.

‘You have twins, yes? I’ve just come from another patient of mine who mentioned bumping into you on your walkabout yesterday. She’s quite a talker and was beyond excited at the idea of twins. Told me off for not knowing anything about them.’ He chuckles. ‘Although come to think of it, I do recall you mentioning a daughter once – or perhaps I’ve got that wrong?’ he says, and I feel guilty about the look of concern pinching his face as he watches the blood drain from mine.

‘No, yes, it’s just that —’

‘I’m so sorry.

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