Page 60 of Prognosis So Done

‘Oh, right,’ she said, sniffling and flicking her hair off her face and wiping at the flow of tears with the back of her hand. ‘You can spend half an hour getting an amputation just right but you can’t give me equal consideration?’

‘That’s different, Harry...’

‘Is it? Is it?’ she demanded, not caring that her voice was

verging on hysterical or that the pitch hurt her vocal cords. ‘The difference is, Gill, that a stranger’s prosthetic future was more important than my future fertility. Because, let’s face it, that’s hardly on your list of priorities, right?’

He sat there silently letting her vent, his jaw clenched as she let loose. Harriet knew she was being unfair but she couldn’t seem to stop, either.

‘I mean, what do you care? Suck out a baby, rip out a tube. What’s it’s to you? Just one less complication in your perfect, child-free existence.’ Harriet broke off on a sob, her belly hurting as she laid back against her pillows.

‘It was my baby, too,’ he said quietly.

Harriet raised her head up and fixed him with an angry stare as a harsh, incredulous laugh curled her lips. ‘Your baby? Since

when have you cared?’ He reached for her hand but she snatched it away. ‘Don’t touch me,’ she snarled. ‘Don’t ever touch me again.’

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Gill swallowed a lumpin his throat as he pulled his hand

away. Her distress was painful to watch. She was like a wounded animal lashing out. He knew she wasn’t being rational and he refused to take what she said to heart, but he also knew that trying to reason with her at the moment was folly.

The news was too fresh, too raw. And anything he said now about his feelings would only be dismissed with a cutting cynicism. She needed some time to digest what had happened, grieve for her loss and this further blow to her fertility.

She was sobbing loudly now and he wished he could say or do

something to help. It seemed ludicrous to be sitting so near his distraught wife and not be able to comfort her.

‘Just go, Gill,’ she said between sobs, not even bothering to look at him. ‘Leave me alone.’

‘No, I want to stay.’

‘I don’t want you here.’

Her rejection was like an axe to his heart and he looked helplessly at Megan who was standing in the doorway. She shrugged and mouthed, ‘Give her some time.’

Reluctant, but following Megan’s advice, Gill rose to leave. ‘I’ll come back in a bit.’

She turned on her side, away from him. ‘Don’t bother.’

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