Page 92 of The First Chord

She was speaking English with an accent, and I recalled that we were in Germany. I’d been at an awards ceremony.

“I was at an event.”

“The music awards. I was watching on television.” She smiled widely. “You had a fall, Mrs Fox.”

“Amber, please.” I didn’t want to be associated with him. “Do you know how?” I could remember arranging to meet Ronnie and the boys outside by the car. Ronnie and I were going back to the hotel while they went out for food. I recalled going to the bathroom and there being a long queue, but that was the last thing I remembered.

The nurse moved over to me, and I read her badge. Nurse Serena Hauffman. She was tall and pretty with dark hair and probably the age that my mum would have been. That made my eyes fill with tears as my throat prickled with emotion.

“Hey,” she said soothingly as she patted my thigh over the covers. “You are going to be okay. Your wrist will heal, and your MRI scan shows no damage other than the concussion.”

My eyes darted to my wrist. How the hell had I missed a great big whopping plaster cast.

“Oh my god, how far did I fall?”

“I’m not sure but it was a lot of stairs I believe.” She checked the monitor that I was hooked up to and then reached for chart at the end of my bed. “You have a concussion, a broken wrist and bruised ribs. But do not worry, your baby is okay.”

My skin began to tingle as I tried to breath, but I was finding it hard to get any air into my lungs. My hand was shaking as I looked at Serena. She had to have got it wrong. I couldn’t be pregnant. I was on the pill. Jimmy and I barely had sex in the last year and even then, I’d insisted on a condom because of his womanising. I hadn’t missed my pill. I’d made sure of that since Ronnie and I…

“Ronnie,” I gasped.

“I am sorry.” Serena turned back to me. “Did you say something?”

“I-I need to speak to someone. I need my phone.”

She frowned. “Oh, I think your husband has it.”

If the news I was pregnant shocked me then the fact that he had my phone felt like I’d been hit by a car.

“Jimmy?”

“Yes. He was with you until very early this morning. I believe he has gone to your hotel to get some sleep and a shower.”

“He was here? With me?”

She nodded. “Yes. The other gentlemen from Warrior Creek they were in the waiting room all night. I think two of them are still here.”

My heartbeat sped up because maybe it was Ronnie. I hoped it was Ronnie. I needed to know. I needed to speak to him.

“Could they come in? Can I see them?”

“If you would like them to, but Mr Fox he asked that no one disturb you.”

I shook my head. “I don’t care what he said.” I winced as a pain shot through my skull.

“You are not well, Mrs Fox. I think you need to sleep and have your visitors later.”

“No, please,” I begged. “Please go and get them for me.”

Something inside told me that I had to speak to Ronnie, or someone who could get a message to him before Jimmy came back. I had no idea why he had been with me, but something deep inside my soul told me that it wasn’t for any good reason.

“I will go and see if they are still here,” Serena said, her hand on the door.

As soon as the door closed behind her, my hand went to my stomach, resting on top of the covers. A baby was not ideal. It was not planned, but if I was in that situation then I would deal with it. But what if the baby was Jimmy’s? It would be a massive outside chance, though. It would depend on how far along I was, plus we’d always used condoms, so what would be the chances? Unless one had broken, but I was sure that hadn’t happened…had it? I didn’t even have a bump. I hoped to God that it wasn’t Jimmy’s because even if Ronnie and I didn’t work out, I would prefer to be a single mother than have Jimmy in my life for the next eighteen years.

Deep down, though, I knew that wouldn’t be the case. Even if by some fluke it was his and he did decide to try and be a father, he’d get bored. The drugs and drink would soon become his main focus again.

I felt sick thinking about it and, also, why the hell Jimmy had been with me? I couldn’t drag it from my memory but there was something nagging at the back of my mind. Something that I knew I needed to remember.

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