Page 57 of Just the Beginning

Rick swallowed. ‘I… I don’t really know, I’m afraid.’ He glared down at his uncle, wanting to yell at him that this was why it was wrong of him to shut everyone out. They needed to know stuff like this. But it was only his fear making him want to rage, a fear he saw reflected in his great-uncle’s eyes. ‘Can you at least give me an idea of how long we might be waiting?’ he asked the call handler.

‘As I said, we are very busy and all our teams are out on priority calls.’

Rick wanted to snap that this was a bloody priority, but again he held his tongue. Davy was clearly in severe pain, but he was breathing okay and he was lucid. There would be people out there in a much worse state. ‘An hour?’ he asked. The call handler didn’t reply. Bloody hell. ‘Two?’

‘At least,’ she said. ‘I am very sorry but we will get there as soon as we can.’

Rick looked down at Davy. He couldn’t leave him just lyingthere on the floor and his car was parked back at home. ‘Okay, that’s too long, so I’m going to take him to the hospital myself. Thanks for your help but can you cancel the request?’

‘Are you sure you can move him safely?’

‘Yes. I’ve got plenty of people to help, don’t worry. Thanks for your time.’ He rang off and immediately dialled his father’s number. ‘Dad, I’m at the hotel and Davy needs to go to the hospital but I can’t leave him to get my car.’

‘What’s happened?’

‘It’s not for me to say, Dad, but please, I really need your help.’

Jago huffed out a breath. ‘Fine. Let me call Ryan. I know he and Matt were working locally today, so he’s your best bet. You and I are going to have a talk later, lad.’ The phone went dead.

Rick knew there would be a reckoning with his father, but he couldn’t worry about that now. He plucked the cushion Anya had made off Davy’s chair and gently lifted his great-uncle’s head enough to pop the cushion behind it. ‘Help’s on the way,’ he assured him, reaching down to brush the sweaty strands of hair away from his forehead. Davy didn’t even try to argue, just clenched his teeth and nodded again, his hands pressed underneath his belly.

The phone rang and it was Matt. ‘We’re a couple of minutes away. Front or back door?’

Rick frowned and considered their options. ‘Front. I’ll open the fire door at the side and I think if you can help me get him to his feet we can walk him out.’

‘No probs.’

The silver pickup withPenrose and Sonemblazoned down the side pulled up outside just as Rick had unlocked and secured the fire door open on its heavy magnet. Rick only hadtime to meet Ryan’s worried gaze from the driver’s window before Matt ran around the front of the truck to join him. ‘Where is he? What happened?’

‘He’s in the office,’ Rick said, leading the way. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong, something to do with his stomach because that’s what he keeps holding. I tried for an ambulance but they said at least a couple of hours.’

‘Stuff that,’ Matt said, shaking his head before he put on a bright smile. ‘Blimey, Uncle D, what’s all this, then?’

‘What does it look like, you stupid boy?’ Davy managed to grumble.

Matt laughed, not taking the least bit of offence. ‘If you’re still complaining, it can’t be that bad. Come on then, old man, let’s get you up.’

With his cousin’s help, it was almost no effort to get Davy up. He was skin and bone, Rick discovered as he slung an arm around his great-uncle’s waist, and between him and Matt they carried him towards the door. Ryan was out and on the pavement, the wide back door of the pickup open, and they quickly settled Davy on his back across the seats. Rick ran back inside the hotel, grabbed his uncle’s mobile and keys off the desk and locked the office door. He pulled out his own phone and sent Anya a message.

I know you hate me but Davy’s ill and we’re taking him to the hospital. Can you watch the hotel?

His phone rang a couple of seconds later. ‘I’m on my way.’

Rick sighed in relief that at least she was reading his messages. ‘I’ve locked the office, do you need the keys?’

‘No, I have a spare set.’

‘What about the phone?’

‘I’m only around the corner, so I’ll be there in a couple of minutes, just stick it in the top drawer of the desk.’

‘Done.’ Rick ran towards the exit, kicking the fire door free of the maglock as he passed so it would close behind him. ‘Thank you.’

‘I’m doing this for him, not for you.’ She was silent for a moment. ‘I haven’t said anything to anyone yet, but you must know this deception can’t go on.’

‘I know,’ Rick said, propping his phone under his chin as he climbed into the back and lifted Davy’s head up so it could rest on his lap. His eyes met his uncle’s through the rear-view mirror and he knew it wasn’t only his dad who would have something to say to him about the situation. ‘I’ll sort it out, somehow.’

Anya was silent for a moment. ‘Call me later when you know what’s going on.’

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