Page 58 of Just the Beginning

By the time they got to the hospital, the tops of Rick’s legs were wet through from the sweat pouring off Davy, and his great-uncle was struggling to speak. What he did manage to say wasn’t making much sense and all Rick could do was hold onto him and murmur that everything would be all right. Between the three of them they managed to carry Davy into the reception area, where something like a dozen people were already waiting in the neat row of plastic chairs lined up in front of the desk.

The receptionist took one look at them and she must’ve pressed some kind of secret bat signal on her desk because moments later two men and a woman all dressed in pale green hospital scrubs came running through the large double doors. The woman immediately turned back the way they’d come while the two men hurried over to them. The younger of the two turned to Ryan and addressed him.

‘Hello, I’m Dr Hillman. What’s the problem?’ He had black-framed glasses and fine blond hair that was swept back from his forehead in an untidy tangle as if he’d run his hands through it many times. He couldn’t have been much older than Rick, but he exuded an air of quiet calm and authority.

‘This is my uncle Davy – sorry, David Penrose. Best speak to Rick as he’s the one who found him.’ Ryan gestured in Rick’s direction.

Davy groaned and the older man in scrubs came to help Rick and Matt who were still holding Davy up. ‘Hello there, Davy, I’m Jamie. All right then, we’ll get you sorted out in no time. Look, here’s Nicky with the trolley now.’ The female nurse who had disappeared had returned in short order with a porter who was pushing a trolley. Jamie glanced up at Rick and Matt. ‘You okay to lift him?’

‘Absolutely,’ Rick said.

‘Whatever you need,’ Matt said at the same time, and between them they got Davy up onto the trolley.

‘Room three is free,’ Nicky said to Jamie, who nodded and they immediately began pushing the trolley back towards the double doors.

Rick, Ryan and Matt made to follow them, but the doctor raised a hand to hold them back. ‘I can’t have all of you in there, sorry.’ He looked at Rick. ‘You found him?’

Rick nodded. ‘He was lying on his back in his office, pale, sweating and holding his stomach. He said he hadn’t fallen when I asked him.’

The doctor nodded. ‘And do you know how old he is?’

Rick shrugged. ‘Not sure. Eighty-something. We had Pa’s eightieth last year and Davy is a couple of years older than him.’

‘Don’t worry, someone will be out in a minute to take down some proper details. I need to get in there and do the examination.Is there any pertinent information we should know about – any pre-existing conditions?’

Rick swallowed hard. ‘He… he has cancer.’

‘He what?’ Ryan exclaimed.

Ignoring him, Rick kept his eyes on the doctor. ‘I don’t know the details but I think it’s pretty far along from the little bit he’s told me. He’s supposed to be having a scan. A letter arrived today but I don’t have the details.’

The doctor nodded. ‘That’ll do for now. Take a seat and I’ll come and talk to you again as soon as I can.’ He placed a hand on Rick’s arm. ‘Try not to worry, he’s in good hands.’ And with that he pushed through the double doors and left Rick to face the music.

Taking a deep breath, Rick reluctantly focused on his uncle and cousin. Both were frowning, but Ryan looked furious whereas Matt just seemed a bit confused. ‘I can explain?—’

‘Outside. Now.’ Ryan turned on his heel and marched towards the front door.

Matt winced. ‘I have no idea what’s going on, but you are in the shit, mate. I’ve never seen him so mad.’

Rick sighed. Both his uncle and father shared the same relaxed, sunny outlook on life, and Rick could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he’d seen either really lose their temper. Keeping Ryan waiting wasn’t going to make things any easier, so Rick followed after him, Matt on his heels. His uncle was standing on the pavement about thirty feet from the entrance, hands on his hips, his mouth pulled into a tight line.

‘I’m sorry,’ Rick said as soon as he was close enough.

Ryan shook his head. ‘I don’t want to hear it. Just tell me what the hell is going on.’

Rick opened his mouth, then closed it again as he spotted afamiliar red estate car pulling into the car park. It was more abandoned than parked in the nearest available space, and seconds later Rick’s parents emerged.

Matt placed an arm around his shoulder. ‘You know that shit you’re in? It just got about ten times deeper.’

29

By the time Steve, the night manager, arrived Anya hadn’t heard anything from Rick. ‘Poor old boy,’ Steve said as they swapped seats behind the desk. ‘I hope he’ll be all right.’

Anya nodded. ‘Me too.’

‘And you’ve no idea what’s wrong? What did the paramedics say when they arrived?’

‘I think Rick took him to hospital. I don’t really know because I wasn’t here at the time.’ She sighed. There wasn’t much point in pretending everything was okay because Steve would find out sooner or later. ‘My job here wasn’t working out, so Davy and I decided to part ways this morning. I only came back because there was no one else to fill in.’

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