Page 85 of Finding Jacob
“From what I understand, Harvey wanted to get rid of anyone who knew what his dad had done. It could be that he was a victim of his abuse as well. He assumed you knew and since Hannah had told him you were suspicious about her death, that seemed to cement things in his head. I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure, he’s not here to tell us, but his father has been arrested, Hannah is in custody, and the police will be here tomorrow to talk to you.”
“What about the missing woman, the flatmate, the one in my house?” I asked, assuming them to all be the same.
“Harvey had a girlfriend who is missing. The police are thinking that’s her.”
“Jacob saved my life,” I said.
Dory nodded. Although it had been Nathan who had got to me first, simply because he was the fastest, it was Jacob who saw the car speeding behind me.
“Jacob pushed both you and Nathan out of the way,” she added, confusing me more.
“Why?”
“Although Nathan had gotten to you, you could have still been killed if you’d both been run over, I guess.” She had shrugged her shoulders.
We’d never know the full story, I imagined, until Jacob woke up.
“I think Anna should rest now,” we heard. A nurse had entered the room.
“No, she can’t go. We need her phone,” I said, panicking.
“I’ll leave it here.”
“I don’t want you to go,” I sobbed.
“Can I stay?” she asked the nurse.
“I’ll grab a camp bed for you. I’ll also arrange for some food to be sent up; you’ve missed dinner.”
While the nurse fussed around me, making sure I took my painkillers and fluffing pillows, Dory called her mum. She asked for a small bag to be packed for her and explained what had happened. It would be sent over to us. I worried for Dory; I didn’t want her exposed to any danger should we discover Harvey wasn’t working alone. I tried to express that but was waved off. Her mum wanted to wish me well so Dory handed over her phone. She congratulated me on the birth of Paloma, and commiserated with me over Jacob.
“What an awful time for you, Anna,” she said. “If there is anything we can do, please make sure to tell Dory, won’t you?”
I nodded and thanked her before handing the phone back to Dory.
For the next hour, I drifted in and out of sleep. I ate what would have been a lovely meal had I any appetite, and I drank a cup of tea. Waiting for Nathan was agonising. I was given an update on Paloma, she was sleeping and although I was able to be with her, I needed that call first.
Finally, it came.
“Oh my God,” I said as the camera panned and picked up Jacob. “Oh no.”
He lay there with a tube coming from his mouth, one from his nose, his eyes closed, and surrounded by monitors beeping.
“Jacob, I need you to hear me,” I said, croaking out the words. “Please hear me. We have a baby daughter. She looks like you. She has blue eyes and dark hair, curly. She’s okay. I’m okay. We need you, Jacob.” I sobbed between words and my eyes blurred with tears.
“You must get better, okay? Nathan is with you, and I’ll be there as soon as I can. I promise you; I’ll be there.”
I covered my mouth with my hand and closed my eyes. He looked so broken. His face was bruised, purple rings framed his eyes. It was his head that had shocked me the most. There was a bald patch, some stitches, and aprobeprotruding from his skull.
“His brain swelled, Anna, so they had to relieve the pressure,” Nathan said. “Until he’s woken, they won’t know the extent of any damage. He has a broken arm and ribs, his face is smashed up, his spine, and...” Nathan’s voice cracked.
“No, don’t do that, please, Nathan. I need you to be strong for us... For me. Please?”
I knew what I was asking was unrealistic, Jacob was Nathan’s friend, but I don’t think I was really aware of what I was saying at the time.
Nathan coughed to regain his composure. “The doctors will keep him under for a few more days, and then they’ll start to bring him around.”
“I love you, Jacob. I’ll be there soon, I promise you,” I said, and then the call cut off. I think it was too much for Nathan, and I accepted that.
