Page 23 of The House at Hope Corner
‘I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Dad,’ said Ned, throwing Flora a nervous look. ‘You know, just in case…’
‘Just in case what?’
‘You know… in case they have to operate or something, do tests… I don’t know.’
‘Oh, don’t talk such rubbish,’ replied Fraser. ‘What are they going to do, cut me open right here? There’s nothing wrong with me now.’
Hannah winced. And then she patted his arm. ‘Fraser would like a glass of water, please, Flora,’ she said. ‘And nothing else until we’ve seen the doctor. Then when he’s got over this bug he can have whatever he wants.’ She fiddled in her handbag which had stayed resolutely thrust under her arm the whole time. ‘I have some money here…’
Flora waved away her offer. ‘No, it’s fine. Ned? Would you like anything?’
He glanced at his mother’s set expression. ‘I’ll come with you,’ he said. ‘And see what they have. You’re sure you don’t want anything, Mum?’
‘I’m sure, thank you.’ And the conversation was ended.
‘Jeez…’ said Ned, as they walked down the corridor towards the main waiting area in A&E. ‘Mum’s gone into full-on martyr mode and Dad’s modelling grumpy old git. What are they like?’
‘As bad as each other,’ replied Flora. ‘But you can’t really blame them, they’re both obviously scared, and I don’t know, but I’m guessing they haven’t been up against anything like this before.’
‘Dad’s never even been in hospital, and I can’t remember the last time he went to see a doctor. Mum, too, for that matter. They just get on with stuff.’
‘Maybe that’s part of the problem,’ said Flora, wondering just how long Fraser had been feeling unwell. ‘But areyouall right?’
Ned blew out air from between his teeth. ‘I will be once someone tells us what’s going on. It’s the not knowing, isn’t it? I can’t keep hold of everything I’m thinking, there’s just too much of it.’
Flora squeezed his hand. ‘Then one thing at a time,’ she said. ‘That’s all we can do.’
They had reached the vending machine.
‘Christ, I could really murder a Mars bar now,’ said Ned. ‘I didn’t think I was hungry, but now that Dad mentioned it, my stomach’s gurgling.’
‘Then have one,’ replied Flora, sensing his hesitation.
He studied the machine. ‘Nah, best not…’ He straightened. ‘Do you think that’s what’s caused this?’ he asked. ‘What we eat? I never really thought about it before, but what with you being a vegetarian and everything, and now Dad… He’s only young, Flora, he shouldn’t have had a heart attack…’
‘We still don’t know that he has,’ she said gently. ‘So let’s not go there just now. There will be plenty of time to think about things like that once we know. And trying to lay blame isn’t going to help.’
He studied her face. ‘That’s a non-answer, Flora, if ever I heard one, and not like you at all.’
She smiled. ‘No, it’s not, but for now, that’s all you’re going to get.’ She handed him a couple of pound coins for the machine. ‘Have what you want,’ she added, changing the subject. ‘We could be here for some time.’
‘I’ll just have a Coke,’ he said. ‘What about you?’
‘Well I’m going to have the bloody Mars bar, I’m starving too.’
Ned didn’t need much persuading to have one as well, but rather than take them back and eat the contraband in front of Fraser, they slipped outside for a minute. There, leaning up against the wall of A&E, they both shovelled the chocolate into their mouths as fast as they could. Flora held out her hand for Ned’s wrapper.
‘I’ll go and find a bin,’ she said. ‘Get rid of the evidence.’
‘What do you suppose they’ll do, if it is a heart attack?’ Ned’s face was suddenly serious.
She swallowed, pushing away the images from long ago in her mind. She couldn’t even begin to answer his question. ‘I’m sure someone will tell us,’ she said instead.
He was staring up at the sky. The clouds had lifted and the dark sky was shining with stars. ‘It’s like someone’s stopped the world, isn’t it?’ His eyes dropped to hers and he shivered. ‘Come on, it’s freezing out here.’
He led the way back inside, waiting while she darted across the room to a bin she spied there. A woman was perched in the seat next to it and she looked up and smiled as Flora dropped in the chocolate wrappers. She was sitting next to a man who was hunched over in his seat, elbows resting on his knees as he cradled his head in his hands. The woman didn’t say a word and yet her smile spoke volumes. They were all the same, these people here, waiting endlessly for their lives to restart again. Not all of them would, Flora knew that, and others would be changed irrevocably. Only time would tell which of these was waiting for them.
She hurried back to Ned and together they made their way along the length of corridor that was divided off into bays by regulation blue curtains. Flora glanced at the numbers above as they walked, momentarily lost, but then she realised that it was because the curtains to Fraser’s bay had been open when they had left. Now they were closed and there were voices coming from within.
