Page 155 of An Unholy Affair
‘I don’t know.’ He went to the chest of drawers, pulling out clothes for her to change into.
‘Is there a thermometer in the house?’
‘Er… Probably? Hang on.’ He rushed to the bathroom, the sudden light almost blinding him, and opened the cupboard door. Eveline was crying louder from her room.Fuck!He rummaged around but couldn’t see anything. She had to have a first aid kit somewhere as she’d bandaged her own arm. Was the injury causing the fever?
White hot panic flared through him. ‘Look, can you just send an ambulance?’
‘I need to get a little more information first so we can make an assessment.’
‘I’ll ring you back.’ Jack cut the call and rang Estelle.Please pick up. Please pick up.
‘If you want your pudding, I’m afraid it’s long gone,’ Estelle said as she answered.
‘Stelle, Eveline’s super fucking ill and I need a thermometer. Do you know where it is?’
‘Oh, shit. Yeah, it’s in the kitchen. Has she got a fever?’
He ignored Eveline’s cries and ran down the stairs, his phone clamped to his head.
‘She’s fucking delirious. I need to take her temperature and call the nurse back, then try to get her into dry clothes.’
The background noise behind Estelle quietened. ‘I’m on my way.’
Thank fuck. ‘Back door’s unlocked.’
‘I’ll be two minutes, tops.’
The phone went dead. Jack put it in his pocket and started systematically going through every cupboard.Come on! Where the fuck are you?
His heart was pounding in his chest, his brain a cacophony of screams. He had to help her.
The back door slammed, and Estelle rushed in.
‘I can’t fucking find it!’ he shouted.
‘It’s okay, I know where it is.’ She opened the cupboard under the sink and took out a plastic box. ‘Here we go.’
‘Who keeps a fucking first aid kit next to the fucking bleach!’ he yelled.
She touched his arm. ‘Hey, it’s okay, Jack. She’s going to be fine.’
He shook his head, struggling to breathe. ‘She’s fucking ill and I’m freaking out.’
‘Come on, show me where she is.’
Jack led the way, turning the lights off as Estelle followed him.
‘Don’t turn on any lights,’ he said. ‘She screamed when I did, as if she was on fire.’
‘But how are we meant to see?’
‘There’s enough light coming in from outside, and we can use our phones.’
Entering the room, he took Eveline’s hand.
‘Jack! Don’t leave… Don’t go!’
‘I’m not, love. I’m right here. And Stelle’s here, too.’
