Page 60 of The Forever Gift

‘Okay, seriously, just come in,’ I say, surprised by how loud I can be even when I’m this tired.

The door finally creaks open.

‘Hey,’ Aiden says, looking like he wasn’t sure he had the right room until he opened the door and he saw me stuck to the bed.

‘Oh my God,’ I say, not really sure I’m seeing him either.

‘Can I come in?’ he asks.

‘What?’ I’m flagging already, seeing Aiden is so great, but I think I got so excited I used up all my morning energy. Also, I really want some toast. ‘Do you have to ask? Of course, you can come in.’

Aiden pushes the door open until it knocks against the wall. He leaves it there when he walks in. I think about asking him to close it. I don’t like when the door is open and I can hear everything going on out on the ward; like some of the little kids crying because they want to go home, or someone puking their guts up. But Aiden seems so nervous I think he’ll be freaked out if I ask him to close it.

‘Right, don’t take this the wrong way,’ Aiden says, ‘but, you look absolutely awful. Like, seriously bad.’

‘Thanks.’ I smile.

Aiden smiles too and shuffles a little further into my room. ‘Be honest, Kay,’ he says. ‘How you doin’?’

Aiden’s Joey impersonation is terrible and I shake my head.

‘That good, yeah?’ he says.

‘What are you doing here?’ I rub my eyes and wake up more. ‘Visiting hours aren’t for ages.’

Aiden scrunches his nose. ‘Kay it’s five past one.’

‘In the afternoon?’ My eyes open wide.

‘No. In the morning,’ Aiden laughs and tilts his head to one side. ‘Of course in the afternoon, you eejit. I was here earlier but your mam said you were sleeping and wouldn’t let me in.’

‘You were here earlier?’

‘Yeah. I got the train up. My mam went off on a mental one about travelling alone to the big smoke, blah, blah and at rush hour, blah, blah. But I got here. And Dublin is awesome. Kinda smelly though. Does the Liffey always stink this much?’

I nod.

‘Well, anyway. I’m here and it’s great to see you,’ he says.

‘I can’t believe you convinced your mam to let you get the train by yourself. You’re usually so… so…’

‘Chicken,’ Aiden finishes for me.

‘Careful,’ I say, my eyes closing without me telling them to. ‘You’re in danger of growing up.’

It’s so hard to stay awake. I’m really happy to see Aiden, but a part of me wishes he wasn’t here so I could go back to sleep.

‘Is it really 1 p.m.?’ I ask.

‘Yup. And my God can you snore. I actually thought there was a donkey in here.He-haw,he-haw,’ Aiden teases.

‘I do not snore.’ I jam my hands onto my hips, pretending to be deeply offended. ‘Ouch.’ I wince when the stupid cannula in my hand pinches.

‘You okay?’ Aiden says, his eyes widening, and I know I’ve scared him.

‘Yeah. Just this stupid thing.’ I point to the needle in my hand. The tape around it is peeling off and grubby and there’s some gross dried blood on it and under it.

‘Wow, Kay. That looks sore,’ Aiden says.

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