Chapter 16
‘Are you all right?’ Briony felt a little silly, talking to Luna. She kept glancing at her in the front seat as she drove her grandmother’s car back to the hospital. She would really rather Luna was not sick in the car on the way there.
She also hoped that she didn’t pass a police car. Was there a law against dogs sitting in the front seat of a car, especially if they weren’t secured by a seat belt? She imagined there was. Would a police officer believe her if they pulled her over and she told them that she had put Luna in the back of the car, but she’d squeezed between the two front seats to sit up front? You try making a wolfdog hybrid sit where they don’t want to sit, Briony would tell them.
Luna whined.
‘Look, we’re not going to the vets, or the pet hotel, I promise you – if that’s what you’re worried about.’ Luna had not wanted to go with her; she’d had to ask Troy to help her get Luna in the car. Briony didn’t know whether Luna’s only trips in the car were to Emily’s. Maybe she associated the car with either going to the vets or being left with Emily. Or maybe that wasn’t it at all. Maybe she just didn’t like being forced to leave Troy for the afternoon. It occurred to Briony that Luna wasn’t the only one who would rather have stayed home and close to Troy. She tried to put him out of her mind and focus on her surroundings instead.
She drove along the high street in Aldeburgh. Luna had been as good as gold, thankfully. She hadn’t been sick, and she’d sat quite still, which was just as well in the confines of the small car. And as an added bonus, there had been no police cars in sight.
She parked, bought a ticket, and stepped up to the hospital entrance with Luna. It was a pity, in this situation, that her grandmother didn’t have a small dog, like Wilbur. Then she might have picked him up and tucked him under her arm, or even let the little dog trot beside her down the hospital corridor. It was just possible that he would have gone unnoticed.
Briony looked at Luna and sighed. She was not going to go unnoticed; not unless the staff were too busy, and didn’t see them go in. Briony had another thought: hospitals allowed patients who weren’t very well at all, and might not make it, to see their pets – didn’t they?
‘But my grandmother is going to make it,’ Briony said under her breath. ‘And you are going to help me,’ she said to Luna, ‘along with something else I have here in my bag.’ Briony smiled. She had a plan. But first, she had to find a way to get Luna past the receptionist and the nurses’ station without being seen.
She whispered, ‘Come on, Luna. Now, no funny business, do you hear? And for goodness’ sake, no howling or any other weird sounds I know you wolfdogs make.’
Luna opened her jaws.
Briony looked at her, wide-eyed. ‘Oh, no.’
Luna yawned.
Briony stifled a yawn herself. She felt more tired than normal and knew that being up at dawn was catching up with her. She’d had some coffee that morning, but it had been decaf, and she’d only had one cup, because she’d heard that avoiding caffeine was advisable during pregnancy. At the back of Briony’s mind was the thought that she should see somebody – register with a local GP practice temporarily and, as Emily had suggested, go to an antenatal appointment. Then she wouldn’t have to keep Googling all this stuff about being pregnant.
But for the time being, her focus was on getting her grandmother to wake up.
Briony looked through the double doors and noticed that the receptionist was away from her desk. ‘Right, come on – let’s go!’
She quickly scooted past reception, unfortunately capturing the attention of a little boy who was sitting with his mother in the waiting area. ‘Look, it’s a wolf!’ Before his mother could stop him, the boy was in front of Luna and Briony, blocking their way. The boy wiped tears away from his cheeks and said, ‘Can I stroke him?’
‘It’s a her.’
‘What’s her name?’
‘Luna.’
The boy’s mum jumped out of her seat. ‘Don’t touch strange dogs. What have I told you?’
Briony said to her, ‘It’s okay – Luna is very gentle.’
As if to prove it, Luna lay down with her legs in the air.
‘Oh look, Mummy! She’s so sweet.’
‘I think she wants a belly rub,’ said Briony as she looked about her, praying that the receptionist didn’t return just then.
The little boy knelt down and rubbed Luna’s belly. Then, when Luna sat up, he stroked her long snout. He smiled up at his mother. ‘Can I have a wolf?’
‘She’s not a wolf, really,’ said Briony. ‘She’s a wolfdog hybrid; part wolf, mostly dog.’
Briony had assumed that the young mum would be quite cross about the fact she’d brought a dog into the hospital and was surprised when she said, ‘Thank you for the distraction. He’s having an ear examination and a hearing aid fitted. He’s quite upset about coming to the hospital, even though the staff here are quite lovely. You’ve taken his mind off it.’
‘Oh, you’re welcome,’ Briony replied, taken aback. ‘I’d better go now. I’m taking her to see my grandmother.’
‘Well, I’m sure she’s going to love to see her.’
‘I hope so.’
Briony left reception. She could hear the little boy talking about Luna and his mum asking him if he’d like to go to the zoo to see some real wolves. Briony smiled. She whispered to Luna as they stole down the empty hospital corridor, ‘There, look – you’ve done your good deed for the day.’
She held up her finger. ‘Please don’t respond.’ Briony was aware after living with Luna that she could be quite vocal when you spoke to her, as though she was actually having a conversation with you. Briony found it quite funny, and endearing. Today, though, she just wanted Luna to keep her jaws shut.
Up ahead, the nurses’ station was empty. She stopped to peer around the door frame into the ward. She had to walk through the ward to get to her grandmother’s private side room at the far end. Luna sat behind her legs, out of sight.
A nurse who was tending to one of the patients must have sensed someone staring at her. She whirled around.
Briony immediately put her hand behind her back so that the dog’s lead was out of sight. It occurred to her that it would be more polite to ask permission to bring Luna to see her grandmother. It was a hospital, after all. But what if the decision had to go higher, and she had to wait to hear whether the dog would be allowed in? How long would that take?
Briony didn’t want red tape to hold up her plan. Time was of the essence; her grandmother needed to wake up soon, otherwise … Briony didn’t want to think about the possibility that she would never get to have a conversation with her grandmother, never get to know her.
Technically, Briony thought, Luna wouldn’t be on a ward. That was the beauty of her grandmother having a private room. Luna wouldn’t disturb anyone.
Briony waved at the nurse. ‘Ah, hello. Is it okay if we … if I … see my grandmother, Blythe?’
The nurse glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘Visiting hours aren’t for another hour, but seeing as you’re here, come on through.’
Briony hesitated. Would she be that willing to let me in if she knew about Luna? The nurse smiled and turned her back and continued to tend to the patient. Briony took the opportunity to quickly walk through the ward. She caught patients sitting up further in their beds, looking at Luna and smiling.
Briony pointed at the nurse, and held up her finger to her lips. Please don’t give the game away and tell on me, she thought, raising her eyebrows. She hadn’t thought that Luna would cause quite such a stir – but then she should have, recalling the reaction of the little boy as soon as he spotted Luna.
Luna suddenly pulled on the lead. Before Briony could stop her, she was sitting beside a bed, getting a pat on the head from one of the patients. Then another wanted to pet her too. Before she knew it, she was going from bed to bed.
The nurse is going to turn around any minute and catch us.
But she didn’t.
Briony had just got to the room, making sure that Luna was inside, behind the door, when the nurse turned around and exclaimed, ‘Well, I never!’
Briony thought they’d been spotted.
She heard another nurse who’d walked in pushing a trolley, exclaim, ‘I didn’t expect you’d all be awake, sitting up, ready for your meds.’
Briony smiled as she closed Blythe’s door. She patted Luna on the head and whispered, ‘I think you’ve made quite an impression.’ She sat down on the chair next to Blythe. Now it was her grandmother’s turn. ‘Time to work your magic, Luna. Come and see Blythe. She’s missed you.’
Luna stole up to the bed, her muzzle working along the bedclothes, sniffing Blythe’s hand, then licking it and nuzzling it for a fuss.
Briony held her breath, staring at her grandmother, looking for any sign of movement. Suddenly, Blythe’s little finger moved.
‘She’s waking up!’
Briony jumped out of her chair and ran out of the room. ‘Nurse! Nurse! My grandmother, Blythe, is waking up!’
The nurse rushed in, around the other side of the bed. ‘Blythe. Can you hear me?’
Briony stared at her expectantly. ‘I saw her little finger move – I swear.’
The nurse stopped and looked at Briony, shaking her head. ‘I’m so sorry, but your grandmother hasn’t woken up, if that’s what you’re hoping.’
Briony stared at the nurse, trying to keep her emotions in check. For a brief moment there, she’d been so happy at the thought that she would be able to speak with her grandmother.
The nurse suddenly jumped back from the bed, her eyes wide. ‘What on earth is that?’ She pointed at Luna.
Briony looked at Luna, her muzzle resting on the bed, on Blythe’s hand.
Oh, no!Briony had been so excited at the thought that her grandmother was waking up, she’d forgotten about Luna.
Briony put her hand on Luna’s head. ‘This is Luna, my grandmother’s dog.’
‘But she’s a … a …’
‘No, she’s only a little bit wolf, mostly dog. And she’s a very gentle girl.’
The nurse seemed to relax a little. ‘Have you got permission to bring Luna into the hospital?’
It sounded like dogs were permitted; otherwise the nurse would have told her there and then that Luna had to leave. Briony chose her words carefully. ‘Not exactly.’
‘Hmm. Meaning you haven’t.’
Briony winced. ‘No. But the thing is, I thought bringing Luna to see my grandmother might wake her up.’
The nurse smiled. ‘I see. Look, I understand. I’ll have a word with my supervisor, but I suspect that unless Luna is registered as a therapy dog, she won’t be able to visit again.’
Briony looked downcast until she had a thought. ‘How do I get her registered as a therapy dog?’
The nurse looked at her thoughtfully. ‘I’m not sure. Perhaps ask a vet’s practice? They might know.’
‘Oh, okay.’ Briony brightened for a moment. ‘I know an amazing vet. I’ll ask her.’ But she knew it didn’t change the fact that Luna wouldn’t be coming again.
The nurse was about to leave the room. She stopped at the door, and turned around. ‘Did you and Luna visit any other patients before coming in here?’
Briony breathed a sigh. There was no point lying about it. One of the patients in the ward outside her grandmother’s room was bound to say something. ‘Well, not intentionally.’ Briony winced as she explained what happened.
The nurse pointed. ‘So Luna said hello to the patients on the ward?’
‘Look, I’m really sorry about that.’
‘No, no. There’s no need to apologise. I’ve never seen my patients so happy, not to mention willing to cooperate with their meds today. I was wondering what had got into them all. Nobody wants to be stuck in hospital, do they? Especially at their age, wondering if they’ll ever go home.’
Briony looked down at her grandmother.
‘Now, I’m just wondering if there’s a possibility that while Luna is applying for her credentials as a certified therapy dog …’
‘… She can be a therapy dog in training – like on probation?’ Briony asked, hoping that was what the nurse was suggesting.
The nurse nodded, and grinned. ‘You have to get your foot in the door and gain some experience.’
Briony nodded. ‘Oh, yes.’
‘I’d have to check with matron. Have we got your phone number?’
‘No.’ Briony frowned. They had her mum’s contact number as next of kin, although it had been Lorna’s old number they’d had on record, which was why they’d been unable to contact her when Blythe went into hospital. Briony was now regretting giving the other nurse her mum’s new mobile phone number, though. What if the hospital contacted her mum? She didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to her at the time she’d handed it over. She quickly dismissed that thought. Perhaps the nurses would assume she’d contacted her mum herself and let her know about Blythe. Besides, the nurse had said they needed it just to update their records. They’d be far too busy to give her mum a call, surely.
‘I can give you my mobile number.’
The nurse got out a pen and small notepad. ‘Okay. Are you her next of kin?’
‘Yes, you can put me down as her next of kin.’ Might as well, thought Briony, as her mum wanted nothing to do with Blythe. And it would hopefully stop them from contacting Lorna.
‘Great.’
Briony glanced at Luna. ‘Do I have to leave?’
The nurse thought for a moment. ‘Well, you’re here now. You might as well stay. Besides, I can keep an eye on Luna.’
Briony’s eyes lit up. ‘Sort of like an informal interview for the position?’
The nursed beamed. ‘I suppose you could call it that. We can’t have any howling, or barking, or any funny business. We can only have her here if she’s calm, with a kind, gentle disposition.’
Briony grinned. ‘Oh, that’s Luna all over.’
‘Well, let’s still see how she does in a hospital environment.’ The nurse stopped at the door on her way out and looked at Luna, who was still sitting quietly by the bed, muzzle resting on Blythe’s hand. ‘So far, so good,’ she said.
When she left the room, Briony said, ‘Do you hear that, Luna? I think you’ll make the grade.’
Luna turned her head to look at Briony.
‘You are such a good dog. Oh, excuse me, wolfdog!’ Briony was extremely disappointed that her plan for Luna to visit and for Blythe to miraculously wake up hadn’t worked. But she had something else up her sleeve – or more to the point, in her handbag.
‘Okay. Let’s try Plan B.’ Briony reached for her handbag. ‘Grandma, there’s something you should know.’