Chapter 11
CHRISTMAS DAY
Putting her book to one side, Peg got up and wandered through to the kitchen where she stood in a dither of indecision.
She wasn’t quite sure what she wanted. A cup of tea?
Or something to eat? But she’d not long had a couple of those especially chocolatey biscuits and there was still tea in the pot from her last cup.
She glanced at her watch. Perhaps she could work on her article for an hour or so, but it was the holidays, and she’d promised herself she wouldn’t.
Plus, there was plenty of time before it needed to be submitted to her editor.
She eyed Rolo, who was curled up in his basket beside the range, a paw over his nose. He was there for the duration.
‘See, if you were a dog, you’d drag me out for a walk and that would be that, but…’ The cat made no movement at all. Peg sighed. Perhaps she’d read a couple more chapters of her book.
The knock on the door startled her. Odd…
Judith was with her daughter and grandchildren today.
Besides, it was a hurried knock, purposeful, not perfunctory like Judith’s was.
And if it was her, she’d have opened the door and come in by now.
Peg frowned, slightly irritated. It was Christmas Day, for heaven’s sake, who would come calling now?
It wasn’t that she guarded her solitude, Judith often came unannounced, but like a lot of people her age, Peg had become accustomed to routine and found it hard when that altered, yet…
She pulled open the door, causing the woman outside to practically fall through it.
‘Oh, thank God you’re in,’ she said. ‘I’ve had to knock on three doors before I found someone who could tell me where you lived. No one’s in, or they aren’t answering.’
‘Well, it is Christmas Day, people are busy,’ replied Peg. She stared at the woman, recognition firing as she overcame her surprise. ‘Sofia? What on earth are you doing here?’
‘I’m sorry… this is…’ Sofia stopped, her features contorting. ‘I don’t even know how I’m supposed to say this, for goodness’ sake. I mean, I’m not even sure Adam’s got it right…’
Peg pulled the door a little wider. ‘Would you like to come in?’ Something must be wrong, because the perfectly turned out, immaculately dressed woman Peg had met after the carol service looked nothing like the version in front of her now. ‘Has something happened?’
‘It’s Henry,’ blurted Sofia, pulling a phone from her coat pocket and jabbing at the screen. She seemed a little relieved by what she saw, or perhaps didn’t see. ‘There’s been an accident and he… are you and he…? Perhaps you just ought to come with me.’
Peg frowned, her mouth working as she tried to fathom what Sofia was struggling to tell her. ‘Okay, so you’re talking about Henry…’ She trailed off, realising she didn’t even know his last name. ‘Your father-in-law?’
Sofia nodded.
‘What’s happened?’
Sofia’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘They had an awful row, and then… It was my fault. I shouldn’t have shouted at him, but he flew out the door and we didn’t even think anything of it at first. Adam said he was probably just in the front garden, or walking up and down the street and we should leave him to cool off.
Adam was furious as well and… It was only when half an hour had gone past that we realised Henry’s car wasn’t there.
’ Sofia stared at her, her eyes wide, searching for answers she wasn’t sure Peg had.
‘He doesn’t know anyone else who lives out this way, so he must have been on his way here.
And he’s been asking for you, too. He was in so much pain, and Adam thought it might help if he saw you.
He didn’t know if you… well, if you and Henry… ’
The penny dropped with a dull clank in the pit of Peg’s stomach.
‘No, I… we hardly know one another but, where is he?’ She could hear the pitch of her own voice begin to rise.
Why would Henry be asking for her? Why would he have been coming to see her?
Today of all days. It didn’t make any sense. ‘Tell me what’s happened.’
‘We don’t know,’ said Sofia. ‘He hit a tree but, other than that, we’ve no idea. The police didn’t think anyone else was involved, but his car’s a wreck and—’ She broke off, looking as if she were about to cry. ‘It’s Christmas Day, he can’t die today. Adam would never…’
Suddenly aware they were still standing on the doorstep, Peg held out her arms and pulled Sofia into the warmth of her kitchen, hugging her tight.
She wanted to tell her it would all be okay, but she couldn’t.
And she wouldn’t. Everyone had told her that about Julian, and she’d said the words to herself like a mantra, over and over – he’ll be okay, it’ll be okay – but he hadn’t and it wasn’t.
Her own fear sparked her into action. ‘Where is he, Sofia? Which hospital?’ She pulled off her slippers and began rooting for her shoes.
Why could she never find them when— She thrust her feet into them and snatched up her phone from the table.
‘Just give me a minute,’ she said. ‘I need to sort a couple of things.’
Sofia nodded. ‘I’ll wait outside.’
Moments later, Peg joined her, looking anxiously at her ashen face and the silent tears sliding down her cheeks.
‘My car’s this way,’ said Sofia. ‘I didn’t know where you lived.’
Peg took one look at the monstrous size of the vehicle by the kerb and steered them towards her own little hatchback which sat on the gravel to one side of her cottage.
‘I’ll drive,’ she said. ‘There’s no way you should be behind a wheel, and I’m not getting in that thing. Just tell me where we need to go.’
‘He’s in Cheltenham, the hospital by the—’
‘I know it,’ said Peg as she started the engine. She knew it only too well. Seconds later, they were on their way.
Peg didn’t know what to say. Clearly, Adam had thought there was more to her relationship with Henry than there was, but what would have given him that idea?
Not unless Henry had said… It had been lovely bumping into him again after the carol service yesterday evening and, had he been on his own, it’s quite possible she would have invited him in, the thought was certainly there, but…
Thankfully, Sofia kept her eyes glued to her phone for most of the journey and Peg didn’t need to talk much other than to ask questions about what might be happening at the hospital.
Thankfully time was on their side. Visiting hours didn’t start until the afternoon, and with no clinics running today, the car park was mercifully quiet.
She had driven round and round it on so many occasions in the past, panic mounting as the minutes ticked by and she was no closer to finding a space.
No closer to seeing Julian. She had wanted to shout at people, to accuse them of not understanding.
Didn’t they realise how critical time was for her?
Surely someone would have given her a space if they knew her situation, allowed her to park anywhere under the circumstances.
But then she knew, deep down, that so many other people there were just like her, feeling every second slipping away from them, terrified that they would be too late.
She prayed for Sofia’s sake, for Adam’s sake, that today would not be that day.
The accident and emergency department was always busy.
It made no difference that a tinselled tree stood in the corner of the waiting room, or that the television hanging on a wall showed a choir singing mute carols, the words running in a stream across the bottom of the picture.
It was less busy than when she had last seen it, however, and for that she was grateful.
Sofia hurried to speak to a receptionist and, within moments, they were escorted down a long corridor and shown into another.
A single figure was sitting in the middle of a row of seats. Adam jumped up as soon as he saw them.
It was awkward. Peg didn’t know these people. She knew of them, but that wasn’t the same thing, and what little she did know wasn’t particularly complimentary. But it was Christmas, a time when bad things should never happen, so she hugged Adam as he came towards her and mumbled that she was sorry.
He nodded. ‘Thank you for coming. I’ve been told to wait here,’ he said. ‘I don’t really know what’s happening. One of the nurses said something about theatre but there’s someone else with Dad just now.’ He pointed to a curtained area some distance away. ‘He’s through there.’
Sofia clutched at his hand and sat down beside him. ‘That’s good then,’ she said. ‘If he’s got someone with him. It means they’re doing something.’ She nodded several times, studying her husband’s face to see that he agreed with her.
Peg took a seat, smiling a little. ‘I’m not sure why I’m here,’ she whispered, her stomach tight with anxiety. ‘I’m not sure what I can do.’
Adam’s face looked pinched and his hair stuck up on one side as if he’d been repeatedly running his hand through it.
‘Because Dad was saying your name over and over,’ he replied, his voice scratchy.
‘He couldn’t breathe, and he was in so much pain.
Everything has already gone wrong today.
If he…’ He swallowed. ‘If he dies, I didn’t want it to be without seeing you first. In case it matters. ’
Peg nodded. ‘Okay,’ she murmured. Adam would expect her to reassure him, to say how certain she was that his dad would pull through, but she’d made a bargain with herself never to promise that again. It wasn’t a promise anyone could keep.
The curtain twitched open and two people appeared – a nurse and another man in normal clothes, their heads bent together as they looked at a clipboard the nurse held in his hands. Walking towards them, the nurse looked up and smiled.
‘Are you Peg?’ he asked.
Heart in her mouth, Peg nodded.
The other person smiled now, his gaze taking in all three of them. He held out his hand. ‘I’m Mr Hemmingway, consultant thoracic surgeon. And you are?’
Adam got to his feet. ‘I’m his… Henry’s son. And this is my wife, Sofia.’ They shook hands.
The surgeon sat down, motioning that they should all do the same.
‘Okay, so you know that your dad has been in a serious accident.’ He cleared his throat and nodded as if he was answering his own question.
‘He’s badly concussed and has broken a couple of ribs, one of which has punctured his lung.
We’ve got that sorted out for now, but he needs to go to theatre as soon as possible and we’ll be taking him down very soon.
You can come and see him for a few minutes, though. ’
They all stood up again, Peg last, lagging behind so that it wouldn’t be her who entered the cubicle first.
The nurse drew back the curtain and Sofia gasped, clutching at Adam’s arm. It wasn’t good, anyone could see that. There were cuts, bruises, blood… They moved as one to stand beside Henry.
Peg’s eyes flew to the machine he was tethered to, the one which beat out the pulses of his life. Numbers for this, numbers for that, lines and wiggles, each one telling a story, a story which Peg could read like a book. She dropped her eyes, wondering if Adam could understand them too.
The nurse smiled and held out a hand to her. Peg could see his name was Robin. ‘Henry’s been asking for you, Peg. Why don’t you come round this side so he can see you better?’
And for the first time, standing by the side of his bed, Peg allowed herself to look at the man she had shared no more than two hours of her life with.
A man she barely knew, but who liked cheese and beetroot sandwiches and mince pies and had joked with her about the colour of paint which may or may not have been spilled all over the M5 motorway.
Breakfast Room Green. Would he even remember that?
His hair looked more grey than she recalled, but perhaps the lighting was to blame. And his face more lined, but perhaps that was down to the pain. She forced herself to smile.
‘Hello, Henry.’
His eyes turned towards her and recognition flickered, pulling up the corners of his mouth – just a little – not quite a smile, but something…
His lips moved, but if he said anything no one could hear it and then they closed again, along with his eyes.
His hand lay inches from her own, and she wondered if she should…
She slipped her fingers around his and gave a tiny squeeze.
It didn’t matter that she scarcely knew him, what mattered was that he knew she was there.
She shushed the thoughts which were jostling inside her head. They were too much, too painful…
The nurse was making ready. The surgeon was on the move. It was time to say goodbye.