Chapter 28
The accident and emergency department was busy when Lily and Nick walked inside with paramedics and nurses bustling about, and people on stretchers and patients with various maladies.
A few staff walked past Nick and said hello and he greeted them in return.
‘Wait here and I’ll speak to the triage nurse,’ Nick said. Lily stood to the side and people milled about. A young child with her arm in a sling came into the hospital with her mum.
‘Do you think it’s broken?’ asked the child of her parent.
‘I don’t know, darling, but the x-ray will tell us,’ the mum said and leaned down and kissed the child on the head.
Denise would be here soon, thought Lily. There would be no kisses on the forehead for her with the news she had just broken to her.
Nick came back to Lily’s side. ‘Gran is with the doctors now,’ he said.
‘Can I go in?’ She looked around.
‘Not yet, they’ll come and get you. You’ll just be in the way.’
Lily nodded and crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
‘My parents should be here soon,’ she said. ‘My mother is a lot. I think you should know that.’
*
The automatic doors opened and Lily’s parents came through and looked around and then saw Lily.
‘Hello, darling, any news?’ asked her father as he kissed her cheek. He looked pale and worried and she felt his fear. Gran had always been in excellent health, remarkable really considering her age.
Lily shook her head. ‘Hi, Dad, I’m so sorry this is so tough.’
Denise kissed her daughter’s cheek and turned to Nick. ‘You must be the nurse?’ she said.
‘Mum and Dad, this is Nick Stafford. Nick, this is Peter and Denise. Nick’s been looking after Gran and he’s in the amateur show we’re both performing in.’
‘An amateur show? What on earth have you been up to in Appleton?’ asked Denise, looking extremely displeased.
Before Lily could answer, a nurse came out into the waiting room. ‘Family of Violet Baxter?’
The four stepped forward but the nurse held up her hand. ‘Only two at a time please.’
Lily stepped forward but her parents were already through the door, leaving her to stand next to Nick.
‘God she’s going to hate that they’re first in.’ Lily sighed.
‘Do you want to get a coffee or a tea?’ Nick asked. ‘There’s a café in the hospital.’
Lily shook her head. ‘No thanks.’
Lily’s mother came out of the door, her arms crossed as she walked up to Lily.
‘She’s asking for you,’ she said.
‘Oh God, is she…?’
Denise rolled her eyes. ‘No, she’s not dying. She’s eating an egg and cress and asking for another teabag as her tea isn’t strong enough.’
‘They said she was in heart failure,’ Lily said.
‘Well if she is, it hasn’t affected her appetite,’ Denise said. ‘Now I need a coffee.’ She turned to Nick. ‘Now, you’re a nurse. Where’s the café?’
‘This way,’ said Nick in his charming way and Lily was sure she could sense Denise’s mood shift.
‘Go on then, Gran’s waiting,’ said Denise to Lily, who made her escape to inside the doors, after being let in by the nurse at the desk.
Lily walked around the department, trying not to stare at people in the cubicles while looking for Gran.
‘There you are,’ she said to her dad who was standing outside a cubicle with the curtains drawn.
‘How is she?’ she asked in a quiet voice.
Her dad shrugged and sighed. ‘She has a chest infection. Her heart is being tricky. It’s not in full failure as they thought, but she needs to stay and have antibiotics and some more tests.’
She could hear voices from behind the curtain and then it was pulled back and Gran was sitting up in bed, with a gown on and wired up to a machine.
‘They’re doing a heart test,’ she said. ‘I’m fine but it’s the chest that’s bothering me more. I have a chest infection,’ she said to Lily. ‘Where’s Nick?’ she said looking behind Lily and into the walk-through.
‘He’s taken Mum to the café,’ said Lily and Violet raised her eyebrows.
‘That’s brave of him, although if anyone can manage Denise, it’s Nick.’
‘Mum,’ said Lily’s dad. ‘Don’t be rude. Denise is very good to you.’
‘She is, Peter, I agree, and she certainly lets me know about it.’ Gran picked up a sandwich and took a bite in defiance.
‘Mrs Baxter.’ A nurse came into the cubicle. ‘We are sending you up to the heart ward in a little while. We’re just waiting for a few tests to come back.’
Gran smiled sweetly. ‘Thank you, dear.’
She looked at Peter. ‘Don’t get any ideas about me going to a nursing home. I will be here and then home again.’
Peter glanced at Lily who avoided his glance. It was clear the teaching job wouldn’t work if she couldn’t leave Gran, but that was a problem for another day.
‘Nick packed a bag for you, but I’ll see what else you need,’ Lily said, looking in the overnight bag on the chair.
‘I’m not going to need much,’ she said to Lily. ‘I can let you know if I need anything else.’
The nurse returned with an orderly. ‘Righto, Mrs Baxter, we’re heading upstairs. We can take your things but you’re having some tests so…’ She turned to Lily and her father. ‘How about you head off and we will call you later and let you know when you can come and see her. We’ll be a long while.’
Violet waved her hand at Lily and Peter. ‘Go home, come back tomorrow unless I’m dying. I’m tired and I don’t want to have to make small talk.’
Lily saw the nurse try and smother a smile and she looked at her dad. ‘I think we have been told,’ she said and she went to Gran’s side and kissed her cheek.
‘I’ll come back tomorrow,’ she said.
‘I’ll be here, God willing,’ Violet said. ‘You have rehearsals tomorrow, so don’t forget to go.’
Peter looked at Lily. ‘Yes, I heard you mention that. What show is it?’
‘ My Fair Lady ,’ said Lily, knowing that this would be interrogated later in detail.
The orderly kicked up the brakes on the bed and started to wheel Gran slowly to the door, making his point known.
‘Okay, Mum, we’ll see you later,’ said Peter as Lily waved.
‘Come and see me tomorrow,’ Gran instructed Lily and she looked at her son. ‘You can stay at home. I’ll let you know if I need anything.’
And then Gran was wheeled away with a wave of her birdlike arm at them both.