Chapter 35
BAILEY
I’m about halfway to the harbour when the breeze suddenly picks up, and a rhythmic, low whooshing fills the air.
I stop running and look up just as a red and white helicopter flies over my head, low enough that I can make out ‘HM COASTGUARD’ written on the side.
I stare as it heads for the harbour, and a lump forms in my throat.
“Teddy?” I whisper, heart thumping in my chest. I’m frozen to the spot watching as the helicopter goes out to sea, and I just know it’s him.
“TEDDY!” I yell, running again, as fast as I can to the harbour.
The sky has darkened considerably. Thunder rumbles in the distance, and it's hard to see through the driving rain. I get to the harbour soaked through, and every intake of breath feels like glass in my throat. There are people everywhere. A boat is tethered, and a Coastguard van with bright yellow letters saying ‘SEARCH AND RESCUE’ is parked up. My legs go weak as I search the crowd of people for Teddy, but I can’t see him anywhere.
“What the hell is happening out there?” a deep voice growls ahead of me.
“Tell Chris to give a straight fucking answer! Why’s he not saying whether he’s conscious or not?
” The crowd parts and I see Robbie standing close to Teddy’s uncle Luke.
He looks furious, baring his teeth, pointing at a radio Luke is holding, looking like he’s one second away from grabbing the man and shaking him.
He turns to look at me when I run up to him.
“Shit,” he mutters, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from everyone.
“W-where is Teddy?” I ask, unable to stop my lip wobbling. I already know it’s him. Something’s happened, and he’s out there where I can’t get to him.
“Their boat got caught in the storm. Theo was already diving when the order went out to return.” He drags his hands over his face, wiping off the rain.
“What happened?”
“They went to pull him up, but the line snapped. They had to wait to see if he would surface on his own. He had an emergency air supply on him, so he should have been safe.”
I turn away from him and start walking back to the jetty, for what, I don’t know. I want someone to tell me Teddy’s okay, or to take me on a fucking boat to get him myself because I would do anything right now to get to him.
“Hey, stop.” Robbie grabs my arm, pulling me back.
“If the helicopter was needed, then—then they’ll take him to Broadford.
” He continues walking me until we get to a car.
“Wait here, I just need to check something with Luke.” He unlocks the car then walks towards Luke, throwing his hands in the air, pointing at him as they talk. I watch him until he comes back to me.
“Get in,” he growls.
I jump in the car and buckle myself in as Robbie speeds out of the harbour, beeping for people to move out of the way. He taps on his display, and the sound of a phone ringing fills the car.
“What’s up, Robbo?” Isla answers.
“There’s been an accident. You need to get to Broadford Hospital.”
“What? Who?”
“Theo. Pick up Noah on your way. I’ve got Bailey.”
“Alright, see you there,” Isla says, voice wobbling as she hangs up.
The drive to the hospital takes far too long. I feel like I’m vibrating out of my skin, thoughts racing. Not knowing what happened is making me think of the worst possible outcome. I want to see him. I want to touch him and for him to touch me back, so I know for sure he’s still here with me.
My leg starts to bounce erratically as the hospital finally comes into view. I jump out of the car before Robbie pulls up the handbrake and run to the reception.
“Theodore MacLeod,” I say to the receptionist, panting.
“One moment, please,” she says, while tapping slowly on her keyboard. I take a step back and rake my fingers through my hair. I can’t shout at her. I can’t shout at her.
“Mr MacLeod has been taken to the ICU. Are you family?”
I look around as Robbie comes up behind me, and plead silently for him to say something, because I don’t want to be told I’m not allowed to see Teddy.
Robbie steps forward and points a finger at his chest. “Brother.” Then points to me.
“Boyfriend.” Clearly he doesn’t want to be told no, either.
The receptionist doesn’t question the lie as she gives us directions to the waiting room in the ICU.
Robbie takes a seat and rests his elbows on his knees, covering his face with his hands. It’s stressing me out more to see him looking so upset, so I walk to the other side of the waiting room.
I’m not sure how much time passes, but when Teddy’s family comes through the door, I startle. Robbie sees Isla, and he’s off his seat in a second, rushing over to her.
“Hey, he’s okay. It’s not the same as last time,” she soothes, putting her hands on his cheeks so that he’s forced to look at her. They walk off down a corridor, and I look at Noah. He just shakes his head, neither of us knowing what Isla’s talking about.
“Lost his da at sea when he was fourteen,” Teddy’s dad says. “He came to live with us for a few years before he went off to university.”
He died at sea? So Teddy really could have … “Have you heard anything?” I ask.
John takes off his flat cap and scratches his head.
“I spoke to the doctor before we came here; as far as I’m aware, he was hypothermic when he came in …
and unconscious. They’ve told us that they’re running tests for decompression sickness and concussion, but so far, he just seems a bit banged up. ”
What the hell is decompression sickness? I pull out my phone to search it, but Noah quickly snatches it from my hand. When I glare at him, he just stares back, raising an eyebrow, daring me to challenge him.
“Stick to the facts. He’s okay right now,” Noah says calmly.
I hate when he’s reasonable. Leaning back in my chair, clinging to the arm rests, I close my eyes. There’s nothing to do but wait.
“Hey.”
A hand shakes my shoulder and I jolt upright to find Isla hovering over me.
“He’s asleep but stable. They said we have a few hours before visiting time’s over. Do you want to go in first on your own?”
Surprised, I look around the waiting room and lock eyes with Teddy’s mum. She nods and smiles reassuringly, but I still feel guilty. “I shouldn’t. I … family should go first.”
“Go,” Isla says sternly, pointing towards the corridor. The look on her face brooks no argument, so I pull myself up cautiously, coming eye to eye with her. Deciding today is not the day to argue with a six-foot red-headed woman, I edge around her and make my way down the corridor.
As I enter the room my heart leaps into my throat.
I wasn’t prepared to see him like this. I walk over on unsteady legs, taking in all the tubes and wires attached to him.
His skin’s no longer bronze, and his once blush lips have a tinge of blue to them.
The only thing reassuring me he’s alive is the steady beep of the heart rate monitor.
I stare at his chest, watching as it moves up and down in shallow waves.
The ceiling feels too low, and the room too narrow. The clinical, bright-white lights stab my eyes and make my temples throb. My mind replays the same thought over and over—I could have lost him today.
I find a chair and drag it to the side of his bed, then take his hand in mine, holding on tightly.
I take a deep breath to steady myself. “You can wake up now,” I say weakly, searching his face for movement.
My stomach turns over when I see gauze on the side of his head stained red from his blood.
Carefully I stroke his hair from his face. “I’m here, Teddy.”
When we were kids and I couldn’t speak, Teddy would talk non-stop to fill the silence. His deep voice was enough to calm me and let me know everything would be okay. I try to do the same for him.
“The first time we met, I hadn’t made it very far into the woods.
It was dark, and I was getting paranoid that Shane was coming for me, or that there would be someone hiding behind a tree, ready to grab me.
But then I saw you running. I don’t know why I felt like I could trust you.
We hadn’t even spoken to one another, but I ran after you.
Even knowing what I know now, I think if I were given a choice to do that again, I’d run after you every single time.
” My eyes scan his face, then his body, searching for any kind of response.
Feeling hopeless, I try something else. “When you first told me you were Scottish, I was surprised because I’d thought you were Irish the whole time. ”
Nothing.
“Once, I bought you a big box of chocolates, but I ended up eating them all while you were at work. I didn’t have enough money to replace them, so I bought you a twenty-pence candy necklace instead,” I blurt out, biting my bottom lip.
“You’re in big trouble if that’s true.” Teddy’s hand twitches in mine, and his voice comes out deep and gruff.
I let out a startled chuckle. Then I laugh. I laugh until all my emotions get tangled up and they turn into heaving sobs.
“Stop it. I can’t stay mad at you if you do that.”
“I can’t help it,” I choke out.
Teddy groans as he tries to pull his body up, and I quickly find the controls to lift the bed into a sitting position.
“Are you okay?”
“No,” is all he says, and he sounds pissed.
“Do you need me to get someone?” I stand and look at the door.
“No. I’m—fuck, my body feels like I’ve gone twelve rounds with Robbie.”
I frown at him. “Twelve rounds of what?”
“Boxing …”
I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Robbie’s a boxer. … You know what—not important. My head is pounding.”
“What happened out there?”
“The line broke somehow. I have no idea what was happening topside, but I can remember breaking the surface and there being no one there to pull me up.” He frowns, then shakes his head.
“I’m staying with you until you're completely better,” I say resolutely. “I’m not going back Friday.”
“I’m fine, Bay. I just said, it’s a few bumps and scrapes.”
“I’m not going back.” Not ever, if I can help it.
“Fine, of course I want you to stay.” He pulls me until I’m forced to climb onto the bed. I settle alongside him, careful of the wires, and wrap my arm gently around his middle, resting my chin on his shoulder.
With the rush of everything that’s happened, I forgot about Shane.
Just as my nervous system starts to calm down, the memory of that box and the note comes front and centre, making my heart race all over again.
I need to tell Teddy everything, but I don’t want to do it here.
I’ll show him when we get home. … He’ll know what to do.