Chapter 44
Later that afternoon, Nancy came to see her. The poor woman looked drawn and weary, as though she hadn’t had any sleep, but she was smiling. ‘Danny’s come round fine and he’s talking quite a lot! You can see he’s got more energy. I know it’s early days, as everyone keeps telling me, and we’ve got to stay in hospital for a few weeks apparently, but we’re so grateful, Gemma. We really are. I sent Sam round to meet you. I hope he said thank you. He can be a bit reticent at times but he really is as grateful as I am. We don’t know how we can repay you.’
Gemma squeezed her hand, thankful that her nosy neighbour had her curtains drawn round her again. Despite their short acquaintance, she wouldn’t put it past the woman to leap in and add her pennyworth. ‘You’ve repaid me already by telling me that Danny is chattering away.’
Nancy bent down and brushed Gemma’s cheek. ‘Do you feel all right?’
‘Fine.’ A bit tired but there was no need to tell Nancy that. ‘They’re letting me out tomorrow.’
‘That’s wonderful. Then in that case, I wonder if you’d mind seeing my mother-in-law? She insists on coming to thank you herself. Says she has something really important to tell you.’
Someone’s got a lot of visitors, one of the nurses remarked to Gemma. Yes, and not all were wanted. Gemma braced herself as Patricia sailed in, wearing a very large skirt that swished along the floor like that of a Victorian matriarch. ‘Ah, Gemma. There you are.’
As if she would be anywhere else!
‘I’d like to thank you for what you’ve done for my grandson.’ Her voice dropped. ‘About that other thing. You know. The thing we were talking about last month.’
‘Do you mean our conversation about Sam?’
Patricia put her finger to her lips. ‘Shhh. Walls have fears. I mean ears. Yes, of course I do. Do be a bit quicker, dear. If you don’t mind me saying, it would be a shame if either of us told Nancy the truth, don’t you think? Just imagine the effect on Danny.’
Gemma nodded. Suddenly the chain around her neck felt hot and itchy, as though it was telling her to take it off. But for some reason, she couldn’t. She just couldn’t.
‘I quite agree. Sam has undertaken to sign the relevant papers. Don’t worry about Nancy. We will both be free soon after Christmas.’
One of the nurses came up behind them. ‘Goodness, Gemma, I’ve never known anything like it. You’ve got another visitor now.’ She gave Gemma a ‘this one is special’ look. ‘If you don’t want him, I’ll have him myself!’
Patricia wobbled to her feet. ‘Must go now, dear. I’m expecting a call from Brian – such an attentive man, don’t you think? – and of course I want to get back to Danny. So glad you see things my way. Bye!’
She and Barry almost bumped into each other. It was difficult to see him through the huge bouquet of red roses he was carrying.
‘How are you feeling?’ He bent down and kissed her. Not on her cheek, but a proper one that made the nearby nurse sigh with admiration. Gemma was embarrassed, but Barry beamed. ‘I won’t stay long, my lovely girl. I’m so proud of you for doing this.’
She felt a rush of relief. ‘Thank you for understanding. Not everyone would.’
He began arranging the flowers for her in the vase next to the bed. ‘They say you can come out tomorrow morning. I’ll be here on the dot to take you back. Mum says you’re not to worry about cooking or looking after yourself. We’ll do that for you.’
‘Sorry,’ said Gemma. She could feel herself drifting. ‘Please don’t think I’m being rude but I just have to go to sleep.’
‘Wow,’ said a voice through the curtains after Barry had said his goodbyes. ‘He was a looker – no mistake. Whatever was in that drip of yours, I’ll have some!’
The next morning, when Gemma woke up, her first thought was that she needed to see Nancy before being discharged, to check how Danny was doing. But first she needed to get to the loo. It still felt odd swinging her legs out of bed and waddling along to the cubicle at the end but it was easier than yesterday. She had thought it would be more difficult to be a bone marrow donor, so it was a relief to feel almost normal.
‘Want to borrow my newspaper, love?’ asked her neighbour on the way back.
It wasn’t a paper which she normally read but even so, she could get quite used to this. Lying in bed and reading after nine in the morning, when she was usually at the playgroup. But what was this all over the front page?
MISSING! DAUGHTER OF CELEbrITY DILLY DALUNG HAS GONE MISSING DURING A PLAYGROUP TRIP TO A FARM IN BEDFORDSHIRE. HER FATHER, WHO IS ESTRANGED FROM THE SINGER AND IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIERCE CUSTODY BATTLE, IS CURRENTLY BEING QUESTIONED.
Gemma felt hot and cold, and at the same time she wanted to be sick. Why wasn’t her mobile working? She began to shake so hard that it was difficult even to ring the bell for the nurse.
‘Please.’ Gemma could hardly get her words out. ‘Please. I need to make an urgent phone call. Something awful’s happened.’
Lily lay very still. Don’t make a noise. That was what her mother always said in the evenings when she was sewing in the dim light of their bedroom. Be a good girl.
Her mother spoke in the language Lily felt comfort- able with. Not the strange language that they all spoke at playgroup, which she had made herself learn just like Mama had told her to.
You must not get found out, her mother had said. If you do, we will all be in trouble. Big trouble. Then, Lily knew, they would have to go back to that cold place where her tummy made funny noises because it was empty inside.
But if she played the game, as her mother called it, they could move out of this place and have their own palace just like the lovely lady in the sunglasses.
Lily shivered. It was cold and her coat wasn’t thick enough. Her mother would be worried about her. But if she came out from here, she might be angry too.
All she had wanted was to get something for Danny. Lily opened her right hand, which contained a pink and blue stripy rubber in the shape of a cow. She had bought it from the farm gift shop with the pocket money that the lovely lady in the sunglasses had given her for the trip.
And now she needed to get it to Danny.