Chapter 46
Nancy was still trying to take in Brigid’s news when they walked slowly back towards Danny’s bed. Amazingly, the two boys were hiding under the covers, playing some game, while Danny’s games console sat abandoned on the bedside cabinet.
‘No hammers? No murder on ward nine?’ asked Brigid incredulously.
The woman with pink slippers smiled smugly. ‘Good as gold, they were. Your boy did start up a bit but I had a word. A firm hand. That’s all that’s needed.’
Poor Brigid! This wasn’t the first time that a mum had suggested that Billy’s behaviour was down to bad parenting. Nancy shot her friend an ‘ignore her’ look.
‘I told them,’ continued Pink Slippers, ‘that if they couldn’t share that expensive toy, neither of them could have it. So I suggested they made up their own game instead.’
They all looked at the bedcover, which was moving in what appeared to be giant ripples, with giggles underneath. ‘Please no,’ said Brigid faintly. ‘Bella at Puddleducks said Billy wouldn’t stop playing with what she calls his nether regions during the nativity rehearsal the other day. Did I tell you that he’s landed the role of the front half of the ox? Sienna’s mum was furious because Sienna’s only the back feet.’
Nancy, still distraught at Lily’s plight, wasn’t really listening. Besides, masturbating was, according to her American parenting magazine, quite normal at this age.
‘Boys, what are you doing?’
‘Playing boats.’
‘Playing boats?’
‘It’s Lily’s favourite game. We always play boats cos she lives on one, but that’s a secret so don’t tell anyone.’ Danny’s face beamed at her. ‘Is she coming soon? Cos we’ve made her a special place.’
The women looked at each other. ‘What do you reckon?’ asked Brigid, dragging Nancy off to the side again. ‘Fact or friction? I’m not joking. You never know with this lot. Billy’s always making stuff up to cause trouble. On the other hand, probably there was a canal at the back of the farm, so maybe there are some boats to hide in.’
Nancy dropped her voice. ‘But surely they’d have checked, wouldn’t they?’
Brigid shrugged. ‘You’d think so. But I think I might just make a phone call. You OK with those two for a bit?’
The boat drama under the bedcover kept the boys distracted for a good half-hour. Nancy would have thanked the mother in pink slippers but one of the other doctors had arrived, a tall serious grey-haired man, and the curtains had been drawn round the bed occupied by the woman’s daughter. Behind them, she could hear low urgent whispers.
When Brigid came back she seemed flustered, pulling Nancy to one side again so the children didn’t hear. ‘I rang Corrybank but Mr Balls was in some kind of meeting, so I left a message with the school secretary and then I rang the police. Yes, I know that sounds a bit extreme and believe me, I felt a right twat at first when I told them what the boys had said about Lily living on a boat. But then this really nice policewoman said that they were following up all leads and we agreed that kids were usually much better at telling the truth than adults.’
She leaned against the wall, fanning herself with a leaflet asking if she was willing to donate blood. ‘Phew, it’s hot in here. By the way, on a lighter note, I hear that your mother-in-law and mother were both making a play for Brian at the disco. Do you know him? He used to be the head of Reception. He’s a really nice man. Oh no, look at those two! Billy!’
Nancy felt embarrassed at the way her friend was yelling across the ward, as though they were back in the Puddleducks playground.
‘Stop banging the hammer on Danny’s bed. You’ll bend it. And the hammer too.’
It was almost a relief when Brigid went. Danny was sleepy again and Nancy wanted to find a nurse to check that his rosy face was just a sign that he’d been having a great time with his play date.
The lovely warm Irish nurse had gone off duty to be, no doubt, with her husband and their three children. Nancy felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of them cosily snuggled up in front of the television with their supper trays, a scene which Deirdre had described on more than one occasion. That wasn’t the sort of thing which she and Sam had ever allowed in their house, but maybe when they got back they might do things differently.
Meanwhile, several of the nurses had gone behind the curtain around the bed of the child whose mother wore pink slippers. The voices were still low and urgent and, if she wasn’t mistaken, she could hear tears. Still, as Patricia had said when she’d visited yesterday and seen the bruises on the child’s legs, parents like that ought to be punished. Nancy felt a sudden chill. If it hadn’t been for Brigid being so insistent, she would never have left the boys with Pink Slippers. Still, they had been on the ward and she had kept her eye on them all the time through the glass in the door.
‘No! No!’
The woman’s anguished cries rang out. One of the nurses emerged from behind the curtain and came towards Nancy. ‘I’m sorry about this,’ she whispered. ‘We’ll be moving her soon.’
‘You’re charging her mother?’ asked Nancy.
The nurse looked shocked. ‘No. Her daughter is going to a side ward.’ She began to whisper. ‘I shouldn’t be saying this, but your neighbour has just had some bad news. The tests have shown the child has leukaemia.’