Chapter 5
5
The day staff had taken over Fletcher’s care as soon as Aidan and Amy had reached the emergency department. The paediatrician on call had suspected hypoglycaemia, and Fletcher had regained consciousness almost immediately after they began to administer IV fluids. The doctor had started firing questions at Demi related to the possibility that Fletcher might have type 1 diabetes, but the forcefulness of his approach had made her burst into tears again.
‘See if you can get some sense out of her, while we get started with some tests, can you? She seems to trust you and if there’s something else going on, you’ve probably got the best chance of getting to the bottom of it,’ the paediatrician whispered in Amy’s ear as Demi clung to her son’s hand.
‘They think this is my fault, don’t they?’ Demi looked straight at Amy after the paediatrician left the cubicle. ‘They think I’ve been neglecting Fletcher.’
‘No, of course not.’ Amy was aware that the doctor might consider it a possibility, but she didn’t believe it. Over the years she’d seen things she wished she hadn’t, parents who’d deliberately hurt their own children, or endangered them as a result of neglect, stopping at nothing to try and cover their tracks, but that’s not what she saw in Demi. ‘We’re just trying to find out a bit more about what happened before Fletcher collapsed, that’s all. We need to ensure he gets the right treatment as soon as possible.’
Demi shot a look at her son, who by now was watching something on her phone, his face illuminated by the screen, and wearing a pair of green wireless headphones, topped with a row of dinosaur scales. He looked blissfully unaware of all the drama he’d caused; only Demi’s puffy, red eyes gave the game away. ‘He said he was hungry before he collapsed, and he’d gone a bit pale. I should have fed him before we went in to see Mum, but we were in a rush and anyway, I didn’t have any…’ She hesitated for a moment, seeming to catch herself. ‘We just didn’t have time.’
‘It sounds like it might be his blood sugar levels, and there’s a chance it might be diabetes, but it could just be down to the fact Fletcher hadn’t eaten for a while.’ Amy couldn’t help noticing how fragile Demi looked; her arms were so thin they were barely any bigger than her son’s. There was always a fine line to tread between nursing and social care, but she had to ask.
‘Are there ever times when you struggle to have enough to eat?’ Amy kept her voice as light as she could for such as heavy question. The last thing she wanted was for Demi to feel judged in any way, because that absolutely wasn’t her intention. It was clear how much Demi loved her son, and Amy didn’t doubt that she was doing her best, but she needed to be certain there wasn’t more to the family’s situation.
‘We get by.’ Demi had straightened her shoulders, defensiveness prickling her tone. ‘Money’s been tighter since I gave up work to look after Mum, before she came into hospital. Even his headphones are hand-me-downs from a friend.’
‘There might be support you can access that will help you to do more than get by. You shouldn’t have to go without because you’ve been caring for your mum.’ She didn’t add that Fletcher shouldn’t have to miss out either, but Demi had clearly picked up the implication.
‘I make sure Fletcher doesn’t go without.’ Demi’s defensiveness gave way to a shuddering sigh. ‘Although that’s more down to the kindness of others, like your friend, Aidan.’
‘I didn’t realise you knew him.’ Aidan had needed to leave to meet Jase not long after they’d brought Fletcher into A&E. He’d asked Amy to text him later to let him know that the little boy was okay, but he hadn’t given any indication of having known the family.
‘I don’t, as such, but his husband, Mr Kennedy-Taylor, is the headteacher of Fletcher’s school. And I’ve seen Aidan at some of the events, raising funds for the school, including the Humpty Dumpty club. They managed to raise enough to fund places for the whole school year.’ Demi must have picked up on Amy’s confusion. ‘It’s a club for children who benefit from having a free breakfast at school. With that and the free school lunches he’s entitled to, I only have to worry about a snack in the evening for Fletcher, and feeding him at the weekends. I only eat at home when he does, and I can get by on just an evening meal. But it’s half term this week, and this morning there was nothing left. I was going to go to the supermarket last night, to see if they had any bits reduced, but with Mum being so poorly I didn’t leave here until late, and I couldn’t leave Fletcher at his play date for any longer. He had pizza there, and ice cream, so I thought he’d be okay until later. The doctor is right, it’s all my fault he’s ill.’
Tears had sprung into Demi’s eyes again and she wasn’t the only one. It shouldn’t have to be that way. All Demi wanted to do was take care of her little boy, and it had been her desire to care for her own mother, during her final days, that had made that near on impossible. There was something wrong in the world and it made Amy’s heart hurt. Walking over, she wrapped her arms around Demi.
‘It’s not your fault and I promise you won’t have to worry about not being able to feed Fletcher or yourself again.’
‘Thank you, thank you so much.’ Demi rested her head against her shoulder, and even though Amy had no idea how she was going to fulfil her promise, she knew for certain that she would. Whatever it took.