Chapter 28
28
Rick was running by the time he reached the top of the steps, barely pausing at the kerb to let a car pass before he sprinted across the road towards the hotel. He needed to talk to Anya, but not until he’d found out exactly what had happened between her and Davy. The reception area was empty and so was the office by the looks of things. Davy must be making a cup of tea, because if he was off doing something around the building he always made sure to lock up the office. Rick dodged past the desk, intent on heading down the corridor to the kitchenette, when he spotted a foot sticking out from behind Davy’s desk and then he heard a soft moan.
‘Davy?’ He ran into the office to find his uncle flat on his back on the floor, white faced and sweating. He had his hands pressed to his stomach as he moaned again. ‘Bloody hell, what’s wrong?’
‘Just help me up,’ Davy muttered through gritted teeth as Rick crouched down beside him.
‘But if you’ve fallen over, I’d better not move you until the ambulance arrives,’ Rick protested as he pulled out his phone .
‘I didn’t fall and I don’t need an ambulance, I’ve just got a bit of a stomach ache. Now help me up, please.’
Shocked by the desperate pleading in his great-uncle’s voice, Rick put an arm around his shoulders and began to lift Davy. The old man cried out and Rick immediately lowered him back down. ‘Enough of this, I’m calling for help.’
He got through on 999 and, after what seemed like a million questions, the call handler told him an ambulance would be with them as soon as they could. ‘Any idea how long?’ Rick asked, shoving a worried hand through his hair as he stared down at Davy. ‘He’s got cancer and I’m not sure how bad it is but he’s got an appointment for a scan soon.’
‘We’re very busy at the moment, sir, I’m sorry. Can you give me details on his condition and I can add them to the notes for the paramedics?’
Rick swallowed. ‘I… I don’t really know, I’m afraid.’ He glared down at his uncle, wanting to yell at him that this was why it was wrong of him to shut everyone out. They needed to know stuff like this. But it was only his fear making him want to rage, a fear he saw reflected in his great-uncle’s eyes. ‘Can you at least give me an idea of how long we might be waiting?’ he asked the call handler.
‘As I said, we are very busy and all our teams are out on priority calls.’
Rick wanted to snap that this was a bloody priority, but again he held his tongue. Davy was clearly in severe pain, but he was breathing okay and he was lucid. There would be people out there in a much worse state. ‘An hour?’ he asked. The call handler didn’t reply. Bloody hell. ‘Two?’
‘At least,’ she said. ‘I am very sorry but we will get there as soon as we can.’
Rick looked down at Davy. He couldn’t leave him just lying there on the floor and his car was parked back at home. ‘Okay, that’s too long, so I’m going to take him to the hospital myself. Thanks for your help but can you cancel the request?’
‘Are you sure you can move him safely?’
‘Yes. I’ve got plenty of people to help, don’t worry. Thanks for your time.’ He rang off and immediately dialled his father’s number. ‘Dad, I’m at the hotel and Davy needs to go to the hospital but I can’t leave him to get my car.’
‘What’s happened?’
‘It’s not for me to say, Dad, but please, I really need your help.’
Jago huffed out a breath. ‘Fine. Let me call Ryan. I know he and Matt were working locally today, so he’s your best bet. You and I are going to have a talk later, lad.’ The phone went dead.
Rick knew there would be a reckoning with his father, but he couldn’t worry about that now. He plucked the cushion Anya had made off Davy’s chair and gently lifted his great-uncle’s head enough to pop the cushion behind it. ‘Help’s on the way,’ he assured him, reaching down to brush the sweaty strands of hair away from his forehead. Davy didn’t even try to argue, just clenched his teeth and nodded again, his hands pressed underneath his belly.
The phone rang and it was Matt. ‘We’re a couple of minutes away. Front or back door?’
Rick frowned and considered their options. ‘Front. I’ll open the fire door at the side and I think if you can help me get him to his feet we can walk him out.’
‘No probs.’
The silver pickup with Penrose and Son emblazoned down the side pulled up outside just as Rick had unlocked and secured the fire door open on its heavy magnet. Rick only had time to meet Ryan’s worried gaze from the driver’s window before Matt ran around the front of the truck to join him. ‘Where is he? What happened?’
‘He’s in the office,’ Rick said, leading the way. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong, something to do with his stomach because that’s what he keeps holding. I tried for an ambulance but they said at least a couple of hours.’
‘Stuff that,’ Matt said, shaking his head before he put on a bright smile. ‘Blimey, Uncle D, what’s all this, then?’
‘What does it look like, you stupid boy?’ Davy managed to grumble.
Matt laughed, not taking the least bit of offence. ‘If you’re still complaining, it can’t be that bad. Come on then, old man, let’s get you up.’
With his cousin’s help, it was almost no effort to get Davy up. He was skin and bone, Rick discovered as he slung an arm around his great-uncle’s waist, and between him and Matt they carried him towards the door. Ryan was out and on the pavement, the wide back door of the pickup open, and they quickly settled Davy on his back across the seats. Rick ran back inside the hotel, grabbed his uncle’s mobile and keys off the desk and locked the office door. He pulled out his own phone and sent Anya a message.
I know you hate me but Davy’s ill and we’re taking him to the hospital. Can you watch the hotel?
His phone rang a couple of seconds later. ‘I’m on my way.’
Rick sighed in relief that at least she was reading his messages. ‘I’ve locked the office, do you need the keys?’
‘No, I have a spare set. ’
‘What about the phone?’
‘I’m only around the corner, so I’ll be there in a couple of minutes, just stick it in the top drawer of the desk.’
‘Done.’ Rick ran towards the exit, kicking the fire door free of the maglock as he passed so it would close behind him. ‘Thank you.’
‘I’m doing this for him, not for you.’ She was silent for a moment. ‘I haven’t said anything to anyone yet, but you must know this deception can’t go on.’
‘I know,’ Rick said, propping his phone under his chin as he climbed into the back and lifted Davy’s head up so it could rest on his lap. His eyes met his uncle’s through the rear-view mirror and he knew it wasn’t only his dad who would have something to say to him about the situation. ‘I’ll sort it out, somehow.’
Anya was silent for a moment. ‘Call me later when you know what’s going on.’
By the time they got to the hospital, the tops of Rick’s legs were wet through from the sweat pouring off Davy, and his great-uncle was struggling to speak. What he did manage to say wasn’t making much sense and all Rick could do was hold onto him and murmur that everything would be all right. Between the three of them they managed to carry Davy into the reception area, where something like a dozen people were already waiting in the neat row of plastic chairs lined up in front of the desk.
The receptionist took one look at them and she must’ve pressed some kind of secret bat signal on her desk because moments later two men and a woman all dressed in pale green hospital scrubs came running through the large double doors. The woman immediately turned back the way they’d come while the two men hurried over to them. The younger of the two turned to Ryan and addressed him .
‘Hello, I’m Dr Hillman. What’s the problem?’ He had black-framed glasses and fine blond hair that was swept back from his forehead in an untidy tangle as if he’d run his hands through it many times. He couldn’t have been much older than Rick, but he exuded an air of quiet calm and authority.
‘This is my uncle Davy – sorry, David Penrose. Best speak to Rick as he’s the one who found him.’ Ryan gestured in Rick’s direction.
Davy groaned and the older man in scrubs came to help Rick and Matt who were still holding Davy up. ‘Hello there, Davy, I’m Jamie. All right then, we’ll get you sorted out in no time. Look, here’s Nicky with the trolley now.’ The female nurse who had disappeared had returned in short order with a porter who was pushing a trolley. Jamie glanced up at Rick and Matt. ‘You okay to lift him?’
‘Absolutely,’ Rick said.
‘Whatever you need,’ Matt said at the same time, and between them they got Davy up onto the trolley.
‘Room three is free,’ Nicky said to Jamie, who nodded and they immediately began pushing the trolley back towards the double doors.
Rick, Ryan and Matt made to follow them, but the doctor raised a hand to hold them back. ‘I can’t have all of you in there, sorry.’ He looked at Rick. ‘You found him?’
Rick nodded. ‘He was lying on his back in his office, pale, sweating and holding his stomach. He said he hadn’t fallen when I asked him.’
The doctor nodded. ‘And do you know how old he is?’
Rick shrugged. ‘Not sure. Eighty-something. We had Pa’s eightieth last year and Davy is a couple of years older than him.’
‘Don’t worry, someone will be out in a minute to take down some proper details. I need to get in there and do the examination. Is there any pertinent information we should know about – any pre-existing conditions?’
Rick swallowed hard. ‘He… he has cancer.’
‘He what?’ Ryan exclaimed.
Ignoring him, Rick kept his eyes on the doctor. ‘I don’t know the details but I think it’s pretty far along from the little bit he’s told me. He’s supposed to be having a scan. A letter arrived today but I don’t have the details.’
The doctor nodded. ‘That’ll do for now. Take a seat and I’ll come and talk to you again as soon as I can.’ He placed a hand on Rick’s arm. ‘Try not to worry, he’s in good hands.’ And with that he pushed through the double doors and left Rick to face the music.
Taking a deep breath, Rick reluctantly focused on his uncle and cousin. Both were frowning, but Ryan looked furious whereas Matt just seemed a bit confused. ‘I can explain?—’
‘Outside. Now.’ Ryan turned on his heel and marched towards the front door.
Matt winced. ‘I have no idea what’s going on, but you are in the shit, mate. I’ve never seen him so mad.’
Rick sighed. Both his uncle and father shared the same relaxed, sunny outlook on life, and Rick could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he’d seen either really lose their temper. Keeping Ryan waiting wasn’t going to make things any easier, so Rick followed after him, Matt on his heels. His uncle was standing on the pavement about thirty feet from the entrance, hands on his hips, his mouth pulled into a tight line.
‘I’m sorry,’ Rick said as soon as he was close enough.
Ryan shook his head. ‘I don’t want to hear it. Just tell me what the hell is going on.’
Rick opened his mouth, then closed it again as he spotted a familiar red estate car pulling into the car park. It was more abandoned than parked in the nearest available space, and seconds later Rick’s parents emerged.
Matt placed an arm around his shoulder. ‘You know that shit you’re in? It just got about ten times deeper.’