Chapter 40
Teddy checked his phone again and sighed. There was still nothing from his mother, only a short text from Wilbur repeating what he’d already told Teddy several times: that it would work out if he could be patient.
It’d be easier to be patient if Teddy had managed a single night of solid sleep since they’d returned home from Riverside. Jessica wasn’t faring much better. They’d both tossed and turned, and not in the fun ways a couple was supposed to when they were newlyweds.
“You ready to start, Ted?” Nate asked, and Teddy stowed his phone in his gym bag.
“Is everyone excited to practice their catches?” Teddy asked the crowd of small children in front of him on the following Wednesday.
The afternoon sun warmed the air around them, and the only sound was the burst of Nate’s whistle as he ran kicking drills on the other side of the oval with the older kids who came to their sports classes.
“Okay, let’s make two lines behind these two,” Teddy said, pointing at Sam and a little girl whose pigtails always fell out.
Once the kids were arranged a couple of metres away from each other and they’d practiced how to bring their hands together as the ball came towards them, Teddy handed out footballs.
“If it’s too hard to catch, take a step towards your partner,” Teddy said.
Goddamn, these kids were cute. Giggles filled the air, and footballs went everywhere.
“Remember,” Teddy called, jogging towards a little boy who didn’t have either of his shoelaces tied, “you need to throw it to where your partner is.”
Sam threw the ball backwards and folded in half, his glee and silliness mixing in a way Teddy wished Jessica could see. But he loved knowing she trusted him enough to leave Sam with him while she ducked over to Somers Gully to pick up some food for Blue.
“Oopsy-daisy,” Sam said, turning around to go and get his ball.
“Watch out!” Nate called, and Teddy’s head snapped up, clocking the Sherrin hurtling towards Sam.
“I get it!” Sam called, his arms wide.
“No, Sam!” Teddy raced towards him, but it was too late. With a thump, the ball hit Sam square in the chest and sent him toppling backwards.
Sam’s arm slammed into the ground behind him, twisting to an unnatural angle, and his little face scrunched with pain. The sounds of the oval faded away, and all Teddy could hear was the pounding of his own heart, the rush of his blood.
Then Sam’s cry of pain sliced through the air.
“Stay still, Sammy,” Teddy said, trying to keep his panic out of his tone as he crouched next to Sam. The best thing he could do for Sam right now was to stay calm. “It’s okay, bud. We’ll get this all fixed up, nice and quick.”
Sam burst into tears, and Teddy wanted to join him. Sam had very clearly snapped both bones in his forearm.
“Nate!” Teddy called over his shoulder.
“Already here.” Nate squatted next to him, his big form casting a shadow over Sam.
“I want Mummy!” Sam looked down at his arm and turned a sickly green colour. “What’s wrong with my arm?”
“Can you call an ambulance?” Teddy whispered.
“On it.”
In the background, Teddy heard Eloise corralling all the other children, telling them it was time to play the packing-up game.
“Teddy. I want Mummy!”
“I know, Sammy. I’m going to call her. It’ll be okay, mate.”
Sam nodded, big tears sliding down his ruddy cheeks. Teddy shifted so he was sitting cross-legged next to Sam. “Can I hold your hand that doesn’t hurt?”
Sam nodded.
God, his palm was so small in Teddy’s.
“Let’s take nice deep breaths.”
“It hurts.”
He’d bet it did.
In the background, Teddy clocked Eloise handing Nate the attendance folder that contained each of the children’s details, his brother answering questions about how old Sam was, his date of birth.
“My tummy hurts.”
Sam’s skin had shifted from green to a sallow grey. Sweat beaded across his forehead, sliding into his dark hair.
“Do you think you might be sick?”
Sam’s eyes widened, and he sobbed harder.
Shit. Before they could move him, they needed to stabilise his arm.
Teddy cast his gaze around the oval, searching for something—anything—that he could use as a makeshift splint.
There. In Nate’s sports bag, there was a manila folder.
It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.
Teddy raised his voice. “Eloise! Can you bring me that manila folder? In Nate’s bag?” He pointed, and she ran towards it. Within seconds, she was on the other side of Sam.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” Autopilot had taken over, all his years of first aid training kicking in. “I’m going to put this around your arm, and then I’ll help you sit up.”
Sam blinked up at him, tears still tracking down his cheeks. “I want Mummy.”
Shit. He hadn’t called Jessica yet. But he couldn’t leave Sam.
God, how was Teddy going to explain this?
The very first time Jessica trusted him to look after Sam solo and he ends up in an ambulance?
What if he needed surgery? Nausea roiled in Teddy’s stomach.
What if Rob used this to say Jessica wasn’t a fit mother at mediation on Tuesday?
Teddy should’ve been watching Sam properly.
They should’ve been further away from Nate’s group. They shouldn’t have come.
He should’ve …
“Teddy?” Eloise said, her hand settling on his shoulder. “You okay?”
Fuck if he was okay or not. Sam was his priority right now.
Once he was able to reframe his muddled mind on that, it only took two seconds for Teddy to figure out what he needed to do.
It was what Jessica would’ve wanted, even if a traitorous voice in the back of his mind wondered if he was too scared to call her himself.
“Can you ring Jessica? Explain what’s happened. Tell her I’m with Sam.”
Once the makeshift splint was in place and Sam’s arm was tucked against his stomach, Teddy gently eased the little boy into a seated position.
As soon as he was upright, Sam vomited.
All over Teddy.
“Sorry!” Sam sobbed.
“It’s okay, mate. No big deal.”
“I made a mess.”
The ambulance pulled into the car park, and two paramedics climbed out.
“It doesn’t matter. Let’s focus on getting you better, hey? Lean back against me. I’ve got you.”
“Mummy?”
“Hi, there,” said one of the paramedics, a tall man with short blond hair and a smattering of tattoos on his forearms. “What have we got here?”
“I fell over, and then I got sick on Teddy. He’s all stinky now,” Sam hiccoughed, which made him gag again.
“I’m sure Teddy doesn’t mind.”
The paramedic examined Sam’s arm, murmuring soft instructions to his partner.
A proper splint appeared, and then a bandage.
When he reached for Sam’s broken arm, the little boy tucked his face into Teddy’s chest, and he couldn’t stop himself from cradling his head, smoothing his thumb up and down his cheek.
“It’s okay, bud. I’ve got you.”
“Is this your son?”
Teddy didn’t hesitate; besides, it wasn’t a lie. “He’s my stepson,” he said as Sam piped up, “He’s my Teddy. And my mummy’s Teddy.”
“Got it. Everyone ready to go?”
“Can you walk over to the ambulance, Sam, or do you want us to get the gurney?” the paramedic asked.
“Teddy carry me?”
Well, damn. There went his heart again.
“Of course, I will, mate.”
Huh.
It was weird for Eloise to be calling Jessica. Although, maybe she was calling to check in after everything that had happened at Wilbur’s birthday.
“Hi, Eloise,” Jessica said brightly, hefting the cat food onto her hip, similar to how she’d carried Sam when he was a toddler.
“Jess, hey. I need you not to panic.”
Her heart stopped. Not literally, but she swayed, struggling to hold onto her phone and the large bag of cat food.
“What’s happened?” she managed to croak. Because no one ever said those words if something wasn’t very wrong, especially not cool, calm, and collected people like Eloise Hamilton.
“Sam had a fall at sports training, and he’s broken his arm.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “Is he okay?”
What a dumb question. Of course, he isn’t okay. My poor baby.
“It’s a bad break, but he’s alright. Looks like both bones in his forearm.”
“Oh my God.”
Twisting, Jessica shoved the bag onto the nearest shelf, not caring when it sent two smaller bags toppling to the floor.
“Teddy’s with him in the ambulance.”
Ambulance? She blinked back tears, determined not to go to pieces right now.
“Teddy wanted to call you, but Sam was upset, and he didn’t want to leave him for even a second.”
Jessica rushed out of the store, setting off the alarms at the front, a loud series of beeps filling her ears. She was still holding the worming and flea tablets she’d grabbed when she first arrived.
“Sorry! Sorry!” she called to the attendant behind the counter, changing tack and heading towards him. “Forgot I had these. I didn’t mean to steal.”
Jesus Christ.
“My son,” her voice cracked, and she tossed the pack of tablets onto the counter, “had an accident. I have to go.”
On shaking legs that felt like they weren’t properly attached to her body, Jessica dashed towards her car.
“Jess?” Eloise asked. “You there?”
“I’m here.” She wrenched open her car door, slid behind the wheel and twisted her key in the ignition.
But nothing happened.
“Nooooo.” She thumped on the dash. “Don’t do this to me.”
“What’s wrong?” Eloise asked at the same time Jessica said, “Which hospital are they going to?”
“The Children’s. The paramedics mentioned it might need surgery to be reset.”
Jessica had to hold onto the steering wheel while Eloise’s words sank in. Her little Sam. Having surgery. He must be terrified right now. Dots danced in front of her eyes.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “My car’s dead, but if you can tell me where they’re taking him, I’ll figure out how to meet them there.”
She tried her car again, and the engine clicked, once, twice, three times, before spluttering into nothingness.