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‘Heart rate up, blood pressure up, non-responsive.’

‘Not good. But I have found the antivenom you want. It’s last year’s batch, but in the fridge, so should still work.’

‘It’s all I’ve got.’

‘I’ll get it over to you ASAP. You can settle up with me later, but you might have to pay a taxi driver for the delivery.’

‘Sounds like a good deal. Thanks Hugh.’ He headed back to Evelyn and Tilly.

‘Come on, girl, you have to get better. Summer still needs you. I still need you.’ Evelyn was nose to nose with Tilly, leaning down awkwardly to ensure she was in the little dog’s vision, and stroking her forehead gently while still holding the IV bag.

Jake cleared his throat, not wanting to interrupt the tender moment, but still needing to work. Evelyn looked up, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

‘Good news.’ Jake smiled. ‘The antivenom is on the way.’

‘She’s still not responding.’

‘With the shock, and the drugs I’ve given her, she’ll be pretty out of it.’ He pumped up the blood pressure cuff, listening through the stethoscope, and glancing at the notes he’d made earlier. ‘She’s stable.’

‘I guess that’s about the best we can hope for right now.’

‘Stable is good. Can you take these’—he handed her the heat pad and cables—‘and hold on to the IV bag?’ He gently scooped up Tilly. ‘Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you warm and comfortable.’ He turned to Evelyn. ‘Stay close, and try to keep the bag up?’

‘Not a problem.’ Evelyn nodded, and followed him, matching her steps with Jake’s until he sat on the sofa by the reception window, Tilly on his lap.

Evelyn put the heating pad down next to him, and plugged it in on the wall. Jake placed Tilly on it, and tucked her blanket over her before taking the IV bag back.

Evelyn sat down with them, letting her hand rest on Tilly’s soft head. ‘How long do you think before the antivenom turns up.’

‘Maybe twenty-five minutes, or a little less if we’re lucky.’

Evelyn nodded. ‘I need to call home. There are two people desperately waiting for news.’ She unlocked her phone and looked at Jake helplessly. ‘What do I tell them?’

‘Tell them the truth. She’s stable, and she’s a fighter. And we’ll know more in the next couple of hours.’

‘And that’s all we know, right now, sweetheart.’ Evelyn peered through the glass in the door, to where Jake was still sitting with Tilly. He was such a sweet guy.

‘It’s OK, Mum. Jake will make Tilly better. She just might be a bit poorly for a little while, like I was. And when she gets home from the doggy hospital, I’ll look after her like she looked after me.’ Evelyn was touched by the level of faith Summer had in Jake, and prayed that it wasn’t misplaced.

‘Do you know if Nanny made that call I asked her to?’

‘Yeah. She pulled faces and said bad words about Charlie.’

‘Charlie?’ Evelyn pulled a face. ‘When did you stop calling him Dad?’

‘Nanny said he’s a scumbag, and I’m not scum, so I must be more your little girl than his. I don’t think he’s been a very good dad, so now he’s just Charlie.’

‘O … K.’ Evelyn drew the word out slowly, trying to work out why her mother would have said something so negative in Summer’s hearing. They’d both been so careful to try not to influence Summer’s feelings about her father. ‘Can I speak to Nanny?’

‘Yup. Tell Tilly I love her lots and to do what vet Jake says and get better soon.’

‘I will, I promise.’

‘OK. Bye. Here’s Nanny!’

‘Hi Mum.’ Evelyn rubbed her forehead in irritation. ‘What’s going on?’

‘I’m sorry, love. Summer overheard me losing my temper with that selfish space-waste you used to be married to. Don’t worry, she’s in the front room, and I’m in the kitchen now.’ She sighed deeply. ‘I phoned the insurance company like you asked.’