Page 119

‘Aiden?’ Mia had to nudge him out of the stupor that had hit sometime on the road. She’d been right not to let him drive. Then again, if he’d had driving to focus on, his careful compartmentalisation might not have shattered so fully. He looked down, surprised to see Mia’s hand in his, and squeezed back, glad for the support and anchor in reality.

‘Right, sorry.’ He rattled off his ma’s birthday and their address.

‘Brilliant, thanks.’ Colette peered at the screen. ‘She was conscious and aware when she was brought in. The doctor has already seen her, and referred her to radiology. She’s there now, and they’ll bring her back to Bay 16 for follow-up assessment. But it’s looking likely she’ll need admitting to inpatient orthopaedics.’

‘X-ray?’ Mia asked.

‘Yes. And a CT.’

‘For?’

Colette glanced at Aiden before answering. ‘Suspected posterior dislocation of the left hip and head laceration.’

‘How long ago did she go up?’ Mia asked.

‘About half an hour.’

‘She’ll be a while then. Thanks, Colette.’

Aiden stared around the huge room, a bit shell-shocked. He’d walked out of what was – quite literally – the most magical night of his life to reality that couldn’t be brighter, whiter or more stark. The elongated room they were in was probably three times bigger than the ballroom they’d just left and filled with a row of curtained beds – bays, he supposed – on one side, and strange-looking glass rooms with beds on the other. Mia tugged him towards one of the curtained areas, though there was only a chair in it. He guessed the bed would be in radiology with his ma.

‘What happens now?’

‘We wait.’ She leaned against the wall, looking a lot calmer and more collected than he felt. He supposed being in a hospital wasn’t especially worrisome for someone who worked in the medical field, but it also wasn’t her mum being brought in by ambulance. ‘You might as well sit down. Or we can go down to the canteen. That’s open round the clock and, like you heard, Sylvie will be a while in radiology.’

‘Your friend said they thought Ma had dislocated her hip? And cut her head?’ He started to pace, unable to stay still.

‘Yeah. That’s why they’re doing the CT, to make sure she doesn’t have any internal injuries.’

‘Oh hell.’ Aiden’s blood ran cold. ‘Internal injuries… Are you saying she could have brain damage?’

‘CTs check for things like concussion too.’ Mia caught his arm as he paced by. ‘Aiden, listen to me. We treat concussion all the time. And like Colette – and your neighbour – said, Sylvie was awake and talking. Please try not to worry too much.’

‘But I should have been there.’ He didn’t say the words instead of with you, but they hung in the air between them anyway, and he had no idea how to take them back. Mia’s hand dropped from his arm. Clearly, she’d heard them too.

‘I’m going to go grab some coffees. Do you want anything to eat? Or to come with me?’

‘No thanks.’

He watched her walk away, her dress streaming out behind her, like a heroine in some movie, and flopped into the chair and buried his face in his hands.

He heard Mia come back, took the coffee with mumbled thanks, but didn’t look up properly until his ma was wheeled in.

‘You shouldn’t have come,’ Sylvie grumbled before either of them had a chance to say hello or ask how she was. ‘The last thing I wanted to do was ruin your night.’

‘Doesn’t matter.’ Aiden struggled not to snap. ‘You should have called me.’

‘Like I said, I wanted you to enjoy your night and not be bothered.’

‘But you should have called me!’

‘I don’t need a bloody babysitter. I’m an adult and I manage perfectly well.’

‘This is what you think managing “perfectly well” looks like, is it? You’re in hospital!’

‘Just a silly little wobble.’

‘You were brought in by ambulance and have spent the last hour being scanned to see how much damage you’ve done to yourself!’