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‘You can bloody well go home if you’re going to be like that!’
‘Sylvie, we really wish you’d called us,’ Mia interrupted, a lot more calmly than he was able to manage. ‘Aiden’s just worried about you, and so am I.’
‘I don’t like being a bother,’ his ma repeated in a quieter voice. ‘I hate how much this illness is taking away… from me… from Aiden. I just wanted you two to have a nice night without any worries, and I went and did this!’ She burst into tears that broke his heart.
‘You’re hardly a bother,’ Mia told her firmly, but she just sobbed harder.
‘Ma, please don’t cry.’
‘I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I feel so silly, but I can’t stop!’
‘It’s probably a bit of shock,’ Mia said gently. ‘That combined with the medications.’
‘Do you think so?’ Sylvie sniffed.
‘Absolutely. You’re on the hospital’s finest meds right now. They often knock people a bit silly. So does shock. You’ll feel OK in a bit. For now, just let it out.’
It took a while, but with reassurance from them both, Sylvie settled into something approaching calmness. When she had, she reached for Aiden.
‘You and Mia must be starving. Why don’t you take my purse and go get something to eat?’
‘We’re fine. I want to be here when the doctor comes.’
‘If he does, I’m sure Mia will ring you.’ She shot a glance at Mia.
‘Of course I will. And there’s a vending machine past the nurses’ station, out the opposite way we came in. You probably wouldn’t even be five minutes.’
‘Why do I feel like I’m being kicked out?’
‘Because you can be very perceptive,’ Sylvie told him kindly. ‘And I’d like to have a couple of minutes to chat with Mia.’
‘What about?’
‘Things I don’t want to discuss with my son. Feminine things.’
‘You know I don’t get embarrassed easily,’ he argued.
‘Well maybe I do. Maybe I don’t want you rummaging through my delicates at home. Maybe I want to try to preserve a modicum of dignity for myself. Had you considered that?’
‘Sorry, sorry.’ Aiden stood up and checked his wallet. ‘Any requests?’
‘Whatever you pick will be fine,’ Mia reassured him.
‘Right. I’ll… umm, be back shortly then.’
‘OK.’ Mia nodded.
‘Bye.’ Sylvie gave him a little wave, and Mia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the look on Aiden’s face.
‘You wanted me to pick some things up for you?’
‘Yes please. I think I’m probably going to be in here for a while, don’t you?’
‘Unfortunately, yes.’ Mia wasn’t going to argue with her. ‘So, clothes, bathroom bits, books and such things?’
‘Yes please. The book on my bedside table. And there’s my yarn bag with my current project in it.’
‘But that’s not what you really wanted to talk about, is it?’ Mia asked gently.
