‘You probably told her to punch a boy.’
‘I hope I did.’
At that point, Emma enters the room, looking flustered and possibly a little angry.
‘Do you know the waiting list that Igor has? He is one of the best in the business. You could at least try and be amiable in some capacity. I pulled so many strings to ensure you got to work with him.’
I glare back at her. ‘He’s evil. I don’t like him.’
‘His methods work.’
‘But I have to look at his awful mullet hair and I would argue that is impeding my recovery time.’
Meg comes over to put an arm around Emma to calm her down, which I resent immediately. I was the one hit by the bus.
‘Was she always this argumentative?’ Meg says, studying my face.
They stand there already knowing the answer. ‘I’m a delight and you know it.’
‘Igor is coming back tomorrow before we discharge you and I’ve booked him in for home visits for three months. You can grow to love him.’
‘I hate you, too.’
‘I know. It’s going to be a dream living with you again.’
I look over at them as she says that. The one thing I’ve learnt is that Emma has a big old pad now she’s a doctor. I lived there once apparently when she was going through her divorce but I thought the agreement was that I was going to live with Mum and Dad. I mean, I’ll move in with her if she has the better TV packages. Meg reads the confusion on my face.
‘So, we were chatting to your doctors and a few consultants who’ve suggested that we should try and surround you with as much familiarity as possible. It’s why we suggested you don’t go back to your commune, house share place,’ Emma explains. ‘I went there to suss it out. There are no stairs in the place, Lucy. You have to access some floors by ladder. I counted five doors that were batik curtains hammered into the wall. I’m not sure it’s safe.’
I shrug as none of that computes in my head anyway. ‘What are you saying then?’
‘We’re all going to move in with you. Back to Elm Road, all five of us and Mum and Dad, like the old days, and see if that works in jogging your memory. It won’t be for long because kids and work and stuff but we will be one unit together again,’ Emma explains, albeit with not a lot of enthusiasm.
I, however, grin to hear it. It feels like what I need to dig me out of this. My sisters are the four people in the world that I love and trust the most. To have their collective knowledge at my feet feels like I can at least fill in major gaps from the last ten years. ‘Really?’
Meg nods, a small furrow to her brow.
‘It’ll be kinda awesome. Like a giant sleepover,’ I say.
‘It’ll be a group of thirty-something women living at home again, having Mum wash our pants and arguing over hairballs in the bath,’ Meg replies.
‘But you’d do it for me?’ I ask them.
They both nod. It’s a reluctant nod. One I’m familiar with.
Can you stay in tonight, girls, and help us look after Lucy?
Do we have to?
Yes, she’s your sister and it’s what sisters do.
But she’s so annoying and I have a life, you know?
And she’s a part of that life too. You’ll need her too, one day. Trust me.
6
‘THAT BLOODY CAT HAS JUST PISSED ON THE BED! CAN SOMEONE PUT THE CAT OUTSIDE?! I DON’T CARE! WHAT SORT OF CAT PISSES ON A BED?!’
