Gran gives my hand a squeeze, and I burst into tears.
She leans over and holds me as best she can. How can they both be gone?
“I’ll give you a moment.”
He steps out, and she kisses my temple.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I wish things had turned out differently. But I’m here for you and I’m not going anywhere.”
“What am I going to do without them?”
She strokes my hair. “We take this one day at a time.”
We sit together like that for I’m not really sure how long until I give her arm a squeeze. “I need to know what’s happening to me.”
“I’ll go and get the doctor.”
She stands and watches me for a moment. “We’ll get thought this, Cassie. We’ll do it together.”
“Thank you for being here,” I whisper.
“How could I be anywhere else?”
She turns and walks to the door, and there’s a murmuredconversation before she comes back in—the doctor not far behind.
He gives me a sad smile.
“So, let’s talk about your injuries. You have two broken legs and two fractures in your spine. We ran some tests—standard procedure before imaging.” He glances at my grandmother again. “We’ll have to do things a little differently because of your pregnancy. But each surgery is a risk. We’ll need to pin both legs and stabilise the bigger fracture in your spine.”
“Pregnancy?” I feel like I’m in an alternate reality.
“You didn’t know? It’s early—we’d need to perform an ultrasound to get the exact date.”
I nod. “Can we do that?”
“We’ll get a portable ultrasound machine in here.”
“Please.”
Gran holds my hand tightly. I’m so numb, and it’s not just because of my injuries. I’ve felt like I’ve been drowning ever since the night I caught Patrick with Vicki, and now I’m underwater and never coming back up.
“Did you suspect?” Gran asks.
I shake my head. “I’ve been stressed. That plays havoc with my periods.”
She nods. “Who’s the father?”
Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh. “That’s a whole other story to tell you. Can we just get through this first?”
“Of course, sweetheart. We have plenty of time. They tell me that they don’t know how long you’ll be in here, but afterward, I’ll take you home to Hamilton to recuperate.”
I force a small smile. When I was a kid, I loved going to Gran’s place. She has a cottage that’s cosy and comforting.
“What will happen to our house?”
She rubs my arm with her free hand. “Let’s worry about that later. One day at a time, Cassie. That’s all we can do right now. I’ll stay there while you’re in here, but I would feel better taking you home.”
“I’d like that,” I whisper.
