Steph hurried towards the entrance to the ward but stopped when Angus called her back,
“Your laptop and belongings Miss Pryor.”
She turned and saw him disappearing under her belongings from the makeshift office she had set up in the waiting area.
“Sorry,” she muttered as she returned and relieved him of them.
Nervously, Steph headed down the ward and found her dad sitting up and smiling as he saw her approaching.
“Hey, pumpkin,” he said and immediately she burst into tears with a multitude of confused feelings. “Oh, Stephie. I’m fine. It will take more than a bump to the head for you to get rid of me.” He smiled as she reached his bedside and he enveloped her in his arms and held her tightly.
The consultant pulled the curtain around the bed and left them alone. Steph realised that she had dropped her computer, bag and phone to the floor and once she had regained her composure began to tidy them away before pulling her phone out and saying, “I need to call Eddie so that he can let the others know.”
“And Janice,” Roger added.
“Mmm,” she replied as Roger frowned slightly.
“Steph, please contact Janice,” he said firmly and waited for her response. “Stephanie,” he added as some kind of prompt that told her he was telling her and not asking. Her reply was a simple nod.
“I will go and call now,” she said and kissed him again before going into the day room to call Eddie, then Jon.
Eddie had sounded as relieved as she felt and promised to wrap up what he was doing and head straight to her after contacting their other siblings.
She then dialled Jon’s mobile number and was surprised by a female voice that she immediately recognised as Lucy’s.
“Hello, Jon’s phone,” she said, rendering Steph speechless for a few seconds.
“Sorry I must have the wrong number,” she stammered, then immediately hung up.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” she said aloud to herself earning a few raised eyebrows from the few patients who were in the room with her forcing a single, “Sorry,” before she hit the button to call his office.
“Good afternoon, Mr Brooker’s office,” said Andrea’s familiar and surprisingly reassuring voice.
“Andrea, it’s Steph, Steph Pryor,” she expanded unnecessarily.
“Oh hello, I was sorry to hear about your father, but I assume you would like to speak to Mr Brooker,” she said and almost immediately Steph was being transferred through to his office.
She was unsure whether Lucy was still there, but as soon as she heard his voice she was immediately reassured and comforted.
“Steph, is everything okay?” he asked nervously.
“Yes, my dad’s regained consciousness and I have called Eddie and I just wanted you to know,” she explained.
“Oh, darling, that’s wonderful news. Is he okay?” he asked seriously.
“Yes, he seems to be. Okay enough to order me to call Janice,” she told him.
“She must be relieved,” he said gently, wishing he was with her, but already rearranging his afternoon to enable him to head straight over to her.
“Well, I haven’t called her yet,” she admitted.
“Why not? Roger has made his wishes clear.”
Steph made no reply, but knew he was right.
“I understand a little better why you may be reluctant to call her, tit for tat for her not calling you sooner, but if it’s what yourdad wants . . .” his voice trailed off momentarily. “Do you want me to call her?”
“Would you?” she asked already knowing the answer.
