Bless Shona. This was nearly as good as her friend standing right next to her in person. Mattie breathed as instructed and it helped, if only a little.
“Okay. Now you’ve got the strength to do the next part. List five things that you can see, five things that you can hear, and five objects around you that you can touch. Yes?”
Mattie heard a beep and muffled voices.
“Damn, I’m being paged. Ring me, yes? Love you.” Shona rang off.
She was on her own again.You can do this, you can do this, you can do this.What can you see?“Sand. Boat. Girl inyellow sunhat. Blue bucket and spade. The pier.” Speaking aloud made them feel more real. “Five sounds. People laughing. Boy yelling on the beach. Seagull. Arcade machines. Weird cackling mannequin thing in a glass box.” She started walking again as she looked for five objects to touch. “Sunglasses, warm, hard. T-shirt, soft, sweaty. Silver leaf pendant on my necklace, carved ridges.” She stumbled slightly as she missed her footing on a crack in the pavement and rolled her ankle. Fuck, that hurt.I need water. She should’ve stopped at the pier when she had the chance. Maybe turn back? But her legs, on autopilot now, ignored everything but the need to walk, walk, walk.
Finally, she reached the end of the bay where the promenade curved along the jutting rock that provided a natural harbour. Hell, the sun was burning hot, cooking her like she was a chicken roasting in the oven. Her parched throat felt sore, as though its skin folded together each time she swallowed and refused to peel apart.
The sun sat significantly lower in the sky now. How had that happened without her being remotely aware of it? She stumbled again, this time falling to the ground. Instinctively, she put her hands out to cushion her fall. She stared at the blood slowly emerging from gashes on both of her palms. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep and for today to be over. Get a bus, that’s what she needed to do. Then she laughed out loud at herself. Like there’d be a bus stop near here. She was too far away from any roads. By the time she’d gone back to find one, she might as well have walked anyway.
No choice.
Keep walking.
Her tears were cool on her burning cheeks as she dragged each foot forward. She tuned into a mantra: left, left, left-right-left.Focus on that. Ignore the seductive desire to simply fall to the ground and stay there.
She was so successful that it came as a slight surprise when Cove House finally came into view. The white stone building shimmered in the golden glow from the setting sun. Somehow, she’d managed to find her way back without getting lost. She lumbered into the driveway, almost colliding with Angie, who was watering the flower beds. Why was Angie’s face blurred?
“Oh dear god, you look like you’re about to drop. Why is there blood on your knees? Oh, your hands!” Angie dumped the watering can and rushed over to Mattie. “Sit down here.”
Mattie let Angie guide her to the doorstep at the lobby entrance. Sitting down on the concrete step felt heavenly.
Angie dashed off somewhere and returned with a glass of water. “Sip it.”
Mattie did as she was told. The water slid between her sun-cracked lips.Glorious.
“Easy does it, or you’ll throw it all back up again,” said Angie. “We should get you checked over. Clean up those gashes on your hands. You’re sweating at least, which is a good thing.”
Mattie didn’t have the energy to ask why. She lost track of how long they sat on the step, but Angie’s face slowly came back into focus, and Mattie managed to take conservative sips of water until the glass was empty. “Thank you,” she said, her voice sounding weak even to her own ears. She handed the glass to Angie and tried to heave herself up off the concrete step.
Angie frowned. “You’re still unsteady on your feet. We should go to A&E.”
“I’ll be fine in a minute or two. No hospitals.” She’d had enough of those for a lifetime.
“Come and sit in the back garden for a while. It’s cooler and more comfy too. I can offer you a cushioned patio chair rather than a stone doorstep.”
“It’s fine, really.” Her body ached at the thought of moving.
“Please? I’d feel dreadful if you took a turn for the worse, and I just let you collapse on the steps. Just for half an hour?” Angie smiled. “I’ve got homemade lemonade. With ice.”
Angie’s kindness was utterly irresistible, and Mattie nodded in agreement. The world was spinning, so it was easy to let Angie guide her around the side of the house, through an iron lacework gate, and into the long back garden. All of it looked distorted.
“See, it’s much cooler back here now that the sun’s gone down,” said Angie.
Mattie eased herself into a reclining patio chair and closed her eyes.
Angie placed the jug on the patio table, bustled off and then returned again, this time carrying a washing-up bowl of scented water. “Take those walking boots off and pop your feet into this. Eucalyptus and lavender. Wonderfully soothing. It should help you cool down too.”
“Thank you.” Gingerly, Mattie leaned forward and untied her laces. Sand fell out of her boots as she dragged them and her socks off. She couldn’t contain the sigh of pure joy as she slid her swollen feet into the cool water. She sat back again as the world went into a dim tailspin and then darkness overcame her.
Chapter 6
Nell gasped aloud at the sight of Mattie’s prone body slumped in the patio chair. What the hell had happened? She rushed to Mattie’s side and dropped to her knees. “How long has she been out for?”
“Less than a minute.” Angie furrowed her brow. “Do you think we should call for an ambulance?”
