‘Jake!’ she shouted, running urgently towards him, branches and brambles whipping her face and tearing at her clothes. It took a second for comprehension to dawn as she reached the small clearing he stood frozen in, and then her heart stopped.Oh dear God, no.Please, God …
‘No!’ Jake emitted a cry that came from his soul; raw, primal, that of a wounded animal. And then he moved, dragging his rucksack from his back, running, half stumbling, towards the body that appeared lifeless as it swung from the trees.
Terror crackling like icicles through her veins, Emily flew after him, grinding to a petrified halt as Jake wrapped his arms around Edward’s torso, attempting to take his weight. ‘Don’t you die on me, Edward Simpson,’ he growled, his voice ragged. ‘Don’t youdarefucking die on me!’
‘Jake …’ Acrid grief and shock crashing through her, Emily stepped closer.
‘We have to cut him down,’ Jake gasped, clearly struggling to support him.
It was too late. Surely there were no signs of life. ‘Jake …’ She took another tentative step.
‘We have to cut him down!’ Jake screamed.
Thirty-Nine
Clearly worried, Ben came tentatively down the stairs as they finally walked through the front door. His gaze went from Emily to Jake, who came in behind her. ‘Did you find him?’
His face ashen, Jake looked warily at him, and then answered with a small nod.
‘And?’ Ben’s tone was impatient.
‘He’s alive, but we don’t know for sure yet what the outcome will be,’ Emily provided hesitantly.
‘Which means what?’ Ben asked.
‘Your dad intubated him, but he couldn’t resuscitate him at the scene. The paramedics tried. He’ll need assisted ventilation, intensive care treatment.’
‘Why, for fuck’s sake?’ Ben seemed furious. ‘What did he do?’
Emily moved quickly towards him. ‘Don’t, Ben,’ she said, her eyes flicking towards Jake, who appeared not to know what to say or do.
After a second, he looked at Ben, his expression haunted. ‘He attempted to hang himself,’ he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.
Ben stared at him, thunderstruck. Emily could almost feel the turmoil of emotions he was struggling with, and then his tangible fury gave way to obvious sympathy – and she quietly thanked God. She’d known this side of her son existed, despite the traits she’d seen in him and worried herself sick about.
‘Sorry, Ben, I …’ Kneading his forehead hard, Jake looked away. He too was struggling emotionally. His voice had quavered several times as he’d spoken to the paramedics, and then to the police. They’d almost had to force him away from Edward. He wouldn’t leave him. After intubating him as best he could with rudimentary equipment in the clearing in the woods, he’d stayed where he was, kneeling beside him, until the emergency services had taken him away.
I’ve failed himwas all he’d said, over and over, tears running unashamedly down his face, as Emily had driven him home. She’d tried to reassure him that he hadn’t. That he might well have saved him, in fact. Lost in his anguish, he wasn’t hearing her.
Her mind went to poor Joyce, the devastation in her eyes when they’d called around to tell her. Her heart had been broken. Even then, she’d been so grateful to Jake. Emily truly believed that she and Edward loved him like their own son. It broke her heart that he believed Edward attempting to take his own life was his failure. He’d spent his entire life trying to oust the ghosts of his past, just as she had, tormented by the thought that he’d failed his mother in some way. At just sixteen, for God’s sake, he’d blamed himself, carried his guilt with him every day since. And now it had come back to haunt him. Emily wasn’t sure he would ever recover fully from it. Whatever he might or might not have done, shehadto try to forgive him. He might have lied, but wasn’t hers the biggest lie between them?
‘I think your father might need some time,’ she said to Ben, as Jake hesitated, appearing disorientated, before slowly climbing the stairs.
Ben gazed after him, then looked back to her, his eyes full of apprehension. ‘Do you think he’ll make it?’ he asked, his voice choked.
Emily hesitated. Her first instinct was to protect her son, but there was no way to lie to him. When they’d first come to the village, Edward had been like an uncle to Ben and Millie, taking them under his wing and making sure they were involved in village activities, convincing Ben to join the local football team.
‘I’m honestly not sure, Ben. They’ve promised to ring your dad as soon as they see any signs of a clinical recovery.’
Ben nodded and dropped his gaze to the floor. ‘Fuck,’ he muttered, swallowing hard. ‘Why did he do it?’
Emily saw the tears squeeze from his eyes, and went to him, instinctively pulling him into a firm embrace. He didn’t fight her, allowing her to hold him. ‘He wasn’t in his right mind,’ she whispered, stroking his back, holding him closer as a shudder shook through him. ‘Your dad’s broken-hearted, blaming himself. He might need your support, Ben. Joyce, too. Do you think you could be strong enough to help them?’
He sucked in another breath and nodded into her shoulder, then eased away. ‘I’ll go and see her. See if there are any jobs she needs doing,’ he said gruffly, wiping a hand across his eyes and glancing towards the stairs. ‘Do you think he … Dad … could use a cup of tea?’
‘Definitely.’ Emily smiled and swallowed back emotion of a different kind. She was more grateful than he could ever know for this sensitivity she hadn’t been sure he was capable of. ‘Is Millie back?’ she asked, suspecting she wasn’t. Ben would have told her what had happened. Knowing why they were searching for Edward, she would have come downstairs, not stayed ensconced in her room.
‘No. I left her a message, but she obviously couldn’t be arsed to ring back.’ Ben shrugged agitatedly. ‘She really is acting like a brat.’
