“This is Andrew Sedgely, Liam Rosehill’s father. You might not think of me like that…” he sounded embarrassed.
“The politician. I know who you are. Liam speaks well of you.” My heart was now hammering through my chest and out of my body. Seph hovered behind me, trying to listen.
“I’m sorry to call like this…”
I braced myself. There was going to be a court order or something taken out to stop me from discussing it. We were done. This was how it ended.
“Liam’s been in a car accident and is in hospital. He’s been placed into a medical coma but before that he was asking for you.”
In films or on TV people sink to their knees or collapse onto the floor when they hear news that stuns them. I froze. I couldn’t move. Everything was paralysed.
“Are you okay, Sophie?”
Seph whipped the phone from my hand.
“I’m Joseph Callaghan, one of Sophie’s friends. I’m with her now. Did you say Liam’s in hospital?”
“He’s been taken to the main hospital in Reykjavik,” I heard Liam’s dad’s voice clearly as Seph had put him on loud speaker. “I’m heading over on the next flight in case there’s anything I can do. I’ll let his agent know too. Shall I reserve Sophie a ticket?”
“And me too if possible.”
There was more detail, but none of it registered. I managed to sit down, my stomach now churning, my head throbbing with the beat of my heart. I didn’t want to be sick. I didn’t want to pass out because that was how it felt right now.
Then there was silence and two huge arms around me.
“I’ll pack a bag. We’ll get a taxi. You can take the blame when Max asks about his car.”
“That’s fine.”
“Sophie, he’ll be okay. He’s healthy.”
“He’s in a coma.”
“Medically induced. That’s to give his brain a chance to heal and for swelling to go down. It’s serious, but better than being in a coma.” Seph gave me one more tight squeeze and then let go completely. “Change your clothes. Have a quick shower. There’s a flight at seven we’re going to be on.”
I was numb as I wandered about the apartment, trying to get myself ready. I ended up in one of Liam’s hoodies (an old battered thing that still had the scent of his cologne on it) and a pair of tattered jeans which were like wearing pyjamas. I did feel more human for having a shower, but that didn’t mean I took in any of the taxi ride to the airport, or Seph’s conversation with the taxi driver all the way there.
* * *
Liam looked like his father. Andrew Sedgely was tall, dark haired and had the same square jaw and high cheekbones. His hair was flecked with grey and there were wrinkles around his eyes that looked like they were from smiling.
“Sophie,” he said, as Seph and I approached him. He was waiting for us in the first class lounge, a briefcase in his hand. “It’s good to meet you. Liam told me you were engaged.”
I expected him to shake my hand, but he didn’t. I was wrapped in a big hug instead, not what I expected from a politician.
“We are.” It was all I could manage. I wanted to confess all, explain what had happened, say it was all my fault, but the words wouldn’t come.
“I found a little more about what happened. Liam was driving and the weather turned. A large lorry jack knifed and ended up across both lanes of the road. Liam skidded into the lorry. It was about ten minutes before an ambulance got there and he was going in and out of consciousness.” Andrew’s words were quiet. They felt concise. “He’s in an induced coma as he’s taken a couple of blows to the head on impact but it is precautionary. There will be another scan in the morning to see whether the swelling on the brain has gone down.”
I was now sitting down. Seph passed me a glass of champagne. Because it was the first class lounge everyone was ignoring the silently hysterical female in the corner.
“How come they contacted you?”
Andrew smiled. “I’m next of kin until next month. For some reason he had me down rather than his foster sisters.”
He was sitting next to me now. Seph was opposite, watching.
“Do you need your medication for flying?” Seph said.
