‘Well, it’s got to part of it, hasn’t it?Look, this is getting heavy.I know, let’s run down to the shop and buy some chocolate, and I’ll see if I can remember my granny’s recipe for cornflake cakes.’
‘You Lambs are all brilliant at looking after, aren’t you, Leo?Are you like this all the time at home?I bet you get lots of visitors if the house is always full of cake?’
Leo laughed.‘There’s nothing wrong with blokes liking to cook great food and look after people.I guess it was just how my dad coped after our mam died though.He didn’t want us to be a bunch of helpless wimps waiting for a woman to come along and get our tea.So he made a rota for Alex, Den, himself and me, and we all took turns to cook and to look after Josh.When Josh got bigger, he joined in – he makes a mean shepherd’s pie, and his chicken balti is famous all down our road.So, are you coming shopping with me, love?’
‘You go, Leo.I’ll go out later if we need anything else.I want to be near the phone now.’
‘Fair enough, pet.’Leo began to make a list.This waiting game was driving him crazy.If only Jess would ring.
By mid-afternoon, Nina told them all that whatever happened, she was going to be on her way to Brighton within the next hour, because Jess must be desperate for back-up by now.She was just setting off to collect a few things from home, when the house phone rang, and everyone froze.Nina grabbed the receiver before anyone else could reach it, and the rest of them leaned towards her, trying hard to hear what was happening.
‘Yes?What?He hasn’t… Jess, what’s happening?In intensive care?I’m coming right down!Oh… are you sure?Well, what have the doctors said?No brain damage, they think?Has he spoken?Well, yes, of course I know what unconscious means, there’s no need to snap at me.But you think it’s not quite as bad as you first thought?Yes, I know they don’t say much.They’re probably still doing tests, aren’t they?Right, well, if you’re sure you don’t want me to set off straight away?Keep texting me, Jess, we’re all here worrying.Yes, I know it’s difficult.Look, just do what you can for George and we’ll cope here, but please, please let me know if you want me to come… oh, OK then… if the doctor’s arrived, you’d better go and talk to him.Love you, sweetheart…’
Nina disconnected and looked round at the ring of concerned onlookers.
‘Well, I guess you got the gist of that?George is still out cold, but the doctor thinks it’s unlikely that there’s serious damage.How can he say that?The little love’s still unconscious!Anyway, Den and Mab are coming home now that Jess and Stan are there.’
Harry stood up and came over to Nina as tears began to pour down her face again.
‘I think that the body sometimes shuts down temporarily to recover when it’s had an injury or a shock, or in this case, both.There probably won’t be anything to hear for a few hours, so the best thing you can do is come shopping with me to get something for dinner.I’m starving, what about you lot?’
Everyone nodded rather shamefacedly.It seemed rather awful to carry on being hungry when George was in such a bad way, but they had to eat, and it would give them something to do.Leo saw Nina glance over at Harry with what looked a lot like growing respect.His dad had really got a grip of the situation and was doing his best to keep them all going, Leo thought with a burst of pride.Wiping her eyes, Nina gave Harry a hug.
‘Good idea, love, get some comfort food.We’ll have a whip round.’
Harry waved her away.‘No, pet, this one’s on me.Is there a decent butcher in the town?I fancy bangers and mash, with a big jug of my special onion gravy, but the sausages have to be top notch.’
‘There’s the organic place, but they’re closed on Sundays,’ said Nina.‘Never mind, just get the nicest supermarket ones that you can find.It’s got to be sausages now, I can almost taste them already; all brown and crispy, with the onions slightly burnt.’
A look of blatant greed came over the faces of everyone except Sophie.They were all ready to be distracted; worrying was exhausting.As Harry prepared to leave with Nina, Alex jumped up too.‘Does anyone fancy a run?’he said.‘I need to get some exercise if I’m going to eat my body weight in bangers and mash.Some fresh air would do us all good, and we can’t do anything here for a bit.I’m just going to get changed.’
‘I’ll come, wait for me, Alex.’Josh jumped up and dived for his rucksack.
Leo was tempted.‘Do you mind if I go, pet?’he said hopefully to Sophie.‘We won’t be long?’
‘Oooooh, Leokins, don’t leave me on my own, we haven’t spent any quality time today…’
‘But we’ve been together all day, Soph, and anyway, you’ve been busy on that computer every time I’ve spoken to you,’ Leo said, fidgeting as his brothers started to leave the flat.
‘I’ve been trying to find you a stupid chimney sweep!If you don’t want me to help, just say so.I thought you and I might go out for dinner on our own tonight.But if you’d rather stay here with all these other people…’ Sophie’s bottom lip trembled prettily and Leo gave in, guilt fighting with the need to get rid of the cobwebs and run until he was breathless.
‘If that’s what you’d like, pet.I know I’ve neglected you, but there’s so much to do, and then with George, and everything…’ He put a tentative arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him for a moment, smelling faintly of something delicate and floral.As Leo instinctively bent to kiss her, Sophie moved away to check her hair in the mirror.Harry grinned at Leo, giving his son a look that seemed to say, ‘Women, eh?Who’d have ’em?’
‘Right then, just the seven of us for bangers tonight, is it?Come on then, chef’s assistant,’ Harry said, grabbing Nina by the hand and towing her towards the stairs.‘Let’s go before the supermarket closes, and then we can be popping wine corks and chilling the beer supplies by the time they’re halfway round that pond of yours.’
* * *
Much later, the now depleted crowd sat around the table.Leo had sent Sophie back to their hotel while he showered dutifully and made an effort to please her by putting on his most sophisticated navy collarless shirt and smart trousers.He looked around the room as he got ready to go out, hating to leave them all and knowing that nobody would really begin to relax until Nina received a much more cheerful call from Jess.
As Leo entered the hotel foyer ten minutes later, he saw Sophie coming towards him, deliciously ready for the evening in a very short pink dress with heels so high that she swayed alarmingly.He caught her by the elbow and steadied her as his phone rang.
‘Who is it, Leokins?’Sophie asked, pouting.‘Leave it.I’m hungry and you haven’t even looked at me properly yet.’
Leo shrugged apologetically and put his phone to his ear, breathing a huge sigh of relief when he heard Nina’s news.George was conscious, out of immediate danger, and had been transferred to a peaceful little side ward.He had serious concussion and his right leg was broken in two places, but the doctors said he should make a good recovery once he had stopped fretting about some magic person or other.Jess had tried to contact George’s father without success.There was no answer from Marcus’s mobile, and his elderly parents hadn’t heard from him for weeks – Jess said Marcus had always liked to think of himself as something of a man of mystery.
‘Have you finished?Come on, let’s eat,’ said Sophie, beginning to tow Leo towards the restaurant.
‘OK, pet, but they want me to just pop back to the flat after dinner.Apparently Dad’s got something to discuss.’
