‘Emily’s asleep?’ asked Kitty, leaning in to Nick to glimpse Emily’s flickering eyelids.
‘Yes,’ said Nick. ‘The paramedics gave her painkillers, and they’ve knocked her out.’
‘Probably for the best.’ Kitty twisted around to take in the casualties around them. She grimaced. ‘Have they given you any idea how long you’re going to be waiting?’
‘No,’ said Nick. ‘You know what A&E departments are like.’
‘I’m sure you’ll get priority, given she’s a child,’ said Kitty, who was proved right a moment later when Emily’s name was called.
‘I’ll wait here for you,’ Kitty said.
‘Umm,’ said Nick, ‘would you come with us?’
‘Are you sure?’
Nick had never wanted anything so badly in his life. This was way beyond his life experience, and he was completely out of his depth. He’d never been to hospital himself, never mind to look after someone else. He needed a grown-up in the room, he needed Kitty, and now she was here, he’d do anything to keep her with him.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Please. I’m totally out of my depth. I haven’t even called Carla yet.’
Kitty shook her head. ‘There’s no need to call Carla until we find out what’s wrong.’
‘Emily,’ said Nick, gently nudging her awake. ‘Do you want me to carry you? The doctor’s going to have a look at your arm.’
Emily nodded, and as Nick picked her up, careful with the temporary splint, she wrapped her legs around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
Kitty, Nick, and Emily followed the nurse down a long corridor to a side room, where she told Nick to prop Emily on the bed. She pulled out a clipboard and asked a series of questions before examining the little girl’s arm. When she’d finished, her eyes scanned the paper in front of her. Then she fixed a smile on Emily before turning to Nick.
‘I’m pretty sure poor Emily has broken her arm, but we’ll need an X-ray to confirm it.’
‘Does that mean I won’t be able to go swimming?’ asked Emily.
‘I’m afraid not,’ said the nurse. ‘You’re going to have to have your arm in a cast.’ She grinned. ‘The good news is, these days you can choose any colour of the rainbow, and your friends will be able to write their names on it.’
‘Really?’ asked Emily, perking up.
‘Yes, just make sure they don’t write anything rude,’ said the nurse with a smile. ‘I had a cast on my leg when I was younger, and someone drew a bottom on it.’
Emily giggled, and Nick breathed a sigh of relief.
‘I’ll organise the X-ray now,’ said the nurse. ‘It shouldn’t be too long. There are some chairs outside in the corridor. If you could wait there, I’ll come and get you as soon as we’re ready.’
They found the hard plastic chairs and sat themselves down.
‘Do you want a coffee?’ asked Kitty.
‘That would be amazing,’ said Nick. ‘Do you mind going? I should call Carla and tell her what’s going on.’
‘I wouldn’t have offered if I minded,’ said Kitty, reaching across and giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘I saw a sign to a café, and it looks as if the coffee they sell may even taste like coffee rather than dishwater. I’ll be as quick as I can. Emily,would you like something from the café? A chocolate muffin maybe, or a can of Coke?’
‘Coke?’ asked Emily. ‘Mummy never lets me have Coke.’
‘Maybe we should stick to the chocolate muffin, then?’ said Kitty.
‘OK,’ said Emily.
Nick watched Kitty walk down the corridor and felt a rush of deep affection for the woman who’d yet again stepped in to care for them. It struck him that without Kitty his first month of parenthood would have been vastly different and significantly worse.
‘We’d better call Mummy, hadn’t we?’ he said to Emily.
