‘My speech is not sl-slurry.’
‘No, suspected heart attack.’ The room erupts.
‘But he hasn’t, he isn’t…’
‘He doesn’t need to have chest pain or arm pain. Yes, it’s the most common symptom but not there in a quarter of all heart attacks. For once just trust me, huh?’ I shoot over my shoulder. ‘Now Dad, crunch down on that aspirin. I know it tastes foul and I’m sure it’s not needed but humour me, huh? Just today. You can tell me what a waste of time and space I am again tomorrow.’ I smile at him as I finish undoing the top button of his shirt. I hope to hell hecantell me off tomorrow.
Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groan
For that deep wound it gives my friend and me
December Twenty-sixth.
Belle.
‘Hey.’ Rory gives me a big smile as I open the door of his car and I slide in, as well as I can with his present in my hands. ‘I half expected you to cancel today.’
‘Yeah, I nearly did but I went down to the hospital earlier and he’s doing okay. Told me to sod off again so he could enjoy Mum and all the nurses flapping around him. He’s loving being on all the front pages with a “nearly died on Christmas Day” headline. It was only a mild heart attack, if there is such a thing. A wake-up call. Turns out it’s pretty common amongst diabetics and when they ran the tests in hospital they discovered that’s exactly what he is, so that’s a lucky catch. They’re keeping him in to observe today and he’s talking about starting a new healthy eating trend, seems to think he’s invented it and has come up with the idea of a Nick Wilde mocktail book.’
‘He came up with it?’ Rory arches his brows and I giggle.
‘Right? Anyway, he’s very happy to be trending on Twitter and in the most read section of BBC News. Best Christmas present ever and apparently, he never needed to spend a penny on you because this was all he needed to win back the public’s heart.’
Rory arches his brow. ‘Near death is the preferred option to working hard to become a better person?’
‘You have met my dad, haven’t you?’
Rory laughs. ‘No killing the fatted calf for you? The papers say that it was the love and attention of his eldest daughter that saved his life, Paramedics claiming it was your quick thinking that stopped the situation being a tragic one.’
‘Pah. Not exactly, but, get this … Mum told me today I had done well and told Dad he should thank me.’
‘Wow.’
‘Right! He didn’t and she pushed him a second time. That is such a win. Mum took my side over his. I can’t think of a time that has ever happened. And eventually he did do as he was told, like a truculent schoolboy, but he did it. We might not suddenly become the closest family in the world but to have her stand up for me, twice, and make him acknowledge that I did something good yesterday is huge. Huge! As dysfunctional as I think they are she does love him and the way he’s been with her this morning reminds me that he loves her too. I mean, he keeps making stomach-curdling jokes about her being his favourite nurse and sponge baths but I guess they’re cute in their own way. Plus, it means I don’t feel at all bad about coming out with you today as promised and leaving the patient to the tender ministrations of his wife. Here.’ I pass him the huge box I am carrying.
‘Ah, my ginormous gift,’ he says and I nod excitedly. I’ve been very careful with the wrapping of this gift. I didn’t want to give it away so it is currently sat inside several boxes, like pass the parcel, and wrappedin brown paper that I had printed myself with Marsha – reindeer-face potato prints – with a giant bow that Temperance had given me when she gave me the boxes earlier. She has taken a shine to Rory, it seems, and declared that he was here to do God’s work and then kept giving me meaningful stares that left me no clearer about what she was talking about.
He leans over and takes the big box. ‘Shall I open it now?’ he asks.
‘You can try.’ I smile back.
He sits and unwraps it, taking care to preserve the paper. In days gone by this would have irritated me –just tear the paper off and do itI would have wanted to scream. Now I see a man who is careful, shows respect for the gift and the work that has gone into the paper. He isn’t dull, it isn’t boring or lacking in verve for not ripping it off, he is just more measured than me, careful, and that is a good thing.
‘Eh? Why have I got a giant box of frozen pizzas? I mean thank you, I love pizza.’
‘Ha! You haven’t, you have a letter attached though. Look.’ I gesture to the envelope that is attached to the top of the box, sealed with brown tape.
‘Hmmm.’ He holds my gaze as he takes the envelope from the top, building into the mystery and I feel a shiver run down my spine. Just under a week and he’ll be gone. I’d best bank these looks. I’d thought he may stay a bit longer, especially when he told me Alison would need more surgery, but so far he hasn’t said anything.
‘Rory,’ he reads out loud. ‘Okay, definitely for me then.’
‘Yep.’ He turns it around and opens it carefully.
‘Happy Christmas to you, here’s a Christmassy clue… What is one of the best things about Christmas and rhymes with the arachnid family?’
‘Arachnid, nothing rhymes with arachnid. Pan lid … um … stranded … um … kid … um…’ He scrunches his face up in panic.
‘No, you need to think a bit harder. It’ll come to you and when you’ve answered the clue you can open the box.’
