‘Good idea, but for God’s sake be discreet.’
‘’Kay,’ and with that he sped off back to the pavilion.
‘Kate. Hang on, sweetie. We’re just going to ask an Australian player at the club.’ I started running after Daniel.
She didn’t even query the ‘we’, all I heard was a low moan on the other end of the phone.
‘Kate,’ I said urgently, slowing my pace so that I could hear properly. ‘Kate. Are you still there?’
‘It... hurts,’ she moaned again, weeping down the phone.
I felt so helpless. I stopped just outside the veranda waiting for Daniel. There was no point going inside, it would be noisy and full of people. Looking up at the stars in the midnight blue sky, stars she couldn’t see, my heart ached for her. She was so alone.
Daniel reappeared in the doorway with Bill behind him.
Shit, just what I didn’t need.
‘000,’ he called, coming towards me. Thank God, he’d asked. I’d never have thought of that in a million years.
‘Kate,’ I said urgently. She was still crying. ‘Kate, its 000. Can you hear me?’
‘Yes,’ she sniffed. ‘000, let...’ she broke off with a long groan. ‘... me try it.’
‘Call me straight back.’
I spent an anxious minute pacing with my phone in my hand before she called back.
‘They’re on their way.’ She was calmer but her voice was dull and lifeless. ‘I’d better go.’
‘Wait, Kate? Do you want me to come over? I can fly out.’
‘It’s too bloody far. You can’t get here in...’ she cried, anguished, and started to sob again.
‘Please, Kate, there must be...’ We were both crying now. I was aware of Bill and Daniel standing together on the top step of the veranda, looking down at me with concern in their faces. I focused on Kate.
‘There’s nothing. You can’t do anything.’ She was getting angry now.
‘I can stay on the line ’til they get there.’ Mentally I was flipping through the ramifications of getting the next possible flight. Passport. Airlines. Work.
As I sank down onto the step, Daniel slipped in beside me putting his arm round me, rubbing my shoulder. Bill stood awkwardly to one side, shifting from one foot to the other as I carried on talking to Kate. We talked of everything and nothing until I could hear a siren in the background.
‘They’re here. Olivia, I don’t know what I’d have done... I’ll call... Don’t tell anyone.’
‘Of course not,’ I lied blithely, glancing behind me. ‘Call me as soon as you can. Promise.’
I cut the call and stared wearily at the phone in my hand.
‘What’s going on Olivia? What’s wrong with Kate? Why does she need the emergency services?’ Bill was practically jumping up and down.
Shit. What was I going to say?
I didn’t get the chance to think of something plausible. Daniel answered the question for me.
‘She’s having a miscarriage.’ The words hung in the silence.
The guilty look on my face said everything as I closed my eyes and wished I was somewhere else.
Bill’s face went white and then he grabbed me, hauled me to my feet and said, ‘Is that true?’
