‘I’ll get the aspirin,’ Paisley says, dashing off in the direction of the kitchen. In the commotion, I hadn’t even realised she was here.
‘We’ll save you a glass for after the paramedics have checked you over,’ Flynn asserts.
‘Her breathing.’ I turn my head towards Flynn, not letting go of her hand, and lower my voice to a whisper. ‘It sounds awful.’
‘Don’t speak about me as though I can’t hear, dear. If it sounds awful, you should try experiencing it.’ With a pained wince, she tightens her grip on her chest.
This is so awful. ‘What can we do?’
‘Help will be here soon.’ Flynn wraps his arm around my back, his solid presence a reassurance I’ll be eternally grateful for.
‘Here, aspirin.’ Paisley thrusts it into the hand of Flynn, the obvious authority amongst our motley crew.The pornographer, the makeup assistant, the drag queen.Moments later, Keir arrives outside with a blanket in his hand as Flynn instructs that Camilla should chew, not swallow, as she sends him a withering look.
‘The last time I tasted something so awful,’ she mumbles, her expression one of person trying to swallow chalk, ‘was when you were twelve, and you persuaded me to buy you lunch in that awful Scottish hamburger chain.’
‘Stop talking now,’ Flynn says kindly.
‘I do like a commanding man.’ Though she’s full of complaints and pluck, I suddenly realise it’s an act for my benefit.
I being to cry, great silent tears falling down my cheeks, my chest feeling like it hasn’t the space to accommodate the thunder of my heart.
Paramedics arrive, and Camilla is assessed, blood pressure and heart rhythm, before being hooked up to preventative medication and oxygen and God only knows what, before being loaded into an ambulance.
‘I’ll follow you,’ Flynn says, as I become part of the entourage on the way out of the door.
‘No, you’ve been drinking,’ I reply.
‘Barely,’ he protests.
‘I don’t want to worry about you having an accident tonight, please.’
‘I’ll follow,’ says Paisley.
‘Flynn and I will sort it out here,’ adds Keir. ‘Don’t worry about anything.’
Truthfully, the house could burn down for all I care.So long as I get to keep Camilla for a few more years,I bargain with God.
Flynn kisses me once, fiercely, turning me in the direction of the open door. ‘I’ll be here when you get back. Go.’
So I follow the complaints of‘It had better be the Chelsea and Westminster hospital we’re going to,’out the door.
