Sobbing, she held her heart and hugged Jasper. “She came round in the ambulance and was talking, but they still have to check her over. They couldn’t tell me much, but with everything that’s going on, it’s not surprising. There’s too much pressure. It’s too much for her. Too much.”
I sat down as Dad joined us.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“She’s being checked but she was awake,” I told him.
We were joined by everyone else minutes later. I sat down on a spongy seat and put my head in my hands.
The clock slowly ticked by on the pale blue wall. I hadn’t been sitting long, but it felt like hours. My chest hurt, like something was tightening around it, squeezing and squeezing. Was that how Oakley felt before she collapsed?
Sarah said Oakley had been talking in the ambulance, but until I saw her and heard her voice, I couldn’t relax.
A doctor opened the door, and before he could even call Sarah’s name, we were all up out of our seats. I looked for any sign that he was about to give us bad news.
“How is she?” I asked.
“She’s doing just fine now,” he replied with a thick Scottish accent. “She had a panic attack. She’s also dehydrated. When she collapsed, she hit her head against the side of the stand, and she has a mild concussion, so we’ll keep her overnight and see how she’s doing tomorrow.”
“But she’s okay? Can I see her?” Sarah questioned, stepping forward with her hands in a prayer position.
“We’re monitoring her, but she’s fine and awake, so you can see her. Not all of you, though. Just immediate family for now, please. Oakley needs rest.”
Sarah looked between Jasper and me. “That would be us three,” she told the doctor.
“Follow me.”
Oakley was sitting up in a bed when we reached her room. She pulled the thin blanket up to her chin, her face filling with colour.
“Are you okay?” I asked, sitting next to her, and pressing mylips to her forehead. The coiling in my chest started to unravel as I felt her warm skin against my mouth.
She’s okay.
“Um, mortified, and I have a wicked headache and nausea, but I’m all right.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s not like you fainted in front of a whole courtroom,” Jasper said, nudging her leg.
She laughed and then winced. “Thank you for that.”
He was a dick, but she was laughing.
“Do you want water, sweetheart?” Sarah asked her.
“No, thanks.”
“Well, are you warm enough?”
“Mum, I’m fine. I promise.”
She nodded. “Okay. Don’t worry about court. Linda is on it.”
“Fuck court,” Jasper added. “What do you need, sis?”
“Nothing. Honestly.”
She shot me a look that made me chuckle. Someone wasn’t loving all the fuss.
“Mum, Jasper, do you mind if I have some time with Cole?” Oakley asked when I didn’t come to her rescue.
