It was early in the morning. The other men in the four-bed ward were asleep. After what seemed like an eternity waiting in A&E with Frida, Callie had left her with Sunil. Frida, still a little groggy from the painkillers, was recovering remarkably quickly. The blessing of the young and fit.
Callie knew they’d have to have a conversation; there was some explaining to do, but that would have to wait. She couldn’t imagine what had been going through her daughter’s mind. When she’d found her bloodied and soaked through in the beachhut it hadn’t been the time for a heart-to-heart. Frida had a nasty leg wound made worse by the nail embedded in her thigh. She’d been lucky, the doctors had said. When the plank Frida had stepped on flipped up and hit her, the nail had missed the major artery. The wound would heal quickly.
Sunil had taken her to the hospital café to get hot coffee and some breakfast. They would drive home soon but Callie had insisted she check on Johnny first. It was no wonder he was so pale. An angry gash on the bridge of his nose was dressed in Steri-Strips, and two black eyes were beginning to bloom.
‘Are you okay?’ He grasped her hand and hung on. ‘And Frida?’
‘I’m absolutely fine,’ she reassured him. ‘Nothing but a few cuts and bruises. Frida’s leg has been bandaged, she’s been given an anti-tetanus and we have to attend a walk-in clinic to have the wound checked in two days.’
‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
‘Nothing that a hot coffee won’t cure.’
He sank back onto the pillows, still gripping her hand. ‘Thank God.’
‘Never mind me. And Frida’s got youth on her side, she’ll be fine in a couple of days. It’s you I’m worried about. How are you, Johnny? Why are they keeping you in?’
‘Got bashed on the head but I’ll be okay. They wanted to keep me in for observation for an hour or so. Think it was a lump of tree branch that walloped me.’ He tapped gently at his forehead. ‘Not sure what has more wood in it. My parents will be along at some point. I’m being allowed home later today, once the doc has given me the all-clear.’
‘Home? Sea Haven House?’
‘No. According to the nurse, Mum phoned up and insisted she take me to the family house in Exeter. She can’t quite containher excitement at the thought of having me as a victim… I mean, invalid for a few days. Not to mention The Aunts.’
‘You have my sympathy.’
‘I’m going to need it.’ He attempted a grin and then winced at the pain from the injury on his nose. ‘You’ll have Frida to look after so I don’t want to add to your nursing burden.’
Callie wanted to say she’d be happy to look after him but stayed silent. There was so much to say and she couldn’t utter a word.
‘Think Jamie deserves an apology,’ Johnny added, breaking the awkwardness.
‘Poor Jamie.’ Callie bit her lip in shame. ‘We all ignored him, and he was only trying to do his job. All I could think about was finding Frida.’
‘And the only thing I wanted to do was find you.’
‘We should have left it to the emergency services,’ Callie said, not quite meeting his eyes. She rubbed the beginning of a tear away. ‘But then it might have been too late for Frida.’
‘It might have been too late for both of you.’ Johnny’s grip tightened.
Callie screwed her eyes shut, sucking in a deep breath. ‘Let’s not dwell on it. We’re all okay, more or less. And probably owe Jamie an unfeasibly huge donation to the lifeboat fund.’
A commotion sounded in the corridor.
‘Young lady, I don’t care if it’s not visiting hours.’ Dorrie’s unmistakeable voice carried ringingly. ‘You have my son in there and I insist on seeing him. He’s been badly injured.’
‘And he’s a hero, you know,’ a deeper voice put in, which must be Sidney. ‘He saved two lives last night.’
‘He saved lives,’ someone boomed. It could only be Sybil.
‘Yes, he saved lives,’ echoed another.
‘Two lives!’ said yet another.
‘Do let us pop in and see him,’ Jessica beseeched. ‘We promise to only stay for a teeny mo and then we’ll all leave you in peace.’
‘Sounds like everyone’s here.’ Callie smiled wistfully. ‘I might disappear. Shouldn’t be here anyway. It’s not visiting hours. Besides, I look awful, I’m in last night’s clothes, they’re sodden and I’m in desperate need of coffee and a bacon roll.’ She bent and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you,’ she breathed. It seemed all too inadequate.
‘For what? Shoving you both a foot down onto hard sand?’ Johnny still hadn’t relinquished her hand, despite her standing up.
