“Are you okay?”
Still nothing. Libby leaned closer and put her face in front of Frank’s, but his eyes didn’t move. It was like he was in some sort of trance. What had Dylan said the other day about Frank having episodes where he blanked out?
“Frank, can you hear me?” Libby gave his arm a gentle shake. His body moved, but he still didn’t respond. She noticed a tiny line of dribble on his chin.
Libby felt her pulse quicken. What was she supposed to do now? She had no idea how long he’d stay like this, or if she should be getting him medical help. What if he was having a stroke? She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
“Hello?” A man’s voice, deep and gruff.
“Dylan, it’s Libby.”
“Libby? You all right?”
“I am, but I’m with Frank and I think he’s having one of the episodes you mentioned. We were talking and then he drifted off and now he’s staring into space, not reacting to anything.”
“Are you on the bus?”
“No, we walked up to the top of Parliament Hill. We’re sitting on a bench up here.”
There was a rustling sound at the other end of the line. “How long has he been like this?”
“I don’t know. At first I thought he was looking at the view. I didn’t realize what had happened. Five minutes, maybe more.”
“When he’s had these before, they usually don’t last too long. Are you all right to stay with him?”
“Of course. Should I do anything to try and get his attention back?”
“No, it’s best to leave him be. When he does come round, he’ll probably be a bit confused; he might not recognize you. Sometimes he can get a bit scared and aggressive.” Libby heard what sounded like a door slamming. “Try and keep him calm and I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”
“You don’t have to come. I’m sure I can handle this on my own,” Libby said, but the phone line had already gone dead.
•••
FORthe next half hour, Libby sat and watched people buzzing around them. The kite-flying family packed up their picnic and left. Two dog walkers got into an argument when one dog tried to mate with the other. An elderly woman came and sat on the bench next to Frank but moved to a different one when she realized something strange was going on with him. The whole time Frank didn’t move, his eyes glazed over. Libby held his cool hand in hers, feeling its gentle tremor, and occasionally whispered reassuring words to him.
“Libby.”
She spun round to see a tall man standing behind the bench, but it took Libby a moment to realize who it was. Dylan’s Mohawk was nowhere to be seen, and instead he haddark hair framing his angular face. He looked so different; Libby was aware she was staring at him.
“How is he?” Dylan said.
“He’s not moved since we spoke on the phone.”
Dylan knelt down in front of Frank. “All right, boss?” he said in a soft voice.
Frank didn’t move, but Libby saw a twitch of recognition in his face.
“You can go now; you don’t have to hang around anymore,” Dylan said to Libby, not taking his eyes off Frank.
“It’s okay. I’m happy to stay.”
“Honestly, it’s fine. You don’t want to waste your Saturday up here.”
For a second, Libby considered telling Dylan that she didn’t have anywhere else to be. Her boyfriend had dumped her, and her sister had friends over for lunch and had not so subtly made it clear that she’d like Libby out of the way. “Are you sure I can’t do anything to help?”
“Nah.” Dylan looked up at Libby. “Thank you for staying with him, though. I appreciate it.”
He gave her a small smile and then turned his attention back to Frank. Libby watched for a moment as Frank blinked, his eyes focusing on the man in front of him.
