The nurse re-entered the room carrying a blanket and pillow. My mother followed her, nursing a paper cup of something hot. Steam floated above it. The nurse reclined the armchair and flicked open the blanket, shaking it out and setting it down.
‘There you go, Mrs. Sawyer,’ she said. ‘It won’t be very comfortable but it’s the best I can offer, I’m afraid.’
‘It’s fine.’
‘You should get some sleep if you can, while your husband sleeps. Tomorrow will be a big day of tests and waiting.’
‘I will, thank you.’
After the nurse left, I stared at my mother. ‘Do you want me to stick around? I don’t mind sitting here with you all night, if you need me.’
She flicked me a sharp look. ‘It’s not now that I need you, Jonah.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
She shook her head. ‘Let’s not talk about this now. It has been a long, difficult night for all of us, and I’m afraid my nerves are shot. I don’t want to say anything I might regret.’
‘Fine.’ I got to my feet. ‘But call me, please, if anything changes.’
‘Of course.’
Outside, the cold night was a shock after the heat of the hospital room. I welcomed it, drawing it deep into my lungs. The snow had finally stopped falling and a million stars littered the sky overhead. In my profession, I knew better than most how quickly things could go wrong. A boat could capsize in seconds. A stray rope could take off a finger before you’d even know it was happening. But the thought that I’d almost lost my father that night was hard to wrap my head around. He’d always seemed invincible, and seeing him like that in the hospital bed, hooked up to all the wires, had been a shocking dose of reality. Reality that brought with it guilt. I had the horrible feeling that nothing was ever going to be the same again.
9
MAE
‘I can’t talk long,’ I mumbled into the phone, my mouth full of peanut butter toast.
‘Let me guess,’ Holly drawled. ‘You’re running late.’
‘Maybe.’
‘It’s your first day of proper work, Mae.’
‘I’m well aware of that.’ I rinsed the crumbs off my plate in the sink and left it on the bench to deal with later. Normally I didn’t leave dirty dishes because I loved nothing more than coming home from work to a tidy and clean house, but Holly was right. I was already running late on my first day out in the field.
‘It’s not my fault,’ I protested, lifting my warm parka jacket off the hook by the door and shrugging into it an arm at a time, swapping the phone from one ear to the other.
‘Alarm didn’t go off?’
‘No, the alarm went off just fine. That wasn’t the problem.’
‘Don’t tell me, the fisherman came back and you spent the night in bed together, deep sea diving for his treasures.’
I snorted. ‘He’s a lobsterman, not a fisherman. And no, sadly that did not happen.’
‘Still haven’t heard from him?’
‘No.’ I sighed. ‘Probably for the best. He went running as soon as he got that angry message from Anna, whoever she is. Knowing my luck he’s probably got a wife and six kids, couldn’t face going home that night, and thought a stranger in town would be an easy distraction.’
‘Maybe. It’s weird though. You’re normally such a good judge of character. Did you get any sleazy vibes from him?’
‘Nope. Not a single one. Maybe I’m so lonely that I subconsciously chose to overlook any red flags because at least he was someone to talk to.’
‘I hate the thought of you being lonely and in a strange place all by yourself,’ she said sadly.
‘I’m fine,’ I said brightly. Maybe if I said it convincingly enough I’d believe it myself. ‘My new colleagues have been great. Had a welcome morning tea the other day. Muffins and cheese and crackers. And the orientation went well. They all seem very nice.’
