by M A Comley
“Thank God, the ambulance is on its way, love. How do you feel?” Trisha reached inside the car and grasped Lucy’s hand.
“Like my head belongs to someone else. Shit! I need to ring Shirley, it’s her day off; I was supposed to be opening up today.”
“Hand me your phone. I’ll do that for you.”
Slowly, Lucy sought out her phone and handed it through the window. “Thanks. Her number is in my contacts under ‘Shirley’.”
“You need to punch in your password for me.”
Trisha angled the mobile back to Lucy, and at the third attempt she successfully opened up her phone. Trisha rang Shirley and explained the situation.
“I’m sorry, Shirley,” Lucy shouted before Trisha hung up.
“She said to pass on her best wishes and not to beat yourself up about not opening up. She’s going in herself.”
“Bugger. I hate letting people down.”
A paramedic hopped out of the ambulance and crouched at the window to speak to her. “Hello, I’m Sam, and you are?”
“Lucy Brent. Please, I don’t want a fuss. Can you just check me over and send me on my way?”
“We’ll see. I take it you hit your head on impact?”
“Yes. I didn’t lose consciousness, if that’s going to be your next question.”
“It was. Okay, then that’s a good sign. Can we get you out of the vehicle? I need to see if you can walk in a straight line.”
He opened the door. Lucy unfastened her seatbelt and slipped her hand into the paramedic’s. “Oops, I’m a little unsteady.”
“Take your time, there’s no rush. Follow that white line over there, if you will?”
Trisha took a step in Lucy’s direction, but the paramedic shook his head. She remained in place and watched instead.
Lucy’s legs wobbled slightly, not as much as she thought they would, and, in the end, she did well in her task.
“You get a gold star for that. Look, if you’re feeling better already, then I’m not going to try and force you to go to hospital.”
“Thanks, I’m sure I’ll be fine in an hour or so. I’d hate to waste the medical staff’s time. I’m aware of the stress the NHS is under.”
The paramedic tutted. “Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m here to make sure you’re okay. I can take you in, no problem.”
“I’d rather not. Trisha can take me home, if that’s all right with the officers?”
The male officer nodded. “It’s all right with us. We’ll call a tow truck and get your car cleared. Sorry to have to tell you that I think they’ll declare it a write-off.”
“Crap, that’s just what I need, not. Okay, time to start saving for a new one. Just when I was getting on my feet as well,” Lucy complained.
Trisha rubbed her arm. “We can share mine, or I can give you a lift into town, no problem.”
Lucy covered Trisha’s hand with her own. “I owe you so much as it is.”
“Nonsense. You’d do the same for me, I know you would. Did you ring Matthew? Maybe he’ll put his hand in his pocket and buy you a car, you never know.”
“Yes, he’s in a meeting. I wouldn’t want him doing that. It wouldn’t feel right, not to me.”
“Okay, ladies, I’m going to skedaddle now. Keep an eye on that head of yours. Any blurred vision or the sign of a thumping headache, promise me you’ll go straight to A&E?” the paramedic said, his expression less stressed.
“I promise. Trisha will ensure that happens, too, I’m sure. She’s my guardian angel.”
“Take care.” He waved and jumped back in the ambulance.
“I think you should have gone to hospital, love, you know, to get checked over,” Trisha whispered.
“I couldn’t. You know that. Think about it.”
Trisha grimaced and shook her head. “Silly me. Okay, let’s get you home.”
“Leave the car with us. We’ll take care of it and give you an update later on,” the male officer said.
Trisha hooked her arm through Lucy’s and helped her to the passenger seat of her car. Lucy buckled up. Trisha got in and kicked the engine into life. They had barely left the scene when the emotions came flooding out. Lucy bawled and covered her face with shaking hands.
Trisha indicated and pulled into a nearby lay-by. Without saying anything, she gathered Lucy in her arms. “Let it out, sweetheart.”
“I was so scared, it brought dozens of bad memories flooding back. Why would someone deliberately target me?”
Trisha sighed and sat back. “I don’t know. I’m not happy about leaving you alone. I’m going to take the rest of the day off and look after you.”
“No, I’ll be fine. I don’t expect you to do that, not for me.”
“I can assure you, I wouldn’t do it for anyone else. You need me to be with you today. If I dropped you back to the house and shot off to work and came home to find a quivering wreck, well, how do you think that would make me feel? I’ll ring my boss now, lay it on a bit thick.”
Trisha made the call, told her boss they were on the way to hospital and that she would update him during the day. He also sent his best wishes to Lucy, making her feel guilty as hell.
Once they arrived home, Trisha fussed over her like a mother hen. She rushed upstairs and returned with the quilt and pillow from Lucy’s bed and ordered her to lie on the sofa.
Lucy settled on to the sofa and, not long after, her mobile rang. It was Matthew.
“Hey, you! It’s unusual for you to ring me at work, something wrong?”
“It’s nothing to worry about…”
“Okay, whenever someone says that, it usually means the opposite. What’s going on, Lucy?”
It was obvious how anxious he was. “I’ve had an accident. Please, I’m fine. Trisha picked me up, and she’s taken the day off to look after me. I just wanted you to know,” she rambled, not giving him the chance to interrupt her.
“What? Are you hurt? Have you been to hospital?”
“I’m shaken up, that’s all. The paramedic was happy to send me home. Please, I don’t want you all to fuss over me.”
“Don’t fuss? Are you kidding me? Of course we’re going to make a fuss, we love you. Damn, I’ve got important meetings planned for the rest of the day. I won’t be able to see you until later. I promise I’ll drop round after work, if you don’t think I’ll be intruding, that is.”
“I’d love to see you later. My head should be clear by then. Please, try not to worry, I’m fine, honestly. My nurse is taking good care of me.”
“If you’re sure. I can arrange for a private nurse to visit you, you only have to say the word.”
“Don’t do that. I’ll be fine after a quick nap. I have to go now, my head is thumping, and I’m having trouble thinking straight.”
“Okay, I get the message. Can you pass the phone over to Trisha?”
“Only if you promise to be nice.”
“Have you ever known me to be otherwise?”
“Hmm…the truth is, I haven’t known you long enough yet.”
“You’ll just have to take my word for it then.”
“Passing you over now.” She thrust the phone at Trisha who was sitting at the bottom of her makeshift bed. “He wants a word with you. Don’t take any bullshit from him.”
Trisha’s face was a picture. “Me? Why does he want to speak to me?” she asked, her hand covering the phone.
“He’ll be fine. Just reassure him that I’m okay, will you?”
She nodded and tentatively spoke into the phone. “Hello, Matthew…yes, she’s fine…no, there’s no need for you to send anyone else…that’ll be fine…of course I’ll ring if she takes a turn for the worse. Okay, speak soon.” She exhaled the breath she’d been holding in. “Bloody hell. I’ve never known a man care so much. You’ve hooked a good ’un there, love.”
“I got the gist of what he said.” She smiled and snuggled under the quilt and dozed off.
The doorbell woke her a few hours later.
Trisha walked into the room holding a large bouquet of flowers and a wicker basket.
“How beautiful. What does the card say?” Lucy asked, sitting upright. Her vision was slightly blurred, however, she was determined not to let on about that, fearing her life wouldn’t be worth living if she did.
“Thinking of you. Enjoy lunch on me. Love you, Matthew XX.”
“That’s so sweet and thoughtful. What’s in the basket?”
Trisha opened the lid and gasped. “Oh my, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a grander picnic basket.”
She emptied the contents onto the quilt beside Lucy.
“Oh my, neither have I. I fear it’s going to be far too rich for my stomach today. Duck pâté, I don’t think I’ve ever tried that before.”
“Bloody hell. Look at this fabulous bread, it’s still ruddy warm. How the hell has he managed that?”
“It must have come from that exclusive shop in Bath. What a waste.”
“Are you crazy? Waste, why is it a waste?”
“Because it’s going to be too rich for me. You carry on, though, don’t let me stop you.”
“I’m not going to eat your gift, don’t be silly. All this stuff in the jars will keep, and the bread will last at least a few days. Let me sort out something light for you to eat. Fancy some cheese and bread?” Trisha held up a small baguette roll and some Camembert in a box.
Lucy nodded until she wished she hadn’t. “Okay, you’ve twisted my arm, on one proviso.”
“Which is?”
“You dig in and help yourself, don’t hold back.”
“Okay, I will, I promise. Want a coffee to wash it down or this?” She held up a bottle of red wine.
“A coffee might be better, the way my head feels.” She winced, regretting voicing the words out loud.
“You heard what the paramedic said. We should get you to the hospital to get checked over.”
“Please, don’t make me go, it’ll only cause extra problems. I don’t have any medical records for a start. I’ve never thought about the ramifications of that side of things before.”
“Bugger, neither have I. We’ll put our heads together, excuse the pun, this afternoon and come up with something to combat the issue for the future. Pretty dumb of us not to have thought about that in the beginning.” She placed her head in her hands. “Very dumb, in fact. What if you’d been lying in hospital in a coma now, what then?”
“I don’t want to think about it, but I think we should come up with a plan. God, my head hurts even more now, imagining that.”
“Then let’s leave it for now and address the issue if it ever arises in the future. Deal?”
“Okay, I agree. I need to go to the loo. Did you mention something about a coffee?”
“I can take the hint. Can you make it up the stairs?”
“I’m sure I can manage. I’ll give you a shout if I get stuck.”
Trisha held out a hand and pulled Lucy to her feet.
After taking a steady trip upstairs, she came down again and entered the kitchen. Trisha had laid out all the goodies from the hamper on the table.
“Bloody hell, that lot must have cost him a packet.”
“I was thinking the same. Here you go, cheese and bread, unless anything else has taken your fancy? How are you feeling?”
“My head is really muzzy. It might be because I’m hungry, though.”
“True enough, hunger does that to me. Go back in the lounge, I’ll bring it in.”
Lucy passed by the window on her way back to the sofa. She peered out to see what the weather was like and gasped. Trisha came in the room behind her and rushed towards her.
“What’s wrong?”
The car that was sitting outside the house sped away. Lucy’s hand shook, and the words stuck to her tongue. Trisha placed the tray down on the coffee table and guided Lucy back to the sofa.
“Here, sit down. What did you see, love? Tell me?”
“I’m not sure I can. I thought…”
“What? Who was out there? Do you want me to call the police? Or Matthew?”
“No. Don’t do that. Maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me.”
“Okay, but what did you think you saw then?”
“The car that ran me off the road today.”
Trisha ran back to the window, cursing. “Are you sure?”
“No. That’s just it. It was probably my mind working overtime, imagining things that weren’t there.”
“That’s so unlike you. I’m going to go out there and take a look.”
Lucy grabbed Trisha’s hand and pleaded, “No, please, don’t do that.”
“Nonsense. I’ll leave the door open. If he’s out there, I’ll come back in and call the police. I’m not having you live in fear like this. Look at you, you’re breaking out in a sweat.”
“Be careful. Why take the risk?”
“I’ll be right back, don’t stress out. I have to make sure there’s no one out there for my own peace of mind.”
Trisha left the room before Lucy could say anything else. She flipped back the quilt and peered out of the window again, not wanting to let Trisha out of her sight.
Trisha stretched her neck over the gate, turned around and shook her head. Lucy sighed with relief.
“Thank God for that.” She tapped on the window and gestured for Trisha to come back in the house, then dived back under the covers.
“Nothing out there at all. I’ll keep an eye open throughout the day. Stop worrying about it, love, okay?” Trisha stated, running a hand down Lucy’s arm.
“I promise. I fear it’s going to be easier said than done, though.”
Trisha handed Lucy the plate of food she’d prepared and placed her mug of coffee on the floor beside her.
Lucy stared down at the food, her stomach churning still, and glanced up at Trisha. “I’m not sure I can eat this now.”
“Nonsense, get it down your neck.”
She nibbled on the bread, got the taste for it, and then slathered the bread with the cheese. “It’s delicious. I’m over it, I’m sure it was all in my mind.”
“That’s my girl. You need to eat to put some colour back in your cheeks.”
“What have you got?”
“I thought I’d try one of the pâtés.” She took a bite and moaned appreciatively. “It’s divine, never tasted anything like this before. I suppose the quality speaks for itself. Hey, you should get sick more often if this is how Matthew is going to treat you. I was joking, don’t throw a wobbler.”
“You’re unbelievable at times. I’d be lost without you fighting my corner, though. Thank you for spending the day with me.”
“You’re welcome. I couldn’t leave you here by yourself. You seem a little brighter, barring the mishap of what’s just happened.”
“I do feel more human after my nap.”
“It gave me a chance to read a few chapters from my book, especially as I was forced to keep quiet, in case I woke you.”
“You’re so considerate. I’m sorry to be such a burden. You can do without friends like me hanging around you all the time.”
“And you do have a habit of talking shit at times.”
They both laughed. It eased her conscience a little.
“I love you.”
“Ditto. We’re a team, you and me, and it will always be that way, no matter who comes along in the future, right?”
“I’m going to make sure Matthew doesn’t interfere with our friendship, that’s for sure.”
“Good. I get the sense he won’t. I could be wrong, though.”
5
Matthew showed up at the house at around six that evening. He’d rung ahead to warn her, giving Lucy the chance to have a bath and make herself look half presentable. She had folded up the bedding she’d been snuggled under for catnaps most of the day. He sat on the sofa next to her, clinging on to her hand, almost as if he was too scared to let her go.
“Whoa! Why didn’t you tell me about this ea
rlier?”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“What did the police have to say? Could you give them a number plate?”
“No. He came out of nowhere…”
He pulled her close and gently kissed the bruise that had developed on her forehead. “My poor baby, I can’t believe you had to go through that alone. Listening to you now, it’s as if you’ve brushed it off as a minor incident. It wasn’t, not if you think someone deliberately set out to hurt you.”
“If he’d bumped me up the rear once, maybe I’d be willing to accept it was an accident, but I lost count of how many times his car made contact with mine. Look, I’m fine, all’s well that ends well. The same thing can’t be said about my car—that’s a different issue entirely.”
He waved his hand. “I’ll get you a new one.”
“What? I can’t allow you to do that. I’ll get a loan from the bank.”
“Oh, no you won’t. I’ll pay. I know how proud you are; if you want to pay me back over time, that’s up to you. We’ll draw up a contract.”
“That sounds doable. My funds are tight at present. Hopefully, now I’ve moved in with Trisha my balance will be looking a little healthier in no time at all.”
“That’s settled then. When do you want to go car shopping? Tomorrow?”
“Why not? Oh, wait, why don’t we leave it until the weekend instead?”
Matthew chewed on his bottom lip.
“Is there a problem?”
He tutted. “No, I’m sure we can fit both in…it’s a major deal picking the right car for your needs.”
“Fit both in? What do you mean?”
“Don’t forget we’re meeting my parents this weekend. Mother rang today to remind me. We’ve been summoned for dinner.”
“Summoned? Did she actually put it that way? I hadn’t forgotten.”
“No, that was me putting my spin on it. Are you up to meeting the rest of the family or would you rather I delayed it?”
Her heart pounded harder. “Will Jake be there?”
“I should think so. That’ll help break the ice, won’t it?”
Lucy gulped and then forced a smile. “I suppose so. What if I have a relapse in between now and then?”