TOYL

behind.
    Emma jumped; her body was really on edge.
    ‘Hi,’ she said, turning away from the window and forcing a smile.
    ‘You okay?’ Lizzy asked.
    ‘Fine.’
    ‘Emma, that was the theatre on the phone. One of the leading ladies in the play has had to pull out of the show because of a family illness, and they want me to take her place.’
    ‘That’s great news,’ Emma said, ‘but the performance is only a week away, isn’t it?’
    ‘I know. That’s why they called. They want me to go over there now and start rehearsing.’
    ‘You’d better get over there then. What are you waiting for?’
    ‘I’m not leaving you here on your own. I told them I wasn’t sure I could do it.’
    ‘Don’t be stupid, Lizzy,’ Emma replied, ‘I really appreciate what you’re doing, but you can’t let this go. Get over there now.’
    ‘You let your chance go,’ Lizzy countered.
    ‘That’s different, Lizzy, and you know it.’
    ‘It wouldn’t feel right. You shouldn’t be on your own.’
    ‘I’m not on my own, I’ve got Will too.’
    ‘Call him, now,’ Lizzy insisted. ‘Ask him to come over.’
    ‘I’ll go over to see him,’ Emma promised, ‘but I’ll just stay here for a bit. Get some extra clothes, you know.’
    ‘I can help you do that.’
    ‘No, you go,’ Emma insisted, shepherding her friend down the corridor, towards the door. She knew that the more time Lizzy had to think about this, the less likely she would be to take up the offer. ‘I’ll be fine, honestly.’
    ‘Promise you’ll call Will.’
    ‘Yes, I’ll call him.’ Emma opened the front door. ‘Now, you get going.’
    ‘You sure, Em?’ Lizzy backed out of the apartment as if being physically pushed. ‘I wouldn’t have thought you’d want to hang around here. Not on your own, anyway.’
    ‘Just for a while, then I’ll go to see Will.’
    ‘Okay,’ Lizzy said, ‘as long as you’re sure. And I’ll always have my mobile on. If you need anything, just call and I’ll come over straight away.’
    ‘Thanks,’ Emma said, ‘I’ll only be here for another couple of minutes.’
    As she closed the apartment door she let down the pretence. In truth, she had wanted Lizzy to stay – the thought of being alone scared her witless – but she wasn’t going to let Lizzy give up her big chance. This was her problem, and ultimately she had to deal with it.
    Within seconds she had buried the feelings of fear, if only temporarily.
    She was already thinking about what she would ask Mrs Henderson.

12

    ‘Hello, Richard.’
    He moved closer, towards the edge of the bed, watching Richard as he lay there motionless. Richard was in a better state than he had expected – more asleep than seriously injured. The doctors had obviously done a good job. But it was possible to make out the damage that had been done, just under his hairline, above his left eye – a purplish, inky bruise that seemed to leak into the surrounding skin.
    ‘You’re free to stay as long as you like,’ said the pretty Filipino nurse who had shown him to the private room. ‘The doctor has already been around this morning, so you won’t be disturbing anyone.’
    ‘Thank you,’ he said, watching Richard’s face for signs of life. It was weird thinking that he held his life in his hands.
    ‘So you are a work colleague?’
    ‘Pardon?’ he said, caught in a bit of a daydream, transfixed by the bleeps of the life-support machine and the thoughts of imminent death. ‘No, we met through a mutual friend. This is the first chance I’ve had to come and see him. It’s difficult to get time off, you see. But I really wanted to come and see how he is.’
    ‘That’s nice,’ said the nurse, checking the clipboard at the bottom of Richard’s bed. ‘He’s had a lot of visitors since he arrived here. It’s nice when someone is obviously loved so much.’
    ‘Yes, it is. The problem is,’ he added, ‘that the more you love someone, the harder it is to let them go.’
    ‘Yes,’ the nurse said, nodding. ‘But please try to think positively. Richard can get better.’
    He smiled back at her, while thinking about how Richard’s loved ones would react to the news – and especially how Emma would feel. She would certainly take the news hard, and he was looking forward to watching the drama unfold.
    ‘I’ll leave you to it,’ the nurse said, smiling sympathetically. He barely noticed that she had left, only registering he was finally alone with Richard when he