LITMIR.BIZ

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not argue about this, Sarah.’ He shoved his arms into the shirt’s sleeves and drew it up over his shoulders. ‘I’ll call you from the hospital.’

      ‘You haven’t got any shoes on,’ she pointed out when he headed for the door, shirt flapping open. ‘You can’t go to a hospital without shoes!’

      He grumblingly went back for some trainers, then flew out of the door. Sarah heard him running down the stairs. Then she heard nothing.

      A shiver ran down her spine, nausea swirling in her stomach at the possibility that Flora could be having a heart attack. She might even die!

      The thought brought back all those horrible feelings she’d had when her father had been struck down by a coronary. Aside from the emotional trauma of losing her last parent, she’d been besieged with regret that she hadn’t even been able to say goodbye to him, or tell him that she loved him.

      Flora might not be a parent but Sarah loved her dearly. It pained her that Nick hadn’t let her go with him, even though he was probably right—she would have taken longer to dress than him. He’d taken all of thirty seconds!

       But that doesn’t stop you from dressing now and following him to the hospital in your own car, does it?

      Sarah was out of the bed in a flash, dashing for her room.

      She didn’t dress as fast as Nick, but she managed to make herself respectable in under ten minutes. Getting out of the house, however, took her another few minutes, because she had to lock up. Then she had difficulty finding the hospital, not having been there since her mother fell ill all those years ago. At last she located the right street, along with a parking spot not far from the emergency section.

      She’d just made it to the ER waiting room when her mobile rang.

      It had to be Nick, she reasoned as she retrieved it from her handbag.

      ‘Nick?’ she answered straight away.

      ‘Where in hell are you?’ he grumbled down the line. ‘I tried the home number and you didn’t answer.’

      ‘I couldn’t just sit there, Nick. So I got dressed and drove myself to the hospital. I’ve just arrived at the emergency waiting room. How’s Flora?’

      ‘Not too bad. They whipped her in and gave her some medication to thin her blood straight away. Then they hooked her up to some kind of heart-monitoring machine that does ECGs and other things. The doctor thinks it might just be angina.’

      ‘But that’s still not good, is it? I mean, angina can lead to a heart attack.’

      ‘It can. But at least we’ve got her where she can have some further tests, and proper treatment. You know Flora. She doesn’t like going to doctors, or hospitals. I’m going to make sure she stays in for a couple of days till we get a full picture of her condition. I’ve rung a colleague whose uncle is a top cardiac specialist here. We’re going to transfer her to a private room after the doctor in ER is finished with her, and he’ll come in in the morning and take over.’

      Sarah felt the tension begin to drain out of her. ‘That’s wonderful, Nick. How’s Jim doing?’

      ‘To be honest, I’ve never seen him so distressed,’ Nick whispered. ‘He’s sitting by Flora’s bed as white as a sheet himself. I’m going to try to persuade him to come with me for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. I think he’s in shock. Look, just sit down where you are and I’ll be with you shortly. Then we can all go together. There has to be a cafeteria somewhere in here.’

      ‘Couldn’t I see Flora myself before we do that? I need to see her, Nick.’ To tell her old friend that she loved her. Also that she was coming home to live. Permanently. She would put in for a transfer to a nearer school. No, she’d resign and find work in one of the many local preschools. They were always crying out for experienced infant teachers.

      ‘She’s not going to die, Sarah,’ Nick said gently.

      ‘You don’t know that. What if she took a bad turn while I was sitting near by, having a cup of tea? I’d never forgive myself.’

      ‘Fine. Stay where you are and I’ll come and get you. I’ll just tell Jim where I’m going.’

      Sarah sat down in an empty chair against the wall, only then absorbing her surroundings. The place was very busy, with people rushing to and fro, and lots of people just sitting and waiting to be treated, several of them dishevelled young men with cuts and bruises over their faces. There were half a dozen mothers with crying children, and wailing babies. They all looked poor and wretched. Some of them even smelt.

      She dropped her eyes away, upset by this brutal confrontation with the cold, cruel world. Not that she hadn’t come across neglected children before. Just not on Christmas Day.

      ‘Sarah? You OK?’

      Sarah jumped up from the plastic chair. ‘Oh, Nick, I’m so glad you’re here.’ She grabbed his arm and steered him away to one side.

      ‘Did any of those louts bother you?’ he asked.

      ‘No, no, nothing like that. I just … Oh, Nick, the world’s a horrible place, isn’t it?’

      ‘It can be,’ he agreed soberly.

      ‘We are so lucky to be healthy. And rich.’

      His smile was wry. ‘You’re right there, sweetheart. Healthy and wealthy are the daily double. Come on, I’ll take you to Flora.’

      The sight of Flora’s dull eyes and pale face alarmed Sarah. But she tried not to show it. ‘What a scare you gave us,’ she said lightly as she bent and kissed Flora on the cheek.

      ‘It’s just indigestion,’ Flora protested. ‘But no one believes me.’

      The attending nurse surreptitiously rolled her eyes at Sarah, indicating that it certainly wasn’t indigestion.

      Sarah pulled up a chair by Flora’s bed and picked up her hand. It felt oddly cold, which was another worry.

      ‘Best we make sure, now that you’re here,’ she said.

      Flora pressed her lips together. ‘That’s what Nick and Jim say but, truly, I’d much rather go home to my own bed. All I need is a rest.’

      ‘Now, Flora, love,’ an ashen-faced Jim began before his voice trailed weakly away. He’d never worn the trousers in the family and it looked as if he wasn’t about to now.

      ‘You’ll do as you’re told, madam,’ Nick intervened firmly. ‘Now I’m taking Jim for a cuppa. Sarah’s going to sit with you for a while.’

      Sarah flashed him an admiring smile. Truly, Nick’s command of this situation had been wonderful from the word go. He hadn’t panicked, he’d acted decisively and quickly—and possibly saved Flora’s life in the process.

      ‘See you soon,’ he said to her, then turned and shepherded Jim away.

      Sarah’s gaze followed him for a while before returning to Flora.

      ‘Have you something to confess, missie?’ Flora said softly, but in a very knowing fashion.

      Sarah had no intention of letting herself be railroaded into any admissions about Nick. She would not hear the end of it if she told Flora that she and Nick were having an affair.

      ‘I just wanted to say I love you dearly, Flora, and I’ve been a selfish cow, staying away from home as much I have. Things are going to change from now on, I assure you. I’m going to get a job near by so that I can be there, in person, to make sure you take it much easier, as well as look after your diet. I’ve become a very good cook of low-fat meals this past year, and you, madam, need to lose a few pounds. If you must work, then you can help Jim in the garden. And you’re going to start walking. Every morning.’

      ‘Goodness, you’re sounding just like Nick.’

      ‘Who

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