Sixty-seven
If she’d been awake, Beth would’ve seen James thunder down the stairs and jump over her motionless body. She would have heard him remove his phone from his pocket and call 999.
James later told people that she’d resembled a rag doll, who’d been flung to one side, and he’d had serious fears her neck might be broken. Looking into her face, he’d shouted, ‘Don’t move. I mean it. Don’t move a muscle.’
Of course, being out cold, she’d been happy to oblige.
Her second ride in an ambulance was equally as desperate as her first. Although it was not as fraught for Beth herself. She missed the whole thing.
In fact she didn’t regain consciousness until she was being wheeled into A&E. A large contraption was strapped to her head and neck, meaning she was unable to look at anything other than the ceiling. People’s heads kept popping into her line of vision. They seemed determined to ask her how many fingers they were holding up, but she was far too tired to answer. Let them count their own fingers. Then a doctor shone a light into her eyes and asked her who the Prime Minister was. Ahh, I know this one. It’s … It’s … Before her mouth could form the words, the name was gone. Next, the same man wanted to know her mother’s maiden name. That one was easy.
‘Pat,’ she whispered.
‘Do you know her maiden name?’ he asked again.
‘I think I’m going to be sick!’ Beth hated to interrupt this riveting discussion about her mum, but she felt it best to warn someone. Her bed was swiftly moved to the sitting up position, although her head was still firmly restricted. A nurse held a kidney-shaped cardboard bowl under her chin and she duly threw up.
‘Severe concussion’ seemed to be a phrase that was being bandied around a great deal. She was too exhausted to even attempt to work out who they were talking about.
Beth heard a voice she knew well. ‘Excuse me, excuse me, let me through, please?’
‘Mum?’
‘Yes. It’s me.’
‘How did you …’
‘James called me. Michelle’s looking after Megan at the party. She’s fine.’
‘I feel sick, Mum.’
Another cardboard bowl appeared from the left and more sick arrived on the scene.
‘They’re going to check your neck. But hopefully you’ve just got concussion. They’re going to give you an X-ray. Don’t worry, I’m here. James is here.’
‘I don’t want ‒’
‘You need to have an X-ray.’
‘No. Not that. What I mean is ‒ I don’t want him.’
Pat turned away and her muffled voice could be heard in discussion with James. Frustratingly, they were now out of Beth’s line of vision.
‘Why would she say it, then?’
‘I don’t know, you said yourself she’s concussed. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. You know what she’s like, Pat.’
‘James, did you push her? Did you have a row?’
‘No. I told you. She just fell.’
‘She was supposed to be on her way to the party. Why would she be upstairs with you?’
‘We were just about to come to the party. I swear.’
Beth wanted to intervene. She needed her mum to know what had really happened, but her head ached, and she still felt awfully sick.
Pat wasn’t easily fooled. ‘Don’s just been round to your house. He wanted to see for himself what had happened.’
‘So …?’
‘Is there anything you’d like to tell me?’
‘No … no,’ James stuttered, defensively.
‘Not even that the presents are all gone, and so is Beth’s car. Oh yes, and the bloody TV … again!’
‘Look, Pat, it’s got nothing to do with you. Beth and I … we just ‒’
‘Don told me there was a half-packed suitcase on Megan’s bed.’
‘Yeah, well …’
‘She was leaving you, wasn’t she?’
‘She was thinking about it. But she won’t go through with it. She loves me and ‒’
‘Did you push her?’
‘NO! If you must know, she’d just pushed me.’
‘Did you trip her up?’
‘NO. Well … maybe … but it was an accident.’
Pat sounded angry now. ‘Do I need to get the police involved?’
Beth found her voice. ‘No, Mum. It was an accident. He’s right.’
Pat was back at her side. ‘We’ll collect your stuff and take it to our house. When you get discharged from here, you’re coming home, OK?’
It was impossible to nod; the paramedics had done a damn fine job of restricting any head movement.
Pat took hold of her hand. ‘If there’s anything you need to tell me, don’t hesitate, OK? I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, that’s all that matters. Do you want me to …’ Spotting Beth’s bare left hand, she switched questions. ‘Where are your rings?’
Beth was silent.
‘Did you take them off because you were leaving him?’
‘No,’ Beth paused, before finishing her sentence, ‘a couple of dodgy loan sharks took them.’
‘Oh no!’
‘Nanna’s ring, Mum!’
‘I’m so sorry.’
Beth heard a male voice say they needed to take her to X-ray. She couldn’t see the owner of the voice, he didn’t move into her line of vision.
As the bed began to move, Pat called out, ‘Do you want me to send James away?’
He instantly began complaining. ‘I’m her flamin’ next of kin, Pat. I’m allowed to stay.’
Beth’s head was about to explode. Just before her bed left the cubicle, she called back, ‘Yes, Mum ‒ send James away, please.’