Calamity uttered a spell in between coughs, and a magical light began to radiate from the now-extinguished brazier, illuminating the dense but already dissipating smoke. The party looked around in confusion, trying to see where Nephrine and Eden had gone, but they had disappeared.
Chapter28
Phil
Ihadn’t meant to leave Amy behind. At least, it hadn’t been an intentional choice. All I’d done was focus on putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as possible. For the first half of the journey to the hospital, I didn’t even notice she wasn’t with me, because the only thing I’d been thinking wasI should have been there.
When I realised she wasn’t with me, my initial reaction was relief, because it meant I didn’t have to worry about explaining things to her when I still didn’t know anything myself. My second reaction, of course, was to feel guilty about being relieved. But I had to focus on what was happening, because I’d had too much to drink to go back for my car. Which meant I needed to get there on foot, and fast.
All Anil had said was that Ethel had fallen, and she was conscious and mobile, but he was taking her to the hospital in his van because something didn’t feel right. I wished as I ran that I’d asked more questions, but Anil’s phone went to voicemail when I tried to ring him again en route. And it was probably for the best, given that I was so winded from running for the first time in years that he would have struggled to understand me.
By the time I arrived at A&E, I was drenched in sweat and felt like I might see my beer again soon if I wasn’t careful. I saw a predictably long queue at the desk, and I desperately looked around for someone who could just tell me where Ethel was. I saw a nurse and grabbed him by the arm as he passed, and he looked down at my hand in shock as if I’d punched him.
“I’m sorry,” I said, holding my hands up, “but I’m looking for my nan. She’s been rushed here.”
“Join the queue,” he said dismissively as he walked away, gesturing towards the mass of people I’d been trying to circumvent.
I joined the back of the queue as instructed, not sure what else to do. I probably was standing way too close to the person in front of me, even tapping my foot impatiently, but they were scrolling through TikTok on their phone, which I could just about hear, thin and tinny, through their earbuds. Okay, yes, I was definitely standing too close.
I took my own phone out of my pocket, dislodging a blue crystal as I did; Amy had been dropping them in my pockets all week. I knew it wasn’t the same one as earlier, either, because I’d been piling them on my bedside table. I knew I should look them up to see what they meant, maybe figure out what she was so desperate for me to feel or not feel, but I’d had too much on my mind to remember.
I woke my phone screen and saw a slew of texts come through, mostly from Amy.
AMY
Where did you go? I’m coming
Seriously, where are you? I’m at the house, but it doesn’t look like you’re here?
Are you at the hospital?
Phil please let me know that you and Ethel and Anil are okay when you can.
There were messages from Chloe, Fatima, and Morgan, too, all in the group chat, similar to Amy’s, asking where I’d gone and hoping everything was okay. Jack chimed in too, seeing the activity, and he must have been with Patricia, as he was offering any help we might need on her behalf.
But none of the messages were from Anil, and the line was moving painfully slowly, so I took my chances grabbing another person in a uniform as they walked past. I barely registered the tied-back blonde hair before I grabbed their arm.
“Phil?”
“Oh my god,” I said, wrapping Poppy in the biggest, sweatiest bear hug. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
But she pushed me off her. “What are you doing here? You’re not sick, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s Ethel. Her carer said she’d had a fall and they were coming here. I need to find her.”
“Oh, I can help with that,” she said, pulling me out of the queue.
The person in front of me groaned. “Not fair,” I heard them mumble as I walked away.
Poppy took me through the triage area and ducked into a room, motioning for me to wait in the hallway, before emerging with a tablet. I tried to look over her shoulder, but she glared at me until I backed off.
“It’s Ethel, right?”
I nodded. “That’s right.”
“Surname?” she asked.
“Same as mine.”
