Page 44 of From Scotland with Love

“I’ll do it! Now look after each other please!”

After spending so many hours waiting, and despite Lori’s best efforts, all three sisters found themselves getting frustrated with one another, so much that they had to take it in turns to walk around the hospital grounds alone. But finally, to their relief the doctor had taken the girls aside.

“Your gran is talking, that’s really good news at this stage.” The consultant dug his hands into his white coat again, Lori noticed, perhaps it was a nervous tick.

“So, um... you think she’s going to be OK? Like, back to normal some time?” Tammy bit her fingernails as the three girls crowded around the doctor.

“Let’s just say she is doing surprisingly well. She’s talking with the nurses and myself, and there appears to be nothing wrong with her speech, which can be affected with a stroke. We just need to assess her over the next few days, but she is stable. She is likely to be a little more physically frail from now on, and she might need a bit of help around the house, but,” he nodded and smiled, “if back to normal means, hassling me like a mother-duck to let you all in again, then yes - OK.”

“We can go to her?” Lori grabbed a tight hold of Tammy and Jean. The doctor nodded and the girls went in to find Gran sitting up in bed, with the nurse giving her a cup and straw to drink from. Her white hair was uncharacteristically messy, and she still looked pale, but her eyes were open, and she smiled as the girls entered and began fussing around her.

“Aren’t I well cared for?” She gestured sleepily to the nurse. “Thank you Abby.”

“Your gran is a trooper,” the nurse reassured the concerned sisters. “She’s on the mend.” She winked, straightened the bedclothes, and left the room promptly.

“Well, how are my wee women?” Gran asked in a quiet voice, and laid her head back gingerly on the pillows. Lori watched as the afternoon sun streamed through the fogged-up window and shone over Gran’s white hair, making it glow. Dust particles floated in the light, and gave the scene such a peaceful air it made Lori reflect on how close she was to losing the woman lying before her, the woman who had shaped her whole world - a world that Lori had willingly chosen to leave.

The girls each took their turn to gently kiss her on the head, and stood around her, holding hands.

“Oh come now, why the glum faces.” She swallowed, her voice croaky. Lori picked up the cup of water with the straw and let her gran take another drink.

“Gran, we were so worried. How are you feeling?” Lori waited until the old woman was finished, who sighed deeply, and smiled up at her granddaughter.

“Och, I am fine and dandy.” She chuckled, then coughed weakly. “Just a wee bit tired”.

“I think Gran will be OK.” Lori hugged her sisters in the corridor, and insisted they go home to rest, and to check in on Bracken. Lori had decided to stay with Gran until she recovered, there was no need to have them all at the hospital getting no sleep and eating awful food. Lori waved farewell as their car rolled out of the car park, with Tammy dabbing at her red eyes, and Jean eager to see her girls. She went back to spend the evening with Gran for visiting hours, and booked a nearby BnB for a long hot shower and a night-cap.

25

The boys suffered a second epic loss; playing another team, but yielding the same results. Callum’s heart had not been in the game, and he looked forward to leave his failures and return back to Morvaig. He was eager to spend time out on the sea, blissfully kayaking the remainder of the summer nights away before autumn set in. He stepped onto the bus with the other boys for the long trip back home, and gazed out the window as the endless chatter that surrounded him began to make him weary. Perhaps he should do something else with his life? He mused to himself and studied the dramatic landscape on the other side of the steamed-up windows. He wiped his sleeve back and forth to show a clear vision of hills and lochs rolling past; not a tree in sight. The barren landscape would have once featured many ancient forests before they were all cut down to make room for private estates. Shooting deer and grouse were important to wealthy landowners, and the Highlands were well-known as a playing ground for the few landlords who hung onto their assets ever-tightly. Keeping it for themselves, they shared their miles and miles of desolate land with only their own hand-picked crew of elite peers. People like Hector, anger churned automatically in Callum’s throat. What he should do is plant trees - hundreds, thousands of trees. Bring back the native Caledonian forests, which would attract indigenous species like red squirrels, capercaillies and the wild cat that had once thrived here. Would that be worthwhile? He thought hard as he breathed softly on the glass, and wrote his initials with his finger. He needed to put his energy somewhere that would grow with him. Maybe he should travel to new lands, meet someone new, someone completely different? His heart felt heavy, like someone was pressing down on his chest with the flat of their palm. Someone completely different to Lori, that was really what he meant. He wanted to laugh at himself there on the bus: what an eejit, he couldn’t shift her from his thoughts, even now. He was sure that whatever Lori was doing at this very moment, it was not thinking of him. The bus sped past jagged hills on either side, containing a certain spot known as the Devil’s Staircase, after travellers from long ago would say nothing grew there, not even wild flowers. They continued on through Glencoe - the gloomy hills always a welcome sight for Callum. The day was dark and overcast, but even though the sun didn’t shine, he loved how this place made him feel, encouraging him to crack himself open and discover the secrets that were lurking underneath. This land was steeped in history and magic, and whenever he saw these familiar hills, it made him seek that inescapable connection with himself and the vastness around him, come rain or shine.

Callum woke after one of his team mates shook him. It was late when they arrived back, the town quiet and the street lights on. He saluted to any stragglers coming off the bus after him, but received little in the form of a response; the guys must have been eager to get home, to dinner and to a warm bed. He, on the other hand, didn’t have much waiting for him. Just an out-of-date-kipper in his fridge, and a can of lager. The nearby grocery was closed, so he got a fish supper from the local chip shop, passed the locked-up Adventurous Tours, and finally arrived back home. He spent the next hour clicking buttons on the TV remote, never settling on anything to watch, drank his beer, and then went to bed.

The next day he headed in to work to find Karen chatting earnestly to Jean over the back counter. Jean’s face had lost it’s usual warm glow, and he was struck at how different she seemed.

“What’s happened?” Callum knew there was something not quite right.

“It’s Gran.” Jean gave a deep sigh, her shoulders rising and falling heavily.

Callum went to her, his hand gently on her elbow. “Is she OK?” He couldn’t imagine something being wrong with Mary, she was always fitter and healthier than most folk, running about cooking, looking after everyone, and generally enjoying life.

“She had a stroke.” Karen offered, and stood with her arms crossed defensively, a concerned look on her face.

Callum couldn’t bear to take in the news, but he needed to know everything. A tear fell down Jean’s cheek and Karen went to hug her. Callum stepped back, expecting the worst. He shook his head “No, Jean. No, no.”

Karen let go of her friend and rubbed her back as Jean breathed out again.

“It’s okay – I mean, she’s awake, she’s speaking. Her speech isn’t affected, just her body, a bit.”

“Thank Christ!”

“The doctors got to her in time. We don’t know what is affected exactly just yet. Lori has said the side of her right arm and her right leg might be not be fully functioning. She’s just so tired, but she’s resting for now.”

Callum fidgeted, needing to do something. He wanted to see Mary, but would that overstep the mark? This was a family thing after all. But he needed to be involved somehow. “Can I do something? Maybe take Gran’s things to her?” He offered.

Jean looked over at Karen with a small smile. “You’ve both been so generous. Karen was so good to look after the girls, since my ex couldn’t even take the time to help me out.” She was on the verge of tears again, and Callum didn’t know if he should look away or give her comfort.

“Anything you need Jean, I’d do anything for the family.” Callum thought of Gran, lying there lonely in the hospital, but then suddenly stopped - Jean had said Lori was with her. Of course she’d be there to help her grandmother. She was the best person to be there. Jean was a calm and stable person, but Lori was cool under pressure, and would get the things done that needed doing. He had always loved that about her. But he winced, that must mean Michael was there too. There was certainly no room for him if her fiancé was there. And it would look odd, if the local handyman turned up with Gran’s clothes, or so Gran had inadvertently led Michael to believe, that day of the Highland games.