Page 82 of The Summer That Changed Us

Two paramedics, a man and a woman, jumped out from the ambulance, one carrying a big green medical bag.

‘Over here!’ Katie called weakly.

‘I’m Jess. This is my colleague, Mike. Did you make the call?’ said the female paramedic, pushing open the gate.

Katie nodded. She stuttered over her own name and tried to tell Jess what had happened as she led them inside. Her head felt thick and her legs had gone rubbery. Rose hadn’t moved but her eyes were flickering. The paramedics got to work straight away, picking over the clutter in the hall, talking clearly and calmly to Rose. Katie stood back out of their way by the entrance to the kitchen.

‘She hit her head as she fell,’ said Katie in a wobbly voice.

Mike nodded. ‘And caught herself on that nail by the look of it.’

Katie followed his gaze to a rectangular patch of wall lighter than the rest where a picture or a mirror must have hung at some point. A nail protruded from the wall and there was a smear of blood below it. Rose’s head must have gone straight into it. The thought made Katie feel sick. In the next instant her knees sagged from under her.

‘Whoah.’ Jess jumped up and hooked her arm through Katie’s. ‘Let’s get you sitting down.’

Katie was trembling as the paramedic led her into the kitchen, past the sink and the cooker and to a small wooden table at the end of the room. She sat on a chair and leaned her head back against the wall.

Jess washed a glass under the tap, refilled it with cold water and handed it to her. Katie took it and murmured her thanks; her throat was aching with thirst and she took a big gulp.

‘OK?’ Jess studied her carefully. ‘Will you be all right here if I go back to Rose?’

Katie nodded.

‘What relationship are you to Rose? Sister?’

‘Friend. Old school friend,’ Katie rasped.

Jess smiled. ‘Ah, that’s nice that you’ve kept in touch.’

Katie stayed quiet; if only Jess knew that the reason Rose had fallen over was because she’d tried to slam the door in her face. Jess picked up a blanket which had been left folded over the chair next to her and draped it around Katie’s shoulders. ‘You’ve done brilliantly, Katie. Give us five minutes and I’ll be back to check on you.’

‘OK.’ Katie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

What a day: a crack of dawn start to see Dad and now this. It had been one adrenaline rush after another, no wonder she felt shaky. She definitely shouldn’t have come, that was for certain. She hadn’t known what Rose’s reaction would be, but she certainly hadn’t expected such venom.

‘We’re going to try and get you on your feet now,’ said Mike loudly to Rose. ‘Can you manage that?’

Katie couldn’t catch Rose’s reply, but she sounded agitated.

‘Yes, we’re getting you out now.’ The paramedics were talking to her clearly as if she was a child.

‘Her!’ Rose said. ‘Her.’

‘Steady now. Mind your head,’ said Mike firmly.

‘No! Out!’ Rose shouted.

Katie held her breath. It was obvious who Rose was referring to. She half expected Jess or Mike to appear and ask her to leave, but they were clearly having enough trouble getting Rose to her feet.

‘Come on now, Rose,’ Jess coaxed, adding in a lower voice. ‘Very likely concussion.’

‘Yes,’ Mike agreed. ‘And she’s going to need stitches.’

Katie stood up to go and see what was going on. As she did so, her eye was drawn to a neat brown folder on the table with the initials CS on it. Her initials. It was probably nothing but a coincidence, but Katie couldn’t resist opening it. Her heart almost stopped beating. Inside was a handful of documents and the uppermost one was a black and white photograph of Katie naked. The photograph. The same one which had been sent in manila envelopes to the shop.

Shock pulsed through her veins like ice.

‘Oh my god. No.’ Katie pressed a hand to her mouth, swallowing as nausea rose up her throat.