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GRIFFIN ALMOST FALLS as he staggers through the door, and Jess guides him to the bed. He lies down with a thud. She can see the pain, clear on his face.
“This is ridiculous, Griffin. Take something.”
“I’ve only got one left.”
She goes to his bag and pulls out the packet. Sure enough, there’s one lonely capsule. She pushes it out of the foil and gives it to him with a glass of water.
“Take it,” she demands. He levers himself up slowly on one elbow and swallows the drug, then slumps back down on the bed. “Did you see Nav?”
He frowns. “He gave me a prescription for co-codamol. It’s useless.”
“This is ridiculous,” Jess exclaims. “I’m calling him again.”
“He won’t help me,” Griffin says.
Something in his voice makes Jess turn, his mobile in her hand. “What did you say to him?” Griffin’s face clouds. “What did you say?”
“We had an exchange of views. It doesn’t matter.”
“Look at you! It does matter.”
She turns away from him and dials Nav’s number. After a few rings he answers, his voice sharp.
“What?”
“Nav, you need to help Griffin,” Jess says.
“He doesn’t want my help.”
“Oxy, Nav. Not whatever shit you offered him.”
“Oxycodone is a controlled drug, Jess. He’s not my patient. Tell him to go to his doctor. Go to the emergency room. Anything.”
“He says you had an argument.” There’s silence at the end of the phone. “What did he say, Nav?”
Another pause. “It’s not important. It’s not because of that.”
Nav sounds upset, flustered, but Jess hasn’t got time for that now. She moves away from the bed so Griffin can’t hear her. “Look,” she says. “I know he’s an asshole. I know he can be difficult. But he’s been through a lot. Please, Nav? For me?”
There’s silence again, then Jess hears Nav grunt. “Fine. I’ll come over when I’ve finished here. And Jess?”
“Yes?”
“Alice gets out of the hospital in a few hours.”
The wave of emotion catches Jess by surprise.
“She’s better?” she manages to croak.
“Well enough. She’s going to stay with your parents. She was asking about you and Patrick.”
Jess can’t bring herself to talk.
“You need to end this, Jess,” Nav continues. “For Alice’s sake. You need to hand yourself in to the police. Then they’ll let you see her. Alice needs her mom.”
“Just bring the prescription for Griffin. Thank you,” Jess mutters, then hangs up.
She waits for a moment, a lump in her throat, forcing it back down. Then she goes and joins Griffin on the bed, lying next to him. His eyes are closed.
