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Ned stood, rolling his shoulders to release the stiffness. ‘We should be going home, Gracey.’
It seemed odd to hear the affectionate nickname coming from Ned. But Grace seemed to respond to it, a soft flush on her cheeks. ‘Of course. It’s late.’ She smiled down at the girl leaning against her. ‘Would you like to come home with us? Your mum is likely to be here for a while.’
Gabby nodded, sliding her hand into her grandmothers with a firm statement of trust. ‘Do I get to sleep in Dad’s old room?’
‘If you like.’
‘Awesome.’
Becca bent to kiss her as they went past.
Grace seemed unusually awkward. ‘You can come over tomorrow whenever you’re ready. We’ll take Gabby to church with us. At some point we should have a proper talk.’
Between them was the last talk that had been painful for both of them. Becca smiled, pushing aside the ache in her chest.
‘I’d like to talk.’
Becca had scarcely sat down again when Morgan appeared from the hallway leading to the wards. He’d changed from his wet clothes into scrubs, the pale blue accentuating his eyes. The short sleeves left his arms bared and she could see patches of discolouration in the delicate skin inside his elbows. It reminded her too clearly of his lean body exposed for her the other night. And what came after.
‘How is he?’
‘He’s doing well. Come along and say goodnight.’
She followed him along the corridor and into the acute ward nearest the nursing station. ‘I thought he’d be better here as there aren’t any other children in at the moment. They’ll do regular obs to make sure the immersion didn’t have any aftereffects.’
Edward was still partly propped up in due regard for his condition, but she could see he was sleepy. Exhausted after the trauma of the evening.
She sat beside him and rested her hand on his wrist, careful not to disturb the pulse oximeter on his middle finger. ‘Hey.’
‘Hey, Mum.’ His voice was thready but some of it was probably due to tiredness.
‘They treating you well?’
He grinned sleepily at her. ‘Of course. Will someone check Kirsty?’
‘Thackery is taking her up to the farm for Win to look after.’
‘She’ll like that.’
Becca wondered which one he meant. Probably both. ‘You okay if I go home or would you like me to stay?’
‘You go. I’m gonna sleep forever.’
Already his lids were drooping and she leaned over to kiss him. ‘I’ll be back first thing.’
‘Goodnight, Mum … gunnight, Dad.’
She sat with him for a few more minutes but he was out to it, his breathing deep and even.
Morgan touched her on the shoulder. ‘They’ll monitor him all night. If there are no further symptoms, he can come home tomorrow.’
A numbness was overtaking her as she followed Morgan out of the ward. A male nurse met them at the emergency room with a bag holding wet clothes and her coat in a separate bundle. She pulled on the coat, knowing it was still freezing outside, even if the snow had stopped. It was still clammy from being wrapped around Edward, but better than nothing. Which was more than Morgan had.
‘Are you going to be all right?’
The nurse told them to hang on a minute and vanished into the ER, coming back with a black puffy ski jacket. ‘You can use this. I have another one in my car.’
Morgan thanked him and Becca watched the nurse head off. ‘That was nice of him.’
