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GREG HAD BEEN up since six, even though he wasn’t due on shift until this afternoon. Partly because there was no point lying in bed when he couldn’t sleep. And partly because tussling with the non-stop drip-drip-drip of emails into his inbox was about the only thing that made any sense at the moment.
His mobile rang and he punched the answer button irritably, without even looking to see who was calling. ‘Yeah?’
‘Good morning to you, too.’ Gerry’s voice sounded down the line, and Greg considered hanging up on him. Who knew whether Jess had seen him yet or what she’d said?
‘What is it, Gerry?’
‘First of all, try not to sound so grumpy when you answer your phone, it puts people off. Second, I hear congratulations are in order.’
‘Thanks.’
Gerry paused, just in case Greg wanted to volunteer any more information. He didn’t. He was in the middle of reading a report, and his eyes were still flipping back and forth across the words on the screen in front of him, although not much was registering.
‘Greg!’
He’d lost the thread of the report’s argument now anyway. Greg sighed and snapped his laptop shut. ‘Yeah. Sorry, Gerry. I was in the middle of something there.’
Gerry snorted. ‘Get used to it, mate. Babies are world champions for interrupting things.’
That was as may be. Gerry seemed to thrive on the loving, noisy chaos that seemed to erupt at his house at the unlikeliest of times. ‘I can handle it.’
‘I’m sure you can, and I wish you the very best of luck with it. Maura and I are always on hand for any parenting tips, though. Or you could borrow Jamie if you wanted a bit of practice. Actually, you can borrow him until he’s eighteen if you feel that’s of any help.’
‘Keeping you up nights, is he?’ Greg wondered whether he’d have the chance to roll out of bed and stumble to the nursery to hold his own child.
‘Ah, not so bad.’ Gerry chuckled. ‘And even if this is as worry-free as both of you seem to be making out, I’ve still got a bottle of the good stuff in the cupboard if you decide you’ve got the time to pop in.’
‘Thanks, mate. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, actually.’ Greg knew he probably shouldn’t be doing this but he did it anyway. ‘Did Jess mention anything about her shifts to you? She looked pretty tired yesterday and if she’s been working double shifts… ’
Gerry laughed. ‘Fussing already, eh? Pregnancy isn’t an illness, you know.’
‘I know.’ Did it really sound as if he was fussing? ‘Look, Gerry, I know I shouldn’t ask, but I’d take it as a personal favour.’
‘I don’t do personal favours. All my staff get treated the same, and I’ll be reviewing Jess’s shifts with her this afternoon, just as I would with anyone else in her situation. Anyway, this is something you should be talking to Jess about, not me.’
‘Yeah, I know.’ Easier said than done. Greg looked at his watch and groaned. ‘Listen, thanks for calling, but I’ve got to get going. Catch up with you later?’
‘Sooner would be better.’ Gerry’s chuckle sounded in Greg’s ear and then he cut the call.
Even though they’d made no solid plans to meet up, Greg had made sure that he caught up with Jess every day this week. Sometimes for a meal break, sometimes just for ten minutes snatched from a busy shift. He didn’t need to, but Jess couldn’t deny that she appreciated it, or that she looked forward to seeing him.
She hadn’t seen him yet today, Fridays were always busy. that meant he would be looking for her, wouldn’t it? That he would notice she was gone. Jess closed her eyes, wondering if that would make the darkness around her seem any less menacing, and pulled her cardigan around her. He would come. He’d find her.
Greg’s phone rang and he ignored it. Gerry was going to have to wait, he had to concentrate on composing a particularly tricky email, and he only had fifteen more minutes left before his meal break was finished.
‘There you are.’
Gerry’s voice broke his train as he entered the room and Greg rolled his eyes. What did a man have to do to get some time to himself around here?
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Trying to get a bit of peace. I’ve got to get back to the London office before the end of today.’ Greg sighed and snapped his laptop closed. It was about time he got back to work now anyway. This would have to wait until he got ten minutes for a coffee break.
‘Have you seen Jess?’
‘No. Why?’ He supposed that Gerry had noticed that he was hanging around Cardiology rather more than usual and had divined that he’d been keeping an eye on her.
‘Because she should have been back from her lunch break nearly an hour ago. Jess is never late.’
