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‘Let’s have a look at that photograph again.’
She handed him the scanned copy of the photograph that she’d found, and Greg studied it. ‘So this window, here… ’ he ran his finger across the image ‘… is that one over there. And if I stand here… Yes, this is where the photo was taken from.’
Jess went to stand beside him. ‘I think you’re right.’
He looked around him. ‘So this was a ward once. Right up here in the attic.’
She nodded. ‘Yep. They used it for cholera patients during one of the outbreaks in London.’ Jess shivered. The whitewashed walls, now lined with store cupboards, must have seen their share of suffering.
‘Do you know the date of this photo?’
‘Yes, it was written on the back—1851.’
Greg was deep in thought. ‘Before Lister’s procedures were adopted.’ He shook his head. ‘These doctors didn’t even know that they needed to wash their hands. All they could do for infectious disease was put the patients up here. It must have been terrifying.’
‘They did the best they could.’ Jess looked for the hundredth time at the faces of the doctors and nurses, posing for the camera in well-ordered lines. ‘We wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for them.’
‘No.’ Greg sat down on a large, wooden crate, leaving space for Jess to come and sit next to him. His face was drawn into a mask of regret, and he seemed to need her close.
‘I didn’t think it would be this sad. I knew the facts and figures, how there were so many things then that couldn’t be cured, but when I see the faces… ’
‘Yeah.’ Greg put his arm around her shoulders. ‘See that kid in the bed there? Look at his arm, it’s so thin.’
‘Mmm. He can’t be much older than Tommy. How’s Gemma, by the way?’
‘She’s okay. They’ve wired her jaw and are keeping her in under observation. There have been no more seizures, though, and the CAT scan didn’t show any reason for concern.’
‘Good. Is that where you were just now?’ Greg had said that he’d meet her half an hour after the end of his shift.
‘Yes. I met her husband up on the ward. Nice guy.’
‘And how’s Tommy?’ Jess knew Greg. He wouldn’t have left without finding that out as well.
‘Good. Texting his mother smiles, the way that she did when he was in hospital.’ He grinned. ‘So you can cheer up.’
Jess laughed. ‘Right. Consider me officially cheery. Do you have time for dinner tonight?’
‘Yes. In fact, there’s something I want to tell you.’
‘What?’
‘I’ll tell you when we eat.’
Jess searched in her handbag and found a couple of fruit bars. ‘Here.’ She handed Greg one and stripped the other of its wrapper. ‘We’re eating now.’
He laughed. ‘I bet none of your Christmas presents last until Christmas Day, do they?’
She shrugged. ‘Some of them do. But tell me now.’ Their time together was too precious to waste. Dinner was about the only opportunity they got to just talk about nothing. Be together, without the distractions that seemed to press relentlessly in on them.
‘I’ve made a decision.’
That sounded serious. Maybe she should have waited. On the other hand, they were alone here. ‘Yes? What decision?’
‘I can’t keep on doing two jobs like this. Something’s got to go.’
Thank you. At last he’d come to his senses. The cutting back on his hours at the hospital hadn’t worked, Greg was just as busy, just as tired as he’d been when he’d been working a full shift rota.
‘I think you’re right. You can’t keep this up for much longer.’
