One Night Only (194 page)

“
Y
o
u
ar
e
a
ver
y
brav
e
bo
y
,
”
sh
e
tol
d
hi
m
afte
r
reading hi
m
a
bed-tim
e
stor
y
.
Th
e
stor
y
wa
s
possibl
y
a
bi
t
too babyis
h
fo
r
a
six-yea
r
-ol
d
bu
t
sh
e
wante
d
t
o
tr
y
an
d
drift
hi
s
min
d
ou
t
o
f
th
e
clinica
l
fee
l
o
f
th
e
hospita
l
war
d
with it
s
strang
e
sound
s
an
d
face
s
an
d
name
s
h
e
didn
’
t
kno
w
.

T
revo
r
ha
d
lef
t
th
e
hospita
l
lon
g
befor
e
he
r
.
His mothe
r
wa
s
s
o
apologeti
c
an
d
thankfu
l
fo
r
th
e
grac
e
that
Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
manage
d
t
o
sho
w
he
r
waywar
d
son
.
Mrs Humphrie
s
ha
d
bee
n
goo
d
t
o
Gin
a
dow
n
th
e
year
s
and th
e
fea
r
sh
e
fel
t
fo
r
he
r
littl
e
grandso
n
wa
s
tangible
.
Polly
trie
d
t
o
remin
d
hersel
f
tha
t
n
o
matte
r
ho
w
muc
h
sh
e
was afrai
d
fo
r
Gina
’
s
recover
y
,
Mr
s
Humphries
’
s
fear
s
were
probabl
y
tenfol
d
a
s
sh
e
dreade
d
a
futur
e
fo
r
Dann
y
without
hi
s
mothe
r
.

T
ear
s
mixe
d
throug
h
th
e
suds
y
wate
r
o
n
he
r
fac
e
and
Poll
y
wondere
d
ho
w
sh
e
woul
d
ge
t
throug
h
th
e
day ahead
.
Sh
e
ha
d
he
r
ow
n
famil
y
t
o
thin
k
o
f
a
s
wel
l
a
s
Gina an
d
Dann
y
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
the
y
wer
e
take
n
care o
f
befor
e
sh
e
coul
d
g
o
bac
k
t
o
th
e
hospital
.
I
t
was Monda
y
mornin
g
an
d
T
es
s
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
g
o
t
o
wor
k
so
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
mak
e
i
t
acros
s
ther
e
b
y
herself
.
Her
siste
r
Hele
n
ha
d
promise
d
t
o
kee
p
th
e
twin
s
whil
e
James
wen
t
t
o
wor
k
an
d
Franki
e
woul
d
b
e
i
n
schoo
l
unti
l
three s
o
sh
e
ha
d
a
fai
r
stretc
h
o
f
th
e
da
y
covere
d
befor
e
she
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
rethin
k
an
y
childcar
e
plan
s
fo
r
whatever th
e
evenin
g
hel
d
i
n
store
.

Sh
e
rinse
d
of
f
an
d
turne
d
of
f
th
e
showe
r
,
knowin
g
that whe
n
sh
e
steppe
d
outsid
e
an
d
go
t
dresse
d
sh
e
woul
d
have t
o
fin
d
th
e
strengt
h
t
o
fac
e
wha
t
ne
w
challenge
s
th
e
day woul
d
bring
.
W
oul
d
Gin
a
hav
e
progresse
d
overnight?
W
oul
d
sh
e
b
e
facin
g
anothe
r
da
y
o
f
silenc
e
an
d
bleeping
monitor
s
an
d
th
e
horribl
e
lingerin
g
sens
e
o
f
deat
h
i
n
the air
?
Sh
e
shuddere
d
a
t
th
e
ver
y
thought
.

“
Y
ou’r
e
u
p
earl
y
.
”

Jame
s
wa
s
awak
e
whe
n
sh
e
cam
e
bac
k
int
o
th
e
bedroom. H
e
looke
d
hung-ove
r
an
d
grogg
y
bu
t
i
t
didn
’
t
bothe
r
he
r
as
muc
h
a
s
i
t
migh
t
hav
e
a
fe
w
day
s
before
.

“
I
couldn
’
t
slee
p
much,
”
sh
e
said
.
“
I
nee
d
t
o
ge
t
organised
an
d
ge
t
bac
k
t
o
th
e
hospital.
”

Jame
s
climbe
d
ou
t
fro
m
unde
r
th
e
duve
t
an
d
sa
t
o
n
the
edg
e
o
f
th
e
bed
.
H
e
sighe
d
an
d
stoo
d
u
p
wit
h
a
stretch the
n
mad
e
hi
s
wa
y
t
o
th
e
showe
r
withou
t
sayin
g
anything more
.
Poll
y
go
t
dressed
,
makin
g
th
e
mos
t
o
f
th
e
early
mornin
g
peac
e
befor
e
th
e
childre
n
awoke
.
I
t
looked gloriou
s
outsid
e
s
o
sh
e
chos
e
a
long
,
pale-blu
e
summer
dres
s
an
d
flip-flop
s
an
d
sli
d
a
hairban
d
ont
o
he
r
long blond
e
hai
r
,
the
n
touche
d
u
p
he
r
clea
r
complexio
n
wit
h
a
ligh
t
laye
r
o
f
foundatio
n
an
d
a
brus
h
o
f
mascara
.