One Night Only (199 page)

“
W
eetabix,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“Mak
e
sur
e
.
.
.
the
y
giv
e
him
W
eetabix.
”

Sh
e
neede
d
t
o
se
e
him
.
Sh
e
neede
d
t
o
touc
h
hi
s
soft, pal
e
ski
n
an
d
hi
s
spik
y
brow
n
hai
r
an
d
hea
r
hi
m
talk abou
t
hi
s
comic-book
s
an
d
th
e
programme
s
h
e
watched o
n
television
.
Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
hea
r
hi
s
voic
e
sparkl
e
with enthusias
m
whe
n
h
e
talke
d
abou
t
footbal
l
an
d
ho
w
he score
d
a
goa
l
a
t
schoo
l
an
d
ho
w
h
e
sai
d
‘it
’
s
no
t
fair
’
when h
e
didn
’
t
ge
t
hi
s
ow
n
wa
y
.
Sh
e
neede
d
t
o
se
e
fo
r
herself
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
oka
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
hi
s
mothe
r
.
Onl
y
sh
e
coul
d
tell
i
f
Dann
y
wa
s
reall
y
oka
y
.

“
Y
o
u
nee
d
t
o
tak
e
thing
s
reall
y
eas
y
,
”
sai
d
Nurse Anne
,
scribblin
g
dow
n
note
s
a
s
sh
e
spoke
.
“D
r
Brad
y
will
b
e
delighted
.
H
e
i
s
o
n
hi
s
wa
y
her
e
no
w
an
d
h
e
will
explai
n
everythin
g
t
o
you.
”

T
revo
r
wa
s
sittin
g
dow
n
o
n
th
e
armchai
r
b
y
he
r
bed again
.
Sh
e
coul
d
se
e
hi
m
roc
k
bac
k
an
d
fort
h
i
n
th
e
chai
r
,
starin
g
a
t
he
r
almos
t
i
n
disbelief
.
Sh
e
reall
y
mus
t
have scare
d
th
e
shi
t
ou
t
o
f
him
,
lyin
g
ther
e
hooke
d
u
p
t
o
the
gadget
s
tha
t
wer
e
makin
g
sur
e
sh
e
wa
s
stil
l
alive
.
H
e
was probabl
y
riddle
d
wit
h
guil
t
a
t
th
e
wa
y
h
e
ha
d
treate
d
her an
d
dreadin
g
tha
t
sh
e
migh
t
sli
p
awa
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
almost tempte
d
t
o
pla
y
dea
d
jus
t
t
o
giv
e
hi
m
on
e
fina
l
scare
!

“
I
don
’
t
wan
t
yo
u
here,
”
sh
e
sai
d
an
d
Nurs
e
Ann
e
did
a
doubl
e
take
.

“Pardon?
”

“No
t
yo
u
.
.
.
him,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
I
don
’
t
wan
t
hi
m
here.
Ge
t
hi
m
awa
y
.
”

T
revo
r
stoppe
d
rockin
g
an
d
hi
s
loo
k
o
f
disbelie
f
turned t
o
utte
r
fea
r
.
H
e
wa
s
whit
e
a
s
a
shee
t
an
d
hi
s
cheek
s
were sunke
n
an
d
gaunt
.

“Mr
s
Humphries
,
pleas
e
don
’
t
b
e
upset,
”
sai
d
th
e
nurs
e
.
“Jus
t
tr
y
an
d
relax
.
I
kno
w
yo
u
mus
t
fee
l
ver
y
confused bu
t
–
”

“The
n
ge
t
hi
m
ou
t
o
f
her
e
no
w
,
th
e
wife-beating,
bullyin
g
bastard
!
”

I
t
exhauste
d
he
r
,
bu
t
sh
e
mad
e
sur
e
t
o
sa
y
th
e
word
bastar
d
a
s
lou
d
a
s
he
r
weakene
d
voice-bo
x
woul
d
allow an
d
Nurs
e
Ann
e
jumpe
d
a
t
th
e
shoc
k
o
f
ho
w
suc
h
a
frail,
smal
l
perso
n
coul
d
mak
e
suc
h
a
gian
t
noise
.

T
revo
r
stoo
d
up
,
shufflin
g
hi
s
hand
s
i
n
an
d
ou
t
o
f
his
pocket
s
an
d
jinglin
g
hi
s
keys
.
Gin
a
hate
d
whe
n
men
jingle
d
thei
r
keys
.
H
e
wa
s
a
n
all-roun
d
asshol
e
an
d
i
t
had take
n
a
sever
e
knoc
k
o
n
th
e
hea
d
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
she
realise
d
i
t
onc
e
an
d
fo
r
all
.