One Night Only (202 page)

Poll
y
picke
d
Rut
h
u
p
a
t
eleve
n
an
d
the
y
se
t
of
f
o
n
the shor
t
motorwa
y
tri
p
tha
t
too
k
the
m
t
o
th
e
hospita
l
in
Belfast
.

“It
’
s
jus
t
a
nightmare,
”
sai
d
Rut
h
whe
n
sh
e
go
t
int
o
the ca
r
.
“I’v
e
hardl
y
slep
t
a
win
k
wit
h
worr
y
an
d
I’
m
sure
you’r
e
exhauste
d
too.
”

“I’
m
s
o
tire
d
I
ca
n
barel
y
thin
k
straight,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
stiflin
g
a
yawn
.
“
I
intende
d
t
o
b
e
o
n
m
y
wa
y
muc
h
earlier tha
n
thi
s
bu
t
Hele
n
calle
d
t
o
sa
y
sh
e
wa
s
runnin
g
lat
e
and the
n
I
wa
s
o
n
th
e
phon
e
t
o
th
e
hospital
.
I
can
’
t
tel
l
you ho
w
relieve
d
I
wa
s
t
o
hea
r
tha
t
Gin
a
ha
d
a
goo
d
nigh
t
and wa
s
comfortable
.
She
’
s
a
littl
e
fighte
r
,
isn
’
t
she?
”

Rut
h
smile
d
whe
n
sh
e
remembere
d
som
e
o
f
th
e
fu
n
she
ha
d
wit
h
Gin
a
ove
r
th
e
weekend
.
Sh
e
reall
y
di
d
sho
w
her
tru
e
colour
s
an
d
wa
s
a
fa
r
cr
y
fro
m
th
e
meek
,
vulnerable youn
g
woma
n
wh
o
ha
d
walke
d
int
o
Polly
’
s
kitche
n
only
a
coupl
e
o
f
day
s
ago
.

“Doe
s
i
t
mea
n
she’l
l
mak
e
a
ful
l
recovery?
”
asked Ruth
.

“
I
don
’
t
thin
k
she
’
s
ou
t
o
f
th
e
wood
s
yet,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Sh
e
suffere
d
a
hug
e
blo
w
t
o
he
r
hea
d
s
o
they’l
l
wan
t
to kee
p
a
clos
e
ey
e
o
n
he
r
fo
r
quit
e
a
while
,
bu
t
a
t
leas
t
she
i
s
ou
t
o
f
Intensiv
e
Car
e
an
d
we
e
Dann
y
i
s
abl
e
t
o
g
o
and
visi
t
he
r
aroun
d
no
w
.
I
t
wa
s
s
o
frightenin
g
seein
g
he
r
like
tha
t
las
t
night
.
It
’
s
a
n
imag
e
I
neve
r
wan
t
t
o
se
e
again.
”

Rut
h
wa
s
wonderin
g
i
f
Jame
s
ha
d
tol
d
Poll
y
about thei
r
late-nigh
t
cha
t
th
e
nigh
t
before
.
Sh
e
ha
d
thought
abou
t
him
,
a
s
wel
l
a
s
Gina
,
al
l
nigh
t
lon
g
an
d
he
r
hear
t
went ou
t
t
o
hi
m
fo
r
ho
w
h
e
wa
s
feeling
.
Menta
l
exhausti
o
n
w
as
somethin
g
sh
e
coul
d
closel
y
identif
y
wit
h
an
d
sh
e
totally understoo
d
ho
w
i
t
coul
d
com
e
abou
t
withou
t
rhym
e
or reason
.

“
W
a
s
i
t
lat
e
whe
n
yo
u
go
t
home?
”
sh
e
asked
,
hoping t
o
brea
k
th
e
ic
e
o
n
th
e
subjec
t
matte
r
.
Sh
e
wasn
’
t
being
nose
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
concerned
.
“
I
calle
d
a
t
th
e
hous
e
because
I
couldn
’
t
ge
t
yo
u
o
n
th
e
phon
e
an
d
I
couldn
’
t
settle.
”

“Di
d
you
?
Jame
s
didn
’
t
sa
y
.”
Shit
.

“Mayb
e
h
e
forgot,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“H
e
seeme
d
t
o
hav
e
a
lo
t
o
n
hi
s
mind.
”

“H
e
does,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
Y
o
u
kno
w
,
I
hav
e
learne
d
so muc
h
ove
r
th
e
pas
t
fe
w
days
,
Ruth
.
I
reall
y
have.
”