Third to Die (12 page)

“Try talking to him as you usually would,” the nurse suggested kindly. “Like you’re just catching up over coffee. Even when people are sick, they’re still people.”

“Thanks.”

The nurse smiled warmly at Aiden before moving on to her next patient. Reaching forward, he gently tapped Edmond’s knee which was concealed beneath a layer of house coat. Two other patients had arrived in their house coat and slippers, perhaps Edmond had set a trend.

“Edmond, hey,” Aiden kept his voice low, he didn’t want to disturb those patients who were enjoying the moderate respite which sleep gave them.

“Is it done?” Edmond’s eyes were glassy as he tilted his head to observe his drip feed. It was far from done. His shoulders slumped in disappointment.

“Not yet,” Aiden said apologetically. “But I had something to tell you. Some news.”

“Oh?” Edmond instantly brightened and sat up straight as though he’d just received an adrenalin shot. There was nothing the old man loved more than a bit of good old-fashioned gossip.

“But you can’t go telling anyone,” Aiden warned.

Edmond raised the hand which wasn’t attached to the IV and crossed it over his heart. He seemed to have stopped breathing, waiting intently on gossip so fresh and rare that it was for his ears alone.

“As it’s still early days,” Aiden added. He’d wanted to tell Edmond since he found out. The old man was, after all, his main friend and confidant in Avalon. He know how elated he’d be. His eyes would light up and he’d probably insist that Betty go out and fetch them a bottle of something bubbly. It wasn’t the ideal scenario to tell him now, but Aiden wanted to see that fire in his eyes, that enthusiasm for life and he felt that sharing his news might bring back some of the old Edmond.

“Well, spit it out,” Edmond pressed him. Then he added jovially, “I’m on the clock here!”

Aiden smiled sadly at the comment and drew his chair closer to Edmond’s.

“Isla is pregnant.”

“What?” As predicted, Edmond’s eyes widened with delight and glimmered from internal joy. He promptly reached out his hand and grabbed Aiden’s. He gave him as firm a handshake as he could manage. His hand was cold and clammy.

“Congratulations, dear boy!” he gushed sincerely. “Congratulations! Happy news indeed!”

“Thank you,” Aiden beamed, but not necessarily at his news. He was delighted by Edmond’s reaction, delighted to see the shadow of sickness fall away if only for a moment.

“I’m so happy for you, another baby,” he sighed wistfully. “Your family will soon be complete.”

“Yeah,” Aiden drew back in his chair, still smiling.

“When is the precious bundle expected?”

“Umm…” Aiden hesitated. He realized that Isla had yet to give him a specific due date. Perhaps it was too early to know. But she was currently around two months, which meant that the baby would be due…

“They should be here early spring next year.”

“Marvellous!” Edmond clapped his hands together in glee. “What a joyous time for both you and Isla. How is the expectant mommy doing?”

“She’s doing good,” Aiden nodded. “A bit of sickness already, which was to be expected. She was pretty bad with Meegan. She’s actually having her check-up today at the hospital.”

“Today?” Edmond sounded alarmed.

“Yeah, today at ten.”

“At this hospital?”

“At this very one.”

“And you’re sat here playing crossword puzzles with me?” Edmond’s vitals spiked as he became agitated, drawing the attention of the nurse.

“Calm down, it’s fine,” Aiden reassured his friend. “I’ll go with her to all the big appointments, like the scans and such.”

“Dear boy, you should be present for all appointments!” Edmond cried fervently. “After all, it takes two to tango yet the woman is left suffering the physical burden!”

“Are you all right, Mr. Copes?” the nurse was standing over him now, checking his drip. Edmond glanced up at her ample bosom which was placed directly in front of him. A slight smile pulled on his pale lips and he turned slightly to catch Aiden’s eye and winked.

“I think something is wrong with the drip,” Edmond told her, forcing her to remain standing before him.

“I can’t see anything, it looks fine to me.” She moved back and looked at Edmond with concern.

“Your heart rate went a little crazy, do you need me to slow down the IV?”

“No, no,” Edmond shook his head but he was unable to meet her gaze, his eyes seemed locked on her stunning form.

“My friend here just gave me a surprise.”

“Oh?” the nurse turned and frowned at Aiden.

“A good surprise,” Edmond hastily added. “His wife is pregnant.”

“Oh,” the nurse’s frown softened. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“And she’s here, today, in this hospital having her check-up,” Edmond continued. “I told him that he should be there with her, not sat playing games with me.”

The nurse glanced expectantly at Aiden.

“I can’t just leave you,” Aiden told Edmond. “And Isla will be fine.”

“I insist you go.”

“Edmond—”

“I’m fine, I’ve got the lovely nurse…” He scanned her uniform for an ID badge.

“Tissdale.” She pleasantly informed him.

“I’ve got the lovely nurse Tissdale to look after me,” Edmond grinned cheekily like a school boy. “I’ve got a while yet, haven’t I, dear?”

Nurse Tissdale checked the IV once more.

“Another couple of hours yet. If you want to go and see your wife, he’ll be a while here still. You might as well go and stretch your legs.”

“And bring me back something sweet!” Edmond added.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Aiden stood up and tentatively edged away from Edmond.

“Don’t worry, Connelly, I’m in good hands,” Edmond told him, though he was looking at Nurse Tissdale.

“You’ll take good care of me, won’t you, dear? How do I go about requesting a sponge bath?”

*

Aiden was still smiling to himself as he entered the main corridor of the hospital. He scanned a mounted sign and saw that the maternity unit was down to the left. He passed by a cafe and made a mental note to return and pick up something sweet for his friend. The corridor he walked down was long and wide. He was passed several times by orderlies moving beds on which sat patients in regulation gowns going to and from treatments. The air smelled of an unsettling combination of bleach and urine.

Finally he saw the sign for the maternity unit and pushed open some double doors which led to a bright open waiting room. Half a dozen heavily pregnant women were sat with their partners, whilst the other women there looked decidedly less pregnant. The walls were painted a bright shade of yellow as if the department was trying to bring the sunshine inside. Aiden approached the reception desk. He had to wait while a black-haired girl who appeared to be no older than sixteen got checked in by a stern-faced woman who was presumably her mother. The girl kept her head low whilst her mother spoke. It was hard to read her expression through the layers of black make-up she hid behind, but Aiden saw the wilt in her stance, the way she held her arms protectively across herself. The pregnancy was not a joyous event in her young life.

The stern woman nudged the girl away from the desk once they were done checking in and they went and sat in the yellowed waiting area. The bright walls made the girl’s hair and make-up appear even darker. She looked like a gothic princess unwittingly trapped inside a Disney movie.

“Can I help you?” the receptionist, a kind-faced middle-aged woman with an unfortunately large mole on her chin asked. Her tone was warm yet brisk. Clearly she had little time to waste.

“Yes, my wife has an appointment here today at ten and I know I’m a little early but I wanted to join her.”

“Okay, what’s her name?”

“Isla Connelly.”

“Date of birth?”

Aiden thought briefly and then regurgitated the necessary digits.

The woman typed quickly into the keyboard in front of her, her fingers seemingly working on their own as if they weren’t attached to her body. They danced across the keys with a fierce intensity. Then she ceased typing and pursed her lips.

“We don’t have an appointment for anyone by that name.”

“Oh?” Aiden suddenly felt self-conscious in the room full of hormonal women. He realized how terrible it must look that he didn’t even know his wife’s hospital appointment.

“I was sure she said it was today, perhaps it’s tomorrow?”

The receptionist didn’t check the computer again, she just shook her head.

“We don’t have
any
appointments for anyone by that name,” she clarified. “She’s not a patient here.”

“Oh?” Aiden could feel his cheeks burning. “But this is the closest hospital to Avalon?”

“Avalon? Yes, indeed. Next hospital is a good thirty miles from here.”

Aiden frowned in confusion. Surely Isla wouldn’t go thirty miles out of her way to attend another hospital? This one was already a fair-enough distance from Avalon. It made no sense for her to go anywhere else.

“Could you just check once more for me?” Aiden requested. “She definitely said her appointment was at ten.”

The woman nodded reluctantly and typed into her keyboard but with less fervour than before.

“Nothing for Isla Connelly,” she reiterated. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s quite all right,” Aiden stepped away from the reception desk. He tried to understand what had just happened. Isla had clearly said over breakfast that morning that she had a hospital appointment, hadn’t she? What was going on? Why was she lying to him?

Chapter Six

Sour Little Lies

Isla was sat on the sofa with her legs curled up beneath her when Aiden walked in. Some reality show was playing on the television and she was absently watching it whilst nursing a fresh mug of coffee in her hands.

“Hey,” Aiden greeted her stiffly, scanning the room for their daughter.

“Meegan is upstairs having her nap,” Isla intuitively replied. Her curled hair was collected at the nape of her neck in a bun but a few strands had struggled free and now framed her pretty face.

“How did you get on at the hospital?” Aiden asked, remaining in the doorway.

“Fine,” Isla replied brightly. “I wasn’t there long.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“Nothing much, just that everything is on track,” Isla briefly released one hand from her mug to contentedly pat her stomach. She turned, smiling, to catch Aiden’s eye.

“You went to St Mary’s?” Aiden stepped into the room but didn’t sit down.

“Of course.” Isla watched him, her voice still bright but something briefly flickered behind her eyes. Was it fear?

“Because I went there today, with Edmond.” Aiden was now standing directly in front of her, blocking her view of the television.

“Oh?” Isla drew into herself.

“Yeah.” Sighing, Aiden finally sat down beside her. The television continued to play the overly emphasized drama within the show.

“How did he get on?” Isla’s jaw clenched as she asked the question.

“Okay, all things considered.” Leaning forward, Aiden rested his hands between his knees and tilted his head to look back at his wife. He noticed how the rise and fall of her chest seemed to have quickened.

“I’m more concerned about you,” he told her.

“Me?” Isla shot him a desperate look. “Why would you be concerned about me?”

“You said your appointment was at ten, right?”

“Right.”

“And that you went to St Mary’s hospital.”

“Right.”

Isla was nodding along to his line of questioning, each movement jerky and forced.

“I briefly left Edmond while I was there, in the hope of meeting you at your appointment.”

“Oh, jeeze, you did? That’s my fault,” Isla pulled her lips into a smile and waved a dismissive hand through the air.

“I meant ten to eleven. My appointment was at ten to eleven. Stupid baby brain.” She tapped her adornment of curls and shrugged flippantly.

“Well, I asked at reception,” Aiden continued. “And they didn’t have any record of an appointment. They didn’t have any record of you at all. They said you weren’t a patient.”

“Are you sure you were in the right place?” Isla maintained her zealous tone, but her skin paled. “I know what you’re like, Aid. You could have been in the labour ward instead of the maternity one.”

“I was definitely in the maternity ward,” Aiden clarified stoically. “They had vibrant yellow walls, which you’d know if you’d ever been there.”

Isla felt her cheeks beginning to burn, overwhelming her paleness.

“I’m going to ask this once, and only once.” Aiden stared intently at her. “Because I respect you, Isla, and assume you have good reason. I want to know why you lied to me, and how deep the lie goes.”

Isla closed her eyes. She felt like Alice when she went tumbling down the rabbit hole. Her stomach surged and she struggled not to vomit. She was falling down an impossible depth and she knew that when she finally stopped her whole world would be turned upside down.

“Aid,” she whispered his name. It escaped from her lips as fragile and tentative as a butterfly and was instantly quashed by the dense atmosphere in the room.

“The truth,” Aiden told her sternly. “I deserve that, don’t I?”

“Yes,” Isla nodded, “you do.” Tears began to fall down her cheeks. They were silent as they slid from her eyes and tumbled down to her chest.

“You’re going to be so mad,” she muttered.

“Try me.”

*

Brandy held on tightly to the pole in the aisle of the bus and used it to help centre her weight as the vehicle twisted and turned along the bustling Chicago streets. Rain splashed haphazardly against the windows as people pressed up against one another. Brandy didn’t find her bus journeys too insufferable. Since she was small she could weave around people with ease. The only problem she had was that sometimes people wouldn’t see her and they’d shove a sharp elbow or stiff back into her face.

Today the bus was pretty busy as people piled on to escape the fierce downpour which had commenced just as their commute home from work began. But Brandy wasn’t coming from work. She was returning from the library where she’d extended her lease on her current book. The novel was now safely tucked inside her purse, which was draped across her body.