Crashing Down by Kate McCaffrey Page B

her hands nervously down her sides, realises she’s holding her breath. It smells sterile in here.
    She approaches the box cautiously. It’s a bed, with some sort of contraption over it and a sheet over that. She spies JD’s black hair poking out of one end and stands next to him, putting her face in the space above his. His face is white. There is a bandage taped to the left side of his head.
    â€˜Hi JD!’ Her voice sounds overly bright and almost obscene in that room with the machine that sporadically pings. ‘How are you?’ She cringes immediately — what a stupid question to ask.
    His eyes meet hers and he attempts a smile. ‘Not too bad — aside from a broken neck.’ He laughs but she can barely hear him.
    She joins in, but her laugh is too loud. She realises his head is being held fixed by giant screws, with rods and elbows embedded in his skull.
    â€˜Honestly, JD, you okay?’ she says softly.
    â€˜Yeah, the drugs round here are pretty good. I’m off my face most times. Have you seen Carl?’ he whispers.
    She shakes her head, and then feels embarrassed she has. ‘No, not yet.’
    â€˜He’s dead, isn’t he?’ There’s a sudden harshness to JD’s whisper. ‘They keep saying he’s not, but I saw him. He was dead.’
    â€˜No.’ She raises her hand, even though he can’t see it, and makes sure her face is over his. ‘He’s not, I promise,’ she says hurriedly. ‘He’s been in a … asleep. And he woke up this morning. I’m seeing him tonight.’
    â€˜Promise?’ And he starts to cry.
    â€˜I promise, JD. Don’t.’
    But he won’t stop crying. She panics and hits the bell.
    The nurse runs in, checks him, calms him down. ‘Time to go,’ she says.
    Lucy nods, mournful, and goes to leave but hears JD’s weak voice.
    â€˜Lucy, wait.’
    She walks back into his line of vision.
    â€˜Thanks for coming. Thanks. What happened isn’t your fault.’
    She nods, but it doesn’t matter. His saying that means he knows it is. Carl must have been so mad — with her.
    Al and Ben go in — so excited to finally see JD for real — and Lucy sits with Mr Tan.
    â€˜Mrs Tan is not coping well,’ he tells her. ‘She can’t come, doesn’t want to see JD like this. I try and encourage her but she is funny like that. Says she will wait until he’s out of IC. In a proper room, she says.’
    â€˜How long do they think?’ Lucy asks.
    â€˜Soon,’ Mr Tan says. ‘They’ll move him and test him. I’m praying the break is clean and hasn’t touched his spinal cord.’
    â€˜It won’t have,’ Lucy says firmly. ‘JD will be okay.’
    As she waits for the two boys to return, Lucy checks her phone outside. There are six missed calls — all from Mr Kapuletti. There is voicemail. She listens but can’t understand what he’s saying. She hits the button and calls his mobile.
    â€˜Lucy, we need you to come now,’ Mr K shouts into the phone.
    She pulls it away from her ear. ‘What’s happened?’ she asks. She’s scared.
    â€˜He’s not himself. He’s swearing at people and throwing things. He’s not quite right in the head.Please say you’ll come now?’
    â€˜Yes,’ she says, as tremors run through her body. ‘I’ll come now.’
    Al drives her to the hospital. She’s arranged for her mum to meet her in the foyer.
    â€˜Can we come up?’ Al asks, not taking his eyes off the road. ‘Did Mr K say?’
    â€˜He didn’t. I didn’t ask. He freaked me out,’ Lucy says apologetically.
    â€˜Doesn’t sound like Carl, man,’ Ben offers from the back. ‘That dude is the most non-violent guy I know. Bit of a pussy even.’
    Ben’s trying to lighten them up — but it’s true what he says. Carl is