that,” Lally said. “She’s always been a bit of a tomboy, you know, loves her fire engines and trucks and so on. Actually she’s a bit of a daredevil. It’s a worry, but hopefully this will have dampened her enthusiasm for adventure a little.”
“Sometimes it is better to use that sense of adventure rather than try to suppress it,” Bram said. “Her parents should look into some sort of after school club she can join.”
“Parent,” Lally said and again her eyes slid away as if she couldn’t look him in the eye. “There’s just her mum. Thank you again, Mr Fletcher.”
“Bram,” he said.
“And you want to see Bonnie tomorrow?” Lally confirmed.
“That’s right.”
“Ten o’clock,” Sue put in. “I’ve made an appointment.” She handed a card to Lally. “If it’s not convenient, let us know. Oh and is Bonnie one of our patients? I’ve only worked here for a month and I don’t recognise her.”
“Yes,” Lally said. “She…”
The door flew open and a man rushed in carrying a cat box.
“Please, help,” he cried.
Bram ushered him straight into the surgery with an apologetic look at Lally.
Phew! Lally was wondering how she was going to tell Sue the name of Bonnie’s owner without dropping Regan right in it, when Bram stuck his head out and called her.
“Need your help here, Sue,” he said. “It’s going to be an emergency C-section. See you tomorrow, Lally.”
Lally breathed a sigh of relief. All this subterfuge didn’t come easily to her. Not that she’d actually lied to anyone. Yet. But until Regan had had a chance to speak to Bram, she’d have to keep up the pretence and remember not to name names.
She scribbled a note for Sue.
“Just remembered, Bonnie not a patient here. Please put her account in my name. Mrs Shires.”
Oh now that was a big fat lie and she’d put it in writing too. She bit her lip, considered screwing up the paper and chucking it in the bin, then left before she could change her mind. Whatever she did would be wrong, but dropping Regan in it was the lesser of two evils.
When she got back to Regan’s, she crept upstairs and peeked round the bedroom door. Regan was sound asleep. Bonnie ran over and jumped on the bed, snuggling up beside Regan and settling down with a contented smile.
“Don’t wake her up, Bonnie,” Lally whispered, but the dog’s eyes were already closing. Bless them, they were both totally exhausted and would sleep for hours.
“For goodness sake,” Regan groaned and lifted her head from the pillow. “What on earth is going on? What’s all the noise about?”
Someone was hammering on the door and shouting and Bonnie was barking like crazy. She’d been dimly aware of Bonnie jumping onto the bed at some point and had settled into a deeper sleep after that knowing that Lally had dropped her off.
Now her mouth was dry and her head spinning. Her first confused thoughts were that Georgie had been sent home from school early, but Georgie was safe at the hospital and they’d phone if anything was wrong.
She checked her phone. No missed calls.
She fought back a wave of nausea and reached for her dressing gown. The hammering and shouting continued.
She’d had all of three hours’ sleep.
“All right,” she called as she hurried down the stairs. “I’m coming.”
Not that her caller would be able to hear above the racket they were making as well as Bonnie’s frenzied barking. Regan shut her in the living room and she continued to bark.
When she opened the door, she found herself face to face with one of her neighbours, Katie. She had a son in Georgie’s class and she looked absolutely furious.
“Where is he then?” she said, pushing her way into the hall. “Little bugger, I’ll kill him when I get hold of him.”
“Sorry, who?” Regan blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“Jay, who else?” She looked Regan up and down. “Were you in bed?”
She sounded faintly disgusted.
“I’m working the
“Sometimes it is better to use that sense of adventure rather than try to suppress it,” Bram said. “Her parents should look into some sort of after school club she can join.”
“Parent,” Lally said and again her eyes slid away as if she couldn’t look him in the eye. “There’s just her mum. Thank you again, Mr Fletcher.”
“Bram,” he said.
“And you want to see Bonnie tomorrow?” Lally confirmed.
“That’s right.”
“Ten o’clock,” Sue put in. “I’ve made an appointment.” She handed a card to Lally. “If it’s not convenient, let us know. Oh and is Bonnie one of our patients? I’ve only worked here for a month and I don’t recognise her.”
“Yes,” Lally said. “She…”
The door flew open and a man rushed in carrying a cat box.
“Please, help,” he cried.
Bram ushered him straight into the surgery with an apologetic look at Lally.
Phew! Lally was wondering how she was going to tell Sue the name of Bonnie’s owner without dropping Regan right in it, when Bram stuck his head out and called her.
“Need your help here, Sue,” he said. “It’s going to be an emergency C-section. See you tomorrow, Lally.”
Lally breathed a sigh of relief. All this subterfuge didn’t come easily to her. Not that she’d actually lied to anyone. Yet. But until Regan had had a chance to speak to Bram, she’d have to keep up the pretence and remember not to name names.
She scribbled a note for Sue.
“Just remembered, Bonnie not a patient here. Please put her account in my name. Mrs Shires.”
Oh now that was a big fat lie and she’d put it in writing too. She bit her lip, considered screwing up the paper and chucking it in the bin, then left before she could change her mind. Whatever she did would be wrong, but dropping Regan in it was the lesser of two evils.
When she got back to Regan’s, she crept upstairs and peeked round the bedroom door. Regan was sound asleep. Bonnie ran over and jumped on the bed, snuggling up beside Regan and settling down with a contented smile.
“Don’t wake her up, Bonnie,” Lally whispered, but the dog’s eyes were already closing. Bless them, they were both totally exhausted and would sleep for hours.
“For goodness sake,” Regan groaned and lifted her head from the pillow. “What on earth is going on? What’s all the noise about?”
Someone was hammering on the door and shouting and Bonnie was barking like crazy. She’d been dimly aware of Bonnie jumping onto the bed at some point and had settled into a deeper sleep after that knowing that Lally had dropped her off.
Now her mouth was dry and her head spinning. Her first confused thoughts were that Georgie had been sent home from school early, but Georgie was safe at the hospital and they’d phone if anything was wrong.
She checked her phone. No missed calls.
She fought back a wave of nausea and reached for her dressing gown. The hammering and shouting continued.
She’d had all of three hours’ sleep.
“All right,” she called as she hurried down the stairs. “I’m coming.”
Not that her caller would be able to hear above the racket they were making as well as Bonnie’s frenzied barking. Regan shut her in the living room and she continued to bark.
When she opened the door, she found herself face to face with one of her neighbours, Katie. She had a son in Georgie’s class and she looked absolutely furious.
“Where is he then?” she said, pushing her way into the hall. “Little bugger, I’ll kill him when I get hold of him.”
“Sorry, who?” Regan blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“Jay, who else?” She looked Regan up and down. “Were you in bed?”
She sounded faintly disgusted.
“I’m working the
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