about…what about whoever did this?’
Elaine started, as though she didn’t know what I meant. ‘Whoever did this?’ she repeated.
‘Yes. They might still be around. Shouldn’t we ask her?’
‘No,’ interrupted Elaine. ‘No questions at all until she’s stronger. If she gets upset she might start thrashing around again and then who knows what might happen.’
‘But if the person is still out there.’ I wondered suddenly if Neil had locked the front door behind him.
‘There’s no one out there,’ said Elaine firmly. ‘I passed a dikdik as I came up here. She must have come on that. It’s just down towards the creek. I’m surprised you didn’t see it.’
‘You think this happened a long way away?’
‘She’s not a local, my dear,’ said Elaine gently. She stood up. ‘You rest for a moment. I’ll get the tea and warm the heatpacs.’
‘No, I can do it,’ I said.
‘Sit,’ commanded Elaine.
‘Elaine? What if…what if the person who did this was on the dikdik with her?’
‘My dear, why would he let her go then?’ said Elaine, even more gently. ‘He would have made sure she wasdead and unable to identify him. No, she escaped from whoever it was, whatever it was, and came as far as she could, away from the horror and hoping for help.’
‘But why to this house? Why not to the Utopia?’
‘I don’t suppose she’d programmed any particular direction,’ offered Neil. ‘She would have just been trying to get as far away as possible, and then she knew she couldn’t make it much further, and there was your house.’
‘But why park down by the creek? Why not come right to the door?’
‘She must have been almost unconscious,’ said Elaine. ‘I don’t suppose she really knew what she was doing.’ She touched the girl’s wrist again, then nodded as though the pulse reassured her. ‘Call me if she wakes again,’ she said to Neil, and went out to the kitchen.
‘You look cold,’ said Neil softly.
‘Me? No, I’m all right.’
‘You’re shivering. Go and get a jacket or something.’
‘I’m—’
‘Go on,’ said Neil.
‘All right.’ I stood up. I did feel cold. But not skin-cold—bone-deep cold, as though part of me would never warm up again.
‘She’s going to be fine,’ said Neil. ‘You saved her life. I would never have thought of using the Wombat.’
‘I…I’ve sort of got to know him,’ I said. ‘He’s different from what I thought Animals were like.’
‘What did you think they were like?’
‘I don’t think I really thought at all,’ I said tiredly.
‘Go and get that jacket,’ said Neil.
I walked out to the corridor, up the stairs. I was halfway to my room when I heard Neil yell: ‘Elaine!
I ran downstairs.
Elaine was already kneeling over her. ‘Heart attack,’ she said crisply. ‘Shock from loss of blood. Can you do the mouth to mouth,’ she said to Neil, ‘while I do the heart?’
Neil nodded, already bending over her. He began to count ‘one and two and…’ then pressed his mouth to the pale lips of the girl.
They had obviously worked together often. I wondered how many other accidents they’d attended together. Of course Elaine would have trained her foster son in first-aid. They would have practised this together many times.
There was nothing I could do to help. I sat and watched as Neil blew and Elaine pressed and counted, and checked the girl’s neck for a pulse and then her watch, and the minutes dragged heavy fingers through my heart as I watched the time pass too, until finally Elaine stood up and laid a hand on Neil’s shoulder. ‘No more,’ she said quietly.
Neil nodded without speaking. There was blood on his face now too. Elaine straightened and lifted the sheet over the girl’s face. It should have looked peaceful, but it didn’t. The sheet was bloodstained, and there was a brown red stain I hadn’t noticed on the sofa. Neil hesitated, then lifted the blanket over the sheet, so stains as well as
Elaine started, as though she didn’t know what I meant. ‘Whoever did this?’ she repeated.
‘Yes. They might still be around. Shouldn’t we ask her?’
‘No,’ interrupted Elaine. ‘No questions at all until she’s stronger. If she gets upset she might start thrashing around again and then who knows what might happen.’
‘But if the person is still out there.’ I wondered suddenly if Neil had locked the front door behind him.
‘There’s no one out there,’ said Elaine firmly. ‘I passed a dikdik as I came up here. She must have come on that. It’s just down towards the creek. I’m surprised you didn’t see it.’
‘You think this happened a long way away?’
‘She’s not a local, my dear,’ said Elaine gently. She stood up. ‘You rest for a moment. I’ll get the tea and warm the heatpacs.’
‘No, I can do it,’ I said.
‘Sit,’ commanded Elaine.
‘Elaine? What if…what if the person who did this was on the dikdik with her?’
‘My dear, why would he let her go then?’ said Elaine, even more gently. ‘He would have made sure she wasdead and unable to identify him. No, she escaped from whoever it was, whatever it was, and came as far as she could, away from the horror and hoping for help.’
‘But why to this house? Why not to the Utopia?’
‘I don’t suppose she’d programmed any particular direction,’ offered Neil. ‘She would have just been trying to get as far away as possible, and then she knew she couldn’t make it much further, and there was your house.’
‘But why park down by the creek? Why not come right to the door?’
‘She must have been almost unconscious,’ said Elaine. ‘I don’t suppose she really knew what she was doing.’ She touched the girl’s wrist again, then nodded as though the pulse reassured her. ‘Call me if she wakes again,’ she said to Neil, and went out to the kitchen.
‘You look cold,’ said Neil softly.
‘Me? No, I’m all right.’
‘You’re shivering. Go and get a jacket or something.’
‘I’m—’
‘Go on,’ said Neil.
‘All right.’ I stood up. I did feel cold. But not skin-cold—bone-deep cold, as though part of me would never warm up again.
‘She’s going to be fine,’ said Neil. ‘You saved her life. I would never have thought of using the Wombat.’
‘I…I’ve sort of got to know him,’ I said. ‘He’s different from what I thought Animals were like.’
‘What did you think they were like?’
‘I don’t think I really thought at all,’ I said tiredly.
‘Go and get that jacket,’ said Neil.
I walked out to the corridor, up the stairs. I was halfway to my room when I heard Neil yell: ‘Elaine!
I ran downstairs.
Elaine was already kneeling over her. ‘Heart attack,’ she said crisply. ‘Shock from loss of blood. Can you do the mouth to mouth,’ she said to Neil, ‘while I do the heart?’
Neil nodded, already bending over her. He began to count ‘one and two and…’ then pressed his mouth to the pale lips of the girl.
They had obviously worked together often. I wondered how many other accidents they’d attended together. Of course Elaine would have trained her foster son in first-aid. They would have practised this together many times.
There was nothing I could do to help. I sat and watched as Neil blew and Elaine pressed and counted, and checked the girl’s neck for a pulse and then her watch, and the minutes dragged heavy fingers through my heart as I watched the time pass too, until finally Elaine stood up and laid a hand on Neil’s shoulder. ‘No more,’ she said quietly.
Neil nodded without speaking. There was blood on his face now too. Elaine straightened and lifted the sheet over the girl’s face. It should have looked peaceful, but it didn’t. The sheet was bloodstained, and there was a brown red stain I hadn’t noticed on the sofa. Neil hesitated, then lifted the blanket over the sheet, so stains as well as
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