her head as she gripped the pink plastic arm of Chloe’s raincoat and swung her high. ‘Miss Chloe May Penderford, you are incorrigible!’
‘You are too, Granma!’ Chloe replied. ‘You are porridgeable!’
Grace smiled as she retreated beneath the soft, warm duvet, trying not to dwell on her sister’s sadness, which threatened to keep her awake. Forty winks was just what the doctor ordered.
4
People suffering from sepsis can have severe breathlessness and may sometimes gasp
Her cry ricocheted off the ceiling and pierced Grace’s skull, where a headache still lurked.
‘But I want my… my brexbrus!’ Chloe rubbed her eyes and stammered through her tears. Her nose was running and she began to wail.
Tom hitched her up onto his lap and smoothed her hair. ‘Oh my darling, I know, I know. But you can’t have breakfast, Chlo, because the medicine they give you before you have your operation might make you sick if you eat something now.’
‘I don’t… I don’t mind,’ she managed.
‘Oh, darling.’ He wiped her nose.
Grace watched as he cradled her to him.
‘I don’t want to go to hostipal any more. I want to stay here and have something to… to eat.’
Tom’s voice was soft, steady, reassuring. ‘I promise you we’ll be back here before you know it. And Mummy and I will get you lots of goodies, like ice cream, ice lollies, whatever you fancy. And tonight, if you feel up to it, you can have some lovely things to eat on the sofa, snuggled up under a blanket, and we can watch Frozen . How does that sound?’
Chloe nodded, despite her continuing tears. ‘G… good,’ she hiccupped.
‘Tell you what, Chlo…’ Grace assumed a positive and assertive tone, all part of her plan to distract. ‘I just need to make a quick phone call to Jayney, then I’ll read you The Gruffalo while Daddy has his shower. How about that?’
Chloe nodded against her dad’s T-shirt, gripping Dr Panda in her little fist and holding him up to her face. Grace crept out to the patio and blew smoky breath into cold morning air.
‘Blimey, one day off – can’t you resist calling?’ was how Jayney answered the phone.
‘I know, I know, but there are just a couple of things that have to happen today or we will really be pushing it time-wise,’ Grace said.
‘And you told me about them on Friday. Let me guess: Nell needs the final proofs and Angharad has to okay the figures. I’m on it! Please don’t worry; things are not going to fall apart in one day. I have your very, very detailed notes to go from as well as your verbal instructions and, believe it or not, a tongue in my head, so if I am unsure about anything, I can call you!’
‘Oh God, Jayney, am I that bad?’
‘Worse. It’s not even half seven and you’re calling me! Good job I love you, isn’t it?’
‘It is,’ Grace admitted. ‘Good weekend?’
‘Ah, the usual. Met Mr Right, who turned out to be Mr Just About Bearable by the time the Sambuca had left my system.’
‘I won’t bother dusting off my fancy hat and matching bag just yet then.’ Grace laughed.
‘No, not just yet. How’s Chloe doing?’
‘She’s fine. You know, bit tearful cos she can feel we’re tense and she can’t have breakfast, which is a big deal for Chlo.’
‘Big deal for all of us, mate!’ Jayney laughed.
‘Good point. I tell you what, I might hop into a bed myself at the hospital, I feel like shite!’
‘Oh, not good. What’s up?’
‘Don’t know, just a bit blurgh. Tired and headachy. I suppose if I had the time, I would have the flu.’
‘But you haven’t got the time. You’ve got deadlines!’ Jayney reminded her.
‘Exactly, which is why I’ll be back in tomorrow. But seriously, please promise you’ll call me if you need anything or have any questions. Call me before you ask Jason anything, you know what he’s like!’
‘Grace, I promise. Now go see to that baby girl and don’t worry, it’s just one day!’ Jayney laughed, knowing her
‘You are too, Granma!’ Chloe replied. ‘You are porridgeable!’
Grace smiled as she retreated beneath the soft, warm duvet, trying not to dwell on her sister’s sadness, which threatened to keep her awake. Forty winks was just what the doctor ordered.
4
People suffering from sepsis can have severe breathlessness and may sometimes gasp
Her cry ricocheted off the ceiling and pierced Grace’s skull, where a headache still lurked.
‘But I want my… my brexbrus!’ Chloe rubbed her eyes and stammered through her tears. Her nose was running and she began to wail.
Tom hitched her up onto his lap and smoothed her hair. ‘Oh my darling, I know, I know. But you can’t have breakfast, Chlo, because the medicine they give you before you have your operation might make you sick if you eat something now.’
‘I don’t… I don’t mind,’ she managed.
‘Oh, darling.’ He wiped her nose.
Grace watched as he cradled her to him.
‘I don’t want to go to hostipal any more. I want to stay here and have something to… to eat.’
Tom’s voice was soft, steady, reassuring. ‘I promise you we’ll be back here before you know it. And Mummy and I will get you lots of goodies, like ice cream, ice lollies, whatever you fancy. And tonight, if you feel up to it, you can have some lovely things to eat on the sofa, snuggled up under a blanket, and we can watch Frozen . How does that sound?’
Chloe nodded, despite her continuing tears. ‘G… good,’ she hiccupped.
‘Tell you what, Chlo…’ Grace assumed a positive and assertive tone, all part of her plan to distract. ‘I just need to make a quick phone call to Jayney, then I’ll read you The Gruffalo while Daddy has his shower. How about that?’
Chloe nodded against her dad’s T-shirt, gripping Dr Panda in her little fist and holding him up to her face. Grace crept out to the patio and blew smoky breath into cold morning air.
‘Blimey, one day off – can’t you resist calling?’ was how Jayney answered the phone.
‘I know, I know, but there are just a couple of things that have to happen today or we will really be pushing it time-wise,’ Grace said.
‘And you told me about them on Friday. Let me guess: Nell needs the final proofs and Angharad has to okay the figures. I’m on it! Please don’t worry; things are not going to fall apart in one day. I have your very, very detailed notes to go from as well as your verbal instructions and, believe it or not, a tongue in my head, so if I am unsure about anything, I can call you!’
‘Oh God, Jayney, am I that bad?’
‘Worse. It’s not even half seven and you’re calling me! Good job I love you, isn’t it?’
‘It is,’ Grace admitted. ‘Good weekend?’
‘Ah, the usual. Met Mr Right, who turned out to be Mr Just About Bearable by the time the Sambuca had left my system.’
‘I won’t bother dusting off my fancy hat and matching bag just yet then.’ Grace laughed.
‘No, not just yet. How’s Chloe doing?’
‘She’s fine. You know, bit tearful cos she can feel we’re tense and she can’t have breakfast, which is a big deal for Chlo.’
‘Big deal for all of us, mate!’ Jayney laughed.
‘Good point. I tell you what, I might hop into a bed myself at the hospital, I feel like shite!’
‘Oh, not good. What’s up?’
‘Don’t know, just a bit blurgh. Tired and headachy. I suppose if I had the time, I would have the flu.’
‘But you haven’t got the time. You’ve got deadlines!’ Jayney reminded her.
‘Exactly, which is why I’ll be back in tomorrow. But seriously, please promise you’ll call me if you need anything or have any questions. Call me before you ask Jason anything, you know what he’s like!’
‘Grace, I promise. Now go see to that baby girl and don’t worry, it’s just one day!’ Jayney laughed, knowing her
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