reprimand would make little to no difference.
Grace saw she had a missed call from her mum and a text from Alice that read: Speak soon, Gracie. Give the girl a big kiss from me and tell her I shall be thinking about her all day! Xx
Grace replied with a quick Will do. x before dialling her parents’ home number.
‘Morning, Dad!’
‘Good morning!’ He did, as ever, sound delighted to hear from her. ‘How’s my little one doing?’
‘She’s a bit out of sorts, but fine really. I was just saying to Jayney, I think the biggest problem is that she can’t have breakfast and hasn’t had anything since late afternoon yesterday.’
‘Poor little thing. I feel guilty that I’ve just had toast! What a lovely day we had yesterday.’ Mac sighed.
‘Oh it was, Dad, really lovely. So good to see everyone. I feel a bit run down myself, think I’m probably just tired. Are you and Mum okay?’ Grace wondered if it might be a bug. She offered up a quick prayer: Keep me healthy! She had far too much to think about without having to deal with illness.
‘Your mum and I are, as usual, fit as the proverbial flea!’ Mac laughed.
‘I might have guessed.’ Grace laughed too.
‘Give Chloe our love and do let us know how she gets on, won’t you?’
‘Will do. Promise. Love you, Dad.’
‘Love you too, sweetheart.’ She could tell he was smiling.
Back inside, Grace settled down on the sofa and wrapped the soft throw over herself and Chloe. ‘Are you comfy?’ Chloe nodded. ‘Are you warm enough?’ Again she nodded her response. ‘Grandma and Grandad send you their love and Alice too. They all said to give you a kiss. So here goes!’ Grace kissed the top of her little girl’s head three times and then began.
‘A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked—’
‘Good!’ Chloe shouted. They knew the book by heart, which only added to their love of it. And this morning it was exactly what they both needed: something familiar and fun, a distraction.
Grace and Tom did their best to keep the mood light, joking and laughing as they got Chloe settled in the ward. Dr Panda insisted on lying in the middle of the pillow and Chloe had to hoick him out of the way. He then needed to use a bedpan, causing much hilarity, especially with the addition of Tom’s sound effects – anything rather than give their little girl a minute to think about her rumbly tum and the fact that she was in a hospital.
Grace unpacked Chloe’s little bag containing a clean nightie and dressing gown for later. As the nurse dotted anesthetising gel to the back of her hand, Chloe instinctively cried, ‘I don’t like it!’
Grace watched as a single fat tear slid down her cheek.
‘I know, darling, but you will soon be home and the doctor is going to make you better. Dr Ranj and Nurse Morag will be fussing around you and you will have no more sore throats!’ Tom wiped away her tear and kissed her. ‘Okay?’
Chloe nodded as she caught her breath and used Dr Panda to wipe away her tears.
It was now mid morning and as she lay back against the pillow, her tumble of blonde curls spread like a golden halo behind her head. With Dr Panda pushed into her cheek, she looked adorable as she succumbed to the anaesthetic. Her head lolled to one side.
Grace released her hand and kissed her cheek. ‘We’ll be right here waiting for you, my darling girl,’ she whispered into her ear.
Tom kissed her forehead as they wheeled her through the rubberised double doors.
‘Don’t worry. She’ll be back before you know it.’ The kindly anaesthetist smiled and tucked Chloe’s arm down under the blanket as she handed Dr Panda to her mum for safekeeping.
‘I hate seeing her like that.’
Grace turned to her husband, who looked pale. ‘Me too. Shall we go and get a coffee?’
Tom nodded.
The two found solace in the coffee shop in the foyer. Having agreed not to eat or drink earlier, out of solidarity with
Grace saw she had a missed call from her mum and a text from Alice that read: Speak soon, Gracie. Give the girl a big kiss from me and tell her I shall be thinking about her all day! Xx
Grace replied with a quick Will do. x before dialling her parents’ home number.
‘Morning, Dad!’
‘Good morning!’ He did, as ever, sound delighted to hear from her. ‘How’s my little one doing?’
‘She’s a bit out of sorts, but fine really. I was just saying to Jayney, I think the biggest problem is that she can’t have breakfast and hasn’t had anything since late afternoon yesterday.’
‘Poor little thing. I feel guilty that I’ve just had toast! What a lovely day we had yesterday.’ Mac sighed.
‘Oh it was, Dad, really lovely. So good to see everyone. I feel a bit run down myself, think I’m probably just tired. Are you and Mum okay?’ Grace wondered if it might be a bug. She offered up a quick prayer: Keep me healthy! She had far too much to think about without having to deal with illness.
‘Your mum and I are, as usual, fit as the proverbial flea!’ Mac laughed.
‘I might have guessed.’ Grace laughed too.
‘Give Chloe our love and do let us know how she gets on, won’t you?’
‘Will do. Promise. Love you, Dad.’
‘Love you too, sweetheart.’ She could tell he was smiling.
Back inside, Grace settled down on the sofa and wrapped the soft throw over herself and Chloe. ‘Are you comfy?’ Chloe nodded. ‘Are you warm enough?’ Again she nodded her response. ‘Grandma and Grandad send you their love and Alice too. They all said to give you a kiss. So here goes!’ Grace kissed the top of her little girl’s head three times and then began.
‘A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked—’
‘Good!’ Chloe shouted. They knew the book by heart, which only added to their love of it. And this morning it was exactly what they both needed: something familiar and fun, a distraction.
Grace and Tom did their best to keep the mood light, joking and laughing as they got Chloe settled in the ward. Dr Panda insisted on lying in the middle of the pillow and Chloe had to hoick him out of the way. He then needed to use a bedpan, causing much hilarity, especially with the addition of Tom’s sound effects – anything rather than give their little girl a minute to think about her rumbly tum and the fact that she was in a hospital.
Grace unpacked Chloe’s little bag containing a clean nightie and dressing gown for later. As the nurse dotted anesthetising gel to the back of her hand, Chloe instinctively cried, ‘I don’t like it!’
Grace watched as a single fat tear slid down her cheek.
‘I know, darling, but you will soon be home and the doctor is going to make you better. Dr Ranj and Nurse Morag will be fussing around you and you will have no more sore throats!’ Tom wiped away her tear and kissed her. ‘Okay?’
Chloe nodded as she caught her breath and used Dr Panda to wipe away her tears.
It was now mid morning and as she lay back against the pillow, her tumble of blonde curls spread like a golden halo behind her head. With Dr Panda pushed into her cheek, she looked adorable as she succumbed to the anaesthetic. Her head lolled to one side.
Grace released her hand and kissed her cheek. ‘We’ll be right here waiting for you, my darling girl,’ she whispered into her ear.
Tom kissed her forehead as they wheeled her through the rubberised double doors.
‘Don’t worry. She’ll be back before you know it.’ The kindly anaesthetist smiled and tucked Chloe’s arm down under the blanket as she handed Dr Panda to her mum for safekeeping.
‘I hate seeing her like that.’
Grace turned to her husband, who looked pale. ‘Me too. Shall we go and get a coffee?’
Tom nodded.
The two found solace in the coffee shop in the foyer. Having agreed not to eat or drink earlier, out of solidarity with
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