Masters And Lovers 1-4
Chapter 39
In the hospital, she lies there, eyes closed, her face pallid, what can be seen of it at least. Kirstie’s head is swathed in bandages, her neck collared.
Fine tubing threads through a nostril. A stand with a saline bag leads to more tubing which vanishes into dressings on her arms. A monitor to one side flickers and beeps.
I speak in a low voice to the nurse. “How bad is it?”
“Cracked skull, possible brain damage. Broken jaw. Neck fracture. One shoulder and hip are smashed. Arms and leg-bones too on that side. The doctor says she’ll probably need pinning to set the broken bones. Certainly, she’ll need several sessions in surgery. We’re still assessing for internal injuries.”
Ryan sits by the bed. White-faced, red-eyed, unshaven, he speaks like a man half-dead. “I don’t know how she got out. Both her hands and feet were tied. The car was moving. She had no way to protect herself as she landed.” He drops his face into his hands, shuddering. “I should have been there. I should have been with her.”
I lay a hand on his shoulder. “You’re here now. You’ll be the first thing she sees when she wakes.”
“I will, yes. But they’re keeping her sedated for now.”
“Why don’t you get some sleep? You’ll be more use to her if you’re not exhausted.”
“I don’t like to leave her. By herself, among strangers.”
“She’ll not be by herself. I’ll stay with her. I’m staying anyway while the doctors check Charlotte over.”
“How is she?”
“Well enough to argue about it. I had to um, exert my authority to get her to let the doctors near her. Mind you, I think it was her mother who pulled it off. Played the baby card. That did it… Ryan?”
“Yes?”
“I was going to suggest; Charlotte’s going to take some enforced bed rest, though she doesn’t know it yet. Suppose we put her in this room here. Then when Kirstie wakes, they can be company for each other.”
When Kirstie wakes…
Will she wake?
sure you’re okay to
“I’m sure, yes.”
sleep then. But if she
be the first to
upright. I lay a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not fit to drive, man. I’ll
Ross to ferry you and to
I ask. “Anything I can
He looks helplessly at the unconscious Kirstie. “I don’t know
without you, Ryan. Don’t worry about it. There’ll be plenty of work coming your way once Kirstie is up and about, and you can concentrate on your
her employment contract. Whatever she needs, it’s covered.” He surveys the haggard Ryan. “You’re done in. Ross will be here in five minutes. He’s at your beck and call for however long it takes. Go home. Sleep yourself
Ryan leaves, Richard stands over the unconscious girl, shaking his head. “It’s hard to believe isn’t it, the sheer scale of
“Yes, very hard.”
did Kirstie escape? Do
the car. He’d bound them at hand and foot, gagged them too, but he’d not been so careful with Kirstie. He didn’t search her, and she had her phone in her
then she jumped
her. He was the one that called the emergency services and untied her. And even though she was so horribly injured, Kirstie insisted he help her use her mobile
put some thought into how to properly reward Kirstie for what she did…
barely spoken since it happened. He’s
was
he’s seeing it
*****
days, but the message comes through on my