Les got out and walked towards him with a smile for Mia that became a frown when she saw the shattered door and Polly, and hit Reece with a blur of questions: “What happened? Did someone break in? Where’s Audrey? Is she hurt? You said sick. She’s never sick. Why is Mia wet?” She pointed at Polly. “Why is he here?”
Polly laughed. “Hello, Les. You never showed at the pub.”
Mia giggled and that was the best thing that could’ve happened. “Mum went in the ambulants.”
“What?” Les tried to push past Reece to get into the house.
“I couldn’t wake her. They’ve taken her to St Vincent’s.”
“Oh God. Oh God. What did they say?”
“Reece broked the door.” Mia held the pencil out to Les. “This is a magic pencil. I wet myself. I was scared.”
Les took the pencil and looked it over. “Why didn’t you say it was serious on your message?” She handed it back to Mia.
He didn’t know it was the right thing to ring Les, but he’d had to tell someone at Audrey’s work. “I—”
“We have to make an arrangement for Mia.”
He hoisted Mia to his other hip. “I was going to—”
“Let him get a word in,” said Polly.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” Les shut Polly down further with a look that said crowbar to the ear.
Polly hand’s came up to his head, but he grinned at her. “Not so shy when you’re taking charge.”
“Why don’t you fix the door?”
“Yes, Ma’am, that’s what I’m here for.”
“Then why is there glass everywhere?”
Reece left them to it and took Mia inside. Les and Polly argued while he gave Mia a bath, got her dressed and plaited her hair. They were both in the kitchen, quietly seething at each other, when he came in to make Mia breakfast.
He got Mia sorted, drank tea Les made and called the hospital. No news. Audrey was critical but stable. They said not to come in yet, it would be a little while till they knew what was going on. He hung up, fear knotting tighter in his chest. Knowing he needed to ask what symptoms to look for in Mia, and in himself. Then he rang Audrey’s mother, Esther and after that he needed something with more kick than tea.
He had five minutes to collect himself and he was confronted with Merrill and Joe. He’d met Merrill but not Joe. Mia was happy to see them. Joe looked tense. Polly went back to the door.
Merrill started making plans. “Thank heavens you were here, Reece. I don’t want to think about what might’ve—” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not thinking about it.” She smiled at him grimly. “Joe and I will take Mia until we can talk to Audrey.”
“They don’t want us at the hospital yet.” They were unlikely to want all of them in any case. And no adult here qualified as family, but they wanted to talk with him and see Mia.
“No, I mean. I’ll take over. Joe and I, until we can ask Audrey what to do.”
He looked at Les, searching for an ally, but she must’ve called Merrill and Joe. Was that the right thing for Mia? Esther was a day’s travel away and didn’t intend to make the trip unless it was necessary. He’d thought unconscious, ambulance and hospitalised, plus granddaughter, might have been enough necessary. Apparently not enough to override Audrey choosing to be an unmarried mother. Jesus, that was hard core.
“Might be best, Reece,” said Les.
He got Mia’s attention. This didn’t sit right with him, but then his feelings were all tangled up: shock, guilt, fear. “Merrill and Joe are going to look after you today.”
Mia looked at Merrill, looked at Joe, turned her eyes to him. “No. You.”
Joe laughed. “Merry will take you to the park, Mia.”
“No.”
“You like the park,” he cajoled.