Unsuitable

“Not Mum. She’s waiting for me.”

“You’ll see her tomorrow.”

“No. Now.”

“Tomorrow, Mia. After you have dinner and put your jammies on and have a sleep.” He let her think about that. She wasn’t sniffling anymore. “Do you want to come out?”

“No.”

“Okay, I’ll have to try to squeeze in next to you.” He took hold of the bed and gave it a shake to let her know he was serious.

“You won’t fit. You’re too big.”

“It’s always worth trying.” He crawled around the bed. She peered at him under the arm she was using to hide her face. “Hmm, it’s squishy here.” He shouldered the bed aside and sat back on his heels.

Mia giggled. “You’re too big.” She dropped her arm away from her snotty, tear streaked face. She’d had a very scary day.

“You’re too small.”

“I’m a big girl.”

“Yes, you are. Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Hey, you know what?”

“What?”

“I think I’m stuck.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Can you help me get out?”

Mia uncurled from the corner and crawled towards him. She pressed on his chest. He let her push and grunt and shove and frown at him. “You really are stuck.”

He opened his arms out and she crawled into his lap and held on around his neck. He shoved the bed further aside and got up with her in his arms. He could get her to eat. Get her cleaned up and into bed. He looked at Merrill, standing white faced in the doorway.

“Thank you.”

“It’s my job.”

It was the least he could do, it was who he was, and all he could think about is what would happen to Mia if Audrey didn’t recover.

What would happen to him?

14: Choosing

“Audrey, open your eyes. Audrey, I want you to open your eyes. Audrey.”

Why did they keep saying her name? She was asleep. She was too tired. She needed to sleep.

“Audrey, open your eyes, please.”

Go away. Let me sleep. Who was that talking? Doesn’t matter. She had such a headache. All that matters is sleep. But there was so much noise and something on her face and she couldn’t move her arm properly. There was someone crying. A child, crying, crying, crying.

She opened her eyes. “Mia.” Where was Mia? “Mia.” Her throat was sore. She coughed. What was this room? Where? Who were these people? “Mia, Mia.” Mia was crying and Audrey didn’t know where she was. Where Mia was.