‘Yes. Just give me a bit of space.’ Hugo’s words were clearly a fond joke, and his father laughed quietly.
‘Perhaps you’ll help me get him up on his feet and we can walk him over to the car.’ Before now, Nell would never have asked the King to do such a thing. But he seemed to need this, and Hugo clearly did, too. It had taken a stun gun and a lot of pain before the two men had been able to bury their differences, but maybe it was worth it.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ALTHOUGH THE JOURNEY to the hospital was a short one, the car was starting and stopping in the evening traffic. Ted had been fetched from the palace kitchen and arrived stony-faced, clearly annoyed with himself that he’d done what had been expected of him and relied on the security measures at the palace to keep Hugo safe for the evening. He sat in the front seat of the car, next to the chauffeur.
‘I feel fine now. There’s no need for the hospital. Ted...?’ Hugo appealed to the back of Ted’s head from the back seat of the car, where he sat with Nell.
‘You know what I think.’ Ted didn’t turn around, and Hugo looked across at Nell in a silent appeal.
‘We’re going to the hospital.’ Nell glared at him. If he thought that she was an easier touch than Ted, he had another think coming.
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Hugo settled back into his seat. ‘Only I’ll prove you wrong when I get there.’
‘That’s exactly what I expect you to do. And it’s never wrong to be on the safe side.’
She heard Ted chuckle from the front of the car, and Hugo rolled his eyes.
By the time they arrived at the hospital, the cardiac surgeon who had implanted Hugo’s pacemaker had been roused from his bed. Nell quickly told him what had happened and he nodded in agreement with her assessment. She left him alone with Hugo for a moment, and found Ted brooding outside the door.
‘He’s okay, Ted.’
‘I know. But I should have been there. A stun gun hurts like the blazes.’
If Ted had been on duty, she and Hugo would have found a way to evade him. The sweet promise of those moments with Hugo, alone in the darkness, made Nell shiver. ‘You can’t be with him all the time. You were off duty.’
Ted knew that she was trying to make him feel better, and flashed her a wry smile. ‘He knows what to do if there’s an incident. He should stay back and shout for help.’
‘He was protecting me.’ Nell had been feeling just as guilty as Ted obviously was.
‘Understandable.’ The creases in Ted’s forehead relaxed slightly. ‘Maybe I’m getting a bit too old for this.’
Nell laid her hand on his arm. ‘He trusts you, Ted. And Hugo needs people he can trust right now. I don’t think age has anything to do with the fact that you can’t be in two places at once.’
‘Maybe...’ Ted didn’t look convinced, but at least he was thinking about it.
‘Why don’t you go and get a cup of tea? I’m sure there’ll be somewhere...’
Ted nodded. ‘The café on the ground floor is open all night. Would you like me to get you something?’
‘No, I’ll stay here and talk to his doctor. I’ll call you when we’ve finished and you can see him.’
‘All right.’ Ted went to turn, and then stopped. ‘Thanks.’
* * *
Hugo was lying in bed, a heart monitor by his side. His smile was back in full force, as his coping mechanisms kicked in.
‘Don’t you think this is a bit over the top? People get hit with stun guns all the time, and they get up and walk away.’ He’d waited to come up with his objections until the door had closed quietly behind the cardiac surgeon.
‘Yes, they do. But they’re generally people in good health who haven’t just had surgery. Give it a rest, Hugo.’
‘I am in good health. Reasonable health, anyway. I’ll feel better when I can get back into the gym.’
Nell rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t give me that, Hugo. This might be just a precaution but it’s one that I believe is warranted, and your cardiac surgeon agrees with me.’
‘I know what the risks are as well as you do...’