‘Yes, do that.’ Alison shifted the mask slightly. ‘I need you to bring me my night things and my bag from the bathroom. And I left my jewellery in the drawer by the bed. Better bring that, too.’
Evanna helped them transfer Alison to the helicopter and then went to check Kirsty.
‘You might have warned me that she likes to pull hair. I’ve taught her to drive.’ Jim grinned and Kirsty laughed with delight and held out her arms for a cuddle from Evanna.
‘You and I are having a girls’ day at home, Kirsty.’ Evanna slid into the car. ‘Jim, do you mind giving Pete a lift back to the Glenmore Arms? He’s going to pack a few things, pick up the car and take the ferry to the mainland to be with his wife in hospital.’
‘No problem. I’m due at work in half an hour anyway. Do you want to be dropped home?’
Evanna thought of all the preparation she’d planned to do on her bathroom and then dismissed it as unimportant. She could do it later. Her head ached and she didn’t want to think about how tired she was. ‘No, I’ll spend the day here at Logan’s. All Kirsty’s toys are here. It will be easier to keep her occupied.’
It was mid-afternoon by the time Logan arrived home and Evanna and Kirsty were in the middle of an extremely messy painting session in the kitchen. She’d opened the sliding doors that led to the garden and a breeze cooled the stifling air.
‘You put your hand flat, like that,’ Evanna was saying as she planted Kirsty’s hand in the middle of the paper and rocked it from side to side. ‘Great!’
Logan stood in the doorway and watched. He loved the fact that Evanna wasn’t bothered about the mess. She’d spread newspaper over the kitchen floor to protect it and then squeezed paint into saucers so that Kirsty could use her hands and feet, and Kirsty was bright-eyed with excitement. ‘Whatever happened to reading a book or dressing a doll? I can’t leave you two alone for a moment.’
Evanna glanced up, saw him there and scrambled to her feet, her cheeks flushed. She was still wearing the shorts and T-shirt that she’d been running in that morning, but she’d removed her trainers and her fe
et were bare. ‘You know she loves painting. It’s her favourite thing and I can’t bring myself to say no. I’ve used plenty of newspaper so I’m hoping you won’t be needing a new kitchen.’
‘You spoil her,’ Logan said softly, dropping his bag onto the nearest chair and removing his jacket. ‘Amy used to hate doing anything messy because it meant clearing up, and she was always worried that Kirsty would splatter her with paint.’
‘Well, I’m in my ancient running gear and I don’t mind clearing up.’ Evanna carefully lifted the paintings and put them outside on the table to dry in the sun, anchored by jam jars. ‘How did it go with Alison?’
‘I think they might give her antivenin. I’ve left her in their hands. She’s in quite a bit of pain but her pulse and blood pressure have stabilised and her breathing has settled down. Hopefully she’ll be all right now but they’re going to keep her in for a bit just to check on her. Everyone is crowded around her, of course, because it’s such an unusual thing to see.’
‘I couldn’t believe it was really a snake bite. I mean—’ Kirsty was still planting her chubby little hands in the paint and Evanna stooped to adjust the newspaper on the floor’—we see a variety of accidents and illnesses on this island, but that was a first.’
‘It’s pretty rare.’ Logan pulled open the fridge and removed a bottle of chilled water. ‘And not often fatal in humans, although there are reports of severe allergic reactions and I thought Alison might have been one of those. Frustrating, actually, because you know I always carry adrenaline with me in the summer, ever since that wasp episode a few years ago. But Kirsty and I had only left the house for a quiet stroll so I didn’t think of it. I had a nasty moment back there.’
‘It didn’t show. I think the fact that you were so incredibly calm helped to reassure Alison. Have you finished, sweetheart? That’s a lovely painting. Clever girl.’ Evanna lifted Kirsty, unconcerned about the volume of paint that was now attached to the child. ‘I’m usually quite confident with emergencies, but not that one. I didn’t want to speak in case I looked like a complete idiot. I had to stop myself from asking you stupid questions about first aid. I’m sure I read somewhere that you’re meant to suck the venom out or something. Or cut the leg and let the blood flow.’
Logan drank the water straight from the bottle and then lowered his arm and smiled at her. ‘You’ve been watching too much TV.’
‘Actually, I never get to watch TV because I’m always working,’ Evanna said with a pointed look. ‘But there’s so much myth and you hardly get copious amounts of experience in this country.’
She was so generous with Kirsty, Logan thought as he watched her. So patient. ‘Well, these days more and more people keep dangerous snakes as pets and there’s still some argument over best management and it does actually depend on the type of snake. But there is a body of medical evidence now and sucking and slashing isn’t generally recommended.’ Logan lifted the bottle and drank again. ‘If you want to know about snake bites, Ethan is your man. He dealt with a few when he was working in Africa.’
Still holding Kirsty, Evanna glanced towards him. ‘Really? I don’t know how I feel about snakes. Sort of repelled and fascinated at the same time. I think if I’d met an adder on the path, I might have frozen with fright. I’m not surprised Alison felt a bit freaked out. Ugh.’ She gave a shudder and Logan smiled, trying to imagine steady, practical Evanna freaking out about anything.
‘It probably would have run away long before you saw it. To be honest, adders aren’t generally a problem. They’re shy.’
‘But not this time.’
‘She must have surprised it.’
‘Well, she was lucky you were there.’ Evanna wiped the worse of the paint from Kirsty’s hands with kitchen roll and dropped it into the bin.
‘I suppose so. I doubt the air ambulance would have made it quickly enough to deliver the adrenaline. That’s why I decided that it was safer to take her to the surgery.’ Logan threw the empty water bottle into the recycling bin. ‘I’ll talk to the warden about looking at the path. If they have a nest there, we should try and move it. We don’t want a repeat of that, even though it was probably a one in a million chance. Is there anything to eat? I’m starving.’
‘I made a chicken salad for your tea, but you could eat it now if you like.’ Still with Kirsty on her hip, she walked to the fridge and pulled out a large white dish. ‘I probably made too much but I thought you might be starving, having missed breakfast and lunch.’
‘I am starving.’ He looked at the dish and his mouth started to water. ‘Is that your amazing chicken with the honey and lemon marinade?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘My favourite. Have I ever told you that you’re a genius in the kitchen, Evanna Duncan?’