‘Is that a good idea?’
‘What if it’s bad news?’
‘She shouldn’t be seeing him on her own.’
Before Drogo could answer them the door opened again and this time it was the consultant.
The introductions had been made and tea had been brought, Emerald once again forced to hold back her nausea the minute she smelled the strong brew, and now they were all sitting waiting to hear what the consultant had to say.
Janey was sitting on the edge of her chair with her hands underneath her so that she could resist her old childhood habit of nibbling at her nails, whilst Rose was sitting next to her, so white-faced with tension that she looked as though she was wearing rice powder. Polly and Cathy had drawn their chairs closer together, whilst Robbie was sitting between Emerald and Drogo, Emerald holding his hand and Drogo placing a supporting arm around the back of his chair.
‘As you all know, Jay has had a heart attack.’
‘But how serious is it?’
‘Will he have another?’
‘He is going to get better, isn’t he?’
‘How is Mummy?’
The consultant nodded in acknowledgement of all their questions.
‘To answer your last question first, Amber is being incredibly brave and strong, and she is insisting on remaining here at the hospital with Jay. I have told her that I will only allow that if she agrees to take some rest herself. A private room will be put at her disposal for that purpose. It is the least we can do since your parents have been so generous in their fund-raising for the hospital.’
‘And Jay himself?’ Drogo asked.
The consultant frowned. ‘The tests show that the attack was severe. However, we can be reasonably optimistic that as there hasn’t been a second attack, his condition has now stabilised.’
‘Does that mean that he’s going to live?’ Janey asked shakily.
‘Hopefully, but from now on, as I have already told Amber, he will have to be careful not to do anything that might provoke a second attack.’
‘But surely there are operations,’ Cathy began. ‘I’ve read about people having whole heart transplants.’
‘Yes, that’s true, but that kind of operation is not appropriate in your father’s case. There are new treatments for his condition being undertaken in South Africa and America, but it is too soon as yet in my opinion to know how successful these are in the long term. However, with care and if he lives relatively quietly from now on, with modern drugs there is no reason to suppose that he will not live out his normal life span.’
The consultant could see their relief and, indeed, almost feel it in the air of buoyancy and delight that was filling the room.
‘There is still some way to go before we can pronounce him fully out of danger,’ he warned them, ‘but I have every confidence in your mother’s ability to ensure that everything that needs to be done to aid his recovery and his future health will be done.’
The consultant had gone, there had been tears and smiles, shared hugs and emotional laughter between the three who were Jay’s daughters, whilst Rose and Emerald stood slightly to one side.
Janey had offered all those who wanted
one a bed at Fitton, but Emerald had said that they should go back to Denham instead because there would be things to do there to prepare for her mother and Jay’s eventual return.
The others, including Rose, had agreed that they would take on the responsibility for the Walton Street shop, and now Emerald acknowledged she felt very tired and was longing for a hot bath.
There was something, though, that she still had to do. Something important. A debt that had to be repaid and that belonged to the memory of a busy A&E department and the way she had felt when Rose had been there for her.
‘The consultant told Drogo that Mummy asked if Rose was here.’
Rose could feel the colour burning up under her skin.
‘I think that one of us should stay and that it should be you, Rose. You always were her favourite.’
‘No. I wasn’t, I—’