Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Emma

Funeral Flowers

She feels the movement of the bed and watches the ceiling tiles flitting overhead. They seem to have positioned her like a doll, tucked with both arms outside of the sheets– or maybe this is how they lay you out for a funeral?

But as they wheel her through the corridor, it is definitely Betty beside her. She doesn't think Betty would be with her if she was already dead, although she is quite prepared to believe that Betty might be an angel.

The figure accompanying her doesn't look like Betty– she looks tired and is wearing a plain blue shirt– but Emma can tell it is her, because she hasn't stopped talking.

‘… So you'll be in surgery for a few hours– they've given you something to relax you now, but I'll be with you until they take you in and they say I can be with you when you wake up.'

Emma tries to say something, but her mouth is so dry it seems cemented shut.

‘They thought at first it was your heart, and I was that worried, love, I felt sick. And anyway, I got hold of your mum in the South of France, and by the time she got here– it took her a day or two, but come she did– they had run more tests, and, love, you are so anaemic they said it was a miracle that you were still standing. That didn't seem to worry them too much and they gave you a blood transfusion– really, they have been very good. They ran all sorts of tests, and at first they thought you were fine, that you would just need some iron pills and so forth, once you'd come round from the bump on the head, but when they scanned your head they found there was a fragment of bone loose from where your eye socket cracked and they were a bit worried about it causing a blockage if it travelled intoyour brain, so they're going to sort it out. They've had to shave some of your hair away, but it will grow back as good as new, and short hair is very fashionable these days. And some have a bit of short and a bit of long, and everyone seems to likethat. So now the infection is under control … did I tell you that? They think you may have got it when your head hit the floor. They've done an amazing job at getting rid of that– you were completely away with the fairies, love. Oh my goodness, yes. But as I was telling you, they think they can operate now and sort you out. They're sure they can operate.'

Betty stops suddenly. Emma can hear the bed wheels clicking as they turn. Then Betty says in a quiet voice, ‘It will be okay, love. I know it will.'

She knew from the talking that Betty was nervous. Now, the abnormal quiet tells her she is truly frightened.

As the wheels keep turning, she thinks of Will. Would he be waiting for her? She thinks he might be. Or maybe she will catch a glimpse of him again, running– eyes on the horizon like he believes he can get there.

She wants to tell Betty that she must not worry, that if he is there, it will be okay– she will be where she is meant to be. She wants to tell Betty that she has already chosen her funeral flowers.

But no words come.