Lying Beside You (Cyrus Haven #3)(74)

He recognises my sarcasm and gets a box of cereal from the cupboard. When he sits down his cuffs ride up, revealing his ankle monitor locked around his pale shin. Self-consciously, he hides it from me.

‘I used to wear one of those,’ I say. ‘I was always escaping from the children’s home.’

‘Why?’

‘I didn’t like living there.’

‘What happened to your parents?’

‘What happened to yours?’

Boom! His face creases and I want to take the question back. Cyrus would call it a cheap shot, but I don’t know what makes a comeback cheap or expensive or just plain nasty.

‘I’m supposed to take you to a pharmacy,’ I say, changing the subject. ‘Are you ready to go?’

Elias takes a prescription from his pocket. ‘I have an address.’

The Queens Medical Centre isn’t far, but I take Poppy with me for added protection. She surrenders her usual front seat for Elias, who squeezes into Mouse, pressing his knees against the dashboard. Despite the cold, he lowers the window and holds out his hand, fingers wide, feeling the air push against his palm as we head along Derby Road, past Wollaton Park. Elias points out landmarks as though I’m new to the area, talking about places that served the best pizzas and fish and chips.

‘I used to drive,’ he says. ‘Got my licence first time. Perfect score on my test.’

‘Modest, aren’t you?’

My sarcasm bounces off him.

‘I was saving to buy a car. Had my eye on a Subaru Impreza. Nought to sixty in six seconds. What does this do?’

‘No idea.’

‘You must get good mileage.’

‘If you say so.’

I take the exit onto Clifton Boulevard and immediately turn left, following signs to the hospital. As we pass a cluster of parked ambulances we give way to a police car. Elias goes quiet at the sight of it.

We reach the visitor parking area. I point to the sign that says Main Entrance. Elias doesn’t move.

‘You have to come with me,’ he says. ‘I’m not allowed to be on my own.’

‘Are you going to run away?’

‘No.’

‘Well, I’ll wait here.’

He has beads of sweat on his top lip. He licks them away.

‘I don’t need the medications today. I can come back another time.’

‘Show me the prescription.’

He hands it to me. I crack my window and leave Poppy on the back seat. Elias catches up when I’m halfway across the parking lot. The automatic doors slide open and we follow the overhead signs to the pharmacy, which is on Floor B.

I walk to the counter, where a pharmacist in a blue medical smock has reading glasses hanging around her neck and a mole on her top lip. I explain that Elias needs a prescription filled. She glances at the form and back at Elias. I wonder if she can tell by looking at the prescription what’s wrong with him.

‘That will be fifteen minutes. You can wait or come back. There’s a café in the foyer.’

We follow her directions, past an information desk, a florist and a gift shop. Elias sneaks a glance at two nurses who are walking past us. He looks away when he notices me watching him and does that same creepy licking of his top lip. It’s freezing today. Why is he sweating?

Then I realise that he’s nervous. He’s not used to being in a busy place like a hospital. The café is the wrong choice. Instead, I find a bench hidden by potted palms. Elias sits with his knees together and head thrust forward, arms against his sides, fingers hooked under his thighs.

‘When did you start hearing voices?’ I ask, making it sound like we’re talking about the weather, which is something I never do.

‘When I was fourteen.’

‘What did they say?’

‘It wasn’t a voice at first. It was a scarecrow man. He used to visit me at night. He had a hessian sack for a head and holes for eyes and he used to scratch on my bedroom window with his fingers.’

‘That was probably branches in the wind.’

‘Yeah, that’s what my mum said. She asked Dad to trim the tree, but the scarecrow man was still there. Eventually, he moved inside. I would wake and find him leaning over my bed, breathing on my face. I couldn’t move or scream.’

‘I’ve had dreams like that,’ I say. ‘The nightmares where you think you’re awake, but you’re trapped in the dream.’

I’ve had other dreams where the monsters were real, but he doesn’t need to know that.

Somebody nearby laughs loudly. Elias flinches and wipes his top lip.

‘One day he spoke to me.’

‘What did he say?’

‘“He is going to kill them.”’

‘Kill who?’

He shrugs. ‘I thought he was talking about someone else. I tried to ignore the voice. I pushed it away. I told myself it wasn’t real. But it started to follow me. I’d be at school, or mowing lawns, or down at the arcade, and suddenly, out of nowhere, I’d hear it. “He is going to kill them.” It was always the same thing, like he was talking about someone else, but looking straight at me.’

‘Did you tell anyone?’

‘I didn’t want them thinking I was crazy.’

‘But you were.’