Blood Sisters(73)

As they went into the centre, Kitty fell quiet. Everyone was coming up to Johnny. Slapping him on the back and welcoming him. ‘Where have you been, mate?’

Johnny looked so pleased that he forgot to introduce her. Luckily Call Me Jeannie did it for him. ‘This is Kitty. She’s Johnny’s new wife.’

One of the girls in the group, who was leaning on a stick, gave her a nasty look. ‘Wife?’ Then she turned to Johnny. ‘I didn’t know you’d got married.’

Her husband was shifting from one foot to the other, the way he did when he felt awkward. What was going on?

‘Yeah. We met at the home.’

‘I see.’ The girl was glaring at her.

Johnny had gone now. Sucked up into a wave of lads who wanted him to ‘play pool, mate’.

The girl who’d given her a nasty look had followed them, limping on her stick and grabbing Johnny’s arm when she caught up. Kitty felt a flash of jealousy. It reminded her of another time. Summer lights in the garden. Girls in the years above holding hands with boys. A tall, thin boy who she liked more than any of the others. Then the memory dissolved like the crystals that Call Me Jeannie put in her bath every night.

Call Me Jeannie was talking to one of the helpers in a low voice. She’d need to be quick.

Kitty put her hand on the lever of her new electric wheelchair that Johnny’s family had bought her. The speed had been strictly restricted in the home. But she wasn’t there any more, was she?

‘Ouch,’ said the girl with the stick. ‘You’ve just rammed into me.’

‘Good,’ babbled Kitty. ‘Keep your fucking hands off my husband.’

‘I’m sure she didn’t mean to do it, did you?’ said Johnny.

‘Yes I bloody did.’

‘Poor you.’ Johnny was actually rubbing the girl’s leg. ‘Is that better?’

‘No,’ yelled Kitty. ‘Don’t do that. You’re my husband. Not hers.’

‘She’s really bruised me!’

‘Stop making such a bloody fuss.’

Shortly after that, they went home.

That night, when Johnny tried to crawl into bed with her, Kitty wasn’t having any of it. He’d fancied that girl. She just knew it.

‘I don’t know if your mother mentioned it,’ said Call Me Jeannie a few days later. ‘But there’s a new machine that might help you speak.’

‘Yeah,’ said Johnny. ‘It can read your thoughts.’ He slapped his thighs as if it was one huge joke.

‘We’re all going to see the brain specialist soon,’ said Call Me Jeannie. ‘He’ll do some tests to see if you’re suitable. Isn’t that wonderful?’

Yes. Kitty had plenty of things she wanted to say out loud.

The worst day of the week was when they went to Day Centre. Thursdays. Bad things had always happened then. Kitty wasn’t sure how she knew that. She just did.

‘I don’t want to see that bitch who has the hots for you,’ she’d yell, thrashing when the carer tried to lift her into the car with Call Me Jeannie.

‘Don’t do that, dear. You’re hurting us.’

In the car, she made a terrible smell.

‘Ugh,’ said Johnny. ‘That’s disgusting.’ He never used to say that in the home.

When they got there, the girl with the stick was waiting. She had long blonde hair that reminded Kitty of the friend she used to have. Whatever her name was.

‘You’re late,’ she said to Johnny, ignoring Kitty.

One of the centre’s helpers played cards with her. ‘Try putting this one down with your good hand,’ he said.

But all the time, Kitty kept looking for Johnny and the girl with the stick. Then, when the carer took her to the loo, she saw them. Standing in a corner. Johnny had his arms around the girl. The Monster inside her leaped up and down in indignation. Kitty could have cried.

When they got home, she refused to eat. Or the next day. Or the next.

Johnny didn’t try to get into bed with her any more. That night, she took off her nappy with her good hand and smeared poo all over the wall.

The social worker came to make one of her checks. ‘I’m not sure this is working out,’ Kitty heard Call Me Jeannie say.

When it was time for bath that night, she flailed around more than usual. ‘What’s wrong, dear?’ asked Friday Mum when she came to visit. ‘Jeannie says you don’t seem very happy.’

Later, Kitty listened to Call Me Jeannie and Friday Mum talking in the kitchen. They spoke as if she wasn’t there. Or as if she was deaf. ‘I’m afraid Johnny can be very impulsive at times. Always having a crush on different girls at the day centre. One of the helpers said he’d found Johnny kissing another girl the other day.’

‘No!’ Friday Mum was clearly shocked.

‘Of course, he and Kitty did get together rather fast, didn’t they? If it hadn’t been for the baby, well …’

That night, Johnny seemed sorry for everything he’d done. ‘Shall we have a cuddle?’ he said.

CRASH!

‘She’s hurt me,’ he yelled.

Call Me Jeannie came running in, wearing a powder-blue nightdress. ‘What’s happened?’ she cried.

‘I didn’t mean it,’ Kitty tried to say. ‘I just pushed him away and he fell on the floor. That’s all.’