Blood Sisters(80)

Sister. Kitty felt a jolt of jealousy at the word. Why could her sister walk and she couldn’t? Why could Alison talk while Kitty could only babble? It wasn’t fair.

‘Anyway, it won’t be long now,’ sighed Friday Mum.

Why did everyone keep saying that? What exactly were they waiting for?

‘Time to go,’ said Bossy Supervisor, coming into the community lounge. ‘The bus is waiting.’ Maybe this was it.

Friday Mum knelt down at the side of the wheelchair. ‘Isn’t this exciting! We’re off to see that doctor. The special one that Johnny’s mother found us. You’re going to have a little try-out – to see if you’re suitable for this new machine.’ Friday Mum held her hand. ‘Jeannie will be there too.’

Kitty felt a leap in her chest as well as fear. ‘Is she still angry with me for pushing Johnny? Will he be there?’

Friday Mum sighed. ‘I’m not sure what you’re saying, love, but there’s something I have to tell you. If it works, this machine won’t just improve your daily life. It will also allow you to tell us what happened in the accident.’

But she didn’t fucking know herself!

Friday Mum bit her lip. ‘And that might help your sister to get out of the trouble I mentioned earlier. That’s … well … that’s if you can remember.’

She had a strange face on, noticed Kitty, as though she didn’t like the taste of her own mouth.

‘The thing is, Kitty, that your sister thinks she pushed you into the road on the day of the accident.’

‘Really?’ asked The Monster, giving her a massive kick.

‘Of course it can’t be true,’ continued Friday Mum, taking her good hand and stroking it. ‘She’s just upset. It’s the accumulation of years of guilt because she wasn’t able to save you from the car.’

So it was a road accident, like Dawn’s!

‘All we need is for you to somehow say that your sister was innocent.’

Shake your head from side to side, Kitty told herself. Why should she help someone who could walk and talk?

Bugger. There it went again. Up and down.

‘They might not accept that,’ sniffed Friday Mum. ‘We know that you sometimes get your yeses muddled up with your noes. But the lawyer says that we might be able to use your picture board to show what happened. And if the new machine can help … well, that would be amazing.’

Friday Mum’s arms were around her now. ‘You’ve got to save your sister, Kitty. Or else she might go to prison.’

Good, Kitty told herself as The Monster battered her insides in agreement. Because if Half a Sister Ali really had pushed her into the road, prison was exactly what she deserved.

It was a long drive to the hospital. ‘It’s in London,’ chirped Friday Mum, who had become quite friendly with the driver and had her smiley face on.

The Monster kicked a reminder. ‘London,’ it seemed to say. ‘Don’t you remember?’

Yes! She could! Something about jeans and a place called Oxford Street. There was a teacher, too, who had been cross with her and another girl called … What was her name?

‘You look excited,’ said Friday Mum, watching her thump her knee with her fist. ‘I’ve got a good feeling about this machine, Kitty.’ Then her face went all flat. ‘I can’t believe your sister would have hurt you. There’s something not right with what she’s saying. And if you can remember, well, that would be wonderful!’

It was always a big deal getting in and out of the van. But this time, there were lots of young men in white uniforms to help her. Kitty felt like the Queen on her picture board as they wheeled her through the hospital corridors. Everyone smiled at her. Especially the doctor.

‘Welcome, Kitty.’ He was talking right at her as if he expected her to understand. She clapped her good hand on the side of the chair with approval. There was an ‘ah’ from the nurse next to her.

‘Now I don’t know how much you’ve been told, but we’re going to ask you to put on this funny hat.’

Look at all those coloured wires coming out of it! The other ends were attached to something that looked like a computer but bigger. Johnny’s family had had lots of computers. Johnny had always been on his. He should have paid her more attention.

‘The machine,’ said the doctor, ‘will send signals to your brain and that will tell us if you’re suitable for a new technique that’s being pioneered in the States.’ He looked questioningly at her. ‘Do you get what I’m saying?’

‘I’m not stupid,’ babbled Kitty.

‘That might be a yes,’ said Friday Mum doubtfully. ‘Then again, it might be a no. It’s hard to tell sometimes.’

‘Let’s give it a whirl, shall we?’ said the doctor.

The cap was itchy. And it felt odd without the helmet. The doctors had said she would be ‘all right’ for a short time without it, but what if her brain fell out? Kitty twisted her head one way and then another to shake the cap off so they could put the helmet back on. ‘Please try and keep still,’ said the doctor tightly. ‘Could someone stop her pulling those wires out? It’s a very expensive piece of equipment.’

‘I’m not a “her”. I’m a “me”,’ spat Kitty.