Absolution(15)

And then the accident happened, Jack vanished, and everything was different. She was different, and not just in ways she could quantify, either. Something had changed inside of her. Her perception of the world had altered. She felt both wise beyond her years and more frightened than she had ever been in her life. She was lost and, for a time, she wasn’t even sure she could be bothered finding her way back. But she had, with help.

Putting his own grief and disappointment aside, Tom made sure that nothing changed between them. He was still there for her, he still loved her. Losing him like this – suddenly, without warning – was somehow worse than watching her father’s slow death from cancer. At least then she had known what was coming. He had told her, kept her informed, wanted to prepare her. Having Tom ripped away from her like this was cruel, like some kind of bad joke the universe was playing on her; yes, you can be happy, but not for long. Don’t get too comfortable.

Tom’s funeral was her chance to say goodbye, to say thank you. As much as she dreaded the funeral, she hoped it would help the emptiness to pass.



Four Years Earlier



Tom sat watching the clock on the waiting room wall. The minutes ticked by, each seeming longer than the last. After a brief consultation with the nurses’ station, they had asked him to wait while they found someone who could tell him what was going on. That was half an hour ago. In the meantime, his son was in there and he had no idea how badly he was hurt. All he knew was what they were able to tell him on the phone – that Jack’s car had been involved in an accident out on River Road and that he, Callum and Ally had been brought in by ambulance and were currently being assessed in the ER. He stood up, rubbing his neck to try and ease the tension that settled there.

“Tom!”

Jane and Maggie ran across the waiting room towards him. Jane threw herself into his arms as soon as she was close enough.

“Where are they?” she demanded. “What’s going on?”

He pushed her away gently as Maggie stared at him over her shoulder, wide-eyed.

“I’m still waiting for someone to come out and talk to me,” he said, rubbing her arm. “Hopefully it won’t be much longer. In the meantime, let’s just try and stay calm, alright?”

He steered them over into a corner of the room, and sat down with them in the row of waiting plastic chairs. An uneasy silence spread over them, punctuated only by incoming patients and their entourages.

“I don’t have a number for Callum’s mother,” Jane mumbled. “What if we need to call her?”

Tom put his arm around her. “Let’s just wait and see what the doctor says first. If we need to call her, we’ll worry about it then.”

He wished Lucy were here. This was one of those moments where, as parents, they would comfort each other, talking through the uncertainty, holding each other up. Instead, he sat here, surrounded by Jack’s friends, who needed comfort just as much as he did. For now, he concentrated on that.

When the doctor finally arrived, she led them along the hall to a private waiting area and invited them to sit down. She was so young and she looked so nervous. He would have felt sorry for her if he wasn’t so worried.

“Sorry to keep you waiting this long,” she began wearily. “We were waiting on the results of the MRI. I know how you must be feeling so I won’t beat around the bush.”

“Thank you. We’d appreciate that.”

“Jack was driving,” she said carefully. “He sustained an injury to his collarbone, probably from the seat-belt. However the x-ray revealed no broken bones, so he’s very lucky. He’ll be sore, and he has a few cuts and abrasions, but he’ll be fine.”

Tom breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank God,” Maggie whispered, reading his mind.

“Callum?” Jane asked breathlessly.

“He has a concussion,” she glanced down at the clipboard in her lap. “It’s fairly minor but he lost consciousness at the scene, according to the paramedics that brought them in, so we’re taking the precaution of monitoring him overnight. He also has a few cuts and bruises but nothing serious. All going well, he’ll be released in the morning.”

Maggie put her arm around Jane and held on tight as Tom offered up a second prayer.

“That’s good. He’s going to be alright,” Maggie smiled through the tears, rubbing Jane’s shoulder encouragingly.

“What about Ally?” Tom asked.