Second Chance(55)

“What…? Jesus…. But how…? Okay. Yes. I’ll get there as soon as possible.” Nate ended the call, his face was pale, and his hand shook where he still gripped his phone tightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Cass.” Nate started dressing frantically. “I have to go. She’s been taken to hospital in an ambulance. I don’t know what happened but she passed out at the party. Fuck.” He stumbled as he stepped into his jeans. “Fuck! The car’s at Mum’s.” Nate tapped his phone and put it on speakerphone while he carried on dressing, but it rang and rang before going to voicemail. “Shit. She’s probably got it on silent.”

Jack got up and started putting his clothes on too.

Nate didn’t seem to register what Jack was doing until they were both dressed and ready to leave. “You’re coming with me?”

“If you want me to? I thought you could use the support.”

Nate gave a brief smile. “Yeah. Thanks. Mum would come but it will only take longer if she’s already gone to bed.”

“Are you going to be okay to drive?” Jack asked, feeling irrationally guilty that he’d encouraged Nate to drink earlier.

“Yes. Thank God I only had two beers though. That was a couple of hours ago and I feel fine now. Glad I said no to the third.”

They left Jack’s house and hurried out into the darkness. As they ran to Nate’s house, Jack was glad he was fitter now. He’d never have kept up with Nate a few weeks ago.

Nate let himself in and hurried up to his mum’s room. Jack heard the sound of muffled conversation, then Nate saying, “No, Mum. It’s fine. You stay here. Jack’s coming with me and I’ll call you as soon as I have news. Make sure your phone’s on.”

Footsteps thundered downstairs and Nate was back, grabbing Sue’s car keys from the shelf in the hallway as Sue followed behind, hair rumpled, and wrapped in a dressing gown. “Hi, Jack,” she said, face lined with worry.

“Sue.”

She turned to Nate. “Drive safely, love. You won’t be any use to Cass if you don’t get there in one piece.”



“There’s a speed camera coming up,” Jack said.

“Thanks.” Nate slowed a little. The A38 was a wide, straight road, so going over forty miles an hour didn’t feel unsafe for most of it. But Jack didn’t want Nate to get a ticket. He couldn’t blame him for hurrying. Jack didn’t know what it was like to be a father; he’d never felt whatever frantic terror Nate must be feeling right now. He could only try and imagine.

They made it to the hospital in less than half an hour. Thankfully the roads were quiet at this time on a Friday night. Nate parked and they ran to the emergency department, following the signs in the huge airport-like concourse.

Typically for a Friday night, the A & E department was rammed. There were people with sick children, drunks with various injuries, a guy with a black eye and bleeding knuckles, and a woman with a grossly swollen ankle—her high heels discarded on the floor by her feet.

Nate hurried to join the queue at reception and Jack went with him, there were a few people ahead of them in the line.

“Excuse me, Mr Harris?” A boy with red curly hair and a terrified expression approached them.

“Adam. What are you doing here? I thought you said they wouldn’t let you go in the ambulance.”

“They didn’t. I got a taxi here. I didn’t want Cass to be on her own and it wasn’t far. But they won’t let me see her anyway.” His eyes filled with tears. “Will you let me know how she is when you find out?”

“Of course.” Nate’s expression softened.

Adam’s gaze darted to Jack. “Hello,” he said, then looked at Nate, “Are you….”

“Yes, Jack’s with me. Jack, this is Adam, Cass’s boyfriend.” Nate took Jack’s hand as he introduced him, and although he hadn’t defined their relationship in words, Jack felt a rush of emotion at the gesture of togetherness. He squeezed Nate’s fingers gently.

Adam gave a tentative smile that vanished abruptly as Nate started to grill him.

“So what the hell happened at the party? What was she drinking? How bad was she when the ambulance came?” Nate demanded.

“I don’t know,” Adam said earnestly. “I thought she only had some cider, maybe three cans at the most, and then she switched to Coke. She did smoke a little too….” His face flushed bright pink. “But nothing like enough to make her as wasted as she was. It was really scary. She went from being a bit tipsy to totally out of it in about half an hour. Slurring her words, she could hardly stand up, and then she threw up everywhere. After that she was laid out on the bathroom floor and I couldn’t get her to wake up.” Adam’s voice broke in a sob.

“Next please!” The receptionist called, and Nate let go of Jack’s hand as he moved forward to speak to the woman behind the desk.

Jack patted Adam’s shoulder. “You did the right thing to call an ambulance. It’s good that you were there to look out for her. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” The words sounded hollow. None of them really knew, but Jack had to trust that Cass would be okay because the alternative was unthinkable.

“You can go and see her, Mr Harris, but no other visitors for now,” the receptionist was saying. Go through the double doors, first turning on the left. She’s in bay seven. Someone will be there to talk with you shortly.”