Second Chance(56)

“Okay, thank you.” Nate turned to Jack. “Are you okay to stay here with Adam? I’ll come and update you soon.”

“Of course.” Jack thought Adam could use the company. The poor kid looked utterly traumatised. “See you in a bit. Fingers crossed for good news.” Turning to Adam he said, “Come on, mate. Let’s go and find somewhere to sit.” He put his arm around Adam and guided him towards a row of seats.



Nate thought he might throw up as he hurried through the claustrophobic corridors. It was all so horribly familiar. A different hospital, but the same smell of disinfectant, the same lighting, the same feeling of gut-clenching terror.

When he set eyes on Cass his stomach turned upside down at the sight of her. Deathly pale, her brown hair spread out in a tangle on her pillow. Her eyes were closed, dark shadows like bruises beneath them. A drip went into the back of one of her hands, and various machines were hooked up to her, beeping in a way that probably should have been reassuring but wasn’t.

My baby.

Nate’s heart clenched. Parenthood was a blessing and a curse because the love you felt for your children shone bright and beautiful, but when your child was in pain it was a blade that cut you to the bone. He hurried to take the seat by her bed and touched the hand that wasn’t pierced by tubes. Her skin was warm, and the sight of her chest slowly rising and falling gave him some relief.

She’s alive. She’s going to be okay. She has to be. Please.

Lost in atheist prayers to the universe, Nate was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat. He wheeled around to see a young male nurse with blond spiky hair and a poor attempt at a beard.

Nate stood quickly. “Hi, I’m Cass’s father. What happened?”

“Hello. Mr Harris?” Nate nodded. “I’m Shane, one of the nurses here in A & E and I worked on Cass when she was brought in. She was pretty poorly, but she’s doing fine now, so you can relax a little.”

“What happened to her? Was it just alcohol? Drugs?”

“We’re still not sure. But based on how she presented we think she had something other than alcohol and marijuana in her system. She was hard to rouse, and her BP and heart rate were both through the roof. We didn’t need to pump her stomach as she’d vomited up all the contents—which was a good thing—but the drip is helping to flush out her system while she sleeps it off. It might be a few hours before she wakes again.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“She’s going to need to stay in overnight. We’re waiting for a bed on a ward to be free and then we can move her, probably in an hour or so. Do you have any questions?”

“I don’t think so, thanks.” Nate had a hundred questions, but none that the nurse could answer. He felt shaky again, the adrenaline rush passing now he knew Cass was safe. Relief flooded him, but anger too. What the hell was she thinking? Just when he’d begun to trust her again.

Leaving Cass sleeping, he went out to find Jack and Adam.

Jack was sitting alone. Shoulders hunched forward and his head hanging low, he reminded Nate of the day their paths had converged in the churchyard.

“Hey.” Nate sat beside him. “Where’s Adam?”

Jack jerked his head up. “He went to get some coffee and food. How’s Cass?”

“She’s going to be okay, but she was a mess earlier and she looks like hell now. She’s still out of it and will be for a while.” Nate’s tone was bitter. “I can’t believe she did this to herself again.”

“What? Do they know what she took?”

“Not yet, but they think it was more than alcohol and weed. So fuck knows. Did you believe Adam’s innocent act?” Angry and suspicious, Nate was looking for someone to blame.

“Yes, I did,” Jack said immediately. “That kid was terrified, and he also did a bang up job of looking after Cass tonight. I’m positive that he was telling the truth earlier.”

“Hmm. Yeah. He did seem genuine.” Nate wanted to believe Adam. But he wanted answers too. If Adam was telling the truth, then Nate would have to wait for Cass to wake up so he could ask her what she’d decided to try this time. “Okay. I’m going to call my mum, then get back to Cass in case she wakes up. She’s going to be moved down to a ward soon, so I’ll let you know when that happens. Can you update Adam? And if you want to head home and get some sleep I’ll be okay here on my own.”

“I’m staying,” Jack said firmly.

Nate felt a surge of gratitude. Leaning across, he pressed a kiss to Jack’s stubbled cheek. “Thank you.”

Jack turned and drew him into a brief, fierce hug. “It’s the least I can do.”



Troubled, Jack leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital seat. He stretched his arms up until his back cracked, and then settled down again trying to get comfortable. Exhaustion was a dull ache at his temples, but he had no intention of going anywhere when Nate needed him. It was going to be a long night.

Adam returned bearing coffees for both of them and a sandwich and a Danish pastry for himself. “Are you sure you’re not hungry? If you’ve changed your mind, we can share.”

“I wouldn’t say no to a bit of that Danish actually. Thanks.”

Adam handed it to him. “Have as much as you like. I can always get another one.”