Second Chance(58)

“So you don’t mind that I told them you’re my partner?” Nate flushed.

“Not at all.” Squeezing Nate’s hands, Jack shuffled closer so he could put an arm around Nate. “It’s not that much of a stretch of the truth.” They had been seeing each other for a few weeks after all.

“Isn’t it?” Nate raised his eyebrows.

Jack shrugged, wishing he’d picked his words more carefully. Nate had only lied so that Jack could stay and give him a bit of moral support. He didn’t want Nate to feel cornered. “Whatever. I don’t mind.”

Too tired to keep a conversation going, they sat in silence. Nate leaned on Jack, his weight growing heavier as he relaxed. Jack held him, resting his head on Nate’s and closing his eyes against the harsh hospital lighting. He must have finally dozed off properly because he was woken by a voice saying, “Mr Harris,” then louder and more insistently, “Mr Harris!”

Jack opened his eyes to see a blond-haired nurse standing in front of them with a smile on his face. He patted Nate’s shoulder. “Nate, wake up.”

Nate jerked upright. “Shane. Hi. Is she okay?”

“Yes, she’s fine,” Shane said. “Sorry to wake you, but she’s been moved down to the ward, so you and your partner can go and sit with her now.”

“Thanks.” Nate stood.

“Also, we got the results of her tests and there was ketamine in her system. That doesn’t change the treatment; she’s doing fine now anyway.”

“Ketamine?” Nate looked shell-shocked. “Shit. That’s nasty stuff isn’t it?”

“It can be. Especially in combination with alcohol.” Shane’s expression was serious. “If you’d like to go and join her on the ward, hopefully you can manage a little sleep. The chairs down there are more comfortable than these. I can’t promise you’ll both get a recliner but at least you can take it in turns to nap.” Shane gave them directions to the ward. “Good luck, I hope she bounces back fast.”

“Thanks for everything,” Nate said.



The ward was relatively peaceful after the noise and bustle of the A & E waiting area. It was still brightly lit but at least it was quiet. Most of the patients seemed to be asleep and the staff on duty moved around quietly, talking in low voices. As Shane had predicted, there was only one reclining chair by Cass’s bed. Jack insisted Nate took that, and went to fetch an uncomfortable upright plastic one for himself.

He was shocked by Cass’s appearance. She looked so fragile, smaller than usual in the hospital bed, and very pale. The sight of the tube going into her hand made Jack feel slightly queasy. “Poor kid,” he muttered. “She looks rough.”

“Yeah.” Nate sighed. “Stupid kid more like. What the hell was she thinking taking that shit?”

“You don’t know what happened,” Jack said gently. “She might not have known what she was taking.”

“What do you mean?” Nate’s voice rose. “That doesn’t make it better. Taking some random stuff from someone is even more stupid than going in with your eyes open.”

Keeping his voice low and calm, Jack replied, “It’s possible someone gave her something without her knowing. I think you need to stop blaming Cass until you’ve had a chance to talk to her about what happened. Adam was insistent that she didn’t have anything other than alcohol and weed—not intentionally anyway—and I believe him. He’s crazy about your daughter and was worried sick about her. I don’t think he’d lie about this.”

“I hope not.” Nate adjusted the recliner and lay back in it. His face looked worn with exhaustion and the shadows under his eyes rivalled Cass’s.

“You should try and get some sleep,” Jack said, shifting his position on the horrible plastic chair.

“Come and share this with me?” Nate asked.

“I don’t think it’s designed for two.”

“I don’t care.” Nate squeezed over and patted the very inadequate space next to him.

Casting a quick glance around the ward, Jack decided nobody would care as long as they didn’t break the chair. But when he stood, he drew the curtains around to give them a little more privacy. He climbed carefully onto the recliner beside Nate and they managed to find a just-comfortable-enough position with Jack on his back and Nate in the crook of his arm, half on top and half curled around him. There was one thin blanket, which Nate pulled over them both. The last thing Jack remembered thinking was that he probably wasn’t going to be able to sleep because of the beeping sounds of the monitoring machines, and then consciousness slipped away from him like a boat carried on a swift current.





Fifteen





Nate wasn’t sure how long he’d slept or why he woke. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but maybe some parental instinct had kicked in—like the way he’d sometimes drifted into wakefulness just before Cass did when she was a baby and woke regularly in the night to feed.

He opened his eyes, disorientated, and blinking in the bright light for a couple of seconds before he remembered where he was, and why he was there.

Jack was snoring, so Nate disentangled himself carefully without disturbing him. He stood, stretching his protesting muscles, and looked down at Cass.