Second Chance(59)

She still hadn’t moved.

Nate checked the time on his phone and saw that it was just after three in the morning.

There was a rustle of fabric and Nate looked up to see Cass stir. She shifted, hands opening and closing, and her face scrunched up, eyes still closed.

“Ow!” She brought her free hand down to touch the tube in the back of her other hand.

Nate intercepted her before she could dislodge it. “Cass, it’s okay, honey. Leave it.” He squeezed her fingers.

She opened her eyes, wincing at the brightness, and squinted at him. “Where am I?” Her voice was barely more than a croak. She looked around, taking in the surroundings. “What’s happening? I don’t understand!” Her voice rose in distress and then she started coughing. Jack’s snoring stopped abruptly.

“Everything’s fine, Cass. You’re okay,” Nate said soothingly. He passed her a cup of water, assuming it would be okay for her to drink as the nurse had left it there.

She took it gratefully and sipped at it. “That’s better.” The rough edge to her voice was gone.

“All right?” Jack asked in a low voice. “Want me to go and find a nurse?”

“Yes please.” Nate pushed a sweaty strand of hair off Cass’s forehead, keeping his focus on her. “How do you feel?”

“My head hurts, and I don’t understand why I’m here. What happened?” She was more lucid by the moment, and she struggled to sit up. Nate helped her, propping her up on some pillows as he answered.

“You were at a party, and you threw up, and passed out. The tests showed you’d taken ketamine on top of alcohol. What were you thinking, Cass?” Nate asked, unable to suppress his exasperation.

“But I didn’t….” She frowned. “I mean, I don’t remember taking anything.”

“Are you sure?” Nate pressed. “I’d rather you were honest with me.”

“Yes! I’m sure. I wouldn’t have. You know I’m careful now, Dad. I wouldn’t have taken anything bad. I don’t even drink much anymore.”

“Okay, okay,” Nate said soothingly, reassured by her outrage. He believed her now he’d heard it from her own mouth. Cass might have made mistakes in the past but she’d always faced up to them. It wasn’t in her nature to lie to get out of trouble.

“How did I get here? I don’t remember anything.”

“Adam was with you. And when he couldn’t get you to wake up properly he called an ambulance,” Nate said.

Cass’s eyes flew wide. “Adam? Is he here?”

“No, he had to go home,” Jack said from behind Nate. “But he sends his love.”

A smile tugged at Cass’s lips and a tiny bit of colour returned to her cheeks. “Cool.”

“A nurse is coming to check you over, and speaking of Adam, I promised I’d text him as soon as I had news, so I’ll do that now. Got a message for him?”

“Just tell him I say thanks. And I’ll see him soon.” Cass grimaced. “I can’t believe he saw me throw up. That’s so embarrassing.”

“I’m sure that was the last thing he was thinking about,” Jack assured her. “He just wanted you to be okay.”

The nurse arrived then, and Jack excused himself, “It’s getting crowded here. I’ll go and message Adam. Back in a few.”

“Hi there, Cass. I’m Angela,” the nurse said. “It’s good to see you back with us. How are you feeling?”

She gave Cass a quick once over and seemed happy that everything was fine. The drip had finished running through, so she disconnected that. “I’ll leave the line in for now in case the doctors want to give you anything else before you leave.”

“Aren’t I allowed to go home now?” Cass asked.

“I’m afraid not. You’ll need to see the doctor before you’re discharged, and they start their rounds in a couple of hours. So you’re stuck here for a while longer. Try and get some more sleep if you can, and your dad too. Are you hungry? It’s okay for you to eat now if you are.”

“No,” Cass said immediately. “Definitely not hungry yet, just thirsty.”

“Well drink as much water as you need. The toilets are just over there,” Angela pointed across to the clearly labelled doors, “but if you’re feeling wobbly get someone to walk with you.”

“Okay.”

Once Angela had gone, Cass drank another cup of water before lying back down. She turned onto her side facing Nate, curling her knees up, and reaching for his hand. She looked so vulnerable, all her usual teenage bolshiness gone, wiped out by trauma and exhaustion. Nate’s heart swelled with love as he stroked the back of her hand. Her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing slowed.

Jack returned after Cass had gone back to sleep.

“Hey,” Nate whispered, turning to greet Jack with a smile and his finger on his lips to warn Jack to be quiet. “Thanks so much for being here tonight. It means a lot that you stayed.”

Jack’s expression was tight, not returning the smile Nate was expecting. “I just spoke to Adam on the phone,” he said. “Rumours are flying around the kids who were at the party that Cass’s drink was spiked. Adam thought you should know, even though nobody knows exactly what happened.”