In the hospital, she lies there, eyes closed, her face pallid, what can be seen of it at least. Kirstie’s head is swathed in bandages, her neck collared.

Fine tubing threads through a nostril. A stand with a saline bag leads to more tubing which vanishes into dressings on her arms. A monitor to one side flickers and beeps.

I speak in a low voice to the nurse. “How bad is it?”

“Cracked skull, possible brain damage. Broken jaw. Neck fracture. One shoulder and hip are smashed. Arms and leg-bones too on that side. The doctor says she’ll probably need pinning to set the broken bones. Certainly, she’ll need several sessions in surgery. We’re still assessing for internal injuries.”

Ryan sits by the bed. White-faced, red-eyed, unshaven, he speaks like a man half-dead. “I don’t know how she got out. Both her hands and feet were tied. The car was moving. She had no way to protect herself as she landed.” He drops his face into his hands, shuddering. “I should have been there. I should have been with her.”

I lay a hand on his shoulder. “You’re here now. You’ll be the first thing she sees when she wakes.”

“I will, yes. But they’re keeping her sedated for now.”

“Why don’t you get some sleep? You’ll be more use to her if you’re not exhausted.”

“I don’t like to leave her. By herself, among strangers.”

“She’ll not be by herself. I’ll stay with her. I’m staying anyway while the doctors check Charlotte over.”

“How is she?”

“Well enough to argue about it. I had to um, exert my authority to get her to let the doctors near her. Mind you, I think it was her mother who pulled it off. Played the baby card. That did it… Ryan?”

“Yes?”

“I was going to suggest; Charlotte’s going to take some enforced bed rest, though she doesn’t know it yet. Suppose we put her in this room here. Then when Kirstie wakes, they can be company for each other.”

When Kirstie wakes…

Will she wake?

you’re okay to stay with Kirstie for

“I’m sure, yes.”

get some sleep then. But

the

“You’re not fit

Ross to ferry you

you need, Ryan?” I ask. “Anything I can do

He looks helplessly at the

Don’t worry about it. There’ll be plenty of work coming your way

her employment contract. Whatever she needs, it’s covered.” He surveys the haggard

“It’s hard to

“Yes, very hard.”

did Kirstie escape? Do we know

Kirstie. He didn’t search her, and she had her phone in her pocket. He was careless too about the tape over Kirstie’s face. Even though her hands were behind her back, Mitch got Kirstie’s mouth free

God. And then she jumped from the

see the rest. I think Ben left her for dead, but another passing driver saw her. He was the one that called the emergency services and untied her. And

heaves out a breath. “When she’s recovered, we’ll have to put some thought into how to properly reward Kirstie for

He’s just about disabled with… grief...

It was

he’s seeing

*****

the

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