Chapter 1
“I can’t get through, there’s no signal.”
“Don’t worry Bob, it’s probably too late to get the nurse back up here now; I don’t think Pat’s got long to go.”
“I could take the Landrover?”
“No, it’ll take too long; and I’m not exactly sure where she lives.”
John goes back through to the main room of the farmhouse where his wife is in bed, her twin sons standing next to her. It is dark outside, snow on the ground, but warm here, with a fire burning.
When they brought her home for Christmas a few weeks ago she was stable and was able to walk into the house, although slowly, and with a stick that made her seem much older than she really was. But after the rush of the holiday she has quickly declined and the boys have moved her bed downstairs where it is warmer and easier for the nurse to help her.
“Your brother stopped by, and he is calling Katie over now,” says John; and he goes over to the bedside and picks up her hand, fragile on the bed cover. “She’ll be here soon. She’ll be able to help.” He pauses, “we should have taken you back to the hospice; we’re too isolated here.”
She looks up at him, and holds his hand with surprising strength as a wave of pain pushes through her body. And then she smiles and relaxes her grip.
“It’s OK.” They strain to hear her voice above the sound of the fire. “This is where I want to be.”
Bob comes back into the room, shaking his head; and John turns back to his wife. “She’ll be here soon.” He looks at the clock. “I can give you a tablet, but it isn’t the good stuff.”
“No,” she smiles. “Just let me be. I don’t want to sleep just now. Talk to me, tell me what’s happening on the farm. It’ll be lambing soon.”
Her husband talks about the farm, and the cold weather. Another spasm of pain makes her gasp; and when it is over she seems to sink into the bed, diminished. He crosses to a shelf and picks up her tablets. As he comes back over to the bed her eyes open, and she looks up at her sons, tall, standing quietly at the side of the bed. One of them, lan, has tears running down his face.
“You’ll be OK,” she says. “You must look after the farm; and promise me, promise me you’ll look out for each other.”