A Merry Little Christmas

by Julia Williams

  ‘I’m glad someone does,’ mumbled Cat, but she was still racked with doubt. Were they really doing the right thing?

  Pippa pulled on her Barbour and boots and went out into the yard to feed the pigs. Dan was out in the fields felling trees with Gabriel, and it was a fine clear March afternoon. The crocuses were already out, the daffodils beginning to bloom, and the bluebells in the woods near where Dan and Gabriel were working would be out soon. The welcome sound of baaing newborn lambs and swifts nesting in the barn where they stored the hay were both signs that spring was well and truly here.

  For the first time in weeks, Pippa felt herself relax. Life was tough on a farm in the winter, but spring always gave her a renewed sense of purpose and vigour. She was really looking forward to this weekend, as Lucy would be having her fortnightly respite weekend at the Sunshine Trust. Although she and Dan would have to work, farming being 24/7, seven days a week, they’d promised the boys a day out on Sunday, while Marianne and Gabriel were having them for a sleepover tonight so she and Dan could have some precious time alone.

  Dan. Pippa shut her eyes and smiled as she thought about her lovely husband. Even after fifteen years of marriage, she had to pinch herself to think how lucky she was to have met him. They’d played together as kids, with Gabriel – she had fond memories of fighting him because he pulled her plaits – and then Dan had gone away, first to school, and then university. So it was a shock to find him again, at a Young Farmers’ Ball, all grown up and devastatingly handsome, tall, dark, with a crinkly smile and a great sense of humour. They’d started chatting and never stopped. He walked her home, and somehow, they never got indoors, instead, climbing the hill by her parents’ farm and watching the sunrise together, drinking champagne out of plastic cups, sitting on an old picnic blanket, on one of the most magical nights of her life.

  It took no time at all to realise how much they had in common. After that, getting together was a foregone conclusion. Pippa had worked out immediately how incredibly kind Dan was, knowing that for her, that was the most important thing. And so it proved. Dan was the best thing that had ever happened to Pippa. Without his love and support, she’d never have coped all these years with Lucy.

  As she made her way back into the house, Pippa was aware the phone was ringing rather insistently.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, but Gabriel’s voice cut her short.

  ‘Pippa, it’s Dan. There’s been an accident. You’d better come quickly.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ said Pippa. She felt sick to her stomach. ‘Where are you? What happened?’

  ‘On the big field,’ said Gabriel. ‘Dan fell out of a tree. An ambulance is on its way.’

  Pippa put the phone down and raced out of the house, her heart pounding, and her imagination in overdrive as she ran down to the big field at the far side of the valley. As she got there, an ambulance was bumping its way slowly across the rough track. Two paramedics got out and reached Dan just before she did.

  Gabriel was kneeling on the ground next to him, looking white faced.

  ‘Oh,’ Pippa held her hand to her mouth. Dan was barely conscious. She moved to go to him, but Gabriel got up, and held her back.

  ‘Let the paramedics do what they have to,’ he said.

  Minutes passed, and the paramedics didn’t seem to be making much headway. Pippa and Gabriel stood watching numbly as they performed chest compressions. This couldn’t be happening. Pippa felt in a deep state of shock. How could such a perfect day have gone so drastically wrong?

  Eventually, the paramedics pronounced that Dan could be moved. Together, Gabriel and Pippa helped them put Dan on a board, so they could transport him into the ambulance.

  ‘Can I go with him?’ said Pippa.

  ‘I think it’s probably better you don’t,’ said the paramedic kindly. ‘We’ll get him to the hospital safely. You follow with your friend.’

  Pippa watched the ambulance leave the field, and then she and Gabe walked in silence back to the farm. She felt utterly numb. Dan was hurt really badly. What if he didn’t recover?

  Chapter Eight

  Marianne had carefully resealed the envelope, and she was pretty sure Steven would never know they’d even opened it, but she was trying hard to compose a ‘What wonderful news’ kind of face, while simultaneously not giving away that she knew the result already for when he got home from school. The twins were giggling at her efforts. Gabriel in the meantime had miserably gone back to work, and whatever she said, refused to be positive. Feeling miserable herself, Marianne was blowing bubbles with the babies to cheer herself up, ignoring the chaos they were recreating in her newly tidy lounge. She was lying on her back, throwing Harry up in the air and kissing his tummy, feeling an intense joy at the sound of Daisy’s giggles, when the phone rang.

  ‘Sorry, sweetie, better answer that,’ she said, leaving Harry to toddle after his sister. Shutting the toddler gate behind her, she went to the phone in the hall.

  ‘Gabe?’ she said. ‘Hi hon-’ before he cut her dead.

  ‘Marianne. There’s been an accident. Dan’s hurt. It’s bad.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ Marianne felt herself grow cold with shock. ‘Does Pippa know?’

  ‘Yes. We’re at the hospital now. Pippa’s just finding out where they’ve taken Dan, and asked if you can fetch George from school. She’s texted Nathan to tell him to come straight to ours.’

  Steven and George normally walked home on their own, while Nathan, in Year 7 came home on the bus. She checked her watch. An hour until home time. Bloody hell, what was she supposed to tell them?

  ‘Of course,’ said Marianne, ‘anything. What about Lucy?’

  ‘Pippa’s mum will wait for her and get her ready to go to the Sunshine Trust,’ said Gabriel.

  ‘You’ll let me know the minute you know anything, won’t you?’ said Marianne.

  ‘Of course,’ said Gabe, lowering his voice. ‘But Marianne, be prepared for the worst. Dan’s had a really nasty bang on the head; it doesn’t look very good.’

  Marianne put the phone down slowly and went back to the twins who were still gurgling away happily, oblivious to the tragedy unfolding in their lives.

  Dan. Hurt badly. How awful. Marianne felt sick to the pit of her stomach. Suppose it had been Gabriel, lying there hurt. She’d never heard Gabriel so shaken. She wished she could comfort him. But there was nothing to do but sit and wait for better news.

  Half-heartedly she picked up Daisy and started to make funny noises again. Both twins’ faces were wreathed with smiles and they clapped their hands delightedly.

  The afternoon dragged away, the children’s laughter the only thing keeping Marianne going. She tried ringing Gabriel again, but there was no answer.

  Eventually, just as she was getting the twins into their buggy ready for the school run, the phone rang once more.

  ‘And– ?’ said Marianne. ‘What’s happening?’

  ‘There’s no more news, I’m afraid,’ said Gabe. ‘No one’s telling us anything. We’re just waiting for the doctor.’

  ‘Oh God,’ said Marianne. ‘What are his chances?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Gabriel. ‘But they’re not looking good.’

  Pippa was sitting in A&E in a total daze. She’d been like it since Gabriel’s phone call.

  ‘What happened again?’ she said.

  ‘We were working on the tree,’ said Gabriel, ‘and the branch we were cutting collapsed and took the ladder and Dan down with it. He rolled down the bank and bashed his head.’

  It had been terrible watching the paramedics work on Dan. It had taken them so long to move him. That couldn’t be a good sign. And then when they’d got here, no one would tell them anything. Pippa had often been here over the years with Lucy and they’d always ended up in the cheerful children’s department, where the kind and compassionate staff had treated her for chest complaints, choking incidents and kidney infections. Pippa had sat here so many times, heart in her mouth, wondering what the outcome w
ould be, fearing the worst. And always, always Lucy had pulled through, the crisis averted. Things had got better. But then she’d had Dan with her. And now it was Dan lying there, unconscious to the world.

  Gabriel and Pippa approached the casualty desk, where a smart efficient nurse was sitting going through paperwork.

  ‘My cousin’s husband was brought in some time ago,’ he said. ‘Dan Holliday?’

  ‘Ah, yes,’ the sister consulted her notes, and then looked at them with compassion. ‘I’m very sorry,’ she said, ‘but he’s still in resus.’

  ‘Resus?’ croaked Pippa, clutching blindly at Gabriel’s arm, as a cold wave of panic washed over her. This couldn’t be happening. ‘Oh my God, is he going to be okay? Can I see him?’

  ‘I’m afraid you can’t right now,’ said the nurse kindly. ‘But they’re doing everything they can to stabilise him. Why don’t you sit in the relatives’ room? I’ll bring you a cup of tea.’

  Numbly, Pippa nodded, her eyes prickling with tears from the kindness of a stranger. She and Gabriel went to sit down to await further news.

  ‘Gabe, what shall I do?’ she whispered.

  ‘What do you mean?’ said Gabriel.

  ‘If Dan dies,’ she said, ‘I don’t think I’ll cope.’

  ‘He’s not going to die,’ said Gabriel fiercely. ‘Put that thought right out of your head.’

  ‘But–’

  ‘But nothing,’ said Gabriel. ‘You have to stay positive and focused. Dan’s a fighter. Everything will be fine.’

  ‘This is a turn-up for the books,’ said Pippa through her tears.

  ‘What is?’ said Gabe.

  ‘You, looking after me,’ said Pippa. ‘It’s usually the other way round.’

  ‘Then it’s about time I repaid the favour,’ said Gabriel, giving her a hug. ‘You’ve always been there for me, it’s about time I was there for you.’

  They fell into silence, each alone with their thoughts.

  After what seemed like hours, but Pippa was surprised to find was only twenty minutes, a young, slightly dishevelled doctor came in, looking grave.

  Pippa’s heart plummeted. Oh God-

  ‘The good news,’ said the doctor, introducing himself as Dr Jones, ‘is that your husband has stabilised. But there’s a lot of trauma to the brain, and some internal bleeding. We think he needs an emergency operation to stop the bleeding. We’re taking him to theatre now. It’s going to take some time, so I’d advise you to go home, get some things. We’ll call you when you’re needed.’

  ‘Can I see him?’ said Pippa.

  ‘Of course,’ said the doctor, ‘but be warned, he probably won’t know you.’

  Pippa followed the doctor into a cubicle, where Dan was lying with tubes, and drips and an oxygen mask.

  ‘Oh, Dan,’ she said, taking his hand.

  ‘Got to cut the tree,’ he babbled. ‘What happened to the tree?’

  ‘Don’t worry about that now,’ said Pippa. ‘You’ve got to concentrate on getting better, do you hear me? Otherwise I will never ever forgive you.’

  ‘Time to go,’ said the doctor, and Pippa followed as the medical team pushed Dan on a stretcher as far as the doors to the operating theatre.

  She let go of his hand and watched them wheel him in.

  ‘He’s in safe hands,’ smiled a friendly nurse. ‘We’ll do all we can for him.’

  Pippa watched her husband disappearing through the double doors, and felt her heart breaking. What if he never came back?

  ‘How come you’re here?’ said Cat in surprise, to Marianne who was serving behind the café counter at Vera’s. ‘You don’t normally help out do you?’

  Cat had come into the village shop for a quick herbal tea and a read through of her page proofs while Ruby had her Saturday morning ballet lesson. There never seemed to be enough time to do tasks like that in the week, and she was looking forward to a quiet five minutes to herself.

  ‘Oh God, haven’t you heard?’ said Marianne. ‘I’m so sorry, we’d have rung you last night, but it was a bit chaotic.’

  ‘Heard what?’

  ‘About Dan. He had an accident yesterday and had to have an emergency operation. He’s damaged his brain, but no one knows how badly. Pippa’s at the hospital with him now, so I’m covering her shift. I’ve only done this once or twice before, so I’m glad it’s not busy.’

  It wasn’t quite ten o’clock yet, so Cat was one of the few customers the café had. Marianne didn’t take much persuading to join her at one of the tables for a coffee to fill her in.

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ said Cat, ‘such a terrible thing to happen.’

  ‘I know,’ said Marianne sipping her coffee gloomily. ‘It’s so bloody unfair.’

  ‘How are the kids?’ said Cat, shivering at the thought of it being her and Noel, and her having to tell the children their dad was in hospital.

  ‘Pippa’s parents are with them at the farm, while Dan’s mum and dad are at the hospital with Pippa. Luckily Lucy’s on a respite weekend, and I don’t think the boys have quite grasped how serious it is. I had them last night, and we all tried to play it down as much as possible.’

  ‘How bad is it?’

  ‘It’s hard to tell,’ said Marianne. ‘Gabriel was very gloomy last night, but when I spoke to Pippa this morning, she said the operation had been a success and Dan was talking to her; but it’s a brain injury. That’s pretty major.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘Gabe and Dan were working together on a tree, and a branch collapsed, taking Dan down with it. Gabe’s beside himself.’

  ‘Poor Gabe. Poor everybody,’ said Cat. ‘It certainly puts my problems into perspective.’

  ‘It sure does,’ said Marianne with feeling. ‘Oh, excuse me …’

  A customer had wandered in, a small strange looking individual with bottle top glasses, a flat cap, filthy mac, and shirt and trousers which had seen better days. He waddled in a turkey-like manner to the counter – as well he might, considering he was the local celebrity known as Batty Jack, whose turkey farm was county famous. He’d earned his moniker on account of having had bats take over his turkey barns to the extent he’d had to rehouse the turkeys, and was well known in Hope Christmas.

  ‘Have you got a cup of that latte stuff going, my dear?’ he said.

  ‘For you, Jack, anything,’ said Marianne with a grin.

  After serving him, she came back and sat down with Cat.

  ‘I swear that man gets more and more peculiar every time I see him,’ said Cat. ‘He even walks like a turkey.’

  Marianne burst into giggles.

  ‘You’re so right. I’d never noticed that before.’

  ‘I’m sorry, we shouldn’t be giggling, with everything going on,’ said Cat.

  ‘Don’t be,’ said Marianne, ‘I could use the laugh. Anyway, it’s not like you don’t have problems.’

  ‘True,’ said Cat, ‘but by comparison, I really don’t have much to complain about.’

  ‘So when are you going to tell the children?’

  Cat had confided in Marianne the last time they’d met about her unexpected pregnancy. ‘Five children,’ she’d wailed, ‘how on earth am I going to manage?’

  ‘Not sure. We’re going to at least wait till the twelve weeks is up. I have no idea how they will take it. Paige and Ruby will probably think it’s great, James won’t care, and God knows what Mel will say.’

  ‘You never know, she might be pleased.’

  Cat pulled a face. ‘I really have no idea. She never talks to me at all anymore. It’s such a shame. We were really close a couple of years ago. But now she confides in Noel more than she does in me.’

  ‘And what does Noel say?’

  ‘That I should relax more,’ admitted Cat. ‘He’s probably right, but I was such a goody-two-shoes as a kid, I just can’t work out where she’s coming from. Sometimes I think I gave birth to an alien.’

  Marianne laughed again. ‘Thanks for that,’ she
said, ‘seeing you has cheered me up. It’s been a lousy twenty-four hours.’

  ‘I wish there was something I could do to help,’ said Cat.

  ‘I don’t think there’s anything any of us can do, but wait,’ said Marianne. ‘And hope that everything will be okay.’

  Cat looked at her watch.

  ‘Damn, sorry, I was supposed to get Ruby ten minutes ago. Send everyone my love if you speak to them,’ she said, ‘especially Pippa.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Marianne.

  Cat made her way to the village hall where Ruby’s lesson was. Bloody hell, poor Pippa and Dan. It really made you think. She resolved to put more effort into renewing her relationship with Mel. Things like this made you realise just how fragile life was. She was lucky to have her children, and she should let Mel know it.

  Chapter Nine

  Pippa sat by Dan’s bedside while he slept. A week she’d been sitting here. A whole week, with the odd breaks in between to go home and check on the children while Dan’s parents took over. Mum and Dad were holding the fort at home, while Gabe was doing the work of two on the farm. The boys had been in once to see their dad, but had been so upset, Pippa had thought it better to keep them in their normal routine. It had disturbed Dan, too, who’d cried after they’d gone, then promptly forgot they’d been. Pippa wasn’t quite sure which was worse.

  She had fallen into a routine of spending most of the day with Dan, because he became agitated when she was away from him, trying to get home for bedtime and be there first thing in the morning, for the boys. So far it seemed to be keeping the boys on an even keel, but she was conscious they were rattled by the disruption in the domestic routine, and worried that she wasn’t supporting them enough. But Dan needed her, and that had to come above everything else, even Lucy. Miraculously, the Sunshine Trust had found an emergency fund, so Lucy was staying with them for a couple of weeks till things settled down. Pippa checked in with them every day, and Lucy seemed to be cheerful enough, though Kim said she clearly missed her parents.