The Lie She Told: All Kate wanted was a peaceful life, all Ryan wanted to do was destroy it. (Thornes series Book 1)

by Catherine Yaffe

  “He’s fine, calm down. He didn’t want to come back here because of the stairs. It’s not the ideal place to recover is it?”

  “Stairs? What...”

  “He can’t get up and down the stairs can he? I would have thought that was obvious. Even if I could get him upstairs he wouldn’t be able to do anything would he and I’m not taking him for a piss or giving him a bed bath.”

  Molly paused. “So where IS HE!” Molly was shouting now. Ryan suppressed laughter and wondered how long he could keep winding her up for.

  “Calm down silly cow. He’s at Sheildaig Lodge. What did you think I’d done with him?”

  “Sheildaig? The convalescent home?” Molly was taken aback. It had been the last thing she’d expected him to say.

  “Yeah. I had a word with Hamish and he had a ground floor room available so agreed to take him. They go back years so it’s fairly cheap but if you want to chip in don’t let me stop you.”

  She ignored the question. “Why the hell didn’t you just say that then instead of causing all this hassle. You really haven’t changed have you?”

  “What, miss the chance of winding you up? Where’s the fun in that?” Ryan laughed.

  “You really are a first-class prick, do you know that?”

  “Thanks sis, love you too.”

  Molly ignored the jibe. “Seriously though, is he alright? Should I go visit him do you think?”

  “Nah, he’s fine. In his element actually. Lots of his cronies around him, playing cards all day. He’s having a grand old time.” Ha, God he was good at this.

  “Well if you’re sure? We’re so busy here what with the girls breaking up from school and Michael working away, it’s been crazy.”

  Ryan was bored of the conversation now. “He’s fine, I’ve told you. I’ll get him to call you, eh? Would that make you happy?” He was sure he could convince Len to put on a convincing show. Anything to keep her away.

  “That would be great Ryan, thank you.”

  He let out a sigh of relief and quickly ended the call.

  27

  Jack had been moved into Intensive Care, and finally Kate had been allowed to see him, just for a short time. She pulled up a chair to his bedside and tenderly took his hand in hers. Bruises gave his pallor a yellow tinge, and Kate thought he looked much older than his years. She stroked the back of his hand gently and tears splashed onto his lifeless skin.

  “Mrs Ward?” She turned in her chair and saw the doctor stood in the doorway.

  “Yes?” She couldn’t be bothered getting into the semantics of Miss/Ms.

  “Would you like to follow me?”

  She followed the doctor into a side room and sat down.

  “OK, so we have the majority of the results back. The bump on his head was our biggest concern. It’s led to swelling on his brain, and we’re not sure at this point if there’s any permanent damage.”

  Kate’s hand flew to her mouth, and the tears that never seemed far away collected in her eyes, threatening to spill over. “Oh God, just how serious is it?”

  The doctor passed Kate a tissue. “We’re not sure at this stage, and we won’t know until the swelling subsides so for the time being we’re keeping him in an induced coma. It’s common practice for suspected brain injuries.”

  “Oh gosh, that all sounds dreadful.” She wished Ryan was here for support.

  “Yes I know, but the thing to remember is that the brain heals better and faster when it rests, and sleeping which is what he’s doing in effect, means he stands a much better chance of a full recovery.”

  “And how long will it take?”

  “How long is a piece of string? It’s hard to say, and with Jack being an older gent the body heals slower but let’s focus on the positive. He’s breathing on his own, and his other injuries are all treatable. He was very lucky to land the way he did. It could have been a lot worse.”

  Kate knew the doctor was trying to be helpful but the thought of losing her friend was too much to bear, and she slumped forward, placing her hands on her head.

  “Is there anyone here with you?”

  Kate blew her nose. “Yes, another of Jack’s neighbours. He’s in the family room.”

  “OK, well I’ll get him for you. Just take as much time as you need.” With that and a reassuring pat on the arm the kindly doctor directed her back to Jack’s room where she was eventually joined by Mr Wheeler. The two friends sat side by side where they held vigil until visiting hours had finished.

  Exhausted, Kate pulled into The Kingfisher car park. She checked her reflection in the mirror. She looked dreadful; pale, drawn, tired. She wanted to collect Joe and head back to the flat for a bath and a good night’s sleep, though she feared the sleeping part might not be so easy. Ryan was just walking up the dirt trail at the back of the pub as she got out of her car.

  “Hey,” she called out to him. His mind was clearly elsewhere.

  He looked up and walked over. “Hi, how’s Jack?” He took a step closer and held her to him.

  Kate rested her head on his chest. “Oh I wish you were there with me, he’s so frail.”

  “What was the verdict from the scan?” He took her hand and they walked into the pub together.

  “They’re keeping him sedated until the swelling on his brain subsides.”

  “That doesn’t sound too good?”

  “They don’t know if there’s any permanent damage. Oh Ryan, he looks so old.”

  Ryan guided her over to a corner table and sat opposite. “Well from what you’ve said it was one hell of a fall.”

  “I know, it’s awful to see him laid there like that.”

  “You’re not still beating yourself up over it are you?”

  “Yes... no, I don’t know. I feel so guilty. I should have done something sooner.”

  Ryan stood up and went to get them both a drink. “Well all we can do is hope for the best I guess.” Why hadn’t the fucker just died? He’d have to keep this charade up now until he left, for fuck’s sake. He turned back to Kate, hoping his face was showing the right amount of sympathy. “When are you going to see him next?”

  “Tomorrow. Could you watch Joe again for me please? I don’t want him to see Jack looking like he does.”

  “Sure. So is it just his head then?” Ryan needed to know exactly what he was dealing with.

  “Gosh no. He’s broken his leg and has cracked ribs but that’s all treatable. It’s the head injury that’s the worst thing.” Kate sniffed and Ryan could sense a fresh onslaught of tears.

  He turned his back, calling out, “I’ll just go get Joe for you.”

  Five minutes later the two of them came downstairs. After much fussing they finally left. Relieved to see the back of them, Ryan helped himself to a double whisky and headed upstairs to the flat. He needed to speak to Daz but he wasn’t due to call until the end of the week.

  ‘Fuck’s sake,’ he thought as he sat in the dark, nursing his drink. How had he got himself into this mess? It had all seemed so straightforward. Befriend Kate and Joe, hire a car, bundle Joe into the back and deliver him to Daz for a 10k payout. How had it got so fucking complicated?

  28

  Kate sat by Jack’s bedside as often as she could. Slowly, underneath the heavy bruising, the normal pallor had started to return to his face. As she observed her friend, she thought he had aged twenty years in the week he’d been in hospital. The swelling on his brain had gradually reduced and two days ago he’d been moved from ICU onto a general ward. The doctors had kept Kate up to date with his condition on a regular basis and the general feedback was that he would make a full recovery. Only time would tell if he would suffer any short-term memory problems but doctors were confident that if he did it would be temporary.

  Kate shifted in her seat and turned the page of the newspaper that she had taken to reading out loud to him. She had no idea if he could hear her but one of the staff nurses had assured that he could so she had carried on, plus it helped to pa
ss the time. As she settled to read the local weather report, she felt the bedsheets move underneath the newspaper. She looked up at Jack and saw his eyelids flicker then flutter open. Kate jumped out of her seat, dropping the newspaper to the floor. She leaned over Jack and whispered his name. As his eyes slowly became accustomed to the bright light she reached down and took his hand.

  “Jack? It’s me, Kate.”

  “Kate?”

  “Yes, Kate. Do you remember me? Do you know where you are?”

  Jack coughed, his throat sore and mouth stale after so long asleep. He tried to sit up but winced at the pain. Kate reached over to the bedside locker and poured a glass of water. She held it to Jack’s lips, supporting his head as he took tentative sips.

  “You’re in hospital Jack. Do you remember?”

  Just as she asked, a passing nurse saw that Jack was awake and approached the bed. “Now then Mr Bruce. How are you feeling?” She fussed around his bedding, readjusted his pillows, and started to take his blood pressure. “Do you know where you are?”

  “Aye,” croaked Jack. “In the hospital and I’m awfully thirsty.”

  “That’s to be expected. You’ve had a long sleep.” Kate helped him take another sip of water.

  “Aye, that’s right. But your friend here has been visiting every day. You’re very lucky.” The nurse filled out his chart. “I’ll send the doctor along, then you can have a cup of tea.” The nurse bustled away and Kate retook her seat, pulling her chair closer to the bed.

  Jack eased back into the adjusted pillows and closed his eyes. Kate wasn’t sure if he’d slipped back to sleep so she sat back and waited. She felt tears of relief trickle down her face, and she wiped them away with the back of her hands. She blew her nose loudly with the remnants of the tissue in her pocket.

  “Well, that’s lovely,” mumbled Jack, the corners of his mouth turning up into a flicker of a smile.

  Kate laughed, pleased to see Jack still had his sense of humour. “I thought you’d gone back to sleep. How are you feeling?”

  “Sore,” came the one-word answer. Jack swallowed and attempted to lift his hand to his face, not realising he was connected to an IV line.

  “Steady, you’re on a drip. It’s just to keep your fluids up.”

  Jack tried again, this time slowly. He rubbed his hand across his face, feeling the beard growth on his chin. “How long have I been here?” He turned his head to Kate.

  “A week.”

  “What?”

  “You were brought in by ambulance last week. Do you remember what happened?”

  Jack dropped his hand to his side and closed his eyes whilst he tried to recall his memories. “I canna remember.”

  “It’s OK. The doctor said you might have short-term memory problems but it will come back eventually.” Kate tried to hide her concern. “What’s the last thing you remember Jack?”

  Silence whilst Jack thought. “It’s all a bit fuzzy to be honest. I remember being in the café.”

  “Can you remember who was there?”

  “You, Joe. I think we were in your flat?”

  Kate blushed at the memory, realising that the last time Jack had been in Harbour Café was when she and Ryan had sneaked upstairs. “OK, well that’s only a day or so before you went missing.”

  “Missing? What do you mean, missing?”

  “I didn’t see you for a couple of days, but let’s not worry about that now. You do remember Joe then?”

  “Aye I remember the wee lad, where is he?”

  “He’s with Ryan, who has been an absolute Godsend to be honest with you.”

  At the mention of Ryan’s name Jack felt something like a bolt of lightning shoot through his entire body and he stiffened. “Ryan? Who’s Ryan?”

  Kate was taken aback, by Jack’s obvious physical reaction but also that he couldn’t remember Ryan. She knew there was no love lost between them, but Ryan had been around so much she was surprised he had no recollection of him. “Ryan Albright? He’s looking after The Kingfisher whilst Len, his dad is in the hospital. Ring any bells?”

  Jack looked flustered and confused. Kate noticed beads of sweat breaking out on Jack’s forehead and his complexion had paled. Concerned that she had pushed Jack too far she decided he needed a rest. “Look, why don’t I grab a cuppa and let you have a bit of rest?”

  Jack nodded and watched her as she walked out of the ward. He tried to think back. The name Ryan seemed familiar to him but he had no idea why. Just the mention of it had sent shivers down his spine. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t pull the pieces together. He reached his free hand up to feel his head and touched the swathe of bandages wrapped around his skull, poking here and there to see what hurt. Slowly moving his hand, fingers shaking, he touched his face and grimaced as he felt the swelling on his cheek and under his eye. His vision was clearing but was still a little hazy around the edges.

  “What a mess,” he thought. He lifted his head and peered down at the cast on his left leg. He tried to wiggle his toes and winced as pain shot up his leg. He turned to see Kate returning with a vending machine coffee.

  “What happened Kate?” he asked, choking back tears.

  “It looks like you had a tumble down the cellar steps.”

  Jack looked scornfully at Kate. “Cellar steps? What, in my house?”

  “Yes, it looks that way. When we found you, you were laid at the bottom of the steps.” She hesitated to say he’d been there for who knows how long before being found.

  “But... I don’t understand.” Jack looked confused. “I’ve been on those steps hundreds of times, why would I fall?”

  “I honestly don’t know Jack. It looked as though you were making a cup of tea. Maybe you took a step back and lost your footing?”

  Jack closed his eyes once more. She could tell he wasn’t convinced with her explanation. She sat quietly by his side, sipping the vile coffee, lost in her own thoughts. She was snapped out of her reverie when she felt a hand gently on her shoulder.

  “Kate?” She looked up and saw the doctor who had been overseeing Jack’s care.

  “Yes. Sorry.” She realised she was crying again and wiped her tears away with her hand.

  “No need to apologise. How’s he doing?” Doctor Mackintosh removed the notes hanging from the end of Jack’s bed.

  “He’s a bit confused I think,” she spoke quietly. “He doesn’t seem to be able to remember what happened. I haven’t told him about all his injuries yet.”

  There was a moan from the bed and Jack woke, trying to sit up.

  “Mr Bruce. We thought you were sleeping. How are you feeling?”

  “Aye, ye know...a wee bit sore.”

  “Yes, that’s to be expected. You’ve had a mighty fall. Are you in much pain?”

  “A little but I’ll be fine,” replied Jack. Kate smiled. ‘Stubborn as ever,’ she thought.

  “No need to be brave, I’d expect a few aches and pains. Now, would you like me to go through your injuries?”

  “Well there’s a bandage on ma heed and a cast on ma leg so I think I’ve worked it out.”

  Kate hid a smile behind her hand. Dr Mackintosh adjusted awkwardly in his seat before catching Kate’s eye and noticing the smile.

  “That’s all very true but I’d like to talk to you about your head injury. Good news is that there is no permanent damage. Any memory loss is purely temporary and should return in a couple of weeks. We’ll have you back in for regular scans just so we can keep an eye on it.” The doctor paused and looked to see if Jack was taking it all in. After consulting his notes, he continued, “As for your leg, it was a clean break so the plaster cast can come off in a few weeks then you’ll need physio...”

  Jack interrupted, “Aye, when can I go home?”

  “It will be another couple of days, just until your blood pressure comes down and we’ll give you another CT scan now you’re awake.”

  Kate, who had been clutching Jack’s hand felt relief for the
first time. “See, told you it was all fixable.” Jack nodded his head.

  “Do you have someone to look after you when you get home?”

  Jack looked at Kate, not knowing how to answer. He didn’t want to stay in any longer than he had to. Kate jumped in.

  “I’ll be staying with him.” She squeezed his hand. “Plus there’s plenty of friends who want to help.”

  “That’s great stuff. Right I’ll get the scan booked in and let’s see about getting you home.” The doctor stood. “Once you’re home, you must rest.” Dr Mackintosh said his goodbyes and Kate and Jack were once again on their own.

  “Well that’s good news Jack. Home in a couple of days.”

  “Aye, but you’re no staying with me!”

  Kate laughed. “Who’d run the café if I did that? No, it’s all covered. Everyone’s been worried about you. We’re all keen to get you home. You’ll have so many homemade soups and casseroles you won’t be able move!”

  “Humpf, well I don’t want people making a fuss.” Jack folded his arms across his chest like a defiant teenager but he was secretly pleased.

  “You won’t have a choice. Right, I need to go and collect Joe. I’ll bring him with me at some point, he’s missed you.” Kate leaned over to kiss Jack’s forehead. Jack blushed at the intimate gesture and waved her away.

  “Be off with ya lassie.” He brushed her away.

  Kate left the hospital feeling lighter than she had in days. She couldn’t wait to tell Ryan and Joe the news that their friend was on the road to recovery.

  29

  Pain ravaged his body. When he lifted his head, his reduced world span in nausea-inducing revolutions. His torso was encrusted with bile. Consciousness came and went with the fever that raged.

  This wasn’t right, he didn’t deserve this. He knew he needed medical attention. He couldn’t remember when he’d first had the pungent whiff of infection but now it was all he could smell. In rare moments of lucidity he could see the wound left by knee surgery was oozing yellow pus. The bandage was torn and puckered skin surrounding the scar was livid red. Rats were frequent visitors, even foxes had dropped by, paying more attention to him as the foul odour grew stronger.