When Edie and I got home, I was knackered and really just wanted to settle in bed. But of course, as soon as I got into bed and felt my soft, silk pillowcase against my skin…I was wide awake. And my headache came back, more evil than ever. It rippled into the rest of my body, taking over any chance it got. No amount of pain killers or meditation seemed to make a difference.
I was really glad Tilly was in Edie’s room because the last thing I needed was a westie massage. And, knowing Nurse Tilly, that was exactly what she would’ve done to try to make me feel better.
Edie knocked on my door. ‘Mum? Are you all right? You’re usually up by now.’
I smushed my head against the pillow. Hadn’t I only gone to bed like half an hour ago? ‘What time is it?’
‘Eight.’
‘Fiddlesticks.’ At least I didn’t have anywhere pressing to be, but still. I hated wasting my day.
Tensing, I inhaled through my teeth as I tried to sit up.
Edie pushed the door open. Tilly bounded in, jumping up at the side of my bed to get to me. She could probably sense I was in pain. It was part of how she was such a good/aggressive nurse.
Edie frowned. ‘You look…not yourself.’
‘That’s one way of putting it.’ I almost felt worse than I had when Dominic had stabbed me.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Edie. She picked Tilly up, then the two of them sat on the bed. Edie kept hold of the wriggling westie so that she couldn’t climb all over me, like she usually did when someone was ill.
‘Head,’ I mumbled as I tried to roll over to sit upright. It wasn’t going well. I couldn’t get out of the foetal position.
‘What’s given you a headache?’
‘Wish I knew,’ I said through gritted teeth, the vibrations from talking making my head hurt even more. I was glad I’d tied my hair up before going to bed because I’d woken up a sweaty mess and had no energy to shower. Sticky hair just would’ve made me feel even worse.
Had Edie resurrecting me done something to me? Was that why I had a headache I couldn’t shake?
And if it was because she’d resurrected me, what did that mean for my future?
‘What can I do?’ Edie offered.
‘Just let me sleep. I’ll be fine.’
Edie fidgeted. She obviously didn’t like my plan. ‘I could call Maggie?’
‘No!’
Things were still questionable between us. I didn’t want to jeopardise anything by relying on her just yet.
‘Why not?’
‘Things are fragile. I can’t risk bothering her with something like this. It might ruin what we’ve rebuilt. What’s happened between us is hardly normal.’
Tilly tried to wriggle free, so Edie pulled her into a bear hug. Tilly relaxed into her arms. ‘I’m pretty sure she’d understand. It’s that or I call Doc.’
I flinched. ‘What can Doc do?’
‘He’s the doctor, he’ll know. Although I think Maggie is the better option.’ Having decided on her plan, she stood up, leaving Tilly on the bed and making a beeline for me. I grabbed Tilly, keeping her to my side so that she didn’t come too close.
‘Edie, you really don’t have to—’
My words were cut off by her walking out of the room. It was always nice to have a daughter who listened.
A few moments later, Edie re-entered my room looking accomplished. ‘Maggie will be over once she’s dropped Abigail off at breakfast club.’
I glared at her.
‘She’s better suited to helping you than I am.’
I shook my head, then regretted it, because it caused a pulsing in my head, like an electric shock to my brain. ‘No one can help me with this. Right now I really just need to sleep.’
Edie’s enthusiasm and energy seemed to falter. She lowered her shoulders and sighed. ‘Fine. Do you want me to get you anything before I go to college?’
‘Tea. And plain biscuits. Don’t think I could stomach anything else.’
‘Coming right up.’
*
I really hated that Edie had bothered Maggie with something so trivial. Things were still tenuous between us and I didn’t want to risk any future friendship we may have.
Sure, we’d been friends for almost forty years, but her coma wasn’t exactly a little hiccup in our relationship. She’d been tortured by demons who’d made themselves look like Edie and me. That kind of trauma didn’t just magically go away. She hadn’t even been able to look at me when she’d first woken up. It was too hard for her to tell what was real and what wasn’t. Josh was still struggling, although he refused to talk to anyone about it.
I was just falling back to sleep when I heard a key in the front door. How had I forgot Maggie still had a key? Maybe the fact she hadn’t returned it after her coma was a subtle sign there was hope for us, she’d just needed time. Or maybe she’d just forgotten and it was coming in handy now.
Tilly dived off the bed and ran down the stairs, excited to see one of her favourite people. I heard the clatter and shuffle of Maggie taking her coat off, putting her keys down, then make a fuss of Tilly. She came up and peeked her head through my open bedroom door. Tilly wriggled in her arms, licking her face to say hello. Maggie kissed Tilly’s furry cheek.
‘How are you feeling?’ she asked me, walking farther into the room.
‘Ngh,’ I said, my face smushed against my pillow.
She hovered between the bed and the door, still being lick attacked by Tilly. ‘I brought some chicken soup over. I know there isn’t technically anything in it to help with headaches, but I know how much you love my nan’s recipe.’
I smiled, adjusting my head so that I could see her properly and wasn’t talking into a drool-covered pillow. ‘I do. Thank you.’
She nodded, finally putting Tilly on the floor. The little dog continued to jump up at her, so she knelt down to fuss her. ‘I missed you too, fluffball.’
Hearing her say that made me well up. I hadn’t considered how being away from Maggie might impact the dog. Maggie was definitely one of her favourite people, and it wasn’t just because of the expensive offcuts of meat that Maggie sometimes smuggled her way.
Maggie looked up at me, a rogue strand of brown hair falling into her eye. She tucked it behind her ear. ‘Are you crying?’
‘No.’ I turned away, wiping at my eyes with the back of my hand.
Maggie stood up and walked over. ‘Have you been sleeping?’
‘Barely a wink,’ I mumbled. ‘And I think my head is going to explode. One minute it feels like I’m being punched by Thor’s hammer, another it’s pulsing like I’m being electrocuted, then it just…hurts.’
‘That sounds tough,’ said Maggie.
‘Tell me about it,’ I mumbled. ‘I’ll be perfectly fine tomorrow, I’m sure.’ My words were optimistic, but the headache had been going on for several days. I’d hoped saying something positive aloud might convince me. It didn’t.
Maggie frowned. ‘Why don’t you speak to Doc? See if he can at least give you something to help with the pain?’
‘Not you as well.’ Edie was still texting me about getting some advice or painkillers from Doc. ‘I’ve seen him enough lately.’
Maggie rolled her eyes. Her expression quickly lit up again as another idea came into her head. Oh no. ‘There is one other thing that might help. You won’t like that suggestion either.’
‘Why won’t I like it?’
‘It goes against everything you want to do right now.’
‘Everything goes against what I want to do right now, because all I want to do right now is sleep.’
‘Exactly. And one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to deal with pain is mild exercise.’
‘Oh, bloody hell.’