Wendy groaned as she came round to find herself in Mildenheath General Hospital once again. The pain had dulled, she noticed, as she tried to sit up straight and relieve the uncomfortably stiff feeling she had in her back. She recognised this particular numbness as the beauty of hospital-strength painkillers.
‘Good, you're awake. Now get some soup down your neck and tell them you're feeling fine and we can get back out and nick that bastard.’
‘Guv. Just the person I like to see when I wake up,’ Wendy said, attempting to smile.
‘You're one of few women to have the pleasure, Knight. How you feeling?’
‘I must say I've been better.’
‘You've been worse, too.’
The whistling of no particular song increased in volume as the white door swung open and the smiling doctor introduced himself in a deep Scottish brogue.
‘Ah, Wendy. Doctor Fraser. I think I’m probably more familiar with you than you are with me, after the past couple of hours. You've had a bit of a nasty accident. Do you remember much about it?’
‘I remember bouncing off a Volvo.’
‘Aye, you tried attacking it with your spine. Not the best weapon the human body has,’ Dr Fraser chuckled, his lilting Scottish tones acting as a natural painkiller for Wendy.
’So when can I get out of here?’ she asked.
‘When you're better, Wendy. You've had a nasty accident and we're still waiting on some test results to make sure nothing is broken or seriously damaged. We’re pretty sure it’s just bruising, but better safe than sorry.’
The thought had lingered anonymously at the back of Wendy's mind. Now it raced to the front, shouting and screaming.
‘And what about… what… did you do scans?’
Dr Fraser glanced sideways at DCI Culverhouse, then back towards Wendy.
‘It's OK. He knows,’ she said.
‘Well, yes. We did,’ the doctor said. ‘You knew you were pregnant?’
‘Yeah, I did. Hang on, what do you mean by were?’
‘Wendy, you suffered quite a nasty fall.’
‘I know that. What's happened to my baby?’
A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, a ten-thousand-volt surge of adrenaline made her heart heavy with pain.
‘I’m so sorry, Wendy.’
Dr Fraser's eyes lowered with sorrow as Culverhouse squeezed Wendy's hand. A choking sob was all she could manage.