Alice’s eyes shot open as the arm that had been propping up her head slipped off the armrest and jolted her awake. The room was still dark, the slat blinds doing a good job of blocking out the morning light. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and why the room looked so unfamiliar. Faye stirred in the hospital bed ahead of her.
‘Alice? Is that you?’
Alice stood and stretched, unable to supress a huge yawn. ‘Morning.’
‘What time is it?’
Alice reached for her phone and checked the display. ‘Nearly eight. How are you feeling?’
There was no response, but Alice heard her whimpering a moment later.
‘Shall I see if I can find us a cup of tea?’ Alice asked, but Faye didn’t reply.
Opening the door, Alice stepped out into the brightly lit ward. Faye had been moved up here sometime after midnight – still sedated, which had probably been for the best. Had she seen the two uniformed officers who’d insisted on escorting her up she would have been even more fearful of her future.
There was only one officer stationed in the chair outside the room now. He shuddered as her attempts to remain quiet awoke him.
‘Sorry,’ she whispered with a nervous smile. ‘I was just going to get us a tea. Do you want anything?’
She regretted the question instantly. Who did she think she was speaking to? She didn’t even know this man’s name, yet she was offering him a drink like he was an old family friend. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice, smiling back and shaking his head as he stifled a yawn. He didn’t look like either of the two who’d been here when they’d come up, but their faces were a bit of a memory blur now. Maybe he was one of them, or maybe he looked nothing like them. She had no idea.
Excusing herself, Alice made her way along the corridor, hunting left and right for anything resembling a drinks machine. There was a great deal of chatter as nurses dispensed medication and breakfast, moving from room to room efficiently.
‘Tea?’ Alice asked when one looked at her suspiciously.
‘You have to go down to the main entrance. There are a couple of coffee shops there or the hospital restaurant is one level below ground.’
‘Sorry,’ Alice interrupted as the nurse was about to return to her duties, ‘do you know what time the doctor will be doing the rounds? I’m just wondering when my friend will be released.’
The nurse sighed, clearly torn between wanting to finish her task and being helpful. ‘Who’s your friend?’
‘Faye Baxter? She’s the one with the police officer outside the door.’
The nurse’s eyes widened – she clearly knew who Alice was talking about.
‘The morning rounds should start at nine, but it all depends which ward the duty doctor visits first. Rounds are finished by eleven, so sometime between then.’
Alice thanked her and made her way out to the lifts, but decided to use the stairs down to the ground level instead. The chair had done little to aid restful sleep, and a burst of exercise was what she needed to kick-start her brain and energy levels.
Alice drained the last of her tea as the nurse finished checking Faye’s readings: blood pressure, pulse, vision.
‘Do you still feel off balance?’ the nurse asked.
Faye shook her head.
‘Good, then the concussion is probably passing. How many fingers am I holding up?’
‘Three.’
The nurse checked the plaster wasn’t too tight before jotting her notes on Faye’s record documents and leaving the room.
‘Would you help me get dressed?’ Faye asked Alice when they were alone.
Ben had agreed to collect some clothing for Faye when he’d left the hospital, and had dropped it back before heading home. He’d offered to spend the night at the hospital with Alice, but the room wasn’t big enough for them and Faye. He hadn’t complained when she’d told him she wanted to stay the night, and he’d told her to phone as soon as she needed collecting.
Alice untied the hospital gown and helped Faye slip it down and over the plaster cast, then pulled the bra strap over in its place and fastened it at the back. As she then reached for the carrier bag of clothes, Faye grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
‘I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here.’ Her eyes watered. ‘Anyone else would have run for the hills when they found out what I did to Johnny. I really appreciate you staying with me overnight.’
Alice choked down her own emotion and scraped as big a reassuring smile as she could muster. ‘Everything will be okay. I spoke to DC Hazelton and she understands what has happened and that you’re just as much a victim in this – if not more so – than Johnny, and she was going to try and speak to the lead detective on your behalf. I’m sure once you explain what he was like, they’ll see you had no choice but to defend yourself.’
Faye suddenly pulled Alice in to an embrace, wrapping her arms around her neck. ‘How do I tell Isabella that I killed her dad? She’ll never forgive me.’
In that moment Alice suddenly realized why Faye had been so upset since she’d arrived. Yes, some of those tears were for a man she’d once loved, but the majority were for a daughter who had lost her hero.
Alice broke free of her grip, the skin beneath her eyes wet, fixing her stare on Faye. ‘You listen to me, Faye Baxter. You are one of the strongest women I know. You are a role model to Isabella and she will learn that you are not responsible for what happened to her dad. You cannot blame yourself for his drunken and abusive behaviour. Right now, she doesn’t need to know how he died. There will be time for that when she’s older. Right now you need to remain strong for her. You’re two parents now, and I will not allow you to jeopardize that.’
The women embraced again, both giving in to their emotions, and both realizing that once the moment was gone, their public displays of emotion would be no more.
DC Hazelton arrived at half past ten and led in the young male officer who Alice had spoken with earlier.
‘The doctor has cleared you to leave,’ Hazelton said calmly, her glance flitting between Faye and Alice. ‘As I explained earlier, we need to bring you in to discuss what happened yesterday and matters leading up to that event. Okay? The SIO has agreed to me sitting in on the interview with you. Okay? The best thing you can do is to be honest.’
‘Am I all right to come in with her?’ Alice asked, but Faye reached for her arm.
‘I don’t want you to come in with me,’ she said quietly.
Alice frowned in confusion. ‘It’s okay, Faye. I really don’t mind. I want to be there for you.’
Faye forced a smile, but kept her tears in check. ‘I know you do, but I’ll be okay. There’s something more important I need you to do for me. My mum is watching Isabella, but she’ll need help. Can you look after Isabella for me until all this is … resolved?’
‘Of course I can, but I don’t think you should be at the police station unaccompanied.’
‘I have nothing to hide. That little girl is my whole world, and she’ll be confused about what’s happening. I want to be the one to tell her about her dad, but she needs a familiar face to tell her it will all be okay. Can you do that for me, Alice? You’re her godmother, and I’d feel a lot happier knowing that she’s with you.’
Faye didn’t wait for a response, giving Alice’s arm a final squeeze before heading over to Hazelton and holding her wrists forward.
‘I don’t think there’s any need for cuffs,’ Hazelton said. ‘It looks like your wrist is in enough trouble without us adding to it.’
Alice watched them leave. As soon as the door closed, she dropped to her knees and let the emotion flow through her.