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Chapter 2

Kirsty was already awake, even before the phone rang. She couldn’t sleep. Grandad had been in hospital for ages. Summer had turned into autumn, and now winter was here and every week Grandad got worse. Today, at the end of visiting hours, the doctor had taken Dad aside and whispered to him. And then Dad had picked up Dawn and Ben from their mum’s house and asked them to come and stay, even though it was a Monday and not the weekend at all.

It all seemed wrong, and scary.

And then the phone rang in the middle of the night. ‘Waaake up, waaake up,’ it seemed to say.

Suddenly, everyone was awake, as if they had just been pretending to sleep too. Mum came in and turned on the light and then she was gone. Dawn was out of bed, but with that angry-bear face that meant you shouldn’t speak to her. Kirsty went to the bedroom door. Dad was on the landing. Ben came out of the front room, where he slept, carrying his jeans.

Kirsty felt cold all over.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked. Nobody answered. ‘Mum?’

Mum came out of her bedroom. ‘That was the hospital on the phone, love. They want us to get there as soon as we can. Please go and get dressed.’

The car park was almost empty when they got to the hospital. They all got out of the car. Kirsty’s breath rose in white mists, like ghosts floating up into the sky.

Inside, the hospital smelled sad. It gave her a funny pain in her chest. Just past the front doors, Ben stopped. He stood still in the middle of the corridor. Kirsty suddenly felt sorry for him, even though he was three years older than her. His eyes were wide and shiny. His clothes were done up wrong. He seemed to be trembling. Dawn stood next to him, not moving. She looked cross and crumpled.

‘Are you OK?’ Mum asked.

Ben didn’t speak.

‘Are you . . . would you like your mum to be here?’ Mum said.

Ben nodded gratefully.

‘There are some phones downstairs,’ Mum said. ‘Dawn will help you, won’t you, love? Come up as soon as you’re done.’

Upstairs, a nurse stepped out from an office as they passed by. ‘Mr Jenkins?’ he asked. Dad stopped. The nurse looked serious but kind. Mum put her hand on Dad’s arm as the nurse talked.

Kirsty tried to listen to what the nurse said, but she couldn’t concentrate. Grandad was what mattered. Getting to Grandad. The grown-ups were busy talking to each other. Kirsty looked down the corridor. It was empty. She knew which room was Grandad’s. She took a few steps backwards, away from the adults. She pressed her back against the wall and moved towards Grandad’s room. She opened the door.

‘Grandad?’

He didn’t move. She was too late. The pain in her chest throbbed hard.

‘Grandad?’

His head turned slowly. ‘Kirsty, pet? You’re a sight for sore eyes.’

‘Oh Grandad!’ Kirsty rushed across the room and dropped down on to the bed. She buried her face in the crisp hospital sheets. The tears felt hot in her eyes. Grandad’s thin hand came to rest on the back of her head. It was so light! Small, small strokes that she could hardly even feel, as though he was fading away.

‘Shh,’ he whispered. ‘Shh. Stop these tears. You’re like a wet weekend in Blackpool, and I’ve had quite enough of those for one lifetime.’

Kirsty grinned despite herself. ‘How are you, Grandad?’

‘Not too bad. I’ve got all these machines to keep me right.’ He lifted his hand towards the equipment that blinked and hummed around his bed. ‘Listen, pet. I’m glad to see you. Right glad.’

Kirsty had to get right up close to hear what Grandad was saying. His voice was hardly even a whisper.

‘Listen. What do you think about my allotment?’

‘Your allotment?’ Kirsty said.

‘Yes. Do you like it?’

‘Of course I do! It’s brilliant. The best ever. It’s the jungle, and it’s Sherwood Forest, and it’s that place in Harry Potter with the massive spiders.’

‘The Forbidden Forest?’

‘Yes. I love your allotment.’ It was true. All her best games and adventures happened there.

‘Good. Because I want you to look after it for me.’

‘Why, where are you going?’

Grandad didn’t answer. A machine bleeped a few times, then everything was silent again. Kirsty swallowed a sob.

‘Will you do it? Will you look after it?’ Grandad asked.

Kirsty nodded. She couldn’t stop the tears now. ‘I promise.’