Chapter 186: Natale, Part 24

Richard

My mobile bleeps: James.

Landed. at airport now. home approx 90 mins. Tell Mitch he's keen

Elizabeth grins at me as I tap in the reply.

don't go home. come city hospital. Mitch in labour

There's a short pause...

Elizabeth holds up her hand, counting down silent fingers: Five... Four... Three... Two...

... and my mobile bleeps again.

When M go into labour?

3 hrs doc and midwife say early but all normal all good

With you ASAP K got taxi flying on wings of fire

*****

The corridor is painted the required institutional off-white, scraped black in long stripes at trolley-bed height. The lighting is the compulsory harsh fluorescent white. One strip blinks on and off. Signs point off down apparently identical corridors: Intensive Care... Reception... A & E... Chapel and Prayer Room... Radiology... Cardiology... Breast Screening...

How many ways is it possible to be sick?

Footsteps echo along the corridor; marching footsteps, almost stampeding footsteps.