Chapter 6

“Tav.”

He loosened his grip again and blinked frantically against the blurring and burning in his eyes.

“Hey.” Ian’s voice was very gentle, and Tav desperately wanted his mam for a minute. Ian was nice and all, but…he wanted his mam. He wanted Mam to come and hug him and kick off at a nurse for not letting him go with Luca. He was family. Luca was everything, why couldn’t Tav just go?

“I want Mam,” he croaked.

Ian’s hand squeezed at Tav’s shoulders. “She’ll be here as soon as she can, Tav, you know that.”

“Yeah. But―”

Antonio’s voice rang out clear and deep, and then he was striding back across the foyer with the same nurse, signing papers on the clipboard. “You,” he snapped his fingers at Tav. “C’mon. If you can stand up, you’ve gone a right funny colour.”

Fuck funny colours. Tav forced himself to his feet. “How’s Luca?” he blurted out, and Antonio frowned.

“What? He’s fine. High as a kite, but fine. Nobody told you nothing?”