Alice rolled and Pip saw that her face was scrunched into lines of what looked like severe pain. Reaching to smooth the hair from her forehead, Pip felt the damp skin and then Alice groaned.
‘Oh, no!’ Pip took hold of her daughter’s wrist, knowing she would feel the tattoo of an overly rapid heart rate. ‘Is it your tummy again? Why didn’t you come and tell me?’
‘It just started.’ Alice broke into sobs. She didn’t look anything like her twelve and a half years right now. She looked like a sick frightened little girl. And along with her maturity had gone any desire for a ‘cool’ relationship with her mother. ‘It hurts, Mummy. Make it go away…please!’
‘Right.’ Pip pulled the duvet around Alice. ‘Put your arms around my neck. I’m going to carry you to the car and then I’ll take you into the hospital.’
‘No-o-o!’
Shona had heard the noise. ‘What’s happening?’
‘Tummy pain again. I’m going to take her into Emergency.’
‘Should I call for an ambulance?’ Shona asked anxiously.
‘It’ll be quicker if I take her.’
‘I’ll get the car out,’ Shona offered. ‘I can drive.’
‘You don’t have to come. It could be a long night.’
‘Of course I’m coming.’
‘I don’t want to go,’ Alice sobbed. ‘I don’t want to move!’
‘I know, hon, but we have to. We need to do what Dr Costa asked us to do. When you’re in the hospital you’ll be able to have some medicine that will take the pain away completely.’
Alice’s arms came up to lock around Pip’s neck. She braced herself to take the weight.
‘You promise?’
‘Yes.’ Pip lifted the girl. ‘I promise.’
‘Will Dr Costa be there, like he said he would?’
‘I don’t know, hon. Let’s hope so but it’s late and he’s probably gone home by now.’
Alice was still sobbing. ‘But I want him to be there.’
‘Mmm.’ The strength of her own desire to have Toni Costa there was overwhelming. Pip had to close her eyes and try very hard to sound casual. ‘Me, too.’
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