If Ever I Fall. S.D. Robertson

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       CHAPTER 7

       BEFORE

       Wednesday, 5 April 2017

      The phone on Dan’s desk rang, jangling loudly through the newsroom.

      He looked at the clock: 5.45 p.m. Shit.

      ‘Yes?’

      ‘Hello, Dan. It’s Susan on reception. I’m sorry to bother you when you’re on deadline. It’s your wife. She says it’s urgent.’

      He felt like correcting her and saying ‘ex-wife’, although technically that wasn’t the case. They were still married, but only on paper. Why was she calling him now? Better than a last-minute story coming through, which was what he’d feared, but not by much. It was never good news when she called these days.

      ‘You’d better put her through,’ he told Susan.

      ‘Right. Here she is.’

      ‘Hello?’

      ‘It’s Maria.’

      ‘I know. What can I do for you?’

      ‘There’s been an accident. I’m at A&E with Ruby.’

      That got his attention. ‘What? Is she all right?’

      ‘Not really. She’s broken her arm.’

      ‘You’re joking. How?’

      ‘She fell down the stairs. She was playing with a friend.’

      ‘Bloody hell, Maria. How bad is it?’

      ‘I’m not a doctor, Dan. All I know so far is that the arm’s broken.’

      Why did she always have to be so offhand with him? Dan wondered. His eyes drifted from the keypad of the desk phone to a half-finished mug of coffee that had long since gone cold. ‘Trust me, I’m a journalist!’ was printed on the side – a gift from Maria back in the good old days.

      ‘Which hospital are you at?’ he asked.

      ‘St Joseph’s. We only got here about half an hour ago. We’ll be ages yet.’

      ‘Can I talk to her?’

      ‘Hold on.’

      There was a pause as Maria spoke to Ruby. All Dan could hear was a hospital announcement in the background.

      ‘She doesn’t want to,’ Maria said a moment later. ‘She’s in a lot of pain.’

      ‘Oh. Listen, I’d come to the hospital, but—’

      ‘But what?’

      ‘It’s Wednesday, Maria.’

      She knew full well what that meant: deadline night for all three of his papers. But she was clearly in no mood for cutting him any slack.

      ‘Of course. Work comes first. What was I thinking?’

      ‘Don’t be like that. I’ll get out of here as soon as I can, but you know how it is. You said yourself there’s nothing to do but wait.’

      ‘Right.’

      ‘Thanks for letting me know.’

      ‘You’re her father.’

      ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Dan sighed. ‘Listen, I’ll call you in a bit when I’m done. See where you’re up to.’

      ‘Whatever.’

      ‘Come on, Maria. Don’t be like that. Are you sure she won’t speak to me?’

      ‘I have to go. Someone’s coming over.’

      ‘Wait … Hello?’ Damn. She’d hung up on him. Most of their phone calls seemed to end that way nowadays. Being separated was hard work – especially when a child was involved.

      Was it unreasonable of him not to down tools and race over to the hospital immediately? Was that what most fathers would do? Probably, but he was so bloody busy. He found it so tough to strike the right balance with Ruby. The temptation, of course, was to wrap her up in cotton wool; do everything to keep her safe; pander to her every need. That was Maria’s way, but Dan knew it would only make Ruby more vulnerable in the long run. Wouldn’t they be better preparing her for the harsh realities she’d face later in life? Wasn’t that the best way to—

      ‘Smoke?’

      He looked up to see Maurice standing next to his desk, a freshly rolled cigarette tucked behind one ear. There was a smile stretched across his ruddy face and he looked as laid-back as ever.

      ‘I’ve even got my own today,’ he said.

      ‘So I see.’

      ‘I can roll one for you too, if you like. Might as well take advantage while I have some baccy.’

      ‘No, thanks. I’ll stick to my Marlboro Lights. I will join you, though. I could do with a break.’

      ‘Good stuff.’

      Maurice, who was in his late forties, had wavy salt and pepper hair that got increasingly messy the longer he spent at work. He was great company: a magnetic character, liked by everyone in the office. He was good at his job and fazed by nothing. Mostly, though, it was his easy manner that people warmed to; his ability to focus on whoever he was talking to and make them feel important. He’d listen and empathise in a way that made them want to confide in him, like they had a special relationship. It was quite the gift and especially useful as a bachelor. Despite his average looks, he always seemed to have several girlfriends on the go at once. Not that he’d ever boast about the fact; that wasn’t his style. He was more likely to look embarrassed than proud if someone brought it up.

      ‘Are you all right, mate?’ he asked Dan as they took the lift downstairs. ‘You look troubled.’

      ‘I had my wife on the phone. Ruby’s at A&E. She fell down the stairs and broke her arm.’

      ‘Oh, no. That’s awful. How’s she doing?’

      ‘Well, she’ll be there СКАЧАТЬ