“Do you want to do anything tonight?” I asked Dad.
“Get drunk and pray the new year will be better for you than the past one?”
I laughed. “Drunk? I don’t think so. But I will pray with you for a better new year.”
As the day wore on, I became more despondent and desperate for news.
“Do you mind if I pop out for a little while?” Dad asked.
I assumed he wanted to spend a little time with Colette. I smiled at him. “Of course, you don’t need my permission.”
Dad left and I settled on the sofa. I tried to read a book, but the words just didn’t hold my attention. I tried to listen to music but it was just wailing and made me feel very old. I did some housework, but I drew the line at ironing the pile of clothes that was growing.
I didn’t know how much time had passed, but eventually, I heard my mobile ring. I panicked, not remembering where I’d left it. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed it from the counter.
“Hello?”
“Dani, it’s Lincoln. I’m sorry not to have been in touch. We sort of got caught up with…well, you know. Anyway, Miller is doing great, he’s conscious and is asking to see you. They moved him to Ward J today, it’s right off ICU, so how about you come and visit him?”
“Oh, God, I’ve been so worried. Thank you, I’ll do that.”
“No, I’m sorry. We should have thought about you and we didn’t. I didn’t know about your…friendship. Daniel didn’t mention it at all.”
“There’s a lot, Lincoln, that Daniel hasn’t mentioned, I’m sure. I’ll pop in to see Miller straight away. Will you be there?”
“No, and neither will Daniel. I think you could do with some alone time with Miller.”
“I appreciate that, thank you. I’ll call you as soon as I leave and let you know how he is. I’m sure I’m able to capture your number from this call.”
“I’d appreciate that. I’ll say goodbye now.”
After saying goodbye myself, I laid the phone down. My interpretation of that call was that Daniel seemed to have deliberately decided to keep me out of the loop, and I wondered why. Maybe Miller had said something to his dad and that was why I’d received that call. Whatever the reason, I was just pleased to be informed of his progress.
I rushed upstairs to change and brush my hair.
“Balls,” I said aloud. Dad had the car.
Was it fair of me to call and ask if he could come back? Trying to get a taxi was out of the question; I doubted there were any taxis within ten miles of the village as it was New Year’s Eve. As for public transport? That was non-existent. My heart stopped for a second when I heard a car pull onto the drive. I rushed downstairs and to the front door. A second car, my Dad’s, pulled on behind a small red car.
“Dad?” I said, as I watched him get out and thank the driver of the red car who then walked away.
“I thought you’d need your own set of wheels, and this lady is a little too precious to be driving through hedges.”
“What? You got me a car?”
“Well, technically you’ve got yourself a car. I made the assumption that you’d pay the garage. It’s cheap, reliable, and will bounce off anything you care to drive into,” he said with a laugh. “Now, I understand you have somewhere to be?”
I frowned at him. “How did you know that?”
“Because I just reminded Lincoln Copeland of a few of the things you’ve done to find his son, of the fact you two are more than friends, and how shitty it was to keep you out of the loop.”
“Dad, you didn’t!”
“I bloody well did. Now, get your purse, or whatever you call them nowadays and get going. I’m having dinner with Colette and I need to get freshened up.”
Dad strode into the house, depositing the car keys in my hand. “Oh, I’ve insured it,” he added.
“I’ll pay for a respray,” I called out after him.
“Nothing that a good polish hasn’t solved. I guess I need to get Miller to erect a garage. You tell him he has an extra job when he’s ready, so he better get back on his feet super quick.”
I grabbed my bag and left the house. The car took a little while to get used to, and I found myself grinding through the gears on occasion. It was small, nippy, and I loved it. My little red Citroen would do me wonders for getting around.
I parked at the hospital and nerves hit me. I felt my palms become clammy and my heart rate increase a little as I walked towards the ward. I checked in with the nurse and she pointed to a door along the corridor. Miller had his own room. I guessed this was the place they put the patients that had recently come off the critical list. I looked through the glass panel in the door before I opened it. Miller had his eyes closed. I gently opened it and crept in. I sat in the chair beside the bed and picked up his hand in mine.
He slowly turned his head towards me and opened his eyes. I smiled at him. It was hard for him to smile back; his lips were bruised and cracked.
“Hey,” he said, his voice a little croaky.
“Hi. How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Awful, sort of like I slept in an icy cold waterfall in the middle of winter without a jacket.”
I chuckled; he winced as he tried to.
“Are you in pain?”
“Only my throat. I understand they shoved some tube down it. I don’t think they were particularly gentle when they took it out. Can you help me up?”
I raised the back of his bed slightly and then picked up a glass of water for him. He took it and it was then that I noticed his other arm was in plaster. I guess he’d had it under the sheet at first.
Miller took a sip from the glass before holding it out for me. I replaced it on the cabinet. He sighed and also took hold of my hand again.
“What happened, Miller?” I asked.
“Well, I wasn’t drunk, fuck knows where Daniel got that from. I’ve had the lecture from the police about wasting their time with my drunken antics.”
“Lecture?”
“It sure felt like it. Anyway, I’ve sailed in weather like that night before, and I knew I was going to be quick. I wanted just to get around to the cove, where they found me and…”
“To let her go, I know. You told me in a text.”
“Yes. To let her go. I moored up the boat, climbed onto the rock, and then fell. I broke my arm and it hurt like anything. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sail back with a broken arm so decided to wait it out. The weather got worse and then the boat broke loose. I was sort of fucked. I remembered the cave behind the falls and thought I’d be dry there and could wait until the following day when the tide went out. I got it wrong. I didn’t realise just how wet I was, and how cold it was. I was of perfectly sound mind, Dani. I just made a wrong call. I should have sailed straight back.”
“Are you sure you were of sound mind, Miller?”
He shrugged his shoulders a little.
“I mean, wouldn’t it have been better to have waited? You gave me such a fright with that text.”
“I guess so, and okay, maybe I wasn’t of sound mind. Maybe I was feeling like shit because I’d made a mistake. Perhaps I was consumed with guilt and sadness because I thought I might have lost you, as dramatic as that sounds. And no, you weren’t to blame, it was all me. I chose to do what I did, I just didn’t think it through before I actually did it.”
“Well, none of it matters now. You’re safe, and I’m so bloody thankful.”
He smiled at me and my heart skipped a beat. I raised my hand and brushed away an unruly curl that threatened to sneak into one eye.
“Dad bought me a car, well, technically I’ve bought it; I just haven’t paid for it yet. Anyway, he said to tell you he needs a garage built and would you hurry up and get back on your feet.”
Miller laughed and the sound was medicine to my battered heart.
“My dad took a call from your dad earlier. I think there were words said. I guess Daniel hasn’t been as honest as he should have been, but then…”
“That’s nothing new? I know about the stolen car thing. I was hurt that he seemed to keep me away from you and I don’t know why.”