Tom looked at his finger again, now twice the size with the tissues around it. He squeezed even harder trying to stop the bleeding determined to avoid a trip to the local hospital. After grabbing a few more tissues, he pulled the wet ones off, and saw for himself how deep the cut really was. It would definitely need gluing or stitching. With a sinking feeling, he realised Janie was right; he had to go but at least the shop was in good hands. He was the liability lately, not her.
‘Do you want me to call you a taxi? You can’t really drive with that.’
Tom thought about calling Nell, but she was busy sorting out her winter romance package and he didn’t want to get in the way. She’d had enough downers recently without worrying about him and his clumsiness too, especially after the car incident. If she knew about this as well, she’d start getting suspicious. ‘I’ll call Kieran. I’m sure he’ll be able to drop me at Minor Injuries.’ He pulled his phone from his back pocket and made the call.
After hanging up, he sat for a moment feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He’d never liked the sight of blood, that’s why he hadn’t followed his dad into medicine and become a doctor. It was funny how he’d fallen into floristry quite by accident after taking a short-term job following university. It had been to help a family friend over the Christmas period, but he’d absolutely loved it. Some of their friends had taken the piss but Kieran hadn’t. As a gardener he loved flowers just as much as Tom, just in a different way. Tom had fallen completely in love with the wonderful mix of art and science in floristry and never looked back. In all the time he’d been working he’d only cut himself a few times, and never before like this.
Kieran bustled through the door within about five minutes of Tom calling. ‘All right, Tom, what have you done, mate?’ Tom showed him the wrapped-up finger and changed the soaking wet tissues once more. ‘Geez, that’s bad. And you look a bit peaky. Janie, have you got any biscuits or anything?’ Janie nodded and went to grab one while Kieran helped Tom into his coat.
‘I’m all right, Kieran, honestly. Blood just makes me a bit squeamish. If you drop me off at Minor Injuries, I’ll just sit there until they see me then get a taxi back.’
‘No, you won’t,’ he replied, his eyebrows lifting to the brim of his woolly hat. It always made Tom laugh how when Kieran was caught frowning, he could look so severe and even a little thuggish, but inside he was a giant teddy bear. ‘I’m not just leaving you there. I’ll wait with you and bring you home. Come on, though. Best get that seen to.’
Janie shoved a handful of biscuits into Tom’s free hand and he tried to reassure her as she stared at him in concern. ‘Don’t worry, Janie. I won’t be long.’ As he left, he felt guilty for putting her through it, and for leaving her alone in the shop for God knows how long yet again. ‘I really am sorry about this, Janie. Just serve the customers who come in needing stuff for today and make notes of everything else. I can sort those out tomorrow, okay? You don’t have to do everything. Hopefully, I’ll be back within an hour.’
Kieran scoffed. ‘An hour? At Minor Injuries in winter? You’re having a laugh, aren’t you?’
‘Don’t worry, boss,’ Janie said with her usual chirpiness. ‘I’ll manage fine.’
Knowing she would, Tom reluctantly allowed himself to be led and bundled into Kieran’s van. It was lovely and warm where he’d had the heater on, and Tom was glad of it. The truth was he was feeling a little shaky and cold. He clipped in his seatbelt and cradled his bad finger inside his jacket like a tiny baby. With his good hand, he nibbled on a biscuit, hoping the sugar would stop his legs feeling like jelly.
Kieran pulled away then nodded at Tom’s hand. ‘So, what happened?’
Tom’s initial reaction was to just pass it off as bad luck, or a moment’s lost concentration, but his worries had been mounting for months, getting steadily worse with each passing day and carrying that weight alone was becoming harder. With the prang in his van and now this, Tom felt the alarm bell ringing in his brain louder and clearer than ever before, and knew it was time to come clean. After a heavy sigh he said, ‘I’ve been having a few problems with my vision for a while.’
His friend’s brow wrinkled in concern. ‘What sort of problems?’
‘Little bits floating across my eyes, difficulty seeing in the dark and particularly during that weird half-light you get at dusk. It takes ages for my eyes to adjust and if I don’t stop and stand still while it does, I end up missing my footing.’ He paused, feeling the keenness of Kieran’s glance. ‘And I keep getting headaches. Bad ones. I think it’s because I’m straining my eyes but …’ He didn’t want to finish the sentence and say out loud how worried he truly was.
‘Have you been to the doctor’s?’ Tom shook his head. ‘The optician’s?’ Tom shook his head again and looked down at his finger. ‘Why the bloody hell not?’
If only he had a good excuse. He couldn’t say, ‘I’ve been too chicken shit to face up to the fact that something might be seriously wrong.’ It sounded pathetic. Kieran’s voice was a little softer, but not by much.
‘Well, you’d better tell the nurse at Minor Injuries everything when she sees you.’
‘I will,’ Tom replied. ‘I know I have to now.’
‘I’ll be checking,’ said Kieran. ‘Even if I have to interrogate her as soon as you’re out.’
The world of Swallowtail Bay passed by as they drove to the hospital in the larger nearby town
