‘I’ve, umm – I’ve been having a few problems with my sight … and some headaches.’ The nurse immediately glanced up then dropped her eyes back to his finger. After a moment she got up finding supplies to clean the wound.
‘What sort of problems?’
Gathering his courage before it could desert him, Tom sucked in a deep breath and told her everything.
***
Leaving behind the small treatment room and entering back into the large and still busy waiting area, Tom exhaled a deep breath, pushing tension from his lungs. As soon as Kieran saw him, he shoved his phone into his pocket and stood up. From Kieran’s reaction, Tom knew he looked as pale and shaky as he felt. With a faint smile, he hoped to put his friend at ease, but the relief from his deep breath was fleeting and his internal organs turned to stone.
‘What did she say?’ asked Kieran, concern flooding his eyes.
Tom scratched the back of his head with his right hand. His left index finger was now wrapped in a white bandage. ‘She said that it was a deep cut and needed a couple of those stitches that look more like stickers. She put about three on and told me to be really careful in the future.’
‘And what about the – you know—’ Kieran waved his hand in front of his face like it was some kind of magic trick. ‘The eye thing.’
The fact his friend looked idiotic waving his hands in front of his face like some terrible dance move should have been amusing, but Tom swallowed. ‘She’s referred me to a consultant and I’ve got to have some tests. What will I say to Nell? If it’s on a day I’d normally see her, she’ll get suspicious.’
‘Will you stop worrying about Nell for two minutes?’
‘I’ll have to lie to her and tell her I’m doing something else. You’ll cover for me, won’t you?’
‘Of course but why have you been referred for tests, rather than told to just go to the optician’s? What does she think it is?’
‘She didn’t say.’ Tom’s headache pounded harder. ‘When I told her all about the symptoms, she asked me to hang on and rang the Ophthalmology department at the big hospital to speak to someone there. She looked deadly serious when she was talking and she just ummed and nodded when they spoke to her. Then she put the phone down and in a calm voice told me that they’d advised her to make an emergency referral. I should get a phone call or letter in the next few days with a time and date have some tests done. When I asked what they’d said, she just told me that it could be something or it could be nothing, but they’d like to see me to find out. And given I’ve had a couple of accidents she wants it to be sooner rather than later.’
‘What do you mean a couple of accidents? This is the first one, isn’t it?’
‘Umm …’ He’d conveniently forgotten to mention the prang to Kieran and Nell had saved his blushed by not mentioning it too. ‘I had a bit of a prang in the van a couple of weeks ago.’
‘What? Why didn’t you tell me?’
Tom plonked down on one of the seats in the waiting area again and Kieran sat next to him. ‘I didn’t want to face it, and now it seems there really could be something wrong it makes me feel sick.’
‘You need to tell Nell.’
‘No way.’ Tom stared at his friend. ‘She’s had so much going on. This is the last thing she needs.’
‘Stop worrying about her and worry about yourself, Tom. Nell’s a grown woman and she doesn’t need mollycoddling. I know she’s always off in a dreamworld or watching those blimmin’ romcoms, but she cares about you and she’d want to know. She’d want to be there for you. You could even be a big strong boy and tell her how you feel.’ He was trying to tease but Tom felt far too emotional to laugh or joke.
‘And get a pity date because I might have a brain tumour or something? No way. My health might be in doubt, but I’ve still got my pride. And besides, she’s having this dinner with Harry tonight. She hasn’t stopped talking about it.’
Kieran clapped a hand on his shoulder. ‘You’re hopeless, you know that? Come on, mate. You don’t know it’s anything bad. Like the nurse said, it could be nothing. Don’t stress yourself out until you know. Let’s go to the pub. We’ll call in and close the shop on the way.’
Tom saw it was pitch black outside. ‘How long have we been here?’
‘A couple of hours.’
‘I’m really sorry, mate. I’ve screwed up your whole afternoon.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I’ve gone up loads of levels on Candy Crush while I was waiting.’
Finally, Tom was able to lift the corners of his mouth. ‘I was more worried about Janie than you.’
‘I’m sure Janie’s done fine on her own. She’s a good girl.’
‘I’m sure she has. I don’t know where I’d be without her.’
Kieran wriggled his coat back on to his shoulders. ‘So come on, you really look like you need a drink and some time to take things in.’
Though there was a slight tinge of relief that he’d taken the first step, Tom couldn’t help but worry. An image of the nurse’s face when he’d mentioned the terrible headaches flew across his mind, and he began to worry that he didn’t have time to take things in. Now, he worried he didn’t have a lot of time left.
Chapter 15
Pulling the turkey crown from the oven, Nell blew her fringe up to cool her hot face. Finally, it was Thanksgiving, the night
