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“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered, her fingers gently squeezed his hand.
“You knew, didn’t you?” He smoothed the hair from her face. “Just one night?”
“Let’s just say, I felt it in my bones.” She attempted to chuckle. “I only have two other requests.”
Zep swallowed the hard lump that had risen. “What are they?”
Rachel opened her eyes and held his gaze. “Keep our daughter safe.”
He nodded, his voice caught in his throat. "I'll protect her with everything I have."
Rachel's lips curved into a weak smile as she squeezed his hand once more.
"And the second?"
“I want to die with the ocean in sight, not stuck in some hospital bed.”
He couldn't deny her anything. The thought of losing her forever tore at his soul, but Zep knew his own needs were irrelevant. He had no time for grief, not if he wanted to keep his promise to Rachel.
Chapter 24
Time slowed, then sped up without warning. Abby sat by Rachel's bedside, her emotions cloaked in a shroud of numbness. The hospital walls seemed to close in, the antiseptic smell suffocating, as her brain refused to comprehend that her mother had only days left to live.
Scott stood at the end of the bed, a palpable distance separating them. His attempts at comfort seemed futile against the backdrop of Abby's emotional detachment. Was it her subconscious way of shielding herself from the inevitable heartache, or had the chasm between them grown too wide to bridge?
His parents were on their way to Lennox Head. They would stay at their house and keep things running—whatever that meant. Thankfully, Bruce had chosen the moment before the bomb went off to go exploring behind a large rock in the side garden. He was unharmed and Abby hoped he wouldn’t mind sharing her house with Scott’s parents.
Zep sat in the corner of the room, stoic and silent. His presence, normally uninvited, now felt strangely rational. Abby didn't know what, if anything, Scott had said to the police about her recently discovered father, but they had turned a blind eye to the biker. Dodge also seemed to be moving around openly. She noticed the occasional murmured conversation between Scott and Zep, but didn’t care enough to ask what they spoke about.
“How are we doing here?” Dr. Carchedi placed a gentle hand on Abby’s shoulder.
“Mum’s sleeping a lot. Is that normal?”
“We’re adjusting her medication, trying to find the right dose to keep her comfortable. The fact that she’s sleeping means her pain is minimal.” Dr. Carchedi picked up the chart from the end of the bed. “We should have her dosage sorted out in the next day or so.”
Abby’s heart broke a little more. A day or so? How many days would she be robbed of while Rachel lay in this hospital bed, barely conscious? Acid roiled in her belly and she wanted to throw up, purge the slow building terror that was taking over every part of her.
“The police have been vetting potential visitors.” Scott spoke up. “Will it be okay for some to visit Rachel soon?”
Abby had turned her phone off, too overwhelmed to respond to the unending stream of questions and expressions of shock and grief. Rachel was well-liked and had many friends, most of which wanted to come and see her. Scott mentioned that the police were gathering names and running security checks, after the house bombing. She wondered if they’d be handing out tickets and putting a timer on each visit once Dr. Carchedi gave the green light.
The doctor frowned. “If we could limit visitors to maybe one or two more, at this stage.”
Abby nodded. It would be good if her mum’s closest friends could pop in. Rachel didn’t know her house had been destroyed, only that Isobel had tried again and there was some damage. Getting her mum well enough to leave the hospital was her goal, and telling her about the house might delay her progress. She’d just need to make sure all her visitors avoided talking about the house.
“Abby?” Scott interrupted the noise in her head. He was holding his phone up. “Demi’s in the café, she wants to know if you'd like to grab a quick coffee?”
She desperately needed to see a friendly face. Abby nodded. “Tell Demi I’ll be there in five.” She stopped. “Unless you need to discuss anything?” She directed her question to the doctor.
“No, you go and see your friend.” Dr. Carchedi gave her a warm smile.
“Call me on Demi’s number if anything changes,” she said to Scott.
He nodded, placing his phone back in his pocket and keeping his eyes on Rachel. Abby wanted to stamp her foot and insist he cut her some slack. Just because she didn’t want to hold Scott’s hand didn’t mean she didn’t need him to at least look at her. She swallowed her frustration. Glancing at Zep, she was slightly mollified when he inclined his head in her direction. She returned the gesture, then gave Rachel a kiss on her cheek.
“I’ll be back soon, Mum.”
Two police officers stood either side of the door, and a few metres down the hall, Dodge leaned against the wall, scrolling through something on his phone. As she continued through the corridor, Abby knew Dodge would be trailing behind. Again, she felt not comforted so much as secure by his brooding presence.
