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.The machines.I saw the blips.”“We’re taking her back right now,” Catch said, and pulled her toward the door.Turner caught his arm.“Wait.”Matty wanted to crawl inside Catch.She knew what Turner was going to say.Turner pinned her with his dark gaze.“What if this Matty can’t wake until the two of them are united? What if somehow body and spirit became separated in the trauma of the accident and—”“What if I let myself get pulled inside and then I die?” Matty blurted.Catch wrapped his arms tighter around her.“Not going to happen.I won’t let it happen.”“We need to speak to a doctor,” Turner said.“That won’t be easy this time of night,” said a raspy voice on the other side of the room.Matty’s eyes widened.Turner walked across and pulled back the curtain.“Sorry, did we wake you?” Turner asked.“Nope.Can’t seem to sleep at night.Been entertaining, listening to you two.You escaped from the psych ward? Sharing the same paranoia?”“No,” Turner said.The man speaking looked the same age as her.He had pale blond hair, an even paler face and lay motionless under the covers.“How come the nurse let you in? That dick of an uncle won’t let anyone see her.He didn’t even want me in the room with her.Not much he can do about that with health service cuts.”“Her uncle?” Turner asked.“Yep.He sits there, staring at her, not saying a word.He tells the nurses he talks to her, but he doesn’t.”“Have the doctors said what’s wrong with her?” Turner asked.Catch gripped her tighter.Matty thought he was as scared as her.Turner was the only one functioning.“They don’t know, but they don’t reckon she’ll wake any time soon.They’re talking about transferring her to a nursing home.Her uncle doesn’t want that.I get the feeling…”Matty held her breath.“What?” Turner asked.“Nothing.I’m just a miserable sod.I’ve enough on my plate without worrying about other people.”“What’s wrong with you?” Turner asked.“I can speak and breathe on my own.Just.Nothing else works.”“Quadriplegic?” Catch asked.“I was fooling around with my brother.Wrestling.Having fun.Broke my neck.”Mattie sighed.“I’m sorry,” Turner said.“Yeah, so am I,” said the man.“Sleep now,” Turner said.“You won’t remember us.”The three of them were almost at the door before the man spoke.“Would you make sure I don’t remember you?”Turner swiveled to look at him.“What?”“Kill me?”the guy whispered.Matty slapped her hand over her mouth.“No,” Turner said.“I’m sorry.I can’t do that.”“Then you remember me.Mike Reynolds.See how one mistake can ruin your life.”Turner put his arm over Matty’s shoulder and guided her out of the ward and down the corridor.Inside the elevator, Catch kissed her.The softest, gentlest kiss he’d given her.One feather brush of his lips against hers and Matty melted into him.When the doors opened and Catch tugged her out, Turner didn’t follow.“I’m going to see if I can get hold of Matty’s notes,” he said, and threw Catch the keys to the car.“Be good.”The elevator doors were closing when a couple rushed up.Turner put out his hand and the man nodded his thanks.His face was puce, his jaw tightly clenched, and Turner wondered if he was in pain.The woman with him looked torn between concern and anger.“Bernard, calm down,” she whispered.It wasn’t an unusual name, but Turner suspected he knew who these two were and that this was his fault.He’d put one nurse in thrall but the other had walked away, presumably to phone Matty’s uncle.“Does no one listen to instructions? What part of ‘no visitors’ was unclear?” he muttered through clenched teeth.Now Turner knew he was right.“Are you sure you don’t recall your brother mentioning Matty had friends in the armed forces?” Bernard asked the woman.“No.”The elevator doors opened and Turner hung back to follow as the pair hustled down the corridor.“Bloody nurses think they know better than her own flesh and blood,” Bernard snapped.Turner’s fists clenched.That man wasn’t Matty’s blood relative.Bernard continued to rant.“The nerve of these guys.Ringing Milford Hall and then the interfering owner putting them in touch with my blood-sucking lawyers.”“That’s something I don’t understand,” his wife said.“How did the new owner know about Matty?”Bernard glared at her.“Don’t be an idiot.He didn’t know about her until these army guys asked.I’m going to be complaining to the hospital administration about the nursing staff and to the legal ombudsman about Jenkins and Stour.They had no right to give out Matty’s location.”“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Bernard.You don’t want to draw—”“No, you’re right, but I can see to it that Matty has no more visitors.She needs to be left to die in peace.”Turner clamped down on his fury and concentrated on becoming as unobtrusive as possible.He couldn’t make himself invisible but he could blend with shadows.He slipped onto the ward behind Matty’s aunt and uncle.* * * * *Catch hugged Matty close to his side as they walked back to the car.He had no idea what to say to her.He felt as if he’d been caught up in a whirlwind.So how the hell did Matty feel? Catch searched for something to say to reassure her, but all he could do was hold her tight.When they reached the car, Catch leaned against it and pulled Matty to him.Her eyes shimmered with tears and the pain in his heart grew worse.“We can sort this out, princess,” he whispered.“I’m not crying for me.I’m crying for that guy.I mean, I’ve got the better deal, haven’t I? I’m still walking around and talking, and I have you and Turner, and that poor man’s stuck up there, not able to do anything except wish to die.” She hiccupped a sob.“Only how come I get to live in my make-believe world? Why aren’t there more like me? It doesn’t make sense that I’d be the only one.Or maybe I just can’t see anyone else.”“Make-believe?” Shit
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