to become no more than a distant echo. At least, that’s what she hoped.
So she couldn’t ask Max. He might say ‘Oh, thank God you know. I’m so sorry Ellie, but at least it’s not a secret anymore, and we can all move forward.’ She had imagined that conversation so many times in the last few weeks.
On top of all this, she wished she had never mentioned that somebody had been in their house. It was obvious who it was, and it was equally obvious not only why, but how.
The bastard.
If she was correct, that meant he could get in at any time, even when she was alone, or when they were sleeping. Ellie shuddered. It was one thing trying to manage this horrendous situation by phone and text, but if she found herself alone in the house with him, she didn’t like to think about what might happen. Perhaps a masked intruder would be better. She couldn’t tell Max what she suspected. He wouldn’t believe her, and she could never explain.
Ellie was staring vacantly at Abbie as the turbulent thoughts churned round and round her mind. A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she focused on Abbie’s young face. Nothing. But she was sure she’d seen something. Maybe it was the shadow of a cloud moving over the sun, or a flickering light on the other side of the unit. She looked at the smooth clear skin on the girl’s face, the side that hadn’t come into contact with the gritty road. She reached out and stroked its peachy surface with the back of her fingers, hoping and praying that she had been right; that there had been some flicker of movement. Suddenly she felt that all her problems were trivial. Imagine if this was your child, she thought. That’s what devastation is - not worrying about secret phone calls and foolish mistakes.
Somebody in the village knew what had happened to this child. Why was she out so late, and on her own? Why was she in the middle of nowhere? And who in their right mind could have just left her there, bruised, battered and practically dead?
Ellie tenderly stroked the girl’s hair back from her face. She remembered Kath trying to sing to Abbie on Saturday, but she was so choked she’d had to give up. Ellie had asked her what the song was, and Kath had told her that Abbie had always loved Adele and her dad sometimes played Someone Like You on the piano for her to sing to. So now Ellie hummed it quietly. She didn’t remember the words, but hoped that didn’t matter.
* * *
Ten minutes later, Ellie felt a flicker of hope. She’d seen it again, and this time she was certain.
‘Sam,’ she said, turning to the doctor who had just arrived at Abbie’s bed. ‘It might be nothing, but I think there was a small response from Abbie when I was with her a minute ago. Nothing much, but her eyelids fluttered. Only a second, and I know it could have been anything, but I thought I should mention it.’
Sam looked up from the chart he was reading.
‘Great news, Ellie. The swelling on her brain has come down, and with the reduced sedatives let’s hope we start to see a bit more of a reaction. What was her GCS?’
Ellie pulled a face.
‘No change, I’m afraid. But I’ll check again in another hour and let you know.’
‘Okay. I suggest you don’t mention the fluttering eyes to the mother, though. It’s a bit early to get her hopes up.’
Ellie nodded. She had to get better. She didn’t think she could bear it if this child died.
Sadly, there were no further signs of improvement, and although Ellie tried to talk to Kath Campbell, the poor woman was still barely able to speak without crying. All Ellie got out of her was ‘it’s all our fault’ and ‘how could we have been so stupid.’ She had tried to understand why Abbie’s parents were blaming themselves but when asked, Kath just shook her head and cried some more.
So it was with a heavy heart that Ellie made her way from the hospital to her car.
‘You okay, Ellie?’
Ellie glanced behind her as Maria, one of the young nurses new to the ICU caught up with her.
‘Not really,’ she responded. ‘Abbie looks such a sweet kid, and I thought there were signs of improvement, but I guess I was wrong.’ Ellie gave a despondent shrug.