An Endless Summer(31)

Sean just did. Without question, without hesitation.

“Thank you,” I whispered, the tears flooding my eyes.

“Did you say something?”

I closed my eyes and turned my face into the window, praying that if I slept the tears wouldn’t come. I felt Sean place his hand on my shoulder and he rubbed it gently.

“Get some sleep; I’ll wake you when we get there.”



***



I woke up stiff from sleeping so awkwardly upright in the car. Dust particles danced on the stream of light that filtered through the windshield. Sean’s car seat was tilted back and his arms were crossed; he leaned his head against the seatbelt strap and was fast asleep.

I rubbed my eyes and looked out through the windshield to discover we were in a car park. I twisted around to look out of the back window. We were at the hospital.

What time was it? And why didn’t he wake me?

The dashboard read six a.m. I tapped Sean on the arm.

“Wake up!”

Sean stirred, unwrapping his arms and slowly stretching them above his head with a moan.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” I frantically searched for my other shoe.

Sean yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “We arrived at three in the morning.”

“Mum’s probably wondering where I am.” I opened the door.

“She doesn’t even know we were coming straight away, she probably went home.”

“Did you even check?” I snapped, slamming the car door. I bolted towards the administration entrance.

The automatic doors hissed open and the receptionist told me to follow the long, navy line along the wall. It led me through a maze of twists and turns, through double doors to where I needed to be. As I pushed through to a vast, white, U-shaped waiting room, I saw Mum walking down the hall, dunking her teabag like a zombie. Her hair was dishevelled and I could tell she had been crying. The sight of her scared me; it was an unkempt Claire Henderson, and that was something you would never normally see.

“Mum!” I ran to her and hugged her so fiercely she nearly spilled her tea out of her polystyrene cup.

“Amy, sweetheart! What are you doing here?”

I looked at her incredulously. “Of course I’m here. Dad had a heart attack – I had to come.”

Mum cupped my cheek with a sad smile, her weary eyes trailing over me, but then something caught her attention over my shoulder.

“Is that Sean?”

“Mrs Henderson.” Sean nodded.

Mum sighed. “One of these days you boys are going to have to start calling me Claire – you make me feel old.” Mum ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her shawl, no doubt mortified that she was so unkempt in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” She looked from him to me.

“Sean gave me a lift,” I said.

“Oh, that’s right; he was with you when I called.” Her eyes flicked from me to him and back, the speculative cogs turning in her head.

“Sorry, Sean, it’s been a long night,” she said.

“No worries, Mrs. He— I mean Claire.”

“How’s Dad?”

Mum smiled and hooked her arm in mine. “Come and see.”



***



Dad was sat up in bed, smiling broadly. I would have been relieved if it wasn’t for the intravenous drip and oxygen tube in his nose.

“Chook! What are you doing here?” His bright eyes narrowed towards Mum. “Claire, I told you not to say anything.”

“She’s your daughter! She has a right to know.”

“That’s right! I’m glad Mum told me, I would have been seriously pissed if she hadn’t.”

“Amy, language.” Mum frowned.

I rolled my eyes and sat in the seat next to Dad’s bed. “Are you going to be okay?”

Dad laughed. “I’ll be fine, just had a little turn.”

I knew he was sugarcoating it.

“You know, that’s the last time I try to surprise your mother,” Dad said. “I thought she would be the one clutching her heart in amazement, but it turned out it was me.”

“That’s not funny, Eric,” Mum chastised.

“No, you’re right, love, sorry.”

“So what has the doctor said?”

“I’m to take it easy – no coastal trips, skydiving, or clay pot making.” He winked at Mum. Okay, I seriously didn’t want to know what that was about.

“And no stress,” Mum added.

“Yeah, that’s a big one.” He smiled at me.

“Maybe your body’s in shock after the health kick,” I said in all seriousness.

“I’m sure it’s a combination of a lot of things, Chook.”

“Your father and I are going to work on some things, to make life a bit easier.”