Chapter 6

Bill's sleep lasted until three in the morning when he started to dream. He and Theresa were walking the dogs on The Plain. It was warm and sunny and they were blissful. Suddenly the wind got up and it started to rain. They both put up golf umbrellas. So strong was the wind that Theresa became airborne. She was thrilled, shrieking with laughter and delight. The dogs thought it was fun too, dancing round her ankles which were only two or three inches above the ground. Theresa was wearing the tee shirt and shorts she wore in the photograph on his desk. Her hair was blowing out in the same way. She was laughing with the exhilaration too. Bill took fright. There was a precipice about two hundred yards ahead. The wind would change and she would plunge two hundred feet to her death.

"Theresa, darling, let go," he shouted as he ran with her.

She laughed joyfully.

"Let go!"

Still she laughed and gaily waved her free hand.

"Let go, darling. Let go."

He tried to run after her to catch her hand, her leg, anything. His feet felt like lead caught in mud. She and the dogs pulled away from him.

"Let go, darling. Let go," he screamed.

Wendy was awake in an instant, her arms round him.

"It's all right, darling. It's all right. I'm here."

"Theresa," cried Bill. "She's going to go over the precipice."

Wendy slapped him.

"Stop it, my darling. You're dreaming. Theresa's not going over any precipice."

"Wendy? Wendy?"

"Yes, my sweet."

"Oh God! I've just had a perfectly horrible dream."

"Yes, darling, but that's all it was: a perfectly horrible dream."

"But it was so real."

"Tell me."

He told her and her midriff tightened sickeningly at the frightening reality of it as it applied to Theresa's situation.

"Bill, my darling, you told me yourself this morning that Mum's a fighter. She's not going to float away from you. If we both know anything about her she's going to fight her way back."

"You're right but I daren't go back to sleep again."

"I bet. Come on. Let's go downstairs and have some tea."

That was a sensible suggestion and slowly Bill calmed down again. In half an hour he was ready to go back to bed. He spooned up behind Wendy and held her tight. Eventually he fell asleep again.

Bill rang the hospital at ten the next morning and was told he could visit Theresa for ten minutes that afternoon. He asked about Wendy and the twins but was told he should leave that at least for another twenty-four hours.

He was at the hospital by two and found his way to Theresa's room. He had a word with Sister before he went in.

"I imagine she's still in much the same condition as yesterday," he said.

"Yes, Mr Ainsworth. We can't expect much improvement for a few days."

"Have you any idea what caused it. She lives such a healthy life."

"No. It's too early to do all the tests. It'll probably be a week before they can be done."

"OK. Thanks, Sister."

He went in. Wendy's description had not really prepared him fully for the sight he saw but he managed to smile and say hello lovingly. He kissed her forehead and then, sitting by the bed and took her left hand. He squeezed it gently and was delighted to get a response.

"Well, my precious darling," he said. "Not one of your nicer surprises least of all for you. Have the doctors told you anything?"

"'O."

"I didn't think they would because it's still too early to do any tests to see what brought this on. I'll tell you something though that I'm quite sure of and that is that you will recover. Including you there are five people willing you to get better so it's bound to happen."

The hint of a smile crossed her face.

"They all send their best love. Tom and Hettie are a bit disappointed that it's not an excuse for them to miss school."

This time she did smile.

"Until they let you have more than one visitor Wendy and I will alternate so it'll be her tomorrow. I hope that by the weekend they'll let one or both of us bring the twins to see you."

She smiled again and nodded.

"I haven't told your parents. I wanted to know how you felt about me telling them."

She nodded again.

"Yes?"

Another nod.

"All right, darling, I'll ring them this evening."

He continued to chat quietly to her until a nurse put her head round the door.

"Times up, I'm afraid, Mr Ainsworth."

Bill smiled at her. "Good for you," he said. He kissed Theresa on the lips. "Goodbye for now, darling. Try and be a good girl."

That produced another lopsided smile. "Eye, 'ahli," she managed to say.

Bill turned away as tears filled his eyes. "She's so brave and we're all so helpless," he thought.

Her parents were naturally distraught. Even though they were in their late seventies they both wanted to come down. Bill managed to persuade them to wait until Theresa was stronger and could cope. He promised to give them regular bulletins.

His report to Wendy was rather more emotional with him repeating his feeling of helplessness.

"You're bound to feel that, darling," she said. "We both do but we can help her by showing her our love and confidence in her recovery even if in the depths of our hearts there is uncertainty."