Hunger in my Heart

Chapter 2

Kimberley listened to the rhythmic hum of the tires as the Range Rover sped along the motorway. Checking her phone for the thousandth time, she noted that there was still no news. It had taken over an hour to round up her brother, who was indeed sober as he hadn't really recovered enough to drink after overindulging at the rehearsal dinner the night before. Then there had been a frantic series of hurried good-byes, apologies and explanations of why she was leaving her older sister's wedding. Everyone seemed to understand, the exception being Justin, who had not been the least bit thrilled that his girlfriend was running off to be with Cheryl, again.

Kimberley sighed and rested her head against the leather seat as she stared out the windshield. She and Justin had been arguing more and more lately, not shouting matches, they were both way too passive aggressive for that, more like jibes and snappy one-liners. She didn't think either one of them was happy; at least she knew she wasn't, she had felt increasingly distant from him for quite some time. As for Justin, he seemed to be spending more and more time in Bristol with his daughter and taking increasingly longer business trips. She was busy quite often as well, with the band, with her own individual efforts in television presenting and modelling, and of course, with Cheryl. Justin and her had hardly spent any meaningful time together recently, he was starting to feel like a sometimes flatmate rather than her boyfriend and she really wasn't sure that she had it in her to work things out anymore.

Justin on the other hand had decided that they just needed more time together to help them reconnect and get back the spark that was missing, and the spark was definitely missing she mused, over the last year especially. Their sex life was abysmal at this point, and it was mostly her fault she reasoned, she just wasn't feeling it much anymore. So Justin had come up with his latest scheme to inject the romance back in their relationship. The plan had been to come here to Sally's wedding, and then after that Justin had booked them two romantic weeks alone together at a private seaside villa in Nice. She couldn't fault him, at least he was trying, but the problem was she wasn't sure she wanted to try anymore. Justin had reacted poorly when she told him she had to go back to London to see Cheryl, becoming sullen. She thought back to their last fruitless conversation.

"Cheryl, it's always Cheryl isn't it?" He had said with an edge to his voice.

"Look Justin, I'm sorry but I have to go. There's something really wrong."

"No, Kimberley. You don't have to go, you want to go. Cheryl is obviously more important than you and I having some time together." Justin replied in a distinctly sullen tone.

"You're right," Kimberley snapped, "Cheryl being in the hospital is way more important than our vacation." Justin looked up sharply at his girlfriend's tone, realizing that he may potentially have crossed a line. His typically friendly and affable girlfriend's lips had flattened into a thin line and her normally sparkling eyes were lit with anger. Dismissing him in one steely glance she had simply turned her back on him and walked off, without saying another word.

Kimberley grimaced as she recalled their conversation. He was just drunk she thought; besides this is probably nothing and I'll still be able to make the holiday. She'd just go to London, make sure everything was alright with Cheryl and then she could go on holiday as planned.

Her Blackberry vibrated in her hand indicating an incoming message. Glancing down she looked at the message from Hilary with disbelief.

<Where are you? Chez moved to ICU. Blood tests confirm malaria. Hils x>

Kimberley gasped and gripped the phone in her hand staring at the message as though willing it to change, or better yet, disappear.

"What is it? Any news?" Adam asked softly while still maintaining his focus on the road.