Burning Bright

Chapter 22

She led me over to the corner of the room out of the hearing of Pierre and Veronique. ‘Is he staying with you?’ she asked.

‘Yes, doctor.’

‘Good, he needs someone who can cope with this. And call me Anna.’ She checked again that no one else could overhear us. ‘Will he have access to his own toilet?’

‘Yes.’

‘Excellent. There’s nothing life threatening in terms of his injuries. They look nasty, but it’s mainly superficial. I’ve not said anything to him, but . . . his stomach is very tender and distended and I’m pretty certain a nasty bout of gastroenteritis is about to kick in, hopefully bacterial rather than parasitic. He must have a very strong constitution or to have been very dehydrated, or both, of course, for him not to have been affected so far, but I suggest that, unless he wants to spend the next twenty four to forty eight hours stuck here, you get him home. Quickly. And stock up on loo roll and disinfectant. I don’t envy you or him the next couple of days. It’ll be pretty bad and he’ll be convinced he’s dying, I’m sure, but he’ll be fine. Keep everything thoroughly disinfected so you don’t catch it yourself.’

‘Anything else?’ I asked as Eoin emerged from the bedroom.

‘Apart from what I’ve just said, as far as his injuries are concerned, just keep an eye out for any unusual swelling,’ she emphasised, trying, and failing, to keep a straight face in view of Eoin’s broad grin. He was looking remarkably cheerful for someone about to be hit by a bout of something diabolical.

‘She was very thorough,’ he said. ‘I’ve booked her again for tomorrow.’

Anna sensibly ignored him. ‘I’ve given him an antibiotic injection, a painkilling one, and something for the cramping,’ Eoin dramatically rubbed his bum, ‘and I’ll leave these tablets with you,’ and she handed me two bottles, ‘and check on him tomorrow first thing.’

‘See! Told you!’ Eoin added.

 I ignored him as well. ‘Thanks so much. Anything he needs to do, or not do?’

‘Would he listen? Actually, he won’t have much choice,’ and she looked at me knowingly. ‘Just try to keep him hydrated, sugary water or flat Coke or lemonade. And get him to rest. He’s otherwise in good physical shape so he’ll be fine.’

Anna departed and Pierre offered us another drink.

‘Yes, do stay,’ Veronique said, smiling coquettishly at Eoin. ‘In fact, you could always stay here. You could have my bed.’

‘Thanks for everything, but he really needs to get home now,’ I said firmly, quelling Veronique’s suggestion. Even Eoin looked a little surprised at my forcefulness.

‘Will he be OK with the steps?’ she asked, her voice a little sharper than usual.

‘Yes, the doctor says he’ll be fine. We really do have to go,’ and I almost pushed Eoin out of the door.

‘Kate?’ he asked as we took the shortest route past the pool and very slowly began to climb the steps to my flat. ‘That was a bit rude.’

‘You’ll thank me for it soon enough.’

‘Why? Oh! Jesus Christ!’ and he suddenly doubled over in pain. ‘Fuck me! What’s happening?’

I dragged him up the last of the steps, key already in hand, and through the living room to his room. ‘Bathroom,’ and I unceremoniously bundled him in there and shut both that door and the one to his bedroom. There were some things that really did not need to be shared.

I contacted Eoin’s mother and told her he was home, but was feeling a bit unwell and resting now, and then Skyped Kate and explained the situation to her.

‘He looked OK in that photo on twitter,’ she said.

I glanced towards the moans coming from the bathroom. ‘Can you hear that?’

‘Is that him? I thought you had dodgy pipes or a sacred cow in there or something.’

‘It’s not me with the dodgy pipes.’

We agreed another press and twitter release and were still talking when Eoin emerged, ashen and sweating and wearing just a T-shirt, mercifully long. ‘Christ Almighty,’ he said. ‘Did you know that was going to happen?’

‘The doctor warned me. She said your stomach was quite distended. I, er, I didn’t think you’d still want to be at Pierre and Veronique’s when it happened.’

‘Too true. Thanks. Oh Hi Moira.’

‘Jesus, you look like you’ve had a rough night.’

‘I only wish it was that. God, sorry,’ and he headed back to the bathroom.

Kate pulled a face. ‘He’ll be OK won’t he?’

‘Doctor says yes.’

‘I’m being inundated with requests for Eoin to make a statement, but I can keep them at bay for a while. Poor Eoin.’

‘I know. Anyway, I’ll keep you updated.’

‘Thanks Kate. You look like you could do with some sleep yourself.’

‘That can wait. Too much to do.’

I nipped down to the compound shop so that the next time he emerged, I could give him some Coke and one of the doctor’s tablets. He looked at it cautiously. ‘Is this supposed to work because it literally blocks me up?’ he asked, pulling a face.

‘It’s not that big! Actually, I take that back, it’s huge! Now stop whining and swallow your horse tablet.’

‘Shouldn’t that be “stop whinnying”?’

‘You’re obviously not that ill if you can make jokes like that.’

‘It’s a defence mechanism.’

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Knackered. Sore. Like the world’s just fallen out of my arse . . .’

‘Thanks for sharing that.’

‘You did ask. You know I said they’d kicked seven shades of shit out of me? Well, I’ve just discovered a few shades more.’

‘Eoin! I really don’t need to know the details, thank you very much! Do you think you can get some sleep?’

‘I can try. You must be shattered too.’

I was ignoring the feeling. ‘Do you want to be on your own, or . . .?’

‘Would you stay with me? Unless you think you might catch this. God, I don’t want this for you.’

‘I’ll be fine.’

 He was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow, and I ran my fingers across his forehead, smoothing away the fine lines, kissing his brow, his cheeks, so grateful he was here. My brain was too awake for me to sleep, to I sat up and read. Eoin seemed to be more settled lying on his stomach, his head in my lap, but with the all too frequent trips to the bathroom, returning naked to bed, sometimes shivering and clammy when I pulled the sheet over him and held him to warm him, sometimes sweaty and restless, kicking off the sheet and I patted his forehead, the back of his neck and his wrists with a flannel dipped in icy water. Except while he was in feverish mode, a certain part of his body was also reacting. Not that he was aware of it.  

I watched him as he slept, stroking a soothing hand over him, wondering what would happen now. Yes, we still had the rest of the money to raise, but that would be relatively easy once the documentary was completed and with Eoin able to promote it. And then what? He’d be gone. And I had to prepare myself for that.