It's a thin line
Part seven
Over
48 hours later Linzi was still lying motionless in intensive care. Mel
approached her bedside, putting her hand on Billy's shoulder. He looked up and
Mel was shocked to see how bad he looked. His face was drawn, pale and his eyes
were red as if from crying with deep dark shadows underneath them.
"Why
didn't she tell me Mel. Why didn't she let me know about my daughter."
"She
did," replied Mel gently, "She wrote you a letter." Billy shook
his head.
"I
never got any letter from her." he said. Mel tugged on his sleeve.
"Come
on," she said, "You really need some sleep." Billy shook his head
again.
"I'm
staying here." he said firmly. Mel turned back to look at him as she left.
His head was bent over Linzi's hand in his. Mel's heart broke for him as she
noticed tears sliding down his face.
Quickly
she made her way to the nearest payphone and consulting her book, dialled a
number.
"Mr.
Flair," she said, "This mess needs clearing up." She quickly
explained what she needed and then hung up. She consulted the number she had
scrawled and then re-dialled.
"Hello,
can I speak to Mr. Kidman senior."
Mel
had just hung up the phone when Rey joined her.
"Ric's
in there now, talking to him," he told her, "Billy's supposed to be
wrestling tonight and look at the state of him." Mel shook her head.
"He
only moves when he needs the bathroom. I phoned his Dad by the way." she
added.
"What!"
exclaimed Rey, "but Linzi's parents are on the way over from England with
Emily."
"Let's
just hope they don't meet."
The
two men stood, glaring at each other.
"This
is all your daughters fault."
"My
daughters fault? It's your son who put my daughter in hospital." Billy came
running into the room.
"I
can hear you down the hall." he stormed. "This is a hospital, for
God's sake, what's wrong with you?"
"Don't
talk to me like that, young man," said Linzi's Dad poking Billy in the
chest, "If you had lived up to your responsibilities none of this would
have happened." Billy's Dad cleared his throat sheepishly.
"Actually
he didn't know. I burnt the letter." Billy stared at his Dad in shock.
"How
could you Dad, how could you. This is my daughter we're talking about." He
stared at his Dad in disappointment and left.
Billy
returned to the intensive care room. Sitting in the chair was a small,
dark-haired girl. She looked at him with brown eyes.
"Mummy
won't wake up." she said to him.
"Emily?"
he asked. The child smiled at him, a carbon copy of his own.
"Let's
wake Mommy up together." he said. Billy sat back down on the chair, Emily
on his knee. He picked up Linzi's hand again.
"Please
wake up," he pleaded, "I love you. Emily and I need you." Linzi's
eyelids fluttered. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.