“Sky News, boss, or any channel. It’s on all of them.” I let out a long sigh. I wasn’t really known for my patience, and Benny’s cryptic clues were beginning to piss me off. I folded my arms and leaned back against my desk, my legs stretched out and crossed in front of me. As I listened to Ben’s heavy breathing next to me, a reporter appeared on the screen. She was on a snow-covered street, with a section of pavement taped off and what looked like an old Mercedes on the path, rather than on the road; the reporter looked freezing as the snow fell around her.
“Lisa Mitchell, Sky News, Brentwood in Essex,” she said into the camera. I looked up at Benny and opened my mouth to say something, as a horrible, indescribable wave of fear, terror even, washed over me as the anchor in the newsroom began to speak. At first, I didn’t hear her words. I just looked at the images behind her head; it was her and him, Kitten, my Kitten, but why was her picture on the news? Then I realised, her baby was due any day. She’d probably had her baby, and because it was his baby, it’d made the news. I didn’t want to know this. I didn’t want to hear about her happy little family. I turned to pick up the remote, about to bollock Benny, because why the fuck would he think I would want to hear this shit? But as I turned back to the telly, there was another reporter outside a hospital.
“Andrew, there is still no official news from the hospital, but from what we are being told, unofficially, is that the lead singer of Carnage, Sean McCarthy, and his heavily-pregnant wife, Georgia, were air-lifted here just before five this afternoon after being hit by an out of control car on Brentwood High Street. The young couple are both said to be in critical condition and are both believed to now be undergoing surgery.” The camera panned around to show a large crowd of reporters, a number of police and what were obviously fans, crying, sobbing and looking stunned.
I knew my mouth was open. I knew I was standing awkwardly, half-twisted between my desk and the telly on the wall, but I couldn’t move. My legs were locked. If I unlocked them, I knew they would give way and I’d hit the floor. Benny passed me a tumbler filled with what looked like whiskey. I drank it down.
“Get me Bailey Layton on the phone. If you can’t get Bailey, try Frank or Finn. Find out what hospital they’re in.” Benny started making calls from two phones at the same time. I held onto my desk as I walked around it and sat down in my chair, our chair. Benny topped up my glass as he passed me a phone. “Bailey,” is all he said.
“Layton, it’s Cameron King. I’m… I just…”
Fuck
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t form words.
Fuck
A strange, strangled sort of sound escaped from my chest and made its way out of my mouth.
Fuck
I needed to know; good or bad, dead or alive. I needed to know.
“How bad?”
“As bad as it gets.” I wanted to throw up; the glass I had in my hand shattered as I held it.
“Is she… Fuck, what does that mean?”
“She’s in surgery. They’re trying to save her. The baby…” I heard a sob. This big, hard man, who I dealt with on many occasions, who was scared of no one and nothing, was sobbing down the phone to me right now.
“The baby’s dead, Cam. She’s lost her baby. Now they’re trying to save her, but they can’t stop the bleeding. She keeps bleeding out and they can’t stop it.” He takes a few deep breaths. “Maca’s gone, it was instant. They’ve got him hooked to a machine, but it’s just so George can say goodbye. There’s nothing they can do… Fuck. I don’t know, Cam. Perhaps it’s best if she goes, too. She won’t survive this. She’ll never get through it. I just, I don’t know if we’ll get her back from this.” His sobs were louder and I shouted to make myself heard. They had to get her through. I couldn’t… I wouldn’t live in a world without her in it, but he was right. I didn’t know how she would get through this. Fuck, I would’ve gladly taken Sean’s place if it meant my Kitten living a happy life. I would’ve given my life for his and the baby. I would’ve given anything to make her happy, to keep her safe.
“She will. She fuckin’ has to.” She couldn’t die; I wouldn’t let her. I’d do whatever was needed. I’d be there. I’d stay away; whatever it took. I would do whatever was needed, but I would get her through this. I had put her back together once, and I’d do it again when the time was right. When she finally realised she needed me, I would be there and I’d put her back together again.
Prologue - Georgia
“So, Georgia, it’s good news.” My mum’s hand squeezed my right hand just a little bit tighter; Jimmie couldn’t have squeezed my left any tighter if she tried. I was pretty sure I was going to have nerve damage, or at least some broken fingers, if she didn’t ease up on her grip soon, but my mouth was so dry, I couldn’t say a word. I blinked a few times and watched Doctor Patrick Shepherd, the man who held my future in his hands, or in a test tube, if you wanted to get technical, or would it be biological? Anyway, the direction in which my life was about to go was all dependent on what he told me now. I felt sick. I felt hot. I felt cold… But at least I was feeling; that was something.
“We managed to harvest eight eggs and they have been successfully frozen; now all you need to do is decide on a donor. There’s no rush; take your time and let us know when you’re ready to proceed.”
Eight.
Eight eggs.