Page 33 of A Merry Little Christmas
I tried to get comfy on the sofa again, but I was feeling worse by the minute. Desperate to settle my gurgling stomach, I raked through the bathroom cabinet for a remedy but there was nothing suitable. So I went online and discovered that bananas were a good natural treatment for an upset tummy. I stood in the kitchen, forcing myself to eat one, then – feeling scarily faint – I gave in, switched off the TV and went through to the bedroom. Undressing quickly, I flaked out in bed, pulling the covers over my head.
I didn’t even have the energy to brush my teeth.
*****
Next day, I still felt nauseous when I woke up, although thankfully, I wasn’t actually being sick.
I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn’t due at work until the following day, then I turned over, wrapping my arms around my tender middle, and tried to sink back to sleep.
A few hours later, when I was feeling slightly more human, I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be babysitting for Penny the following night. I’d have to phone her and tell her I’d come down with some kind of weird virus and wouldn’t be able to do it. Even if by some miracle I was feeling much better by then, I certainly didn’t want to pass anything nasty on to her or Will.
Penny was really sympathetic when I phoned her, asking me if I needed anything.
‘I don’t need to collect Will from school for another hour or so. I could come round and see you. Make you some scrambled eggs or something?’
‘Ooh, no!’ I grimaced, remembering last night’s failed attempt at eating them. ‘No, that’s kind of you, Penny, but I’m fine. Honestly. Well, I’m getting there.’ I was sitting rather gingerly on the edge of the bed at the time, wondering if I could possibly brave the shower or whether that would be thoroughly unwise since I was alone in the flat with no one to pick me up if I fainted. ‘But thank you.’
‘Well, just please take care of yourself and phone me if you need anything. Anything at all, okay?’
‘Thanks, Penny. Sorry about babysitting.’
‘Hey, don’t worry about that. To be truthful, I don’t even want to go out. I’d far rather stay in and relax than have to get dressed up to meet some man with whom I’ve quite possibly got absolutely nothing in common.’
I managed a chuckle. She was only saying that to make me feel better, but it cheered me up.
I decided I felt well enough to drink some tea, and as I waited for the kettle to boil, I thought about the previous night and the car that had almost run me over. What could have made the driver lose control like that?
Had it been some young teenager, who’d just started driving and was showing off to their mates?
But it had seemed too sinister and precise for that. It would have taken some skill to mount the pavement at speed and narrowly miss me like that.
A chill settled inside.
Maybe it hadn’t been an accident at all. Perhaps whoever was behind the wheel had driven at me deliberately?
But why?
To scare me?
I swallowed hard. If that had been their motive – whoever it was – it was definitely mission accomplished...
*****
Caleb called me ten minutes or so after I’d said goodbye to Penny.
‘Hey, I hear you’re not feeling great?’ he said, sounding worried. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Oh, just a virus, I think.’ Penny must have phoned him and told him. No one else knew I was feeling ill.
‘Right. Best place for you is in bed, then, taking it easy and drinking lots of fluids.’
‘Thank you, doctor,’ I joked. ‘I suppose a home visit is out of the question?’
‘Sorry?’
‘I wasn’t being serious, Caleb. I would hate you to catch what I’ve got.’
‘Right.’
