One Night Only (200 page)

“I’
m
going,
”
h
e
said
.
“I’l
l
g
o
an
d
chec
k
i
n
o
n
ou
r
Dann
y
.
Mak
e
sur
e
h
e
ha
s
eate
n
hi
s
W
eetabix.
”

Gin
a
fel
t
he
r
stomac
h
churn
.
H
e
wa
s
playin
g
th
e
ideal husban
d
an
d
father
!
H
e
wa
s
anythin
g
but
,
wit
h
hi
s
floozy
an
d
hi
s
fists
,
an
d
sh
e
woul
d
b
e
lettin
g
hi
m
kno
w
it
!

“
Y
es,
”
sh
e
said
,
mor
e
softl
y
no
w
.
Sh
e
close
d
he
r
eyes.
“G
o
anywher
e
yo
u
want
,
bu
t
don
’
t
eve
r
com
e
bac
k
in her
e
becaus
e
yo
u
mak
e
m
e
sick.
”

Sh
e
opene
d
he
r
eye
s
t
o
se
e
Nurs
e
Ann
e
whos
e
expressi
o
n
wa
s
pleadin
g
fo
r
Gin
a
t
o
sto
p
an
d
fo
r
T
revo
r
t
o
go
.
The nurs
e
waite
d
a
s
T
revo
r
stoo
d
a
t
th
e
botto
m
o
f
hi
s
wife
’
s
bed
.

“
Y
ou
r
wif
e
ha
s
suffere
d
a
sever
e
brai
n
injur
y
,
Mr Humphries,
”
sai
d
th
e
nurs
e
quietl
y
.
“Behavioura
l
changes
ar
e
commo
n
a
t
thi
s
stag
e
o
f
recover
y
,
s
o
perhap
s
it
’
s
best yo
u
leav
e
fo
r
no
w
.
”

“
Y
eah,
”
h
e
whispered
.

“
T
r
y
no
t
t
o
b
e
to
o
upset,
”
th
e
nurs
e
continued
.
“She
’
s
ver
y
heavil
y
medicate
d
an
d
ma
y
no
t
mea
n
wha
t
sh
e
is
saying.
”

Gin
a
wa
s
no
t
goin
g
t
o
le
t
hi
m
awa
y
s
o
easil
y
.

“H
e
knocke
d
m
e
aroun
d
mor
e
tha
n
th
e
ca
r
accident did,
”
sh
e
said
.
He
r
throa
t
wa
s
achin
g
no
w
,
bu
t
sh
e
forced th
e
word
s
through
.
N
o
matte
r
ho
w
sor
e
sh
e
was
,
she
wante
d
t
o
sa
y
he
r
piec
e
befor
e
h
e
left
.
“H
e
i
s
a
cheating
wife-beate
r
an
d
i
t
didn
’
t
tak
e
a
brai
n
injur
y
fo
r
m
e
t
o
know it
.
Ge
t
hi
m
awa
y
.
”

Despit
e
th
e
excruciatin
g
pai
n
sh
e
wa
s
i
n
whe
n
she
spoke
,
sh
e
manage
d
a
wr
y
smir
k
a
s
T
revo
r
walke
d
ou
t
of th
e
tin
y
roo
m
wit
h
hi
s
tai
l
betwee
n
hi
s
legs
.
Th
e
nurse watche
d
hi
m
leav
e
an
d
the
n
walke
d
t
o
Gina
’
s
bedside
.

“Pleas
e
tr
y
an
d
rest
,
Mr
s
Humphries,
”
sh
e
said
.
“Let
’
s
jus
t
settl
e
dow
n
an
d
compos
e
ourselves
,
shal
l
we?
”

“Bu
t
–
”

“N
o
buts,
”
sh
e
sai
d
firml
y
.
“Th
e
docto
r
wil
l
b
e
here an
y
second
.
I
wil
l
infor
m
m
y
staf
f
tha
t
yo
u
don
’
t
wish you
r
husban
d
t
o
hav
e
acces
s
t
o
you
r
bedsid
e
again
.
I
promis
e
yo
u
that
,
fo
r
th
e
goo
d
o
f
you
r
health.
”

T
es
s
wasn
’
t
feelin
g
s
o
good
.
Sh
e
stoo
d
i
n
he
r
classroom, teachin
g
he
r
first-yea
r
student
s
th
e
Frenc
h
alphabe
t
but
sh
e
couldn
’
t
mak
e
i
t
throug
h
th
e
ful
l
twenty-si
x
letters withou
t
feelin
g
s
o
nauseou
s
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
t
o
stop
.

Ro
b
ha
d
mad
e
a
n
appointmen
t
fo
r
afte
r
schoo
l
with
hi
s
solicito
r
frien
d
wh
o
ha
d
assure
d
hi
m
tha
t
h
e
woul
d
do al
l
h
e
coul
d
t
o
avoi
d
an
y
charge
s
bein
g
brough
t
against
T
ess
.
Tha
t
wa
s
easin
g
he
r
mind
,
bu
t
th
e
fac
t
tha
t
she
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
tel
l
everythin
g
abou
t
he
r
nigh
t
ou
t
t
o
a
solicito
r
i
n
th
e
firs
t
plac
e
wa
s
incredibl
y
embarrassing.
Sh
e
jus
t
didn
’
t
d
o
thing
s
lik
e
that
!
Sh
e
wa
s
a
teache
r
.
She
ha
d
responsibilities
.
Sh
e
ha
d a
caree
r
t
o
thin
k
of
.
An
d
she
ha
d
Gin
a
o
n
he
r
mind
.
Lif
e
wa
s
spirallin
g
ou
t
o
f
control.
“Ar
e
yo
u
oka
y
,
Miss?
”
aske
d
on
e
o
f
he
r
pupils
.
“Maybe
yo
u
shoul
d
si
t
down
.
Y
o
u
loo
k
weird.
”