One Night Only (206 page)

“D
o
I
hea
r
th
e
pitte
r
-patte
r
o
f
tin
y
feet?
”
the
y
would as
k
he
r
.

“
Y
ou
r
cloc
k
mus
t
b
e
tickin
g
now?
”
wa
s
anothe
r
favourite.
O
r
“Aren
’
t
yo
u
feelin
g
al
l
cluck
y
no
w
you’r
e
married?
”

Ever
y
tim
e
sh
e
wa
s
face
d
wit
h
th
e
questio
n
sh
e
would
dismis
s
i
t
wit
h
a
joke
y
answe
r
bu
t
sh
e
longe
d
t
o
tel
l
everyone
t
o
min
d
thei
r
ow
n
blood
y
business
.
I
t
wa
s
ba
d
enoug
h
in he
r
hom
e
lif
e
wit
h
he
r
sister
s
an
d
he
r
mothe
r
naggin
g
at he
r
constantl
y
t
o
ge
t
a
mov
e
on
,
no
t
t
o
mentio
n
Ro
b
with
hi
s
puppy-do
g
eye
s
ever
y
tim
e
h
e
sa
w
a
bab
y
i
n
a
pram
.

Sh
e
couldn
’
t
b
e
pregnant
,
coul
d
she
?
Sh
e
too
k
he
r
pill religiousl
y
a
t
th
e
sam
e
tim
e
ever
y
da
y
.

Bu
t
accident
s
di
d
happen
.
N
o
contraceptiv
e
wa
s
one- hundred-pe
r
-cen
t
guarantee
d
an
d
everyon
e
sh
e
spok
e
to abou
t
i
t
kne
w
someon
e
who’
d
go
t
pregnan
t
despit
e
taking precautions
.

I
t
wa
s
stress
,
i
t
ha
d
t
o
be
!
I
t
wa
s
stress
,
plu
s
recovery
afte
r
a
heav
y
,
heav
y
weeken
d
o
f
booz
e
an
d
lat
e
nights. He
r
bod
y
wa
s
tellin
g
he
r
t
o
giv
e
he
r
hea
d
a
break
.
Sh
e
had to
o
muc
h
goin
g
o
n
an
d
no
w
i
t
wa
s
affectin
g
he
r
wor
k
life.
Sh
e
hate
d
givin
g
i
n
t
o
illnes
s
o
f
an
y
sort
,
especiall
y
when i
t
mean
t
takin
g
tim
e
ou
t
o
f
he
r
preciou
s
job
.
Sh
e
hadn
’
t
take
n
a
da
y
of
f
sinc
e
sh
e
starte
d
a
t
S
t
John
’
s
an
d
was determine
d
t
o
maintai
n
he
r
recor
d
o
f
excellenc
e
a
s
she
aime
d
fo
r
promotion
.

Bu
t
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
b
e
totall
y
sure
.
Y
es
.
Sh
e
would eradicat
e
pregnanc
y
immediatel
y
b
y
buyin
g
a
pregnancy tes
t
o
n
he
r
wa
y
home
.
An
d
i
f
sh
e
wa
s
pregnan
t
.
.
.
well,
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
dea
l
wit
h
tha
t
late
r
.

Th
e
ver
y
though
t
o
f
i
t
mad
e
he
r
heav
e
again
.

“Loo
k
wh
o
i
t
is!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
whe
n
the
y
entere
d
Gina
’
s
ne
w
sid
e
ward
.
I
t
wa
s
muc
h
mor
e
pleasan
t
tha
n
Intensive
Car
e
wit
h
it
s
pin
k
wall
s
an
d
brigh
t
(thoug
h
glaringl
y
fake)
flower
s
o
n
th
e
windowsill
.
I
t
eve
n
ha
d
a
televisio
n
which wa
s
showin
g a
re-ru
n
o
f
Friend
s
whic
h
ha
d
youn
g
Danny supe
r
-glue
d
t
o
i
t
fro
m
a
wheelchai
r
a
t
th
e
sid
e
o
f
Gina
’
s
bed
.

“Hi
,
Poll
y
,
”
sai
d
Dann
y
.
“Look!
”

H
e
pointe
d
t
o
th
e
cas
t
o
n
hi
s
broke
n
le
g
an
d
the
n
held u
p
hi
s
wris
t
t
o
sho
w
th
e
ligh
t
bandag
e
h
e
ha
d
o
n
it
.

“
W
ow!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
Y
ou
r
friend
s
a
t
schoo
l
wil
l
hav
e a
fiel
d
da
y
signin
g
thos
e
bandages!
”