Free All of Me by Kim Noble Page B

night. I suppose enough people had seen the accident scene. You know how rumours build in small communities. When the police have drawn an outline around your body, that’s never a good sign. But I wish people had done some research rather than leaping to conclusions. I lost count of the times I was commiserated with because of my mother. Even though I knew the truth, every time it happened I couldn’t help worrying that this time they might be right – and I’d just forgotten.
    I did my best to visit Mum most days. At first I couldn’t believe it was her in that bed. She had more bandages than an Egyptian mummy. When they started to come off I saw her skin was black and blue. She was in a really bad way.
    I went in one day and got as far as the ward double-doors. I remember pushing them open and that’s it. I didn’t think about it again until later that night. We were having dinner when Nan asked, ‘Did you see your mother today?’
    I can’t remember!
    ‘I think so,’ I said.
    ‘Well, did you or didn’t you?’
    I literally don’t know.
    ‘Yes, of course I did.’
    But really I had no idea. I’d opened the ward doors but did I go in?
    A couple of days later it was Mum’s turn to confuse me. As usual I’d gone directly to the hospital from school. As I skipped into the ward Mum smiled weakly.
    ‘Did you forget something?’
    ‘No, why?’
    ‘Well, what have you come back for? I only said goodbye to you five minutes ago.’
    What on Earth’s she talking about?
    ‘I’ve just got here,’ I insisted indignantly.
    ‘If you say so,’ Mum said with the weariness of someone used to her daughter’s tall stories. I knew that tone. She used it on me all the time.
    ‘Only kidding,’ I bluffed. ‘I just wondered if you wanted me to bring anything tomorrow.’
    And that was how I got away with it.
    A few days later it was even weirder. Mum greeted me this time with, ‘Hello, stranger.’
    ‘Hello,’ I said, oblivious to the sarcasm.
    ‘Did you have something better to do yesterday?’
    Mum claimed she hadn’t seen me for two days, whereas I knew full well I hadn’t missed an afternoon visit that week. Monday, Tuesday and now Wednesday – I’d been in every day. Mum must just be tired, I thought.
    And then, on my way out, I noticed the nurses’ board in the corridor. Thursday was written at the top of the board. I wondered whether I should point out their mistake. For some reason I didn’t bother.
    No wonder Mum’s confused, though.
    The doctors were happy with Mum’s recovery. For her, though, it wasn’t happening quickly enough. Against medical advice she discharged herself and got a taxi home. It caught everyone off guard. With Mum on crutches there was no way she could make the stairs. But Dad was still sleeping in the front room. After some argument he transferred all his stuff upstairs and Mum took up camp in his place.
    It wasn’t perfect but she was home and she was alive.
    It had been the worst year of my life. Probably the worst for any of us – and it was about to get worse. First Lorraine’s marriage had broken up, Dad had got cancer and Mum had been in intensive care for a fortnight after being run over on a night out. And then there was Nan. We’d barely got over the other events when I came home from school to see an ambulance pulling away from near our house. My first thought was Mum. Had she had a setback? Inside I found a note. Nan had had a stroke. She was going to the hospital for a check-up. She should be all right.
    Should?
    I wasn’t even sure what a stroke was. I certainly couldn’t face anything happening to Nan. I hadn’t really thought of it before but she was my bedrock.
    Before I knew it Nan was home and apparently with no side effects. She’d had a ‘funny turn’ as she called it but she was on the mend now.
    ‘Don’t worry yourself about me.’
    It was hard not to. In fact, when I went over the year’s events I realised I’d actually been the lucky