Page 50 of The Retreat

Imogen didn’t move. She couldn’t move. Because she knew there was nothing she could do. Nothing real. The name people shouted wasn’t even hers. ‘Alex! Alex, help her—’

Imogen’s feet were rooted to the floor, panic rising. Rhona was unconscious. This was bad. People were looking to her for help. There was no messing around now. She knew what she had to do.

Imogen spoke quickly. ‘I’m not a doctor.’

Marcus rushed to her, grabbing her by the elbow. ‘Alex, can you just…’

They hadn’t heard. Imogen said it again. ‘I’M NOT A DOCTOR.’

The room went quiet in an instant. She felt them staring. She heard someone murmur, ‘What?’ and then someone louder, ‘But she said—’

‘I’m sorry. I can’t help,’ Imogen added. Her mouth felt like sandpaper.

A beat of silence. Everyone turned to look at Talia. She didn’t flinch. Her arms were folded, her expression unreadable.

Before the tension could twist tighter, a staff member in kitchen whites burst in from the side corridor, already crouching by Rhona’s side.

‘First aid trained,’ she said quickly.

She checked the pulse, tilted Rhona’s head, and lifted her legs. Within seconds, colour began to return to Rhona’s face.

‘She fainted,’ the woman said firmly. ‘She needs to be properly checked. There’s a hospital fifteen minutes away. I can take her.’

Rhona was coming round, groggy but upright, with someone supporting her. People had stopped shouting. The crisis had passed.

The woman in whites stood and helped Rhona up, and people jumped in to aid her, walking Rhona out of the exit in a cluster.

The doors swung shut, and pretty much immediately, everyone turned to Imogen. Everyone.

‘Why would you pretend to be a doctor?’ Jade asked, the first to speak directly to her.

Imogen could feel the weight of every gaze on her, but the only one she cared about was Talia’s.

She looked at Talia, who was locked tight in panic.

Imogen took a breath. It felt like inhaling glass. ‘I’m sorry, Talia,’ Imogen said quietly, clearly. ‘I lied to you. Because you’re a lawyer and I wanted to be something that impressed you.’

There was a ripple of disbelief around her. People turned to look at Talia now, eyebrows raised.

Talia’s mouth parted, just slightly. But she didn’t speak. She looked as though she couldn’t.

Imogen thought that was all the better. It gave her time to absorb all the blame. She turned back to the crowd. ‘It was stupid. I panicked. And then it was easier not to say anything. So yeah, this is on me. I’m very sorry.’

No one responded right away. But then, someone did, and it wasn’t to rage at the fake doctor. It was to poke a hole in the story.

‘But you met at work,’ Celeste said, stepping forward.

Oh shit.

‘No, I, I, err, made that story up because it was romantic,’ Imogen stammered. ‘Talia didn’t want me to look bad, so she went along with it. But…’

‘Stop,’ said a voice. Imogen turned. It was Talia. ‘Just stop, Imogen.’