Page 167 of Vying Girls

‘There’s not going to be. It’s—God, it’s fucking—he’s starving to death, Haz. Like, they’ve even stopped his fluids now.’

‘What? Is that legal? Sounds fucking inhumane.’

‘It is. But it’s procedure apparently. Because there’s nothing to be done and fluids will only prolong his suffering. Elly’s Nan thinks they just want his bed which literally wouldn’t surprise me. He’s in this side room now, but still on that shitty ward. God, Haz. It’s so busy, so noisy. Hardly anyone checks on him. He shouldn’t have to die there.’

She stops, her voice clogged with tears.

I clench my jaw, shifting angrily. Feel so fucking hopeless stuck here, trying to help someone who clearly doesn’t want to be helped.

‘How’s Elly?’ I grate out.

‘Sad,’ Tilda whispers. ‘She’s trying to stay upbeat for Dan and Taylor. Dan’s taking it pretty badly. I think they were close.’

‘And her mum?’

Tilda releases a huff. ‘Bad-bad. To be fair, she’s made it up the hospital a couple of times, but I can tell being out the houseis really affecting her. She just kind of rocks on the chair the whole time. I think she’s trying to stop panic attacks. Elly’s really worried she’s going to crash. You know…afterwards. I think everyone’s just holding it together for now.’

‘So they couldn’t unblock his bowel again?’

‘No. Basically, they managed the first time because he was on the drip and once he was hydrated, it unstuck. But then obviously, they took him off fluids and he still refused to drink, and it got stuck again. They wouldn’t do the drip thing again. I don’t know why. They had reasons. Like the bowel was now all rotted or something. So…yeah. He can’t eat, can’t drink, and everyone’s just…waiting.’

I shake my head, not having a single clue how to respond to that. ‘Fuck.’

‘Pretty much.’ I hear her sniffle and curse at herself. ‘Ugh. Sorry. It’s just really horrible watching him go down hill. Like, he can’t really talk much, I think because he’s so dehydrated, but he knows what’s happening. It’s not like he’s super sick or anything, or unconscious or whatever. He’s completely aware that he’s going to die soon.’

She sniffs some more. My hand furls to a fist with how much I want to fucking be there.

‘Elly’s gonna quit uni. She keeps saying. And I kinda get it. It’s just a fucking mess here, and her Nan can’t… That’s one of the things she’s most sad about. God, I don’t think I could bear it if she wasn’t around.’

Sensing she’s about to have a full-on breakdown, I rack my brains for something to calm her.

‘You got your bracelet on?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Me too.’ Closing my eyes, I stroke the smooth beads. ‘You just keep remembering what they mean.’

‘I remember.’ I hear a smile in her voice now. ‘We’re getting married.’

‘Till death do us not part. Not fucking ever.’

She chuckles. ‘Never ever. Thanks, Haz. Just that made me feel a million times better.’

‘Yeah, well, I look after wifey. Keep wanting to fucking jump on the next ferry, honestly.’

‘Well, wifey wants you to look after Nic at the moment. How’s that all going? Found her yet?’

‘No.’ My gaze slides to the table where her phone lies, found earlier today. ‘But I found her phone in her room.’

‘What? She hasn’t even got her phone? I thought she was just ignoring us.’

‘Nope. It was dead. I’m charging it for her, but—’ I fling up a hand, just as pissed about the situation as she is.

‘Shit. Do you even know if she’s been going to uni at all? If she’s even alright?’

‘Nope.’

‘Fuck.Fuck.You need to message Blakely. She’ll know. Ask her.’ Tilda groans down the phone. ‘Fucking Nic. Why does she have to be so difficult?! She’s so—ugh—dramatic!’