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.One moment they were relaxed, content, and the next, along with everyone around them, spun into fear, rising, trembling in their seats, as the call went up: ‘Fire! Fire! Get out while you can!’And wisps of smoke drifted across the screen.‘Go on, move!’ cried a large woman next to Roz, pushing her towards Dougal, who standing next to Flo, protectively holding her arm.‘What in hell are you waiting for?’‘Move, Ma!’ Roz shouted, as Flo appeared dazed.‘Dougal, get Ma to move!’‘I am, I am!’ he called back as they almost fell into the crowd of people in the aisle pushing towards a far exit where a crush was already building.‘Roz, follow me, follow me!’She could feel the hands of the large woman on her back, forcing her into the aisle after Dougal, but then pushing her roughly to one side and elbowing her onwards into the crowd.‘Dougal!’ she screamed.‘Wait for me, wait for me!’But already she couldn’t see either him or Flo – was only aware of strangers around her, pushing against her, and herself falling; falling amongst legs and feet and knowing something was wrong with her arm, something painful, but nothing like the pain in the back of her head that was so sharp, she cried aloud.‘Help me, help me!’But no one helped.Only the black cloud that descended over her gave her such wonderful relief.She let it take her she didn’t know where, and closed her eyes against the world.Sixty-FiveThere was still darkness around her when she opened her eyes, but there were no people and no noise, only a far-away pool of light.Everything was hazy, though, and she couldn’t seem to work out where she was; also, she felt rather sick and full of pain from her arm and her head, and heard herself murmuring unintelligible sounds.‘It’s all right,’ she heard a voice say, and a face swam into view, one that seemed to be shaking to and fro above her but was calm and pleasant.‘It’s all right, Miss Rainey, you’re safe.You’re in the Royal Infirmary.’‘What … happened?’‘You’ve concussion and a broken arm, but we’ll talk in the morning.Now you must try to sleep again.Do you need anything? Feel sick at all?’‘A bit, but it’s going off.’ Suddenly, things seemed to be coming back to her and she tried to struggle up, her eyes full of terror.‘The fire!’ she cried.‘There was a fire! Where’s my mother? Where’s Dougal?’‘They’re both safe,’ the nurse said soothingly.‘There’s nothing to worry about, there was no fire, but you must sleep now and talk in the morning.’With firm hands she helped Roz to lie back against her pillows, smoothed the sheet and tiptoed away.No fire – how could that be? Roz, trying to see her surroundings and making out shadowy beds all with sleeping mounds, was mystified.There’d been no fire, Ma and Dougal were safe, but she had concussion and a broken arm? It was too much to take in, too much … She closed her eyes, and even without the black cloud to cover her, fell into deep sleep.It was morning when she woke again, daylight streaming into the long ward lined with beds filled with women patients, while nurses were busy with their duties.By her own bed, however, was a red-haired young man in a white coat who gave her a quick smile and introduced himself as Dr Kerr.‘How are you feeling this morning, Miss Rainey?’‘I – well, I’m not so sick, but I’m a bit muzzy and I’ve got a terrible headache.’‘The muzziness will soon pass, so too will the headache, probably, but you took quite a blow to the back of your head which has left you with concussion.’‘A blow to my head?’‘Yes, I’m afraid it looks as though someone’s boot hit you when you were lying down.I’ll be looking at the mark this morning and give you some painkillers for the headache.We’ll also have to put your arm in plaster.’ He grinned.‘We set it for you last night.’‘How long will I have to stay in?’‘That depends on how you progress – maybe no more than a couple of days.Feel like any breakfast?’When she shook her head, he told her she’d feel like eating later, but in the meantime she must keep up her fluid intake and rest as much as possible.First, though, she’d have to go down to have her arm put in plaster.Dr Kerr stood up, calling to a nurse to organize a wheelchair, and Roz, summoning her strength, asked when she could see any visitors.Already she was thinking not only of her family, but Evan.Would he even know yet what had happened to her? And who would explain to her just what had caused the fire that was not, it seemed, a fire at all?‘Visitors this afternoon for a very short time,’ Dr Kerr said kindly.‘But remember, it’s rest you need to get better.’It was three o’clock before anyone was allowed in to see her, and then it was Flo and Dougal, Flo carrying a bag of fruit, both looking large-eyed and pale, and sighing with relief when they saw her.‘Oh, pet, we’ve been that worried!’ cried Flo, leaning to kiss her.‘I canna tell you what it was like when we couldn’t find you last night – I was nearly up the wall – and then when we did find you, you looked so bad, so white, and unconscious! Wasn’t it terrible, Dougal?’‘Terrible,’ he said, his voice shaking, but as she looked into his earnest face close to hers, a great joy filled her heart for, worried or not, it was Dougal’s old face she saw.Just as at the cinema, there were no more shutters, no longer any darkness in his eyes, only real feeling there for anyone to see, and she could have burst into tears over it.‘We canna stay long,’ Flo whispered.‘You’ve got to rest, they say, but I’ll be back tomorrow, eh? With Chrissie and all, but Dougal’s got to go back to the hospital tonight.He wants to have a wee word first.Take care, pet, take care!’There were quick kisses and then Flo left, leaving Dougal, who quickly pressed his sister’s hand.‘That fire – it was just a hoax.A damned silly guy getting his kicks from setting off a smoke bomb and frightening everybody.He’s already been in trouble for arson, but now they’ve got him again – he’ll be in for it.’‘I should think so!’ Roz cried.‘I can’t believe anyone could be so wicked!’‘Never mind him.I just want to say, Roz, that I – I think I’m OK.’ Dougal bit his lip.‘It’s lifted, what was pressing me down, and I think that was beginning to happen before I came home.But it was seeing you, Roz, lying there looking so bad, that made me think – oh, God, I thought you were dead.And when you weren’t, I was so glad I knew I didn’t believe that life isn’t worth living any more – I knew it was all that matters, and if we survive we’ve got to be grateful for it.And I am grateful, Roz, that I survived – and so did you.’‘Oh, Dougal!’They clung together for a moment, then Dougal drew away, smiling.‘I’ve got to go now, Roz.I’ll see you as soon as you can make it to Rookwood, but there’s someone else waiting to see you now, and you’ll know who it is.’‘Evan?’ she whispered.‘Aye, Evan.’He came hurrying down the ward, his face drawn, his dark blue eyes searching each bed until he found Roz, then almost ran to her side and pressed his lips to hers – much to the interest of nearby patients and their visitors.‘Roz,’ he murmured.‘Oh, Roz, what a nightmare! I’ve been to hell and back since Bob phoned me at the hotel at midnight!’‘It’s all right, Evan, I’m all right.I’ve just got a broken arm—’‘And concussion.My God, if I could find the fellow who kicked you, I’d kill him.To trample on a person, to trample on you …’ Evan sat back, putting his hand to his face.‘Why are there such people in the world?’‘It’s a natural thing to want to save yourself, Evan
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