Winter of Grace Read Free

this one every day, and I did genuinely want to see if Jay was all right. Stella – Stella just wanted Jay. I’d known her long enough to recognise the signs, and though she’d only just met him, it was clear she’d already developed a major crush. Who knows, if Stella hadn’t got in first, I might have felt the same. It’s pretty romantic to actually save a guy’s life.
    â€˜Jay might feel weird about all this,’ I warned Stella before she got too dreamy-eyed. ‘Men have a lot of pride, you know. He might be embarrassed about being rescued by a girl.’
    â€˜Two girls,’ said Stella.
    â€˜I didn’t do anything. You’re the one who scared them off.’
    â€˜You stuck his eyeball back in with a pad,’ said Stella seriously, and this sent us both into a fit of giggles.
    A nurse bustled out and gave us a disapproving look, which made us giggle even harder. ‘You can see your friend now,’ she said, and led us through the double doors and into a ward lined with beds with curtains round them. There was a strong smell of disinfectant.
    Jay was sitting up in one of the beds with a huge bandage over his eye and round half his head, like an exaggerated cartoon victim. The sight of him did nothing to quench our giggles. But when he saw us, a happy, relieved smile spread over his face, and he reached out his hand. And funnily enough, that was what sobered us up; he was so glad we were there, it almost made me cry.
    â€˜Thanks so much,’ he croaked. ‘Thank you.’
    Stella grabbed his hand and squeezed it – any excuse. ‘Don’t worry about it.’ She plopped herself on the chair beside his bed as if she were already his girlfriend.
    He gave her a dazed, dreamy grin, lopsided under the bandage. It occurred to me afterwards that he was probably drugged out on painkillers. ‘Would you guys mind … would you be able to … could you stay till my brother gets here?’
    â€˜Of course we’ll stay,’ choked Stella.
    â€˜And the police are coming,’ Jay added. He closed his good eye and leaned back on the pillows. Stella hung onto his hand and sighed with pleasure, and I looked round for another place to sit. There were no more chairs, so I perched on the end of the bed with my feet dangling. Jay drifted into sleep – either that or a coma – so we just sat there for ages, watching him. It was peaceful, though not very comfortable, and it was nice to feel that he needed us.
    Eventually I remembered that I should call Mum, who was expecting us back. Since Stella was fully occupied with her hand-holding duties, and you’re not allowed to use mobile phones in hospitals, I went outside to make the call.
    It took forever to explain to Mum what was going on; she was much more concerned about what might have happened to me and Stella than what actually had happened to Jay.
    â€˜ Bridie! It’s all very well to play the Good Samaritan, but next time, just use your brains! They could have had knives; they could have raped you—’
    â€˜It was the middle of the city, Mum!’
    â€˜Being in the middle of the city didn’t stop them beating up this poor boy, did it?’ And of course there was no answer to that.
    By the time I’d assured her that we were perfectly fine and got her off the phone and found my way back to Jay’s bedside, he was awake again, and a police officer had arrived. Stella was showing him the footage from her phone. It wasn’t very clear, but you could see them kicking into poor Jay on the ground. Jay looked a bit green as he watched it.
    The officer took down my details and I told him what I’d seen, which didn’t seem to be very helpful. I couldn’t describe any of the guys, for instance; it had all happened too fast.
    â€˜Who were they, anyway?’ said Stella. ‘Why did they pick on Jay?’ She squeezed his hand protectively.
    The