Katie has no one in New York. She’s lying in a hospital bed.
There’s a flight at 16:55 from Edinburgh, there are a few seats available.
Katie’s in New York Community Hospital, the intensive care department.
Her physician is Dr. Reed. I’ve attached a link to nearby hotels as well.
Please do this for her and yourself.
Much Love, Amy xoxo
My sole foot hits the cold laminate floor, startling me. I really must get a rug. This house is freezing at night. My prosthetic leg sits next to my bedside table; I attach it with ease. It amazes me how normal living like this feels now. My restrictions around my disability diminish each time I conquer a new challenge.
I pace around my room, picking things up and putting them down again as I go over the implications of what I’m about to do.I’ll need to take David with me—he has a passport. Hannah can return to her mother’s for a few days. Not that she’ll like it.
With the decision made, I throw clothes into a suitcase. New York is cold in December, I think. I’ve never been, but every Christmas movie I’ve ever seen has every building dripping in snow. Hannah appears at my bedroom door.
“Dad, what are you doing? It’s the middle of the night. You’ll wake David with all that racket.”
I laugh at her matronly tone; it lightens my mood, which is plummeting by the second.
“I need to go to New York.”
“New York?” she squeals. “Why?”
“It’s Katie,” I say, my voice level as if me running off across the world is completely normal. “She’s in the hospital. There’s no one there to look after her.”
“What about her boyfriend?” she hisses. Katie’s bad news in Hannah’s opinion. After I returned from London, she decided she hated her. I tried to keep my hurt from my daughter, but I did a terrible job. She’s fully aware of how broken I was after that fiasco. Guilt balloons inside; my daughter’s been subjected to far too much adult drama in her young life. It’s damage I’m not sure how to undo.
“She’s left him, Hannah. She was coming home when a car hit her. I need to go. She’s in a bad way. I know you don’t understand, but, please, this is something I must do.”
Her shoulders bob, then she grimaces.
“Well, I suppose that means I’ve got to go back to Mum’s house?” she says, sullen, sticking out her bottom lip. I gather her in my arms and kiss the top of her head, the way I’ve done since she could waddle.
“It’s only for a little while, until I sort things out. Once I’m back, you can come home, but I don’t know how long this could take.”
“What about David?”
“I’ll take him with me.”
“But could Amber not look after him? Isn’t it a long flight for a baby?” I ignore her questions and continue to pack. Her eyes bore into me, watching my every move. “I’m coming too.”
That makes me stop, turning to face her.
“No, you’re staying here with your mother. You have school. This is not up for discussion. Now go and pack whatever you’ll need. I’ll call her in a few hours. I need to leave for the airport by ten.”
“No…”
“Hannah.” My tone drops. She loses the teenage confidence she’s been practicing. “I said no. You stay here. I’ll be back for you. I promise.”
The door slams as she stomps off. With Hannah, you are better off just shutting the conversation down and not getting into a debate. She’ll rarely take no for an answer, but I can’t deal with her and a baby on this trip. David wails, woken by the noise. Fucking great.
***
David’s strapped to my chest as I sit in the departure lounge. He’s sleeping soundly; I hope he stays that way. I don’t look forward to an eight-hour flight with a screaming baby, and I’m sure my fellow passengers don’t either. The announcement blares over the speaker system that it’s time to board. I grab my carry on and head down the ramp.
Finally, we settle in a window seat at the back of the plane. It was the last one available. Worried glances flick over from other passengers when they clock David on my chest; I smile back. In the past, that was me, rolling my eyes on seeing someonetraveling with young children, hissing at them under my breath as if they ruined my flight.