Josie sat up immediately, Max giving her hand a little squeeze, and watched as an older man with grey hair and a slight bulge at his belly walked toward them. He smiled at her grandad.
Smiled.
Josie’s body started to melt, her hands began to tremble in relief, before the doctor even spoke to them.
Josie stood when he reached them, she, her grandad, Helen, and Max forming a tight little semicircle. “She’s OK?” Josie demanded.
“Well, she’s got a long recovery ahead of her,” the doctor said calmly, “and we need to keep her here for a few more weeks, but she came through the surgery OK, which is a really positive sign. She’s coming around now, if you’d like to see her.”
Josie’s grandad nodded, swallowed, and stepped toward the glass door ahead of the doctor. Josie went to him, squeezed his arm, and he managed a weak smile back at her. He looked terrible, and she hoped she’d manage to get him home at some point soon to eat a proper meal and sleep. She glanced back at Max as they were led away by the doctor, through the door, which he had to open with a special pass.
Max was rubbing his neck as if it were sore. “You go ahead, I don’t want to crowd her.”
Josie frowned. “Are you OK?”
He smiled then, though it looked a little stiff. “Yeah, it’s just this headache. I’ll go and get some fresh air and walk it off, and I’ll pick up coffee for everyone on the way back.” Josie hesitated, biting her lip. “Honestly, I’ll be fine. Go and see your grandmother, and I’ll be…”
Josie cocked her head. “Outside?”
Max blinked, then nodded. “Right. Outside.”
She hesitated again, unwilling to leave him if he was in pain, after what he’d just done for her, but the doctor was still waiting for them and she had to see Memo. She couldn’t think of anything to say to him that encompassed what she felt in that moment, the fact that he’d stayed with her, had seemed to know exactly what she needed without being told. Instead, she nodded, and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Helen, however, turned to walk back to Max, even though, in Josie’s opinion, now was hardly the time to interrogate him on his intentions. Josie only caught a bit of their exchange before she turned the corner with the doctor and her grandad—Helen seemed to be saying something, and when Max shook his head, Helen rested a hand on his arm. Josie frowned slightly, but her attention was immediately diverted by the doctor, and when she looked over her shoulder, Max was walking away.
In the hospital room, Memo lay there, looking more fragile than Josie had ever seen her, her hair a little greasy on the white pillow, her hospital gown overly large on her thin body. Josie took a slow, steadying breath. The doctor had smiled, she reminded herself. Then Memo’s eyelids fluttered open, as if she’d heard the footsteps, and one side of her mouth crooked into a smile. “The way you’re all looking at me, you’d think I was some kind of miracle,” she croaked, the words sounding like they hurt her to get out. Next to Josie, her grandad let out a sob, and crossed the room to take her hand as the doctor did some quick checks. Helen came in behind Josie and they went to the other side of the bed, Helen putting a hand on Josie’s back as if to reassure them both. Though her aching facial muscles protested, Josie worked up a smile for Memo. She was standing firm on her oath not to cry in front of her—she didn’t want to let her know how terrified they’d all been.
“How are you doing, Mum?” Helen asked softly.
“Oh peachy,” Memo said, her voice even hoarser the second time, and a little slurred. “You know, for someone who’s just had their chest cut open.”
Josie blinked away the tears, but Memo still seemed to notice because she reached out, her movements stiff, and Josie took her hand, squeezing it as gently as she could. Outside, there was the sound of a commotion, someone being rushed through the corridor, reminding Josie just how close to death Memo had been.
“I’ve got a quote for you” Memo croaked.
Josie frowned. “What?”
“Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.”
The breath Josie let out was more like a sob. “Miracle on 34th Street.”
Memo grunted, her purpling eyelids fluttering closed again. “Thought I’d have you there. You don’t like those Christmas films.”
Because the tears were starting up again, Josie backed away, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Her grandad, too, looked too grey and tired to say anything, but Helen came to the rescue, piping up, talking about the lack of good food in the hospital and downloading all the research she’d done on the best diet to start Memo on once she was out of hospital. Josie wasn’t sure exactly how long had passed before she realized that Max still hadn’t arrived. She cleared her throat and the other three looked at her. “I’m just going to go and find Max,” she said quietly. “Let him know we’re all OK.” She nearly added for now at the end of the sentence but stopped herself in time.