Read Online Bang Bang You're Dead by Narinder Dhami - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Narinder Dhami
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intensely.
For some reason, he seemed to need me to show him that I had a backbone.
'She won't go.'
'She has to,' Jamie replied curtly, staring me full in the eyes. 'Or they'll have to come here and see her.'
'She'll run off and hide.' I tried to stare right back at him but could not stand his searching gaze. So I pretended to examine my fingernails. 'Anyway, you have to be dying for a doctor to make a house call these days.'
'OK, then, we'll get her to the surgery somehow.' Jamie did not intend to give in. 'For God's sake, Mia, can't you see that things can't go on like this?'
'But you know what will happen, Jamie,' I said wearily. 'Mum won't go. And even if by some miracle, she agrees and says yes to the medication and yes to the therapy – well, she just won't take the tablets and she won't turn up to see her counsellor and everything will go on exactly the same way as before. It took Grandpa years to get Mum to do those things.'
'Let's worry about that part later.' Jamie's eyes were glittering strangely. They looked almost manic, which reminded me uncomfortably of Mum. 'There might be ways we can get her to see reason. Just make an appointment with Doctor Fields, Mia, and we'll take it from there.'
I nodded. I was too exhausted and beaten down to argue.
'Make the appointment but don't tell Mum when it is, ' Jamie said quietly. 'At least then we'll have the advantage of surprise.'
We had to wait a few weeks until the autumn half-term holiday because it was difficult to get an appointment out of school time. But finally I managed to make the appointment for the Monday of half-term week at 9.30 a.m. At 8.45, Jamie and I went into Mum's room. She was lying on her back, sleeping.
'Mum.' I went over to the bed, took her shoulder and shook her gently. 'Wake up.'
She did not move or open her eyes.
'Mum!' I shook her again, but again, nothing. I glanced up at Jamie, fear racing instantly through me. 'Jamie, you don't think—'
Jamie pushed me aside. He gently moved Mum's hair away from her face and studied her intently.
'No, Mia, it's all right. Look, she's breathing.' He picked up an almost-full bottle of pills from the bedside table. 'What are these?'
'I don't know,' I said. 'I've never seen them before.'
Jamie read the label on the back of the bottle. Immediately his face darkened in fury.
'Sleeping pills.' He slapped the bed in frustration. Mum didn't even stir. In fact, she gave a gentle little snore as if confirming what Jamie had said. 'Forget it, Mia. We'll never wake her now.'
'But where did she get the pills from?' I asked.
'You can buy any old crap over the internet these days.' Jamie shoved the bottle into his pocket. 'You don't need a doctor's prescription.'
'We don't have the internet—' I began.
Jamie clicked his tongue in annoyance. 'God, Mia, do you know anything ? Mum goes to the library and uses the computers there. That's how she meets all these guys, through online dating sites.'
'How do you know that?'
'I followed her, of course,' Jamie retorted with a scowl. 'I've been spying on Mum for months.'
I was silent for a moment. It would never occur to me to do such a thing. But then, Jamie is single-minded and ruthless and always, always, one step ahead of me.
'Well, what do we do now then?' I asked. I had a secret, sneaky sense of relief that we no longer had to try and persuade Mum to do something she hated. Anything for a quiet life, that's me. Even if that life is almost unbearable.
Jamie did not answer. But the accusing look on his face made my heart sink.
'Did you tell her, Mia?'
'Tell her what?' I blustered.
'About the doctor's appointment today.' Jamie's eyes were cold, hard, glossy chips of ebony. 'Did you tell her? Is that why she took the sleeping pill?'
'I did not tell her,' I said truthfully.
But Jamie knows me all too well.
'Did you write it down anywhere?' he demanded.
'I—' My cloak of bravado fell away, leaving me exposed. 'I put it in my diary.'
Jamie gave me
For some reason, he seemed to need me to show him that I had a backbone.
'She won't go.'
'She has to,' Jamie replied curtly, staring me full in the eyes. 'Or they'll have to come here and see her.'
'She'll run off and hide.' I tried to stare right back at him but could not stand his searching gaze. So I pretended to examine my fingernails. 'Anyway, you have to be dying for a doctor to make a house call these days.'
'OK, then, we'll get her to the surgery somehow.' Jamie did not intend to give in. 'For God's sake, Mia, can't you see that things can't go on like this?'
'But you know what will happen, Jamie,' I said wearily. 'Mum won't go. And even if by some miracle, she agrees and says yes to the medication and yes to the therapy – well, she just won't take the tablets and she won't turn up to see her counsellor and everything will go on exactly the same way as before. It took Grandpa years to get Mum to do those things.'
'Let's worry about that part later.' Jamie's eyes were glittering strangely. They looked almost manic, which reminded me uncomfortably of Mum. 'There might be ways we can get her to see reason. Just make an appointment with Doctor Fields, Mia, and we'll take it from there.'
I nodded. I was too exhausted and beaten down to argue.
'Make the appointment but don't tell Mum when it is, ' Jamie said quietly. 'At least then we'll have the advantage of surprise.'
We had to wait a few weeks until the autumn half-term holiday because it was difficult to get an appointment out of school time. But finally I managed to make the appointment for the Monday of half-term week at 9.30 a.m. At 8.45, Jamie and I went into Mum's room. She was lying on her back, sleeping.
'Mum.' I went over to the bed, took her shoulder and shook her gently. 'Wake up.'
She did not move or open her eyes.
'Mum!' I shook her again, but again, nothing. I glanced up at Jamie, fear racing instantly through me. 'Jamie, you don't think—'
Jamie pushed me aside. He gently moved Mum's hair away from her face and studied her intently.
'No, Mia, it's all right. Look, she's breathing.' He picked up an almost-full bottle of pills from the bedside table. 'What are these?'
'I don't know,' I said. 'I've never seen them before.'
Jamie read the label on the back of the bottle. Immediately his face darkened in fury.
'Sleeping pills.' He slapped the bed in frustration. Mum didn't even stir. In fact, she gave a gentle little snore as if confirming what Jamie had said. 'Forget it, Mia. We'll never wake her now.'
'But where did she get the pills from?' I asked.
'You can buy any old crap over the internet these days.' Jamie shoved the bottle into his pocket. 'You don't need a doctor's prescription.'
'We don't have the internet—' I began.
Jamie clicked his tongue in annoyance. 'God, Mia, do you know anything ? Mum goes to the library and uses the computers there. That's how she meets all these guys, through online dating sites.'
'How do you know that?'
'I followed her, of course,' Jamie retorted with a scowl. 'I've been spying on Mum for months.'
I was silent for a moment. It would never occur to me to do such a thing. But then, Jamie is single-minded and ruthless and always, always, one step ahead of me.
'Well, what do we do now then?' I asked. I had a secret, sneaky sense of relief that we no longer had to try and persuade Mum to do something she hated. Anything for a quiet life, that's me. Even if that life is almost unbearable.
Jamie did not answer. But the accusing look on his face made my heart sink.
'Did you tell her, Mia?'
'Tell her what?' I blustered.
'About the doctor's appointment today.' Jamie's eyes were cold, hard, glossy chips of ebony. 'Did you tell her? Is that why she took the sleeping pill?'
'I did not tell her,' I said truthfully.
But Jamie knows me all too well.
'Did you write it down anywhere?' he demanded.
'I—' My cloak of bravado fell away, leaving me exposed. 'I put it in my diary.'
Jamie gave me
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