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Back Day of the Accident Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. What readers are saying about
  5. Epigraph
  6. Prologue
  7. Part One
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. Part Two
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. Part Three
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. 55
  65. 56
  66. 57
  67. 58
  68. Epilogue
  69. Acknowledgements
  70. THE NEXT THRILLER BY NUALA ELLWOOD
  71. THE BEGINNING

Raw terror rips through me. Why won’t they answer my question? I need to get out of here. I need to find her.

‘Maggie, no,’ cries Elms as I launch myself forward.

I feel his arms on mine.

‘Claire, get the midazolam.’

I try to fight him but he’s too strong. Claire’s face appears in front of me. I feel a sharp sting in my arm and then the room starts to melt. I put my head back on the pillow. The panic dissipates. I try to remember what I wanted to ask but I can’t grasp it … it’s slipping … I fall.

3

Friday 21 July

Elspeth is sitting on the end of the bed. Her hair is sopping wet and the purple fleece dressing gown I bought her last winter is caked with mud. She pulls her knees to her chest. Her feet are bare and filthy.

‘Oh my darling, thank goodness,’ I say, sitting up. ‘Where have you been? Mummy was so worried.’

She doesn’t answer me. Her eyes look strange, almost glassy.

‘Elspeth, what is it?’ I say, wishing I could take out the wires that anchor me to the bed. ‘What happened to your dressing gown?’

She opens her mouth to speak but the voice that comes out isn’t hers. It is a woman’s.

‘Maggie.’

My eyes flicker and I feel myself rising up.

‘Maggie.’

‘Elspeth,’ I cry.

My eyes open. Elspeth is gone. Instead I see a nurse. I’m sure I’ve seen her before. Then I remember. Her name is Claire.

‘Good morning, Maggie,’ she says. ‘You’re looking a little brighter.’

I look around the room, my chest tightening with fear.

‘Wherishi?’ I say, my words still not forming properly. ‘Where … whereishi? Sh – she – wazere. She …’

The effort of trying to get my words out exhausts me and I lie back on the pillow, defeated.

‘Maggie, I’m just going to get Dr Elms,’ says Claire, her voice calm and steady. ‘I won’t be a moment.’

The memory of Elspeth sitting on the bed stills my nerves a little. She’s in another room of course. She’ll be in the children’s ward. That’s why Claire’s gone to get the doctor. He’ll be able to take these wires off me so I can go and see her. I whisper this to myself over and over, trying to keep the fear at bay. But the room feels like it’s closing in on me. The smell of antiseptic and boiled vegetables hangs heavy in the air and it reminds me of another place; a place I have spent my life trying to block out. Don’t think about that, I tell myself, as I lie here waiting for them to return, don’t let the dark thoughts in. Everything is going to be okay. They’re going to tell you where she is.