The Master looked annoyed. “Very well,” he said. “They’ll have to do.”

Scapegrace was so happy he could have cried, had his tear ducts not long since dried up.

Chapter 43 - A & E

Chapter 43
A & E

lice’s eyes were wide open, watching the activity in the Accident and Emergency Room with interest as Valkyrie rocked her with her free hand. Her other arm was flat on the table as a cute doctor stitched her up.

“You sure you’re OK?” he asked again.

“I’m grand,” she said. The leaves she’d chewed while she waited for the cops to show up were still working to dull the pain. She winced every time the needle went through her skin, but that was more for show than anything else. He’d already stitched the cut on her hip, assuring her as he did so that there probably wouldn’t be a scar. She’d shrugged. A scar on her hip was the least of her worries.

She heard her mother’s voice, looked over as a nurse led her parents into the A&E.

“There,” the doctor said. “Finished. I’ll have a nurse bandage this up. I swear, I wish all my patients were as calm as you, you know that?”

“Thanks. I wish all my doctors were as hot as you.”

He laughed, then stood aside as Valkyrie’s mum barged through, arms out to hug. She stopped abruptly, backed off, looked at the doctor.

“Is it OK to hug her?” she asked.

“We actually encourage it,” he said, smiling, and walked off as the hug came on.

“My baby,” her mum said. “My poor baby.”

“I’m fine,” Valkyrie said, her voice muffled. Her eyes flickered to her dad, who was checking on Alice. He looked grim. She wasn’t used to him looking grim. Her mum started crying. Automatically, Valkyrie stiffened, blinking back the tears that had sprung up without warning and now threatened to spill over.

“Mum,” she said, laughing as she pulled away. “Mum, I’m grand. Look. Not a bother on me.”

“Your face,” her mother said.

“Cuts and bruises, already fading.”

“Your poor arm.”

“Stitched up and healing. Honestly, I’m fine.”

“He beat himself up in his cell,” her dad said. He was still looking at Alice. “That’s why they let him out. They should have been outside. The moment they let that scumbag walk free, they should have parked a squad car outside the house.”

“Dad, they didn’t know he knew where we lived, and they certainly didn’t know he’d want some kind of stupid revenge for getting thrown in jail in the first place. You can’t blame them.”

“They let him go.”

“This isn’t their fault.”

He looked at her for the first time. “He could have…”

“Des, don’t,” her mum said, her hand covering her mouth. “Please. Don’t say it.”