BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. Acknowledgements ♦ Diolchiadau
  50. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

He tried to take in her words, studied her mouth trying to fathom what she was saying, but the pain was all-consuming. His eyes rolled and he coughed so violently he brought up sputum coloured pink with blood. Nefyn watched him in fear, crouched down, tipped out the contents of the basket and picked up the bottle of brandy. She offered it up to him.

‘Please, take it.’

He looked at it.

‘It will help with the pain.’

He nodded, gasping. She shakily unscrewed the cap and helped hold the bottle to his mouth. He gulped, the sting of spices filling his senses. Then he leant back against the door. He was breathing hard, his breastbone concave. He drank some more, and as he did, she came into focus. His left eye still swollen, his vision unbalanced. She was thin, sullen-eyed. She was watching him steadily.

‘I don’t know what happened.’ He pushed out the words through the pain.

Nefyn looked at him.

‘I think you’ve broken your side … your ribs. You need to be careful. You need to rest.’ Hamza listened to her voice as her face came in and out of focus. He hadn’t known physical pain like it. Each breath an ordeal. A piercing, brilliant sliver of pain shooting to his lungs whenever he inhaled.

‘Please, sit,’ Nefyn said, watching the way the pain changed his breathing. He held out his arm behind him, lowered himself.

‘These clothes …’ he muttered.

‘I’m sorry, you were wet, cold.’ He nodded. Nefyn crouched, took some bread from the basket. Offered it to him.

‘I don’t know if you should eat? If you want to?’ He shook his head. His eyes were glazing over now, his breathing becoming more laboured.

‘Have you … have you anything …’ he gasped, ‘anything more for the pain?’

Nefyn shook her head and then remembered the tablets on the sill.

‘Maybe,’ she said, listening to the rasping of his lungs. ‘I’ll be back soon.’

He was unable to nod. He sat, immobile, as Nefyn pushed past him and ran back to the cottage through the thickening light.

10

Light ♦ Golau ♦ Daw’

EFA BUTTONED THE COAT under Emrys’s chin. He looked smart. He always did. When it had started, she used to catch a glimpse of him across a room sometimes, and forget that he was not the same any more. But now, his confusion had entered his body, too. In his uncertain gait. The way he stared a little too long in order to comprehend. She smiled at him, rubbed the sides of his arms with her palms. He could do with some fresh air.