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Back Going Under Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  3. DEDICATION
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I BIRTH
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. PART II LIFE
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. PART III DEATH
  42. THIRTY-FIVE
  43. THIRTY-SIX
  44. THIRTY-SEVEN
  45. THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. THIRTY-NINE
  47. FORTY
  48. FORTY-ONE
  49. FORTY-TWO
  50. FORTY-THREE
  51. FORTY-FOUR
  52. FORTY-FIVE
  53. FORTY-SIX
  54. FORTY-SEVEN
  55. FORTY-EIGHT
  56. FORTY-NINE
  57. FIFTY
  58. FIFTY-ONE
  59. FIFTY-TWO
  60. FIFTY-THREE
  61. FIFTY-FOUR
  62. FIFTY-FIVE
  63. FIFTY-SIX
  64. FIFTY-SEVEN
  65. FIFTY-EIGHT
  66. FIFTY-NINE
  67. SIXTY
  68. EPILOGUE
  69. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  70. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

‘You know what he’s like, though,’ I point out. ‘He’s got too much wanderlust.’

‘Speaking of …’ Winnie says, rolling over in the sand. ‘I know we drink too much, but alcohol is good for throat infections, right?’

‘Oh, absolutely,’ I say.

‘Let’s go to a bar,’ Winnie says, grinning, ‘and have some prosecco.’

I don’t need to be asked twice. We pull our clothes on over our swimming costumes and head to a bar around the corner, where we spend the rest of the afternoon sitting in the sun, drinking prosecco and eating chips.

‘Kitty,’ Winnie tells me seriously as we clink glasses, ‘this is the best sick day I’ve ever had. You’re such a good doctor. I’m cured!’

In that moment, I am completely overwhelmed with appreciation for my wonderful life.

THIRTY-THREE

thirty-three

I go to bed as soon as we get home, certain I will have a perfect sleep after my relaxing day. I’m lost in peaceful oblivion when my phone starts to ring.

Shocked, I sit up and start fumbling around, trying to find my phone. My sense of inner peace is washed away by waves of dread as I try to remember where I’ve left my scrubs.

When I finally locate the phone it has stopped ringing. I check the caller ID, expecting it to be the hospital number. I see that in fact it was Estelle—and it’s not the first call I’ve missed; she’s been calling me since eight o’clock and it’s now a little after ten. I was sleeping so deeply I didn’t hear a thing. I roll my eyes. She’s probably out drinking and wants me to join her.

Beep beep.

I open the text, already preparing my excuses.

Meet me at the hospital. Now. I’ll be in the utility room next door to the men’s theatre change rooms.

I stare at the words, confused. Why the hell does she want me to meet her at work at this hour? And in what’s essentially a cupboard? Is she fucking serious?

My phone beeps again.

I’ll be there in five minutes. I’ll wait all night if I have to. Please, Kitty.

I rub my eyes. What the hell is going on? I dial her number, but her phone rings out.

I’m on the verge of rolling over and going back to sleep, convinced it’s all a big joke, when I hear Winnie’s voice in my mind. What on earth could have been so bad that he went and did something like that?

Estelle is not trying to be cryptic, I realise, and she’s not joking. She needs me. Now.