Contents ( 84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
‘C’mon now. We can’t have both of you in hospital beds.’
Sarah looked into Duffy’s smiling, reassuring face.
‘Now let’s get you inside.’
It took almost ten minutes for Duffy and Sarah to reach the ICU. Ten minutes of searching. Of redirection. Of broken lifts and confusing stairwells.
When they finally reached the ICU’s main reception desk, Sarah had to reach out and grip the wooden surface to steady herself. She took a few long, deep breaths to regain her composure. They did nothing to clear the fog from her mind, but they seemed to catch the attention of the ICU nurse.
The nurse climbed to her feet and moved around the desk, towards Sarah.
‘Miss, are you OK?’
‘I’m . . . I’m fine . . .’ Sarah replied shakily. ‘My fiancé is here. Michael . . . Michael Devlin.’
‘Miss, you don’t look OK.’ The nurse looked concerned.
‘I said I’m fine, I just need to find Michael.’
‘Miss, I think—’
‘No!’ Sarah’s adrenaline sent a surge of defiant strength through her body. The flood focused her mind, if only for a moment. ‘I want to see Michael. Where is he?’
The nurse stepped back. For a moment she seemed unsure what to do. Then she moved back around the desk and accessed the computer.
‘What was the name again?’
‘Michael Devlin,’ Duffy replied. Sarah flashed him a grateful look as he took over. ‘He was involved in some sort of fight on the Underground.’
‘Oh.’ Duffy’s description had worked better than a name. ‘Yes, sorry. He is here.’
‘Where?’ Sarah demanded. ‘I want to see him?’
‘I’m sorry, you can’t. Not yet. He’s undergoing tests.’
Sarah felt her legs give way. Only Duffy was keeping her upright.
‘I want to see him.’
‘I’m afraid you can’t.’ The nurse’s response was firm. ‘But please, listen. Michael is OK. He was hurt, yes. He’s broken his wrist and his ankle, he’s damaged his shoulder and he has some blood loss from a head injury. But he’s awake now and he seems OK. Alright? He seems OK.’
‘He’s . . .’ Sarah could not finish her sentence as she began to cry.
Duffy pulled her into himself, holding her close. Then he turned to the nurse.
‘What tests is he having?’ he asked.
‘He had a head injury and he was unconscious. It’s standard procedure that he has to have a CT after that. But still, he seemed fully with it when he woke up.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘I’m as sure as I’m allowed to be. Your fiancé is in good hands. You’ll be able to see him soon.’ She indicated to Sarah. ‘Now, if you don’t mind me saying, you look like you need to sit down.’
SIXTY-EIGHT
The secure compound for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan was located fifteen miles south-west of Kabul.
First built on a much smaller scale during the time of Soviet occupation in the 1980s, it had been all but abandoned during the 1990s and the rule of the Taliban. A period when outside interference of any sort was unwanted there.