Emergency at Bayside Read Online Free PDF

a couple of weeks at home, hiding away in her old bedroom, reading again the wonderful books that had fuelled her childhood and eating the inordinate meals that appeared every few hours, had given Meg plenty of time for reflection and introspection, and somewhere along the way Meg had finally realised that Kathy neither wanted nor needed saving.
    But Kathy wasn’t all that Meg had dwelled on as her sick leave days ticked by into double figures. Hesitantly, painfully, Meg had travelled the bittersweet journey of the brokenhearted. Bitter because, bruised and battered, and with a good excuse to cry, Meg had allowed herself to finally grieve—grieve for the man she had lost, the man she had thought Vince was. And sweet because, despite the pain, despite the soul-searching as her blackened chest turned to a dirty yellow and her swollen lips finally went down, for the first time in six months Meg actually knew she was finally over him.
    ‘I’ve brought you some soup.’
    Meg screwed up her nose as Kathy peered aroundthe bedroom door, a laden tray in her hands. ‘I’m sick of soup.’
    ‘How do you think I feel? I wasn’t even in an accident and I’m having lentil broth forced down me twice a day. At least you can afford to put some weight on; I’m going to be huge for my party at this rate.’
    ‘What happened to the ‘‘casual dinner’’?’
    Kathy laughed. ‘Mum got involved, that’s what happened. How she’s managed to book a hall and caterers at such short notice I’ve no idea. I shudder to think what the wedding’s going to be like. Half of me just wants to get a licence and get it over and done with, without all the fuss.’
    Raining salt on her soup, Meg didn’t look up. ‘And the other half?’
    ‘The other half of me is starting to buy all the bridal magazines and is wrestling between crushed silk and organza, and lilies as opposed to freesias. I guess the upshot is I can’t wait to be married.’
    This time Meg did look up. Seeing her sister sitting on the edge of her bed, her face glowing, her eyes literally sparkling, Meg knew she had never seen Kathy looking happier. ‘You really love him, don’t you?’
    ‘I really do.’ Kathy paused for a moment. ‘And the best bit of it all is that I know Jake loves me—all of me—even down to my limp. He says that if it wasn’t for my limp we’d never have met, which is a pretty nice way of looking at it.’
    It was nice, Meg admitted to herself. Actually, in the last few days she had found herself looking atJake rather differently. He had treated Meg with professional friendliness at the hospital, and as—thanks to Flynn Kelsey—she had been forced into spending the last two weeks at home, there had been plenty of time to watch Jake and Kathy together. Jake even took Mary’s somewhat overbearing nature in his stride.
    ‘How do you feel about going back to work tomorrow?’
    Meg shrugged. ‘It will be nice to get away from the soup.’
    ‘I wouldn’t bet on it. Mum’s just bought a massive stainless steel vacuum flask; you’ll be supping on her Irish broth for weeks yet.’ When Meg didn’t laugh Kathy continued tentatively. ‘A bit nervous, huh?’
    Meg nodded. ‘A bit,’ she admitted. ‘It doesn’t help that everyone thinks I fell asleep at the wheel.’
    ‘It will be old news soon. They’ll soon find something else to talk about.’
    ‘I just wish I could remember what happened.’
    ‘You will.’
    Meg fiddled with her spoon. ‘I feel as if I’ve been away for months, not just a couple of weeks. I’m more nervous than when I first started there.’
    ‘Once you’ve been there a couple of hours you’ll soon be back in the swing of things. They seem a nice bunch of girls; you should try to get to know them better. That Jess was lovely to us while you were sleeping.’
    ‘Oh, Jess is nice. She can be a bit overbearing, but it’s all well meant. She’s probably the one I’m closest to, but a night out with Jess isn’t