Fields of Blue Flax Read Online Free PDF

ledge.
    Christine looked out to the garden, her pride and joy. She was contemplating whether to plant some more pansies in the corner when she noticed a dead starling lying in the middle of the lawn, feathers still fluttering. A large crow was perched on the tree above, looking down menacingly. Why do some birds kill each other if not for food; was it just for fun? She made a mental note to go out after she’d had her coffee, remove the prone body from the lawn and bury it.
    She was filling the cafetière with water when the phone rang.
    It was Anna. ‘Mum, there’s been an accident.’
    The words every parent dreads.
    ‘What?’ Christine held onto the sink and felt her entire body tighten.
    ‘Jack and I have had a bit of an accident on the A1. He’s been taken to Newcastle hospital and…’
    ‘Very funny. So where are you now?’
    ‘Mum.’ Anna’s voice faltered. ‘This isn’t a joke, he’s been taken to hospital.’
    ‘Is he okay? Are you okay?’
    ‘I’m fine.’ Christine heard her daughter take a deep breath. ‘And I think, I hope, Jack’ll be fine, they just need to check everything.’
    ‘What do you mean, you think he’ll be okay? What’s that noise, Anna?’ She could hear someone speaking in the background.
    ‘It’s Andy, the policeman. I’m in a police car, Mum. Jack’s been air-ambulanced to the hospital.’
    Christine felt sick. She staggered over to the table and dropped into a chair. Her two children had already been on the phone earlier, teasing her, saying they were nearly in Cornwall. ‘Very funny,’ she had said, laughing. ‘Just turn the car round and get up to Edinburgh as soon as possible.’
    There was no laughter now.
    ‘Got to hang up, Mum. Andy says we’re nearly there. I’ll phone you or Dad when I know more.’
    Anna had hung up before Christine had had time to tell her she loved her. She couldn’t quite grasp what Anna had just told her. It was impossible. Things like this don’t happen to us, she thought. Accidents happen to other people.
    She stared at the phone then punched in Gerry’s number. He’d had some patients first thing then he was off to North Berwick and was due home at lunchtime. But his phone was engaged so she hung up and sat looking down at her hands, twisting her wedding ring round and round. A couple of seconds later, the phone rang.
    It was Gerry.
    ‘Chris, did Anna get through to you?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘I’ve just heard, I’m on my way to the hospital. I’ll be there in about an hour, I’m already on the A1.’
    ‘Gerry, I don’t know what…’
    ‘Jump in the car, I’ll meet you there. Just put Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary into your sat nav.’
    ‘What could’ve happened, Gerry?’
    ‘No idea, just get going. And drive carefully.’
    There was a click at the end of the line. She pictured Gerry tapping his handsfree device, putting on his glasses then concentrating on driving his Mercedes south as fast as possible. Christine ran upstairs to grab her bag from the bedroom. She threw in her phone charger and hurried into the bathroom, flinging in her moisturiser and toothbrush. She raced downstairs, taking the steps two by two.
    Then she remembered the shopping. She rushed into the kitchen and picked up the supermarket bags from the floor. She rammed them all into the fridge and headed for the door.
    Christine pulled the front door shut and raced to her car. This was not how she’d anticipated Good Friday would turn out.
     
    The journey seemed interminable. Christine focused on taking deep breaths, trying to concentrate on her driving as she squinted into the bright spring sunshine, cursing the fact that her sunglasses weren’t in her handbag. The roads were busy; other cars were taking forever in the overtaking lanes. Why were they driving so slowly? Then as she passed Berwick, she looked at her petrol gauge.
    Dammit, why today of all days did she need petrol?
    Christine swerved into the next petrol station and filledup