1848453051 by Linda Kavanagh Read Free Book Online

enthusiastically. ‘Lovely,’ he murmured. ‘It’s done exactly as I like it. The texture is –’
    Suddenly, his eyes started bulging, and Kerry was instantly reminded of the film she’d seen of The Incredible Hulk, in which the man’s appearance altered drastically right before the viewers’ eyes. The same seemed to be happening to Jeff – he was now clutching his neck, and his lips and face were swelling rapidly. He seemed to be gasping for breath as he thrashed about, overturning several chairs as he fell to the ground.
    ‘His pen, his pen!’ Laura screamed, jumping up from the table and overturning the bottle of wine. The red stain spread all across the white cloth as she frantically grabbed Jeff’s jacket and began searching in the pockets. ‘I can’t find it!’ she screamed, ‘It’s not there!’
    ‘Here, give me that –’
    Kerry snatched the jacket from her and began searching the pockets. But the pen wasn’t there. ‘Maybe it fell to the floor –’ she told Laura, who was now screaming at the staff to do something to help.
    But no one seemed capable of doing anything. Everyone seemed rooted to the floor in shock and terror as Laura cradled Jeff’s head, simultaneously screaming and crying. Crawling beneath the table on her hands and knees, Kerry began searching around in the near-darkness, but without success. There was no sign of Jeff’s adrenaline pen.
    By now, Laura’s screams had penetrated the music and the laughter, and other people were beginning to realise that something was amiss. The music came to an abrupt halt as Laura continued to scream for help. ‘Get an ambulance – please!’ she cried. ‘He’ll die if we don’t get him adrenaline quickly –’
    A man pushed his way through the crowd and eventuallymanaged to reach Laura. ‘Adrenaline, did you say? Has he an allergy?’
    As Laura nodded through her sobs, the man pulled an adrenaline pen from his pocket, ‘Look, this is my own pen – I’m allergic to wasp stings, but it should help –’
    Snatching it from him, Laura quickly ripped off the protective cover and rammed the needle into Jeff’s thigh through his trousers. Almost as quickly as he’d collapsed, Jeff began to come round. There were sighs of relief from the people milling around him as he sat up, disoriented but alive. His lips were still swollen, but his eyes were no longer bulging. He was clearly confused, and didn’t seem to know where he was.
    The headwaiter was beside himself with guilt. ‘Monsieur Jones, I don’t know what happened! We are always so careful –’
    Laura brushed him aside, eager only for Jeff to have enough space and fresh air to recover. Tears of relief were now running down her face. ‘Thank you, thank you!’ she sobbed, addressing the man who had supplied the adrenaline pen, clutching his sleeve as though she never wanted to let him go.
    In the distance, the shrill sound of an ambulance could be heard. As the sound got nearer, Laura grabbed Kerry’s arm. ‘I’m going to the hospital with him. Can you get yourself home?’
    Kerry nodded. ‘Of course. Don’t worry about me – Jeff is your priority now,’ she said warmly. ‘The restaurant will call me a taxi.’
    Within moments, the restaurant doors were flung open and several paramedics made their way across the restaurant to Jeff’s table. Having explained to them what had happened, and that another diner had supplied an adrenaline pen, Laura began to sob quietly with relief. Her face tear-stained, she was still clutching Jeff’s hand as he was carried outside to thewaiting ambulance. Diners and curious passers-by had now gathered on the pavement outside, and Kerry had to fight her way through the throng to say goodbye to Laura. After the two women silently hugged, Laura stepped into the waiting ambulance.
    Kerry stood watching in the darkness until the ambulance disappeared into the night.

C HAPTER 8
    A s the months slipped by, Ellie’s life developed a pleasant