Page 68 of Skipping Stones
“There’s something I’m a bit concerned about,” he admitted. “We know you hit your head, so it may resolve itself as the swelling continues to go down, but right now, your right eye isn’t responding normally to light. That’s what I was checking yesterday and again today.”
“What?”
“I expect that it’s just some swelling around the optical nerve. We’ll watch it over the next day or two and do some tests. I will probably resolve. The nurse said you felt dizzy and nauseated when you first stood up. That’s probably why. You’re seeing in two dimensions rather than three right now.”
“But you think it will get better on its own?” Mac was the first to ask the question.
“Quite likely,” confirmed the doctor, putting down the chart, where he’d been writing notes. “I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow, Ms. McDonnell.” Mac walked out with the doctor.
Linney tapped her finger nervously on the hospital tray table before finally pulling up Jake’s name on her phone.
“Linney? Is that really you? How are you? Should I come? What do you need?” Questions tumbled out of Jake’s mouth, betraying how worried he was.
Slowly the details of the bombing were coming back and Linney explained what she could remember and what had happened since she’d arrived in Germany. “I’m okay. I mean, I get tired easily, and it’s going to be a rough road, but I’ll be fine.” She chose not to share her vision issues until they knew if they were real. She continued quietly, “I’ll be here for a while though.”
“I want to come,” he said, gruffly, his voice full of emotion.
“You’d just be sitting around, Jake. There’s no point in it. Maybe later, but not yet.”
They talked for a while and Linney yawned. “Give Rachael and the kids my love, okay? I’ll call again soon. But now, I need to rest for a bit.”
“Take care, and remember we love you.”
* * *
Linney was up walking twice more that day, determined to do all she could to speed up her recovery. She spoke with Freida and with Dr. Fischer about the next steps after she was released from the hospital. She couldn’t go back to her flat in London, but a long flight to Canada wasn’t advisable yet either. They suggested a respected rehabilitation facility on the other side of the city, where the staff spoke English.
The physical exertion tired Linney out more than she wanted to admit, but she insisted Mac go to his hotel that evening and she slept peacefully. In her dreams, she slipped back to Silver Lake. Anna was sitting on the end of Linney’s dock with her toes dipped in the lake, and a glass of iced tea in her hand, looking as if she’d swallowed a watermelon. Kirsten and Linney were sitting on either side of her, each with a hand on her stomach, grinning each time the baby inside kicked.
“It’s amazing. Do you have a whole football team in there?” joked Kirsten.
Linney’s dream skipped forward. Anna had two little girls in her arms now and looked tired but happy. Her dream skipped again to university, when she came home each summer and working at Page Turners. She would kayak home at the end of each day and walk up from the dock through her grandmother’s perfumed cottage garden. It always smelled so lovely.
The floral scent pierced through her dream and opening her eyes slowly, Linney saw a huge bouquet beside her. She put on her glasses and the pretty wildflower blooms came into focus. Reading the card, she smiled. It was from the newsroom—with so many of her favourites that she knew MJ must have been involved.
They’re beautiful. Please thank everyone for me.
♥?
Mac driving you crazy? Say the word and I’ll invent an emergency to bring him back.
You’re the best. I miss you.
Thought I’d come this weekend if that’s OK.
You don’t need to.
But I’d really like that.
I’ll be there.
Knowing she’d have a friend there soon gave Linney the strength to finally read and respond to the multitude of emails and text messages she’d received from family, friends, and colleagues. There were so many messages of concern that she had tears in her eyes just reviewing them.
She was relieved to find out that her friends were fine. Most had escaped with just a few scrapes, and sent their condolences about Ernst. Linney hadn’t known the other three journalists who were killed, but she knew their families must be mourning. Hassan and Grant sent many messages and were keeping up the bureau with the help of a stringer until she could return.
She texted Jake suggesting a call a little later. She’d caught sight of her face in a mirror and didn’t think a video chat was a good idea just yet. And she needed a shower.
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