‘Ruby’s beaten you home, George.’
Still woozy with anaesthetic and analgesics, Georgie weighed speech, a smile or nod. All involved too much pain and effort. She grunted.
Perched on her bed, AJ went on, ‘We were worried how the news would affect her. I suggested not telling her about Susan and Roly until she was totally well.’
Georgie tried to lift an eyebrow but it didn’t move.
Perhaps it did fractionally, as AJ chortled. ‘Yeah, that went down like a lead balloon. Michael waved around his walking stick, even stamped it on the floor.’
He jumped off the bed, which bounced Georgie and set off a domino of twinges. His arms and legs flailed as AJ mimicked their aged neighbour.
‘I’ve never seen him spit it before. He told me and the doctor Ruby was bound to find out soon and there’d be he
