The
story was all over the front page. ‘MRI CLAIMS DEAD WOMAN HAD DONOR
CARD,’ the headline said. There were pictures, too. First there
were several pictures of Diana Williams being mobbed at the
airport, followed by one of her father, and that red-haired
solicitor of his. And there was also a picture of Dr Jones with
some other people she didn’t recognise. She read the names. ‘John
Stanley, legal advisor to the MRI, Eric Barrett, the General
Manager, and Dr David Askwith, the doctor who claims to have seen
the donor card.’ He wasn’t dressed like a doctor at all. In fact he
looked very tired and untidy. Rachel couldn’t help herself. She had
to read it all.
When Gina came
in at her usual time, Rachel was still sitting on the bed, reading
the paper. She made no effort to hide it. Instead, she just looked
up with a sheepish expression and shrugged her shoulders.
Gina looked at
the newspaper and then at her daughter, and the tears welled up in
her eyes and she rushed forwards, arms outstretched. Rachel could
not resist. As soon as she saw her mother’s tears, she burst into
tears as well.
“I’m sorry,
Rachel! I didn’t mean to hide it from you!” Gina wailed as they
both embraced on the bed and the newspaper got squashed and
crumpled. “I just thought it was for the best! I didn’t want it to
upset you!”
“I know, Mum! I
know!” Rachel replied just as emotionally. “It’s me that should be
apologising! I found out a couple of days ago, and I didn’t tell
you. I thought you would worry more if you knew that I’d found
out!”
Gina kissed
Rachel and squeezed her tight. “Oh, we are a pair of silly buggers,
aren’t we?” she said. “I’m glad that you know! I hated having to
pretend all the time! But it doesn’t matter now! It will all be
over soon!”
“I know! It
says so in here!” Rachel replied, reaching for the crumpled
newspaper.
“Never mind
that!” Gina said, snatching the paper away from her. “I’ll tell you
what’s going on!”
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Anticipation
“But I want to
go!” Rachel insisted.
“Well, you
can’t! And that’s that!” Gina said. “And don’t pout! You’re too
old!”
“It’s not fair!
After all, I’ve got the heart they’re all fighting about! I should
be there!”
“That’s not
this case,” Dr Jones said. “This is your case against the MRI, and
hopefully you’ll lose. Sorry, Gina, but I have no regrets at taking
sides.”
“Think nothing
of it,” Gina said. “According to Robert, we want to lose too. It’s
all so silly and complicated, I can’t wait for all this nonsense to
be finally over and done with.”
Rachel
continued to moan. “My one claim to fame, and all I’ve got to show
for it in the papers is an old university picture –and it made me
look fat and ugly!”
“You’re not
coming! And that’s final!” Gina said, her voice sounding harsh. But
then she smiled at her daughter. “Don’t worry,” she went on
reassuringly. “You won’t miss anything, darling. It’ll all be very
boring in court; I wish I didn’t have to go. You know what
barristers and judges are like. They put those silly wigs on and
immediately start to talk gobbledy-gook!”
Rachel was
still not convinced. “I still feel like I’m missing it all,” she
said, miserably.
Gina hugged and
kissed her. “I promise I’ll come straight back here and tell you
all about what happened,” she said.
“Alright,
then.” Rachel smiled half-heartedly, and then she had a sudden
thought. “Mum, will you bring them both back with you? Mr McCord
and Mr Morgan?”
“Well, I don’t
know if they will have the time,” Gina said, not really sure about
whether she wanted her daughter to meet her solicitor. Gina was
still not quite sure about Robert McCord, or his motives,
herself.
“But they’re
supposed to be my solicitor and barrister!” Rachel protested. “And
I haven’t even met them yet! It’s not fair!”
Gina
story was all over the front page. ‘MRI CLAIMS DEAD WOMAN HAD DONOR
CARD,’ the headline said. There were pictures, too. First there
were several pictures of Diana Williams being mobbed at the
airport, followed by one of her father, and that red-haired
solicitor of his. And there was also a picture of Dr Jones with
some other people she didn’t recognise. She read the names. ‘John
Stanley, legal advisor to the MRI, Eric Barrett, the General
Manager, and Dr David Askwith, the doctor who claims to have seen
the donor card.’ He wasn’t dressed like a doctor at all. In fact he
looked very tired and untidy. Rachel couldn’t help herself. She had
to read it all.
When Gina came
in at her usual time, Rachel was still sitting on the bed, reading
the paper. She made no effort to hide it. Instead, she just looked
up with a sheepish expression and shrugged her shoulders.
Gina looked at
the newspaper and then at her daughter, and the tears welled up in
her eyes and she rushed forwards, arms outstretched. Rachel could
not resist. As soon as she saw her mother’s tears, she burst into
tears as well.
“I’m sorry,
Rachel! I didn’t mean to hide it from you!” Gina wailed as they
both embraced on the bed and the newspaper got squashed and
crumpled. “I just thought it was for the best! I didn’t want it to
upset you!”
“I know, Mum! I
know!” Rachel replied just as emotionally. “It’s me that should be
apologising! I found out a couple of days ago, and I didn’t tell
you. I thought you would worry more if you knew that I’d found
out!”
Gina kissed
Rachel and squeezed her tight. “Oh, we are a pair of silly buggers,
aren’t we?” she said. “I’m glad that you know! I hated having to
pretend all the time! But it doesn’t matter now! It will all be
over soon!”
“I know! It
says so in here!” Rachel replied, reaching for the crumpled
newspaper.
“Never mind
that!” Gina said, snatching the paper away from her. “I’ll tell you
what’s going on!”
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Anticipation
“But I want to
go!” Rachel insisted.
“Well, you
can’t! And that’s that!” Gina said. “And don’t pout! You’re too
old!”
“It’s not fair!
After all, I’ve got the heart they’re all fighting about! I should
be there!”
“That’s not
this case,” Dr Jones said. “This is your case against the MRI, and
hopefully you’ll lose. Sorry, Gina, but I have no regrets at taking
sides.”
“Think nothing
of it,” Gina said. “According to Robert, we want to lose too. It’s
all so silly and complicated, I can’t wait for all this nonsense to
be finally over and done with.”
Rachel
continued to moan. “My one claim to fame, and all I’ve got to show
for it in the papers is an old university picture –and it made me
look fat and ugly!”
“You’re not
coming! And that’s final!” Gina said, her voice sounding harsh. But
then she smiled at her daughter. “Don’t worry,” she went on
reassuringly. “You won’t miss anything, darling. It’ll all be very
boring in court; I wish I didn’t have to go. You know what
barristers and judges are like. They put those silly wigs on and
immediately start to talk gobbledy-gook!”
Rachel was
still not convinced. “I still feel like I’m missing it all,” she
said, miserably.
Gina hugged and
kissed her. “I promise I’ll come straight back here and tell you
all about what happened,” she said.
“Alright,
then.” Rachel smiled half-heartedly, and then she had a sudden
thought. “Mum, will you bring them both back with you? Mr McCord
and Mr Morgan?”
“Well, I don’t
know if they will have the time,” Gina said, not really sure about
whether she wanted her daughter to meet her solicitor. Gina was
still not quite sure about Robert McCord, or his motives,
herself.
“But they’re
supposed to be my solicitor and barrister!” Rachel protested. “And
I haven’t even met them yet! It’s not fair!”
Gina
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