Gallery Whispers

14

He lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, listening to his wife breathing beside him, waiting for his emotions to define themselves.

Since Sarah had broken the news, he had felt rage, pity and a terrible, terrible fear, all mixed together. He and Olive had eaten a quiet supper and then they had gone to bed. Her dignified, pale-faced silence had upset him more than anything else, but he had been afraid to break it, afraid that if he did he would say the wrong thing.

At last she turned to him, and he took her in his strong arms, beneath the duvet. Her tears came then; great, heaving, frightened sobs. 'Why me?' she asked him. 'Why me?'

'Because, my darling,' he said, softly, his deep voice quavering as she had never heard it before, 'there is in this world, no fairness, no justice and no righteousness. If there were, things like this just wouldn't happen.'

He pressed a hand to her breast. 'Love, if I could take this thing from out of you and put it into me, you know that I would. I can't do that, but I will be at your side as you fight it, every step of the way. This is a team game; we're in it together, for you are what my life is about.

'Let's agree two things. First, that whatever treatment they offer, we grab it, and second, that through it all the "D" word will never be mentioned. Okay?'

He felt, rather than saw her nod.

'I'm sorry to be so weak,' she whispered.

'You! Weak?' He chuckled in spite of himself. 'You are about as weak as a large whisky and Im Bru. You are the strongest woman I've ever known. This bloody disease doesn't have a clue what it's letting itself in for, taking on Olive Mcllhenney. Just keep giving it that look of yours, It'll get the message and bugger off, sharpish.'

'I wish it was that easy.'

'Aye, but it is in a way. I know next to nothing about these things, but I do know that determination has a big part to play.'

She kissed his chest. 'Okay, I'll do that. I'll give it The Silencer; and you can take it somewhere quiet and give it a kicking. We'll teach the bloody thing to try to come between us.'