The McDead

Fear to fear itself unfolding

Rosie couldn’t stop sobbing. Falls had her arm round her, didn’t know what to say, said, ‘I dunno what to say.’

‘Tell me I’ll be OK.’

‘You’ll be OK.’

Rosie gasped, said, ‘Jeez, put a bit of conviction in it. Lie to me for heaven’s sake.’

‘I’m a bad liar.’

Rosie held up her heavily bandaged hand, said, ‘It hurts so bad.’

‘Didn’t they give you anything?’

‘Two aspirin.’

‘Oh shit.’

Rosie went quiet, said, ‘He’s eighteen! God, I have shoes older than him!’

‘Maybe he isn’t HIV.’

‘It’s the waiting. The doctor said it could lie dormant for years. How am I gonna tell Jack?’

‘I said a dog did it. A mad dog … It was true, though, wasn’t it? I won’t be able to make love to Jack, I mean I couldn’t.’

Falls felt lost, tried ‘Maybe if a third-party told him? He’s a good man, he’ll support you.’

‘No … later he’d start to hate me. Think I should have been more careful.’

She started to cry again.

Falls hugged her, said, ‘You have to hang in here, it will be all right.’

Both wondered how on earth it could ever be that.