A Christmas Knight (9 page)

‘This is the best day
ever
,' Tyler repeated as they walked around the stalls again afterwards.

‘They're doing pony rides round the lower part of the grounds. Shall we go and see what the queue's like?' Dominic asked.

‘Can we?'

‘Sure.' He gave the little boy a hug. ‘My treat, because you were the most brilliant page.'

‘When are you jousting again?'

‘When the season opens, next year—the ground needs to be dry enough and soft enough so the horses don't slip,' Dominic explained. ‘But, if it's all right with your mum and you want to do it, you can be my page next season. Andy can start teaching you how to check the armour, too.'

Tyler visibly swelled with pride. ‘I'd love that. Can I, Mum? Please?'

How could she resist? ‘Sure.'

The queue for the pony rides wasn't too bad. They waited in line, then watched as Tyler was led round the field on the pony.

Louisa wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly the pony was rearing and Tyler was falling off in a wide arc. Even as she started running, she knew it was too late, that she'd never get there in time to catch him. With horror, she saw that his hard hat wasn't on properly either—that it was falling at a slightly faster rate than he was. Dominic, too, was running—but even his longer legs and bigger muscles weren't enough to save the little boy.

It must've been only seconds, but it felt like eternity between the moment that Tyler hit the floor and she was on her knees beside him. ‘Tyler!'

‘Move the pony and keep everyone back,' Dominic directed the horrified stable girl who'd been leading the pony round the field. He pulled his phone from his pocket and Louisa was aware of him talking to the emergency services controller, but most of her attention was fixed on her son.

‘Tyler, can you hear me?'

There was no answer; he lay there motionless. Unconscious.

All the worst-case scenarios flew through Louisa's mind. A broken neck, spinal injury, severe brain injury…

They couldn't move him, just in case they made things worse, but she desperately wanted her son in her arms. The child she'd nursed, that she'd loved from the very first second he'd been put in her arms, wet and slippery and warm. Her baby.

‘Tyler. Wake up!' Her breath came out as sobs.

Dominic was checking him over carefully, without moving him. ‘His ABCs are fine.'

‘He's
unconscious
, Dominic!' she snapped.

‘I know, honey. And the ambulance is on its way. Try not to pan—'

‘How the hell can I not panic? That's my
son
lying there.' She hissed the words at him, knowing that she was being unfair but too worried and angry to stay calm.

Supposing Tyler died? She'd spent her time thinking of the man by her side, planning to make love with him this evening, instead of looking after her child. She'd been reckless with her baby, not paying attention, letting herself get swept away by her growing feelings for Dominic. Stupid, stupid,
stupid.
If she hadn't been so selfish, thinking of herself instead of her son, this would never have happened.

If Tyler died, if he was seriously injured and never recovered, she'd never be able to forgive herself.

 

Two years, three months and nine days ago. About the same time of day, too. Back then, Dominic had been on his knees as well, checking the vital signs of someone who'd come off a horse. Someone he really cared about.

The nightmare was back again. Except it wasn't just something he could wake up from. This was real.

When the jousting had gone well, he'd been so sure that life was going to be all right again. He was wandering around the place he loved most in the world, with a bright, sweet-natured woman by his side, and her son—a child he'd become increasingly fond of, the more he'd got to know the boy. And now the whole lot was unravelling right before him, just as it had when Oliver had fallen awkwardly off his horse.

Tyler was hurt. How badly, Dominic wouldn't be able to assess until the boy had recovered consciousness or was in hospital. But this was all his fault. Why had he suggested the pony ride? Why hadn't he thought to double-check that Tyler's hat was on properly? But instead he'd been thinking
of Louisa, remembering the look in her eyes when she'd asked him to stay over. The promise of mutual pleasure and satisfaction and joy.

How had it all disintegrated into this mess—and so fast?

Right now, Louisa's face was blank with shock. Numb.

‘Tyler,' she whispered. ‘Tyler. Say something. Talk to me, darling. Say something.' Her voice was cracked with pain.

‘Mum.' The word was barely a murmur, but they both heard it. ‘Mum. My head hurts,' Tyler mumbled.

‘All right, darling. Just lie still—there's an ambulance on its way and they'll have something to take the pain away.' Louisa wrapped her hand round his. ‘Can you feel your legs?'

‘Yes. They hurt, too.'

Thank God, Dominic thought. The time to really worry would be if the little boy couldn't feel anything at all. That would mean serious damage. He could still remember the look on Oliver's face, the panic in his eyes when he'd whispered, ‘Dom, I can't feel my legs…'

Please, please don't let this turn out so badly.

Please let it be just simple concussion. No complications.

Please
.

He checked Tyler's respirations, then took Tyler's other hand and checked his pulse. ‘He's doing OK,' he murmured to Louisa. ‘Where are your parents?'

‘They were going to have a cup of tea in the castle café.'

No way could either of them leave Tyler to try and find them; but he could still take that worry from her shoulders. ‘Give me their mobile number and I'll call them, tell them what's happened.'

Even though she was clearly frantic, her medical training stood her in good stead, because she remained calm and focused. ‘My mobile's in my handbag. Use that. It's under “Mum mobile”.'

He took the phone from her bag and found the number, and explained the situation rapidly to Gillian Austin. The Austins were there within minutes; as soon as he could see that Louisa had the support she needed, he withdrew slightly and called Andy.

‘There's been an accident in the lower field. Tyler's hurt and an ambulance is on its way. Can you tell everyone what's happened and look after Pegasus for me? I want to go to hospital with Ty and Louisa.'

‘Will do. Ring us when you know how he is,' Andy said. ‘Ric or me'll come and get you.'

‘Thanks, mate. I will.'

When the ambulance arrived, Dominic gave the paramedics a full run-down of what had happened and Tyler's condition. ‘We're probably looking at concussion, but with that distance of fall I don't want to take any chances.'

‘We'll put him on a spinal board,' the paramedic said.

Between them, they transferred the little boy to the ambulance.

‘I'm coming with you,' Dominic said as Louisa climbed into the back of the ambulance.

‘But you've got things to do here.'

‘It's all sorted. You and Tyler are my priority,' he said, and climbed in beside her.

 

Louisa held Tyler's hand all the way to the hospital.

‘I'm scared, Mum,' he said, his teeth chattering.

So was she. So scared that her entire body felt as if it were about to shatter into tiny shards. The back of her neck was burning with adrenalin and she could taste bile. But,
for Tyler's sake, she forced herself to sound calm. ‘I'm here, darling. Nothing's going to hurt you while I'm here.'

‘And Dominic.'

‘I'm here,' Dominic confirmed. ‘I'm not going to let anything happen to the best page I've ever had.'

The journey felt as if it took seconds and days, both at the same time. Then at last they were in the emergency department at the hospital.

‘Mr and Mrs Austin, would you like to wait in the relatives' room?' the doctor asked.

‘This is Dr Hurst and I'm Tyler's mother, Louisa Austin,' Louisa said, her voice clipped. ‘And, no, we wouldn't like to wait in the relatives' room, thank you. I promise we won't get in your way—we both work in an emergency department so we know what it's like—but there's absolutely no
way
I'm letting my son out of my sight.'

‘Very well.'

The doctor checked Tyler over, and Louisa watched his face intently, looking for signs of things he wasn't saying. Did he think it was more serious than concussion? She clenched her fists in a vain attempt to stop herself shaking. But waiting grew harder and harder, and in the end she couldn't help asking, ‘Do you think there it's just concussion or are there fractures?'

‘We're sending him to X-Ray now,' the doctor said. ‘I'll be able to tell you more when the X-rays are back.'

‘And you'll ask Radiology for AP, lateral and Townes views?' she asked.

The doctor looked slightly wary. ‘Yes.'

‘That's what I would've asked for, too,' Dominic said. ‘There's been no blood or fluid from his nose and ears, but he was knocked out. I have a very low index of suspicion on head injuries where children and the elderly are concerned, and I guess it's the same here.'

The doctor nodded. ‘Mrs Austin, this is a completely routine exam. Tyler's talking and he's making sense, so that's a very good sign.'

Louisa lowered her voice so Tyler wouldn't hear. ‘For now—you know how quickly children can deteriorate.'

Dominic wrapped his arms round her. ‘Louisa, I know you've got all the worst-case scenarios running through your head, but they're all rare,' he said, keeping his voice equally low. ‘The chances are, it's just concussion and nothing to worry about.'

‘You don't know that. Not until the X-rays are back. And I need to go with my son.'

‘Of course, Mrs Austin.'

She looked at Dominic. ‘Mum and Dad were following us in the car. They'll be here in a minute. Can you wait for them and tell them where I am?'

‘Of course I will.'

She went to the radiology department with Tyler, reassuring him and staying within his sight behind the screen as the X-rays were taken.

By the time they got back to the emergency department, her parents were there, talking to Dominic. She waved, but stayed next to her son, holding his hand.

It felt like for ever, waiting for the X-ray results to come back, but at last the doctor came over. ‘I'm glad to say everything's clear, but I'd like him kept in overnight in the children's ward for observation, because of the distance he fell. That isn't a cue for you to start worrying. I'm just being super-cautious—like your friend, I have a low index of suspicion for head injuries in children and the elderly.'

‘Can I stay with him?' Louisa asked.

‘Of course you can,' he said. ‘I'll take you up to the ward myself and introduce you.'

‘Thank you.' She blinked back the tears. ‘I'm sorry I was stroppy with you earlier.'

‘When it's your own child, you can't help it. I've got a six-month-old daughter,' the doctor said sympathetically. ‘And my wife says I'm a nightmare—if Zoe gets the slightest sniffle, I'm checking her temperature and her breathing and thinking of all the differential diagnoses. The really scary ones.'

‘Tell me about it,' Louisa said ruefully.

Once they were settled on the ward and Tyler had fallen asleep, Gillian said, ‘We'll go and fetch some things for him—pyjamas and his wash things. And something for you to change into. I've got your spare key, love, so we'll go now and we'll be back as soon as we can.'

‘Thanks, Mum.'

‘And I'm staying,' Dominic said softly. ‘At least until your parents get back. I'm so sorry, Louisa. If I hadn't suggested the pony ride, this wouldn't have happened.'

She swallowed hard. ‘It wasn't your fault the pony reared.'

‘No, but it shouldn't have happened. And why didn't someone check his hat?' He shook his head. ‘I should've done that myself.'

‘I thought Ty knew how to do it. He always sticks by the rules.'

‘But maybe he was just so excited, he forgot. Again, that's my fault. If I hadn't asked him to be my page, he would've been just a spectator. He would still have been excited, but he wouldn't have been sidetracked.' He shook his head. ‘I'm so sorry.'

Louisa bit her lip. ‘He's so precious to me. If anything happens to him…' The idea was so shocking that she couldn't breathe.

Dominic wrapped his arms round her. ‘I'm sure it's simple concussion. I checked those X-rays myself, just in case anything had been accidentally missed, and everything looked fine. The doctor was just being very cautious and that's how I would've handled this, too—and it's how you would've expected it to be handled if the patient was a stranger instead of your son.'

She knew that was true, but she couldn't push the fear away. ‘If something happens to him…'

‘It won't.' He held her close. ‘Of course you're worried. You're his mother and he means the world to you.' He paused. ‘He means a lot to me, too. I wanted him to have the most fantastic day today, to make some really good memories—and I'm so sorry it's turned out like this.'

She felt a tear slide down her face and scrubbed it away. ‘I feel so guilty. If I hadn't been thinking about tonight, about having you all to myself and…' Her breath hitched. ‘This feels like payback.'

‘No,' he said firmly. ‘It wasn't your fault. And you and me…that'll keep. When Tyler's back on his feet.'

She said nothing, not having the strength to have a row about it, but she wasn't sure there could be a ‘you and me' with Dominic. Not now. Because if she hadn't been so damn selfish and put herself first, her son wouldn't be lying here now.