Operation Eiffel Tower (17 page)

No matter how many times Jack asked, Lauren still wouldn’t tell him how she planned on getting Ruby out of the hospital. She just grinned and tapped her nose –
Mind your own business
. Jack went to sleep thinking of the Eiffel Tower and candles and Polish food. He just had to trust that his sister knew what she was doing.

The next morning, Jack felt as though he hadn’t slept at all. He was too nervous and excited.

Mum seemed in an odd mood too. ‘I called the hospital. They said I can definitely pick Ruby up this evening,’ she said, a bit too brightly. ‘So I need to get the house shipshape before I go to work.’ She swept the breakfast plates away almost before Jack had finished eating. Then she started sweeping the floor.

Lauren glared meaningfully at Jack; she wanted to talk to him upstairs. Jack and Billy followed Lauren out of the kitchen just as Mum was filling a bucket full of soapy water.

‘Ruby’s getting out of hospital
today
, not tonight,’ Lauren said once they’d all got comfortable in her room. ‘An hour or two early won’t make any difference to the hospital, but Ruby will kill us if she doesn’t get to see Mum and Dad at the Eiffel Tower.’

‘Good,’ Jack said. ‘Should I ring Dad, just to make sure he’s not doing anything after work?’

‘No. It’s too suspicious. This has to be a surprise.’

‘How is ringing my own dad suspicious?’ Jack demanded.

‘It just is,’ Lauren said. ‘Now listen. I’m supposed to be grounded, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘So you and Billy will have to cover for me while I go out.’

Jack grinned. Espionage. ‘OK. When?’

‘As soon as I can sneak past Mum.’

‘Well, Mum looks like she’s going to clean the whole house in time for Ruby getting back. And she’s got work later too. We’ll just stay in here out of her way and make loads of noise. Mum will think you’re playing with us. How long will you be?’

‘Twenty minutes tops. I’ll go as soon as the coast is clear.’

Lauren’s chance came when Mum went into the garden with a mountain of wet laundry. ‘Right,’ she said. ‘Make some noise for twenty minutes, but not so much that she comes up to shout. Don’t let her know I’m not here.’ Lauren scooped up the Paris fund and was gone.

Jack watched Mum peg out the clothes. Even though she worked in a launderette, Jack knew that she preferred the smell of clothes dried outside in the sunshine. She smoothed down a sheet before pegging it neatly. Once the basket was empty and the line was a row of flapping clothes, she turned to come inside.

‘Quick, Billy. Tug of war should be a good game. Just don’t cry if you lose or Mum might come up.’

They played breathlessly for about half an hour. Then, just as Jack was beginning to get worried, Lauren came in.

‘I’ve been crouching in the front garden for ages, waiting for Mum to move out of view!’ she said. ‘One of my legs has gone to sleep.’

‘Stop moaning,’ Jack said. ‘Is it all sorted?’

‘Yes, of course! Operation Eiffel Tower is all set. We leave at fifteen hundred hours.’

‘When?’ Jack asked.

Lauren sighed. ‘I thought Paul was telling you all about that soldier stuff. We leave as soon as Mum goes to work, OK?’

After lunch, Mum gave Lauren another speech. Jack could hear her talking about being responsible, being sensible, being good until Mum got back from work. Then they’d go to the hospital together to fetch Ruby. And Lauren wasn’t to get into trouble while Mum was away. Or else.

She was still pretty cross with Lauren.

They waited until they heard the sound of the front door closing.

‘Right. I just need to grab some fancy clothes from Mum’s wardrobe and then it’s time to go and bust Ruby out of hospital!’ Lauren said happily.

‘Are we getting the bus?’ Jack asked.

Lauren grinned. ‘Not the bus, no. Come on, I’ll show you!’

They went out of the back door. There, in the alley at the end of the garden, was a horse-drawn carriage. Its black exterior shone like new school shoes. The horse was groomed to a similar glossy finish. It wore a plume of red feathers on his head. The driver raised his top hat to them.

‘Ta-da!’ Lauren said. ‘It’s one from the front. This is John and Bella. They’re going to take us to the hospital, then back, past the B and B to the launderette. All for thirty pounds. I explained why we needed it. John understood.’

The man nodded. ‘Yes, my mum and dad split up too, so I’m doing it cheap.’

‘But our mum and dad will get back together,’ Jack said.

John placed the reins down gently, then hopped down from his seat. Jack could see that his brown eyes, shaded by the hat, were kindly but serious.

‘Is that so?’ he asked. ‘Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you, son. But we all can dream, can’t we?’

John lifted Billy up and swung him into the carriage. Billy squealed with joy. A little set of steps folded out from the side of the carriage; Jack and Lauren climbed up. It bounced gently as they all settled in.

John flicked the reins and Bella strode forward. Jack could smell the tang of horse mixed with the warm leather upholstery. It smelled exciting, special. They trotted away from their house, down the road and out on to the front. Billy waved at everyone as they passed. Most people waved back.

Jack rested against the seat. It felt warm on his back, heated by the sun. The sway of the carriage and the steady clop-clop of the horse’s hooves made him smile. He shut his eyes.

‘Don’t go to sleep,’ Lauren said. ‘There’s too much to do. Here’s my phone. Ring Mrs Khalid and check she’s ready. Then call William, get him to move the table outside. Billy, keep your head inside the carriage.’

Lauren handed over her phone.

Jack stared at it. He had never been allowed to use her phone before. It was sacred. It was precious. Just breathing near it was a life-threatening offence.

‘Go on, it won’t bite.’

‘I don’t know the number,’ Jack whispered.

‘Well, look it up!’

Jack didn’t need to be asked twice. He slid his index finger over the screen, selecting options and clicking links. Soon Mrs Khalid was on the line.

‘All systems go!’ she said.

Then William.

‘No time like the present,’ he said.

Jack couldn’t resist just one look at his emails before he handed the phone back to Lauren. There was a message from Paul:

Good luck with Operation Eiffel Tower. I hope they listen.

Jack cleared the screen then gave back the phone.

The hospital was in view.

‘Do you think Ruby’s allowed to just walk out?’ Lauren asked.

‘Maybe.’ Jack paused. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Well, only one way to find out. Can you wait for us here, please, John?’

‘Righto.’ John guided Bella into the car park. She trotted into two empty spaces and stopped – the back of the carriage still stuck out a bit. ‘You’d better be quick or they might give me a ticket.’ John laughed.

They leaped down from the carriage, Lauren carrying Billy as they raced towards the children’s ward.

Ruby was sitting in a wheelchair, trying to make it do wheelies next to the nurse’s station. ‘Gracie can do wheelies,’ she said when she saw them.

‘Nice to see you too,’ Lauren said. ‘Go and put some clothes on – we’re taking you home.’

‘Cool!’ Ruby spun the chair round and sent it racing towards her room.

Pamela, the head nurse, was on duty. ‘We’re seeing the back of Ruby, then?’ she asked with a smile. ‘Where’s your mum?’

Lauren gave her most grown-up shrug. ‘The car park’s completely full. There’s nowhere to park, so Mum’s driving round and round while we come and get Ruby.’

‘I thought you came on the bus,’ Pamela said.

‘Not this time. Dad gave Mum the car today, to get Ruby.’ Lauren blushed slightly, but Jack hoped that he was the only one who noticed.

‘OK,’ Pamela said. ‘I know you’re a sensible girl. You can tell your mum everything she needs to know. And she can always ring us if she has any questions. The most important thing is that Ruby gets lots of rest . . .’

Jack left Lauren listening to the instructions and went to see where Ruby was. She had pulled on a pair of jeans over her nightie. The pink hem hung down below her T-shirt, but Jack didn’t think that mattered. She still looked thin, but she was moving more easily than she had before. She was better. Jack suddenly felt light, as though the soles of his feet weren’t touching the ground. He hadn’t realised quite how worried he’d been about her until right now.

‘Ready?’ Jack asked.

Ruby picked up her pink teddy and nodded. ‘Ready. I just have to say goodbye.’ She raced out of the room and threw her arms round everyone on the ward in turn. She gave the tightest hug to a girl with yellowish skin whose wheelchair had silver and gold hubcaps; that must be Gracie.

‘Come on, Ruby,’ Lauren said, watching Pamela with a nervous eye.

But Pamela was just watching Ruby. ‘She’s her own tonic, you know,’ she said with a grin. And when it was finally Pamela’s turn for a hug, Jack was sure he could see tears glistening in her eyes.

They finally made it out to the car park.

‘There’s a horse!’ Ruby squealed as she saw John.

‘And a carriage,’ Jack said. ‘We’re going to pick Mum and Dad up and give them the best night out ever.’

Ruby stopped a metre or so from the horse. ‘Is it real?’ she whispered.

‘It’s real,’ Lauren said. ‘And we’re paying by the hour. So hurry up and get in!’

Ruby giggled and climbed up on to the seat.

John swung the carriage round and turned on to the main street. They were going to pick up Dad next.

Lauren ran inside the B and B. while Jack, Billy and Ruby waited in the carriage. Ruby was smiling, but Jack was starting to get butterflies. This had seemed like a good idea. A brilliant idea. But what if Dad refused to come? Or Mum wouldn’t speak to Dad? Or worse, what if they both started arguing the same as ever?

Dad came out of the front door. He was in his work clothes: a dusty pair of jeans, a T-shirt and his heavy boots. He was carrying his plastering trowel and there were flecks of plaster on his hands.
Was he doing up the B and B.?
Jack wondered. He frowned. Dad shouldn’t be getting too comfortable there.

Lauren came out behind him. She was carrying a shirt and hairbrush, talking to Dad, though Jack was too far away to hear what she was saying. Dad was half-laughing, half-something else. Jack couldn’t tell what the other half-something was.

‘What are you kids playing at?’ Dad asked. ‘Ruby!’ he said, seeing her curled up on the seat. ‘You’re out! You should be resting. What’s going on?’

‘A surprise,’ Lauren said firmly. ‘Just get in and put this shirt on. And brush your hair.’

She shoved his shirt at him and pushed him up into the seat. Dad whipped off his T-shirt and pulled on his clean clothes. Suddenly, Jack could smell soap and something else that made up Dad’s smell. He wanted to fall into a hug with Dad, but Ruby and Billy had got there first.

‘Get off, you two,’ Lauren snapped. ‘You’ll crease the shirt. Dad needs to look nice.’

‘Why do I need to look nice?’ Dad asked. ‘And aren’t you meant to be grounded?’

Lauren shrugged. ‘Aren’t you meant to be putting that shirt on?’

Dad growled something rude about bossy women, but did up the cuffs.

The carriage was moving again, this time heading towards the launderette. Dad stopped talking as he realised what direction they were taking. ‘Hey, kids,’ he said, ‘what’s going on? Seriously.’

‘A surprise,’ Ruby said.

Bella stopped outside the launderette.

This time Lauren prodded Jack. ‘I need to do Dad’s hair. He never brushes the back. You go and get Mum. Make her wear this dress.’ Lauren shoved a plastic bag towards him. He could see red fabric inside.

Jack got down slowly.

Now it was actually happening, he wished that Lauren would do it.

He walked along the pavement and opened the door.

‘Jack? Is everything OK? What’s wrong?’ Mum was leaning on the counter, folding clothes. Auntie Joyce looked over from one of the dryers.

‘Everything’s fine,’ Jack said. ‘But you need to put this on and come with me.’

Mum opened the bag. ‘What? I can’t. What for? Jack, I’m working. I’ve not got time for games.’

‘It isn’t a game!’ Jack said, louder than he meant to. ‘It isn’t a game. You have to. Please? Ruby’s outside.’

‘Ruby?’ Mum stood up quickly. ‘Why’s she out of hospital? Jack, what’s going on? Tell me.’ Mum’s voice sounded worried. She moved towards the door. Jack stood in her way.

‘Not until you put the dress on. Mum, it’s important.’ Mum tried to step around him, but Jack moved into her path. ‘I mean it, Mum. Put this on and come with me. You won’t regret it.’

‘No, but you might,’ Mum said grimly. She took the bag and moved quickly toward the back room. Jack heard a rustle as she took the dress out of the bag.