Excerpt from Chapter 6

In this excerpt you meet Pam's husband Dave. He has been unwell for some time and Pam has finally talked him into going to see their GP. She has left work early in order to be able to go to the appointment with him as she suspects he will find some way of avoiding it otherwise.


'Hello?' Pam called as she entered the warmth and light of their home, easing her way carefully past their determined cat who always tried to escape out the front, despite having open access to the huge rear garden.

This house was a gem, they’d had the good sense to buy it during the last recession and over the years had worked on it with loving care. They had bought it cheap and paid it off before the mortgage ended and for that Pam was thankful as it meant the income from her job was more than adequate for their minimal expenses.

Pam heard a mumble from upstairs. Dave must be in the bedroom, she hoped he wasn’t still asleep, he seemed to spend a lot of time napping lately. She climbed the stairs trying to ignore the twinge in her knees, what was that all about anyway?

Dave was sitting on the end of their bed, staring at himself in the mirrors on their wall to wall wardrobes. He was naked.

‘Dave, honey? You need to get dressed; your doctor’s appointment is in 30 minutes.’

‘They phoned to cancel it!’

‘Oh...shit. Well when is your next one? They did offer you another?’

‘Yup, on Tuesday but it was with another doctor so I refused it. They said I will have to go back into the queue and phone on Tuesday to make another appointment with my doctor.’

Pam felt her face flush with exasperation.

‘Dave! Why didn’t you take the appointment they offered you? Another wait, after already waiting all this time? You're playing a dangerous game by messing about with your health….’

Dave stopped Pam mid rant by saying, ‘Getting older sucks, doesn't it? I look in the mirror and it makes no sense.’

Pam sat down and wrapped her arms round her husband. ‘Oh sweetie…you are so right, it makes no sense whatsoever’.

Dave scrunched down till his head was on her shoulder. In the mirror she could see his eyes were closed and on her skin could feel the warmth of his silent tears.