The Lost Sister by Kathleen McGurl (i can read book club .TXT) 📕

Dr Thompson called two days later. He left his doctor’s bag by the front door, and Lily went to make him tea while Emma showed him into the sitting room where Ma lay on the settee.

‘Hello, Mrs Higgins,’ he said. ‘It’s so nice to meet you – Lily has told me a lot about you. How are you feeling?’

Ma made an effort to sit up, pushing back the knitted blanket that was tucked around her. The doctor jumped to his feet to help her, but she feebly pushed him away and then glared at him. ‘What did you say your name was?’

‘Doctor – I mean, Mr Thompson. I’m … a friend of Lily’s.’

‘Doctor? From the hospital?’

He sighed and nodded, glancing apologetically at Emma. ‘Yes, I am a doctor. Lily asked me to come to check on you. She’s worried.’

Ma rolled her eyes and lay back down. ‘I’m not well, that’s true, but I don’t want no doctor prodding at me. Sorry, Dr Thompson. My daughter has you here against my will. I’d ask you to finish your tea in the kitchen and leave me in peace.’ She waved her hand dismissively.

Dr Thompson stood and went through to the kitchen, followed by Emma. ‘I cannot force her to let me examine her, I’m afraid. Don’t worry about the tea, Lily. I must hurry away now. Keep feeding her hearty soups, with plenty of water in between, maybe with a little sugar stirred in. Let her rest if that’s all she wants to do. Talk to me again if she complains of any pains. There is not much else I can advise.’

‘Thank you anyway,’ Lily said, as Emma showed him to the door. She went back to the kitchen after he left, to find Lily sitting at the table, head in hands.

‘I won’t go,’ Lily said. ‘On the hospital ship. I shall stay here and help you with her.’

‘Oh, Lils, are you sure? It was your dream. I can manage …’

‘I’m staying, Ems. I fear … Ma might not last long. You can see it in her eyes. She’s … giving up on life.’ Lily brushed away a tear.

Emma went to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her sister’s shoulders. Lily was right, she thought. Ma might not have long. ‘Well, if you are sure … it’ll certainly be easier to have two of us here … in the coming weeks.’

‘Weeks?’ Lily sounded aghast.

‘Months. However long it is. She might rally yet.’

‘She might.’ Lily wiped her eyes, and stood. ‘I’ll make her some sweet tea. And there’s a biscuit she can dunk in it. We’ll do what we can for her, won’t we? And I’ll tell her I’m not going away.’

As Emma spoon-fed her mother dinner that evening, she noticed Ma was struggling to swallow. She only managed a couple of mouthfuls before turning her face away.

And this became the norm – Ma ate less, talked less, and began to physically fade away as the days went on.

A few weeks later as Emma sat at her side, reading to her, Ma reached out a shaky hand and began opening and closing her mouth in an effort to say something. Emma broke off from her reading. ‘What is it, Ma?’

‘L-look after … Lily. P-p-promise.’

‘Of course I will. You’re not to worry, Ma.’

‘If she g-goes on a sh-sh-ship. You g-go too, l-lovey. T-take care … of her.’

‘You want me to go to sea again? Even after …’ Emma stared at her mother.

Ma nodded, slowly, weakly. ‘L-look after her. I tr-trust you. Promise me.’ She reached out a shaky hand to Emma, who gave it a gentle squeeze, battling back tears. Ma trusted her. Despite the situation, despite Ma’s illness, Emma felt a weight drop from her shoulders, at the realisation at last that Ma didn’t blame her for Ruby’s loss.

But Ma was asking her to go back to sea. Emma had said she never would, not after the Titanic … Ma wanted her to promise, and Lily was so intent on taking a job on a hospital ship to do her part for the war. Emma had failed Ma before – she had not kept Ruby safe despite her promise. Maybe this was her chance at redemption. Make this promise; ensure Lily’s safety even if it meant overcoming her own fear of getting on a ship again. She’d be able to live with herself once more.

She turned her gaze back to Ma, Ma’s eyes watery and pleading. ‘I promise, Ma. I’ll keep Lily safe no matter what.’

‘Th-thank you.’ Ma’s mouth twisted in what Emma supposed was the nearest she could manage to a smile, and then her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

Emma watched her for a moment, her chest rising and falling, her breathing becoming noisy. She put the book down on a side table and went out to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Lily was at work. Emma needed a moment of reflection. So now she’d promised to go back to sea, when the time came after Ma was gone. In some ways it made sense – rather than stay in the Southampton house alone, she’d be with Lily, making a difference, helping with the war effort. And, as Lily had told Ma when she’d first had the idea – a hospital ship in the Mediterranean was a far safer place than a liner in the north Atlantic. Maybe Lily would only do one voyage, and feel that was enough. It would be all right. And if she did this thing, she’d have kept her promise. She’d do it in Ruby’s memory.

Two weeks later, with Ma’s breathing becoming more and more laboured, both girls sat at her side in the evening. Emma caught Lily’s eye and gave a tiny shake of her head. She watched her sister bite her lip to stop the tears from falling. Ma slipped into a coma, her breaths grew less frequent, uneven and ragged, and then there was one