One Day in Cornwall. Zoe Cook

      ‘I know,’ Lucy said, as her mind raced. She felt suddenly that she might be sick.

      ‘We don’t know exactly what happened yet but there was an accident, Lucy, I’m so sorry – ‘

      ‘What?’ Lucy’s voice shook, fear creeping through her body. ‘What are you saying to me?’

      ‘It was a very serious accident, Lucy. They’re in the hospital now; they’re doing everything they can for them.’

      ‘What the fuck are you saying to me?’ Lucy said, standing, her body shaking. This was the craziest, sickest thing anyone had ever done to her. She had no idea what was going on.

      ‘It’s a lot to take in,’ Geraldine said calmly, ‘ And you need someone with you. Is there someone we can call? An adult?’

      Lucy couldn’t think. Everything was failing her; she thought she might pass out.

      ‘My parents, my brother?’ she said, slowly. ‘Are they going to be okay?’ The words sounded ridiculous. Of course they would be okay. There was no other option. The whole scene felt like an evil joke.

      ‘I’m so very sorry. We’ll know more at the hospital,’ the man replied. ‘We’re here to help you in whatever way we can. But the first thing you need to do is call someone who can come and be with you here; someone you trust.’

      ‘I need to speak to Claire,’ Lucy said, numb, the words hollow in her mouth.

      ‘We can arrange that,’ Geraldine said, softly. ‘Have a think about who I can call for you now, to come over here and travel to the hospital with you, or take you somewhere else – whatever you want.’

      Lucy scanned through her brain for an appropriate response and found nothing. There was nothing in her that could cope with this. She couldn’t even process it. The words kept repeating over and over and over. In the pit of her stomach a sense of doom settled; a fear that she was never, ever, going to be okay ever again. Nothing could ever be alright if something happened to her family. They just needed to come home, that’s all that could happen. She just needed her parents and Richie to come home, like normal, and she’d be so grateful and it would all be okay. How could an afternoon so beautiful become such a nightmare?

      She felt a hand on her arm and the reality crushed her all over again; her legs folded and she collapsed back onto the lounger.

      ‘Call Tom’s mum,’ Lucy said, tears pouring from her eyes, her body stone-cold in the scorching heat, her heart threatening to stop beating all together. She just needed to get to the hospital and find out how they were going to make this all better.

      ‘Call Sarah.’