Finn looked down at her. ‘You know why. I get to be somebody else.’
‘But you’re not acting now.’
‘I’m acting every minute just to stay alive.’
If anyone else had said that, it might have made Kelly smile, but she knew that it wasn’t a joke for Finn.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.
Finn squeezed hers back.
A lady with curly hair, a headset and a clipboard was positioned just behind the camera that was aimed at Kelly and Finn. She was the one who had bossed Kelly around from the moment she came out of makeup, including giving precise instructions on where Kelly needed to stand. Kelly tried to remember her name. Melinda, perhaps? Melanie?
Melinda/Melanie looked excitedly at the host and flicked her head towards Kelly and Finn. She then made eye contact with the cameraman, who gave her a conspiratorial nod.
Finn must have seen it too, because he let go of Kelly’s hand. ‘Don’t be nervous, Kel. You’ll do great,’ he said.
But she could see the slight strain in his smile. Had she done something wrong? Had she caused trouble for him? This was Finn’s world, not hers, and she didn’t know the rules.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
But before Finn could answer, the host, Gerry Carpenter, burst into her field of vision, all blond hair and white teeth and absolute corniness. He was like a cheese stick in a suit, so processed and bland you didn’t believe there were any natural ingredients inside. He hosted one of the morning shows, so Kelly had seen his face on the monitors in waiting rooms and hospital beds, but she knew nothing else about the man.
‘Gerry Carpenter,’ he said as he shook their hands one after the other. ‘Lovely to meet you both. We’ll be live in ten seconds. Good luck.’
Kelly swallowed hard.
Somebody started counting backwards from ten.
She took a deep breath.
Gerry ran his tongue across his lips and smacked them back and forth, making a noise that was so infuriating, Kelly feared she might knock him out on live TV.
Finn stood as still as a lifeless god.
The countdown hit zero. The lights changed, the crew was silent and the only sound came from the celebrities answering phone calls a few metres behind them. Then Gerry began.
‘Welcome back to the Victorian Children’s Hospital Care for our Kids Appeal. Remember, it’s your generosity that helps us save lives and create futures together.’
Gerry was standing about a metre away from Kelly and Finn, but they might as well have been visible only by the Hubble Telescope, given how little attention he paid them.
Kelly stood frozen, her face disfigured by a terrified rictus.
‘Stop smiling so hard,’ Finn whispered. ‘You’ll scare off the donors.’
Gerry continued his monologue. ‘Joining us in the studio now are two absolute superstars.’
Kelly glanced at him. What was he talking about? Was there another celebrity coming?
Gerry dropped a shoulder towards the camera and raised his eyebrows. ‘But one of them isn’t a television superstar, she’s a superstar in the children’s hospital.’ He straightened up, sidled over to Kelly and addressed her directly. ‘Dr Kelly O’Mara, I understand you work in the emergency ward, is that right?’
‘Yes, that’s right, Gerry. I’m a Registrar at the Children’s, in training to be a paediatrician.’ Kelly could hear herself speaking. She was pleasantly surprised by how polite and articulate she sounded.
‘And what does that mean in English?’
‘It means I look after sick kids.’
Gerry gave her a showbiz smile. ‘Tell us about one of the kids you’ve looked after.’
