Oh dear God, NO! This cannot be happening.
Her mouth had gone dry and a thousand drums were beating in Robin’s ears, so loud she almost couldn’t hear what Nate was saying. Her head turned to face him while her eyes watched his Judas lips move.
‘You’re not being fair on her, Robin. I know you love her and want to do the best by her, but this isn’t the way. There are so many new treatments and therapies on offer and she’s missing out. Don’t you see that?’
The eruption when it came made the teapot rattle as Robin banged her fist on the table, her words hot lava on her tongue. ‘Liar! Hypocrite! That’s what you are, Nate! Oh I see everything. I really do so don’t you dare try and play me for a fool or place the blame on me when this is merely your way out of your marriage.’
Her hand trembled as she pointed a finger almost in his face. ‘I know all about your affair, with that woman called Josie. That you’ve been carrying on with one of your colleagues so won’t it be convenient if Willow is shuffled off to hospital then you can get on with your sordid little affair.’
Her head swivelled, her eyes burning with hate as she looked at Edmund, and for a second, relished having one over on him. ‘So, how do you feel reverend dearest? Knowing your son-in-law has been unfaithful to your sick daughter and you’re playing right into his grubby hands!’
Edmund sighed and shook his head. ‘Nate has already confessed to me and whilst I do not condone his behaviour in any way, I see it as a separate issue to that of Willow’s mental health. The facts remain the same. Our daughter requires specialist care, and we are going to see that she gets it.’
We?
Robin was rendered catatonic by rage and shock. He was giving her an ultimatum. They had decided, taking her out of the equation like she was surplus to requirements.
Speak, for God’s sake. Say something, anything to stop this.
‘And where the hell do you think you’re taking her? To that dreadful place she was last time, at the general? You didn’t even visit her, Edmund, but I did and it’s… it’s truly awful. Understaffed and run-down. So what makes you think the NHS are going to provide the care she needs when they’re already on their last legs?’ Robin was nauseous even thinking about the place where the staff did their best, but no better than her. She was sure of it.
Edmund made a clicking sound with his teeth, like a pin being pulled from a grenade and in a way his answer was just that, a bombshell. ‘Willow won’t be going there. They’re short of beds and the waiting list is too long so I will be paying for her care. Nate and I have found a private clinic in Derbyshire that can take her almost immediately. It’s been arranged. She’s going on Monday.’
Robin had to grip the table and press her feet into the floor in an attempt to remain conscious, her voice when it escaped was a mere whisper. ‘Monday… you’re taking her away on Monday? But that’s only two days…’ and then from somewhere within, mother bear found her roar.
‘NO! NO, NO, NO. I won’t allow it. I’ll fight you all the way… you won’t take her. I mean it, you will not take my child.’
‘ROBIN, STOP!’ Edmund’s voice boomed around the kitchen bouncing off the walls, making Robin wince.
‘Nate is Willow’s next of kin and he’s signed the paperwork and if you put up a fight I will back him all the way. I’m quite sure the authorities will take the word of a respected teacher and a man of the cloth, husband and father who only have Willow’s best interests at heart over that of an overprotective, exhausted emotionally frail mother who is putting her own wants before that of her child. You won’t win, Robin. So give up now.’
She looked to Nate, but he had his head in his hands.
‘Nate, look at me. You owe me that at least.’ Robin watched as he slowly met her eyes. ‘You do see what he’s doing, don’t you? Because the minute you admitted your affair you gave him the ammunition he needed to punish me for rejecting him. Can’t you see that? This isn’t about Willow, it’s abouthimtaking control.’
She glanced at Edmund and gave him a look, scathing and disgusted, like she’d tasted something repulsive.
Robin couldn’t bear to look at him for one second longer so returned to Nate. ‘He thinks by taking Willow out of the equation he’s onto a winner… he can’t lose. He’s a sick, twisted narcissist who would sacrifice his daughter to make me come to heel and if I don’t, he will happily watch me suffer. Dear God, Nate, don’t you understand?’
Nate’s eyes were wide, like he was actually seeing things her way. There was a glimmer of hope.
‘I’m sorry, Robin. I truly am but regardless of what you suspect his motives are, I think Edmund is right. Willow needs proper help and… and… I can’t go on living a half-life and you will hate me for that but it’s true. I lost my baby, too. And now I’ve lost my wife and I grieve for them both more than you know but I deserve a chance of happiness.’
The glimmer had been extinguished and in its place, a void, deep black, like despair. Robin was astounded. ‘You deserve.Nate, have you heard yourself? We’ve all suffered, and we’ve all grieved. I lost my beautiful granddaughter that day. I was there, I saw it all, remember… lived through every second and still do when I can’t fight the memories, but do I complain? I’ve sworn to dedicate my life to Willow because it’smyjob, mine. And you can’t take it from me. You have no right.’
‘He has every right, Robin. And you’ve just demonstrated why you’re not in the correct frame of mind to care for Willow because it’s clear you’re suffering from post-traumatic stress of some kind. You admitted it only seconds ago. You’re transferring the trauma of the day and projecting it onto Willow, seeing it as your duty to care for her when in fact you’re using her as a crutch.’
Robin stood, her body leaning in Edmund’s direction as she screamed, ‘And when did you become a fucking psychiatrist?’
Whether it was the high-pitched accusation or the profanity that caused Edmund to recoil and Nate to gasp, she didn’t care and turned her attention to her disappointing son-in-law. Knowing she had to get a grip and not fuel Edmund’s ridiculous hypothesis; Robin lowered her voice.
‘Nate, please don’t listen to a word he says because he’s brainwashing you like he tried to with Willow and Cris. But you’re not a child like they were, or a silly naïve young wife like I was, who didn’t realise what she was getting herself into. Think for yourself, Nate, I beg you.’
Nate’s eyes flicked to Edmund, but his lips remained closed. Robin tried again.
‘Why didn’t you come to me? We’ve always got along well, and I thought we had a good enough relationship. You could have talked to me about how you were feeling. If you’d been honest, told me you were unhappy we could have worked something out, we still can. If you want to walk away and start a new life then go but please, don’t send Willow to a strange place… please, I beg you…’
She was about to break down, her voice cracked, and she was struggling to breathe let alone speak but forced out the words. ‘Don’t take my baby away from me.’
