Page 22 of Washed Up

‘Love that,’ said Dylan, giving Blondie’s head a little rub with his free hand.

‘She’s also the best dog in the whole world,’ said Frankie. ‘Just so you know.’

‘I can see that,’ said Dylan.

‘I like this one,’ said Brian.

‘You’ve said that, Dad,’ said Frankie.

‘You keep saying it, sir, by all means,’ said Dylan in that mock-American accent.

‘Suck up,’ muttered Frankie under her breath.

CHAPTER TEN

Back at the manor, they gave Brian a proper once over. Frankie made him lift his jumper, which he finally agreed to do after much grumbling, and sure enough, there was a large, ugly bruise down the side of his body that was swiftly turning purple.

‘It’s a good job it landed on your side, is all I can say, Dad,’ said Frankie, trying to keep her voice light.

‘That’s proper, that is,’ said Dylan. ‘A proper job.’

‘You almost sound impressed,’ said Frankie.

‘I am. It’s a man thing,’ said Dylan.

To her surprise, Brian made a grunt of agreement. She put a hand to his forehead again, feeling suitably nurse-like, then pressed him into the armchair by the range to keep warm.

‘Stop clucking,’ said her dad.

‘I’d better tell Mum,’ said Frankie. She didn’t dare look in Dylan’s direction. People always thought Lily was the least motherly person going. Which was true.

‘I wouldn’t bother,’ said Brian. ‘She’ll only try to call the doctor.’

‘As she should,’ said Frankie.

She left the men to go and make a restorative cup of tea for her dad, and forage up some adequate coffee for Dylan. When she returned, they were laughing together like old friends.

‘It was always the bloody drummer,’ Brian was saying. ‘I don’t know what it is about women and drummers.’

‘Oh my God, yes,’ said Dylan. ‘They’re all total…’

As she walked into the room with the drinks and two packets of painkillers from the first aid kit, both men stopped talking and turned to stare at her. ‘What?’ she said.

‘Dylan here is in a band, did you know that?’ said Brian, clearing his throat.

‘He has mentioned it,’ said Frankie, grinning.

Brian smiled back. His chest was noisy when he spoke and as he breathed. ‘I was in a band, once upon a time.’

‘You’ve mentioned that too, Dad,’ said Frankie.

‘He was telling me all about it,’ said Dylan, who to his credit looked like he was taking it all extremely seriously. ‘Marvin and the Whatsits or something like that, wasn’t it? They sound very cool.’

‘Marvin and the Thundernauts. They were on Top of the Pops once,’ said Frankie proudly. ‘The amp blew halfway through their set and they had to carry on regardless. We’ve heard the story a few times as you can imagine.’

‘Those were the days.’ Brian smiled more deeply and she started. With the plaster dust lining and accentuating the few wrinkles he had, he looked suddenly old. He wasn’t of course, only in his fifties, but for the first time in her life, that she could remember, she had a flash of worry about her parents getting older. It wasn’t something that ever occurred to her on a day-to-day basis. Her father was super active and her mother was, well, Lily. It didn’t bear thinking about, what might happen when they could no longer do all the things they did for the island. Or for her.

Well, all the things her dad did for her, at least.