Running with Rogues

CHAPTER 7 - TESCO

I snapped my head up. "Would that work on Eira?"

"I don't think so, somehow," she said gently. "In fact, I think the sanocytes might be doing the damage. It would explain why there's no human equivalent."

Epilepsy crossed with multiple sclerosis: that was the best way to describe Eira's illness. She'd had her first seizure when she was eleven, and in the years since they had gotten worse and more frequent. Without access to a hospital, we couldn't work out what was wrong, let alone treat her. It was frustrating, to say the least.

"Anyway, I'll be back when her saline is finished," Fion said. "There are cards beside the bed."

And so we played cards for a few hours and I Spy when that eventually fizzled out. Bryn was distracted — he was even more restless than usual, and he disappeared for another ten minutes and came back smelling of bleach and sawdust. I didn't ask what he was doing. There was no bloody point. He wasn't very good at hiding his evil schemes, so I'd find out sooner or later.

When the drip went off again, it was Sam who poked his head through the door. His blonde hair was soaked through, so it was probably raining for the hundredth time this week.

"Up you get, kids," he said. "Fion's going to relieve you for a few hours."

Suspicion and doubt — those were my first instincts, and for good reason.

"Why?" I demanded.

Sam made a face. "I'm taking you both to Tesco."

"Oh no," Bryn breathed. "Oh no."

"And yes, before you ask, we've got to bring the little ones," he sighed. "It was this or covering the old latrine pit. Count yourself lucky."

"Lucky? I'd prefer the pit," I spluttered, and Bryn nodded his agreement vigorously.

"Well, that's bloody tough, isn't it? I want you outside and ready to go in two minutes."

And with that, he turned and left, the ward door sliding closed, and Bryn and I were left to stare at each other with abject horror. Eira was still asleep, somehow.

"Shotgun," my cousin whispered.

I swore at him.

***

My ears were ringing, and we weren't even in the supermarket yet. I was sat between Matty and Ahmed to separate them. They'd treated me to an off-key rendition of 'I Know A Song That Will Get On Your Nerves,' and it had, in fact, got on my nerves. In the back seat, Jess was teaching Poppy every swearword she knew, and we'd long since given up on trying to stop her.

"How did you stay sane," I asked Sam as we were getting out, "when eight of us were little at the same time?"

"Honestly? I didn't," he laughed. "Nia was too smart for her own good. Bryn would never stop yakking and Rhodri picked fights with everyone. You were a piece of shit. Eira was worse. Ellis ... well, Ellis was okay, actually."

I snorted. "We haven't changed much, have we?"

"I'm not convinced you've changed at all, to be honest."

"Eva's chill now," Bryn pointed out.

Sam thought about it for a moment. "That's true. Eva's chill, and Nia grew up."

The truth was, I had to be chill. Someone had to be. Before Liam had joined the equation, I'd been the ringleader in every hairbrained scheme. There had been a good few years afterwards when we'd all wreaked havoc together, but then I'd hit seventeen and decided that I just couldn't be bothered anymore. It was so much more fun sitting back with some popcorn and watching everyone else struggle, and I wasn't sure how it had taken me so long to realise that.