‘Sorry,’ she said, wiping her hands.

Cameron scanned her with worried eyes. ‘I thought that you . . . it really scared me. I’m still pretty scared,’ he added, glancing at the blood.

‘A little bit of blood goes a long way and the head is covered in blood vessels. What happened to Patrick?’

‘I tied him up with the mooring line. He’s got a worse headache than you. Well, he’s complaining more.’

‘You could have killed me!’ Patrick shouted from the other side of the boat where police were handcuffing him.

Ros smiled over her shoulder at Cameron. ‘You came to our rescue.’

‘Of course I did.’ The way he looked at her made her giddy or perhaps it was the head injury.

‘You’re lovely,’ she said and then instantly wished she hadn’t. ‘I think maybe I’ve got concussion,’ she added hastily in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. She was grateful for the sound of the siren that interrupted them.

Twenty minutes later the police were taking Patrick off to the station for a chat while Ros was having her head examined by a paramedic. ‘Now it’s stopped bleeding I could probably stitch it up here,’ said the paramedic. ‘But because you were unconscious we need to get you checked over at hospital anyway, so I’ll let them do it as I stitch like Dr Frankenstein.’ Only he laughed at his joke. ‘Tough crowd,’ he said with a shrug.

‘Unconscious? I was out for less than a minute. That hardly needs hospitalisation. I’d be grateful if you could stitch me up here, please,’ said Ros.

The paramedic winced and pointed upwards. ‘The powers that be say I need to take you in.’

‘You are not employed by God,’ said Ros. ‘And I’m fairly certain you cannot force me to go somewhere I don’t want to go, as I believe that would be kidnapping.’

‘Ros, come on. He’s trying to help,’ said Cameron.

‘And I really do appreciate his medical expertise, but with an overrun NHS I don’t want to add to their problems when I’m perfectly fine.’

‘I’d be happier if you went to hospital,’ said Cameron.

‘Me too,’ said Darla, who was now out of the toilet but still rather pale.

Ros looked at the paramedic. He made an exaggerated puffing noise. ‘I don’t want to add abduction to my CV but there’s loads of paperwork I have to fill in if you won’t go. Well, it’s one form but still, I could do without it.’

Ros felt defeated. ‘Fine, but I still think it’s unnecessary and I will be leaving as soon as possible.’

‘Fair enough,’ said the paramedic. ‘I’ll get the stretcher chair.’

‘You’ll do no such thing,’ said Ros. ‘Cameron, help me up please.’

‘Independent, isn’t she?’ said the paramedic.

‘Militantly so,’ said Cameron, putting his arm around Ros and helping her to her feet.

As Ros had expected, the wait at the hospital was tedious and long but the nurses were really nice, and once she was through the waiting a lovely doctor checked her over and to her satisfaction declared that she just needed to be stitched up and sent home with a checklist of things to look out for in case she showed any signs of concussion. Thankfully she wasn’t in any real pain with the exception of her bruised backside. They had given her painkillers for her head but she’d had worse headaches. Ros was sitting quietly and listening to the doctor and nurse chat whilst they stitched up her head, when she became aware of raised voices heading her way – unsettlingly familiar voices at that.

‘Hold on,’ said the doctor, as the curtain was pulled back to reveal her father and mother.

‘They’re my parents,’ said Ros by way of apology. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked them whilst also giving wide eyes at Cameron and Darla. Darla pointed at Cameron.

‘Cabbage! What happened?’ Barry looked shocked.

‘We know what happened. Cameron said she’d been pushed over by a con man.’ Amanda was scowling at Barry. ‘Is your memory affected?’

Barry ignored her and came to stand next to Ros and hold her hand. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m absolutely fine,’ said Ros.

‘Is she okay?’ Barry asked the doctor.

‘I’m just tying off the last stitch then she’s good to go. Did someone give you the concussion checklist?’ he asked Ros.

‘I’ve got it,’ said Cameron. ‘I’ll take good care of her.’

‘I know you will,’ said Barry. Ros was heartened by the look that passed between the two men.

‘What were you doing on a boat with a con man?’ asked Amanda.

Ros replayed the whole thing in her mind. ‘It’s too complicated to explain. But in summary, not my con man, not my boat, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

‘You’ll need to speak to the police,’ said Darla to Ros. ‘Patrick could have . . .’ Darla swallowed hard; the events had obviously upset her.

‘Killed her?’ prompted Amanda. ‘I suppose that could have been the case.’ She turned to Cameron. ‘Was that why you called us?’

‘I was worried she was not going to let them treat her and I thought if you were here . . .’ he nodded at Barry ‘. . . she’d listen to you.’

‘I doubt it,’ said Barry with a warm smile at his daughter. ‘But I’m glad you called us,’ he added.

Ros pressed her lips together. She knew this was one of those moments when it was best that she kept her thoughts to herself. She also knew that whatever Cameron had done, however rash, he would have done it with her best interests in mind.

The nurse began removing things around them. ‘All done,’ said the doctor. ‘You’ll need to get in touch with your GP practice about getting the stitches removed in ten days.’

‘Thank you,’ said Ros and Barry shook the doctor’s hand.

‘Let’s get you home,’ said Cameron, sliding an arm around her to help her to her feet.

‘Are we all going back to Ros’s?’ asked Barry.

‘No,’ said Ros and Cameron together.

‘I think it’s best that she rests,’ said Cameron. ‘I’ll call you later to let you know how she is.’

‘But I will be fine,’ said Ros.

Cameron held her gently around her waist and guided her out of the cubicle and into the corridor. ‘I felt I needed backup so I called Barry. Sorry,’ he whispered in her ear.

‘You should be,’ she whispered back with a smile.

***