Eye for an Eye

his hair short and stiff, close to the stitches. McVicar, true to his word, had wasted no time in finding out the truth. Last night, Patterson had lied. Now he was being given a choice. Take a sideways step, or get out.
    ‘I need you here at eleven-thirty for a debriefing, Andy. I’d like to hear your side of it all before we face the press. We’re in for a rough time, let me tell you. But all things being equal, we can announce your promotion then.’
    ‘Very good, sir. But there is one other thing.’
    ‘What’s that?’
    ‘I had been planning to take some leave. A couple of weeks. To spend some time with Jack and Maureen. And a long-lost friend.’
    ‘I think we could live with that. But I need you to complete all reports before you go.’
    ‘Not a problem, sir.’
    And with that, McVicar disconnected.
    Gilchrist glanced at his wrist then remembered he had lost his watch at Patterson’s. He was less than a mile from the hospital and estimated the time to be about ten o’clock. Doctor Ferguson had told him Beth would be out of it for the best part of the morning.
    When she wakened, would she remember what she had done? Would she feel regret at her past? Or fear for her future? Would her memory reveal itself with all its hidden horrors? However she felt, Gilchrist knew she would need someone to be with her, someone to tell her it’s all right to make a mistake, all right to fail from time to time. Failing is part of life. It’s what makes us human. And sometimes we have to learn how to fail before we learn how to succeed. He would tell her that. He would not fail her this time.
    He leaned into the wind and started walking.