One Night Only (17 page)

“And
then
th
e
atomi
c
bomb
explode
d
fro
m
my
handba
g
an
d
I
ende
d
u
p
i
n
hospita
l
an
d
the
y
sa
y
I
have
week
s
t
o
live
!
W
eeks!
”

“Uh-huh,
”
sai
d
James
,
enterin
g
th
e
digit
s
fo
r
Sky
Sport
s
New
s
o
n
th
e
remot
e
withou
t
havin
g
t
o
tak
e
hi
s
eyes
of
f
th
e
screen
.
“
V
er
y
good.
”

Fookin
g
Groundho
g
Da
y
again!

“
Days
to
live
actuall
y
.
I
have
days!
It
’
s
serious
.

T
erminal
.
I
t
wa
s
a
termina
l
typ
e
o
f
bomb-typ
e
thing
y
.
Tha
t
mean
s
i
t
coul
d
kil
l
me
.
An
d
it
’
s
contagiou
s
too
.
So
yo
u
migh
t
hav
e
i
t
too
.
An
d
th
e
children.
”

Poll
y
wouldn
’
t
normall
y
jok
e
abou
t
suc
h
things
,
but
sh
e
wa
s
testin
g
ho
w
ba
d
th
e
communicatio
n
level
s
had
becom
e
withi
n
he
r
marriage
.
Sh
e
wa
s
o
n
transmi
t
–
he ha
d
switche
d
of
f
th
e
abilit
y
t
o
receive
.

“Ar
e
ther
e
an
y
mor
e
batterie
s
fo
r
thi
s
thing?
”
he asked
,
shakin
g
th
e
remot
e
wit
h
on
e
han
d
an
d
shovin
g
a
heft
y
forkfu
l
o
f
spaghett
i
int
o
hi
s
mout
h
a
t
th
e
sam
e
time
.

Poll
y
wa
s
hopin
g
h
e
woul
d
choke
.
“
James!
”
sh
e
said, knowin
g
exactl
y
wha
t
hi
s
respons
e
woul
d
be
.

“What
?
Sorr
y
.
What
,
love
?
I’
m
jus
t
checkin
g
on tomorrow
’
s
fixtures
.
Unite
d
ar
e
–
”

“
I
don
’
t
giv
e
a
flyin
g
fudg
e
wha
t
Unite
d
ar
e
doing
!
I
h
av
e
bee
n
tellin
g
yo
u
abou
t
m
y
da
y
an
d
yo
u
haven
’
t
listened
t
o
on
e
thin
g
I
said!
”

“Mum?
”
aske
d
Frankie
,
playin
g
wit
h
hi
s
food
.
“Should
I
swa
p
Johnn
y
a
Roone
y
car
d
fo
r
Schole
s
o
r
not
?
Da
d
says
not
.
Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
think?
”

Poll
y
looke
d
a
t
he
r
so
n
i
n
hi
s
re
d
footbal
l
jerse
y
,
his
littl
e
hand
s
no
w
ful
l
o
f
Socce
r
T
rum
p
Card
s
an
d
his
dinne
r
sittin
g
o
n
th
e
tabl
e
besid
e
hi
m
untouche
d
an
d
her
eye
s
widene
d
i
n
horro
r
.

Wha
t
di
d
sh
e
think
?
Wha
t
di
d
sh
e
think
?
A
t
tha
t
point,
s
h
e
couldn
’
t
thin
k
a
t
all
!
Sh
e
coul
d
onl
y
focu
s
o
n
breathing an
d
no
t
cryin
g
an
d
screamin
g
fo
r
som
e
attentio
n
t
o
come
he
r
wa
y
fo
r
a
change
!
Sh
e
caugh
t
a
quic
k
g
limps
e
o
f
her futur
e
a
t
tha
t
momen
t
an
d
i
t
trul
y
gav
e
he
r
th
e
willies
.
In he
r
mind
,
ther
e
sh
e
wa
s
i
n
te
n
years
’
time
,
surrounde
d
at thei
r
famil
y
dinin
g
tabl
e
b
y
no
t
one
,
no
t
two
,
bu
t
four one-track-minde
d
socce
r
fanatic
s
wh
o
wouldn
’
t
car
e
i
f
she
ha
d
day
s
o
r
week
s
t
o
liv
e
a
s
lon
g
a
s
Mancheste
r
Bloody
Unite
d
wer
e
winnin
g
th
e
Leagu
e
o
r
th
e
Cu
p
o
r
whatever othe
r
life-changin
g
competitio
n
the
y
wer
e
competin
g
in
thes
e
days
!