Chapter 49:

Sitting at the table in the restaurant, Tom looked round the room to see if there was any sign of Taliah but he couldn't see her. He had no idea what was happening and was beginning to get increasingly worried about her. After she had left he had picked up a newspaper from the table next to him to read but he hadn't even got past the first page as he had resorted to staring out of the window which looked over the car park and across part of Greenock. As he thought about what Taliah might be going through he could see a figure out of the corner of his eye coming closer to the table and realised it was Taliah. She sat herself down at the table opposite Tom but didn't say a word and instead stared at the table, lost in thought.

"How did it go?" Tom asked gently as he lent across the table towards Taliah. He had no idea about what had actually happened, but he could tell by the look on Taliah's face that it can't have been good.

"Can we just go back to the school house please?" Taliah asked quietly without looking at Tom. She didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts without anyone bothering at there was too much going on in her head. She knew Mr Clarkson was only trying to help her but now just wasn't the time.

"Of course we can." Tom replied and the duo got up out of their seats and made their way down the stairs, out of the hospital and towards Tom's car. The cold breeze hit Taliah's face but she didn't have the energy to fasten her coat up. She felt too numb and tired to do anything and as she walked further across the car park, the slower and more tired she got.

When they finally arrived at the car, Taliah climbed in and before Tom had even made it out of the car park, Taliah had fallen asleep. As Tom glanced over, he wasn't surprised to see Taliah with her head resting against the window with her eyes closed. HE could tell by her face and the pace that she was walking that she was exhausted and he believed that this sleep is what she needed. Tom remembered how little sleep he got when Izzy died and he had a feeling Taliah would be getting even less so it was a wonder how she was even still functioning.

Pulling up the driveway to the school house, Tom slowly brought the car to a halt before cutting the engine. He unclipped his own seatbelt before turning to Taliah where he gave her a gentle nudge to wake her.

"Sorry to wake you but we're back." Tom said quietly as Taliah slowly sat up, taking a stretch as she looked out the window where Maggie was beginning to make her way down the steps. Taliah unclipped her seatbelt before opening the car door and climbing out slowly. She looked over and saw Maggie making her way over to Tom but Taliah didn't wait for anymore questions to be asked and headed straight inside the house. She could feel their eyes watching her but she didn't care and continued to make her way into the house and straight up the stairs.

"I take it didn't go well then?" Maggie asked Tom as he shut his car door and the duo made their way into the school house for a drink. Tom explained about what had happened at the hospital and that Taliah hadn't uttered a word to him on the way home.

"I'll keep an extra close eye on her." Maggie said as they made their way into the kitchen where Maggie switched the flick on the kettle and made her way to the cupboard to get two cups out. "I can't begin to imagine what she must be going through."

"Neither can I, but her and Finian seemed so close to each other before." Tom said as Taliah used to talk about going out places with her brother and how they used to get on really well before any of this happened and he didn't understand how such a good relationship can just change overnight.

"Well, grief does strange things to people." Maggie replied and Tom knew what she meant as he himself had gone through phrases of being off with people for no reason when he lost Izzy so it must just be natural for other people to do so to.

"Anyways, I'd better be off," Tom said as he drank the last bit of his tea and placed the mug in the sink. He made his way over to the door, Maggie following in order to see him off. "Let me know if anything happens." Tom said as he stepped out of the door and Maggie agreed that she would, waving as Tom got in his car and drove down the driveway and out of sight.