The music was as loud as usual on Friday morning. By now, Matthew had two days growth on his chin, and he looked a right state. But still he read the morning newspapers out loud to Jayne, and still there was no response.
Julia had left that morning with a smile on her face. It had surprised both Matthew and Sandra. When Sandra had stared at him in a questioning manner, Matthew had shrugged.
“It’s nothing to do with me,” he had said.
Sandra had still eyed him suspiciously.
The results of the brain scan that day were the same as always, still no significant change. But Matthew didn’t give up. He turned up the volume after Sandra and the coloured technician had left, and went on to the next daily newspaper.
As usual, Matthew had started with the broadsheets, supposedly the more intellectual and high brow of the national daily newspapers. Then he went on to the tabloids. He left the scandal sheets to the last. He read everything out loud, from beginning to end, even holding the newspaper over Jayne so that she could see the pictures. By now, Matthew knew more about the news than a BBC newsreader.
At four-thirty in the afternoon, Matthew started on the local newspapers. Sandra brought them in for him.
“I don’t know how you can stand much more of this,” she said. “You’re going to go deaf.”
“What?” Matthew turned the music down.
“Never mind!” Sandra replied and quickly left.
Matthew smiled as he turned the volume back up again.
“Manchester Evening News, first,” he said to Jayne, and began to read the headlines.
The main news was the same as it had been for the rest of the national newspapers, and Matthew now hardly paid any attention to what he was saying. The local news was a bit more interesting, well, only because it was different.
“Three killed in blast,” Matthew read out as he sat back in his chair. “An explosion killed three people in Oldham in the early hours of this morning. Two Fire Appliances were called out to fight the resulting blaze which spread to three houses in a quiet residential area.
“Investigators later blamed a faulty gas main for the explosion, and said that all three houses would have to be pulled down.
“Those killed in the blast were John Davies, a young man living on his own in one of the houses, and an elderly couple, Graham and Amanda Middleton, who were asleep in the house next door to where the blast occu—”
Matthew stopped in mid flow and sat up, staring at Jayne. He was shocked. Not just because he had suddenly realised what he was reading, that the surname of the elderly couple that had died was the same as Jayne’s, but also because he was sure that he had seen Jayne’s body twitch out of the corner of his eye. As he continued to stare at her, Jayne now remained still. There was no movement except for her regular breathing. But Matthew was sure of what he had seen.
With rising excitement, Matthew quickly turned the music off and re-read the news article, raising his voice and speaking very clearly and deliberately when he got to the appropriate part.
“Those killed in the blast were John Davies, a young man living on his own in one of the houses, and an elderly couple, Graham and Amanda Middleton, who were asleep in the house next door to where the blast occurred.”
Again Jayne twitched. Her whole body seemed to shiver. With his heart pounding in his chest, Matthew continued with the story.
“Neighbours said that it was quite sad, as Mr and Mrs Middleton had lost their only daughter in a car accident only a few months earlier....”
Matthew’s voice trailed off as he saw Jayne’s mouth open. As he stared at her, she took a deep breath and sighed, and her voice moaned softly.