by S G Read
‘Yes Mr Follet.’
He walked to the door.
‘The sooner we can bring him back to a conscious state the better! Goodnight.’ He said from the doorway.
David nodded a goodbye, as he himself was near to tears; he turned back to Stuart and sat down.
‘Well what do we talk about?’
The nurse sat down at the desk to catch up on her paperwork, as she did so the telephone rang. Still looking at her paperwork, she picked up the receiver.
‘I.T.; Yes he is. Mr Sellars it is for you.’
David looked up in surprise.
‘I wonder who that can be. If it's old Sedgewick chasing that report I'll tell him where to stick it!’ He walked round the bed and over to the telephone. ‘Hello, David Sellars here.’
‘It's Nurse Teller here. I have had a phone call from a Mrs Brown, she was expecting her son home and he hasn't arrived. I was just making sure that he was with you, as he isn't with the rest of the boys.’
‘No, we haven't seen him today. He was coming in, in the morning and then going home, then on to the youth club! Did he come in?’
‘I wouldn't know I wasn't here. I'll phone Carol and ask her, she won't mind.’
David replaced the receiver and walked back to the bed.
‘Stephen has disappeared.’
‘Isn’t he with the others?’ Wendy asked.
‘Not according to his mother but the others seem to have disappeared as well, I’ll have a phone round.’
‘I don't think I can handle worrying about two boys at once.’ Wendy said tiredly.
The telephone rang again and David returned to the desk expecting it to be for him. The nurse answered it, spoke for a few seconds while David hovered, then replaced the receiver. As David turned to go the telephone rang again, this time the nurse passed the receiver to David.
‘It's Carol, Nurse O’Riley. I feel terrible. This morning when we examined Stuart, after we heard the alarm. The timer told us he had been arrested for seventeen minutes. Doctor Patterson could not find a pulse and said that there was nothing more to be done. After he had covered him with the sheet and taken the sensors off his little body, I saw a face at the side window. I hurried over and pulled the curtains, then went out there but I couldn't see anyone. If it was him he will think his friend is dead!’
‘Oh my God! Thank you for letting me know.’ David replaced the receiver and walked back to the bed again. ‘There are things they are not telling us. Apparently earlier today one of the doctors saw fit to pronounce Stuart dead!’
Wendy covered her mouth. ‘But-’ she paused as she sought the words, looking down at Stuart. ‘Why?’ Was the only thing she could think of.
‘Heavens knows but they think Stephen saw them cover him, you know the sheet over the face, as they do it in films.’
‘Oh no! You've got to go to him; but where will he be, if he isn’t at home and he isn’t with the others?’
‘If he isn’t with the others, which seems more likely now that I have the full facts and he hasn’t gone home I think I know where he’ll go.’ David said quietly. ‘Will you be alright here?’
‘Yes. Find him and give him a cuddle for me, the poor thing.’ Wendy cried.
‘He must feel terrible!’ David exclaimed before he left. ‘I know I would!’
CHAPTER 20
David ran to his car and drove home. If Stephen was where David thought he was, then he would need a good torch. The hunt for a working torch was shorter at the Sellars house, than it would have been at a lot of houses. Once armed with a good torch with a fully charged battery he drove off toward the river. He parked his car and followed the river until he came to the wood, then started into the wood. He was not sure how quickly he would find the tree house but he was sure he would find it, he needed to find it! He searched for the tree house, the beam from the torch penetrating the darkness wherever he pointed it. When he found the tree house, the ladder stood against the tree. He climbed up but the door was locked from the inside.
‘Stephen?’ David called softly.
There was no reply.
‘Stephen, I know you are in there!’
‘Go away!’ Stephen replied starting to sob. ‘I'm having a wake and it's private!’
‘He's not dead! He's in a coma! Wendy is with him. I had to leave him to come and find you, because your mother is worried about you.’
‘I saw them pull the sheet over his head!’ Stephen cried.
‘Listen, that was a mistake.’ David narrated the events as far as he knew them, up to the phone call from his mother.
The bolt slid back but when David tried to open the door Stephen was in the way. After a struggle he squeezed in through the door, Stephen lay on the floor a half empty bottle next to him, his eyes red and glazed in the torch light.
‘What's that?’ David asked, shining his torch on the bottle.
‘Good!’ Stephen replied with a gurgling laugh.
David unscrewed the cap and sniffed the contents.
‘Good God! I should say it is!’ He agreed and put the cap back on.
The journey from the tree house to David's car was more than interesting, as David half carried and half steered Stephen along.
‘The others are going to kill me for drinking our potato wine!’ Stephen complained as David dragged him out of the car and carried him up the stairs to his flat. The lift was, as usual, out of order.
‘I would be more concerned what your mother was going to do!’ David warned during one of the rests he had to have on the way up. Finally he knocked the door.
Pat Brown opened the door.
‘Oh my god what's happened?’ She gasped.
‘Potato wine!’ David answered, as he carried Stephen into his bedroom.
‘So that's what it was! I made them tip it away, when I found it. They must have made some more!’ Mrs. Brown said remembering coming back to a flat which was cleaner than when she left.
‘He's going to learn a new word in the morning; hangover.’ David added.
‘It will serve him right.’ Pat replied sharply.
Over coffee David explained the events as he knew them and Pat mellowed at the thought of Stephen thinking that Stuart was dead.
‘Poor Stevey, I'll keep my eye on him tonight. I'm sorry if I seemed hard on him but his father used to come home like this a lot and on my money!’ Pat explained. ‘Whether given or not!’
‘Well I must get back!’ David said, putting his mug on the table.
‘Yes you must. I'm sorry to have bothered you at a time like this, as soon as Stevey is fit enough, I'll send him back to the hospital. Hopefully between you and the boys you can bring Stuart out of the coma!’
When David returned to Intensive Care, he found the bed Stuart had been in gone. The nurse was busy with another patient and David had to wait until she was free, to find out what had happened.
‘My son was here earlier, Stuart Sellars.’ He asked.
‘Oh yes, your wife was with him. He had stabilized enough to go back to the ward he was in.’ She replied.
‘He was awake?’ David asked.
‘No, we thought it might help, being in a room he was used to.’ The nurse replied.
‘Thank you.’
David knew the way to the room Stuart had been taken to, blindfolded and he found Wendy there talking to Stuart, although there was no indication he could hear her.
‘Did you find him?’ She asked.
‘Oh yes! I found him.’ David replied.
‘Well!’ She prompted. ‘Is he alright?’
‘He'll have a headache tomorrow.’
‘Did he hit his head?’
‘No. He was drinking home made potato wine.’
‘So that's what it was!’ Wendy exclaimed. ‘Still I don't blame him! What a hospital!’
‘Who's knocking my hospital?’ Brenda asked from the doorway. ‘I saw you come in Mr. Sellars, do you want a cup of tea?’
‘I'd love one.’
/>
Carol appeared beside Brenda.
‘Are you still here?’ David asked.
‘I wouldn't sleep if I went home.’ Carol replied. ‘I've been updating Brenda on the latest happenings and Billy Robert's hand in it!’
‘Yes and if I get my hands on that spotty little toad he'll wish I hadn't!’ Brenda said furiously.
‘Mr. Follet sent him home. No police, no nothing!’ Carol replied. ‘I think the term another hospital whitewash comes to mind!’
‘Not if I can help it!’ Brenda retorted angrily.
‘Is there anything we should know?’ David asked.
Carol turned to Brenda.
‘I know how you feel Brenda but it won't change anything, except maybe where YOU work!’ She warned.
Brenda thought about it for a few seconds.
‘That's true but there is more than one way to skin a cat! I will talk to you later Mr. Sellars.’
‘I will make up this other bed so that one of you can sleep on it, while the other one watches over Stuart.’ Carol announced then turned back to Brenda. ‘Now how are WE going to skin this particular cat?’
When the two nurses left, Wendy looked up.
‘You can sleep if you want to. I don't think I can.’ She said thoughtfully.
‘I don't think I will be able to either. Mr. Follet said talk to him, so let's talk. I need to catch up on his last two years, we seem to have drifted apart. You know I missed both of his last two birthdays!’
‘Yes I do know! I was there making excuses for you!’ Wendy said a little bitterly.
‘Sorry.’
‘Don't tell me, tell him!’
‘Sorry Stu.’
In the morning Stuart's condition had not changed. Wendy lay asleep on the other bed, while David sat holding Stuart's hand and reading out loud from Treasure Island, he had long since run out of things to talk about.
‘Is there any change?’ Brenda asked from the doorway, quietly trying not to wake Wendy.
‘No, he just seems to be in a deep sleep.’
Brenda went through the usual routine and marked the readings on Stuart's new chart. The old chart had been removed.
‘What's been going on here?’ David asked.
‘We'll talk more when Stuart is home. I'm sure he'll pull round.’ Brenda answered and would not say anymore on the subject. After checking that Stuart did not need moving or washing, she left.
Wendy stirred and sat up, looking across at David.
‘Any news?’ She asked.
‘No but then we haven't got to the action yet!’
Wendy stretched her limbs and yawned, then walked into the bathroom.
‘God I'm a mess!’ She had nothing with her in the way of make up but found the hairbrush she brought in for Stuart. ‘What are we going to do for food?’
‘There is the cafeteria.’
‘Do they do breakfast?’ Wendy asked hungry enough to even eat cafeteria food.
David shrugged his shoulders but realized it was not a good answer for someone in another room.
‘The husband shrugged his shoulders.’ He said as though he had read it from the book.
‘Sorry I didn't hear you!’ Wendy replied sarcastically.
‘I've never been here for breakfast before!’ David explained.
‘Who's going to be brave enough to find out?’ Wendy asked.
‘I can't go yet, I'm only half way through the book?’ David exclaimed.
‘You coward.’ Wendy taunted. ‘I'll go! You might be sorry.’
When Wendy returned from the cafeteria she took over from David and it was his turn. He had to phone his firm, to let them know what was going on, as he walked along, he saw Stephen.
‘Hello Stephen!’ David greeted loudly.
‘You don't have to shout!’ Stephen replied. ‘Is he okay? I was just coming up to see, then I've got to phone the others at Ben's house.’
‘He's still in the coma but he is stable and back in the ward.’
They found a working payphone and David let his firm know he would not be in until Stuart improved. As he walked away he instinctively turned back.
‘You're going to phone the others, have you any money?’ He asked.
Stephen shook his head.
David pulled out a handful of coins.
‘You can give back what you don't use, I'll be in the cafeteria.’ He said quietly.
Stephen pretended to be sick.
‘Wendy said the breakfast was good!’ David exclaimed.
Stephen phoned the others who said they would have a meeting about it, then he found David in the cafeteria and gave him the unused change.
‘We're having a meeting to find out what we can do to help.’ Stephen announced.
‘Where are you having the meeting?’
‘The tree hou- that's not good!’ Stephen grabbed the money and ran off.
When he returned, he was still puffing. ‘I didn't think that would be a good idea, considering.’ Stephen explained.
‘If the treehouse it out, where are you going to have this meeting now then?’
‘Stuart's room, now that he's back in the ward there's plenty of room!’
David thought about that for a few minutes, then asked. ‘Do you want some breakfast?’
Stephen looked at the food David was eating before he answered.
‘Yes please.’
David pulled out his wallet and gave Stephen a five pound note.
‘Make the food fit the money available.’ He advised.
Stephen smiled.
‘I'm used to that by now!’ He replied and headed for the counter.
When David returned to Stuart's room he was being followed by the rest of the team. He walked round to the right hand side of the bed and sat beside Wendy who was just sitting holding Stuart's cold hand, cupped in both of her's. The boys trooped in as quietly as they could and bunched on the opposite side of the bed, leaving room for the door to open without hitting one of them. When they were all quiet, Stephen spoke.
‘You Stuart are formally invited to the official opening of the tree house.’
He reversed into the pack and Ben stepped forward.
‘As we are celebrating the finishing of the tree house we decided to celebrate exactly as we did in the jungle. Everything is waiting for when you can come.’
David now knew what Ben meant by everything but he said nothing. Ben reversed into the pack and Simon stepped forward.
‘When we say that everything is ready we mean everything! So to help you to remember we are going to sing some of the songs we sang then, starting with Barnacle Bill the sailor!’
‘We can't sing that here!’ Toby said loudly then lowered his voice, so that only they could hear.
Simon, unsure what was going on turned to face the group.
‘What about-’ John started but then lowered his voice as Toby had.
‘No we can't do that one either.’ David recognised Sherman's voice.
‘What about-’ again the voice was lowered but David heard the end of it as the volume of Sherman's voice crept back up. - ‘Unless we get rid of you know who!’
The boys turned to look at David and Wendy, then turned back to talk among their selves. This time David Sellars heard Ben say.
‘No chance of them going anywhere! We could always sing sweet violets?’
Other boys started to voice their opinions and the noise from the group started to rise, as each boy raised his voice, so that he could be heard above the noise. The buzz grew to a hum, then started approaching a roar, until Wendy stood up. Before she could say anything David kissed her.
‘This is what they do best!’ He whispered.
The door opened and both Brenda and Carol stood there agape. As David was on his feet, he signalled the two nurses not to say anything and walked over. Carol closed the door to stop the noise from disturbing the rest of the ward.
David put his head between the two nurse’s heads and whispered into the ears neare
st his mouth. ‘Could you sleep through this?’
By now the boys were arguing furiously and Wendy was staring transfixed at the group until the cold hand in her hands, squeezed her finger. She looked down and saw Stuart's other hand twitch. Brenda saw it as well and pointed. Wendy squeezed Stuart's hand and he squeezed back, then his eyes opened. Tears started to flow down Wendy's cheeks, as soon as the eyes looked at her. Stuart smiled then the smile disappeared and a frown appeared, he turned his head toward the others.
‘I am trying to sleep!’ He complained but his voice was weak and only those who were looking at him heard.
He repeated the words louder and Stephen above all the noise recognised his voice. He moved forward out of the crowd to look, in case he was hearing things.
‘Hi Stevey!’ Stuart greeted but his voice was weak and Stephen heard nothing, he only saw the mouth move.
‘SHUT UP!’ Stephen shouted. The noise stopped immediately. ‘Thank you; I couldn't hear what Stu was saying.’
The boys looked down at Stuart, Stuart smiled up at them.
‘Hi you lot what were you arguing about?’ Stuart asked.
‘Does this mean we don't get to sing to him?’ Simon asked.
Confused by the answer Stuart looked at his mother, tears were flowing freely. He looked at his father to ask him what was going on but he was crying as well.
‘Did I black out again?’ Stuart asked Stephen.
‘Sort of Stu.’ Stephen replied.
‘I dreamt that you were crying earlier Stevey.’ Stuart said weakly.
‘Weird dreams you have!’ Stephen retorted.
‘The tree house is finished and ready for the grand opening ceremony.’ Simon announced. ‘We're going to celebrate as we planned!’
David Sellars thought of saying something to the contrary but he stayed silent. He could deal with that problem later.
