Daryl’s Sister

By Dave Calder

Contents

Only Two?                                                                                                           2

Marcella                                                                                                            13

Nothing else for it                                                                                              20

Life After Kirsty                                                                                                33

Evidence for the Defence                                                                                   50

War at Kirsty’s                                                                                                  85

Find Debbie                                                                                                       90

Bowling                                                                                                            112

Parents Evening                                                                                               118

Summer Prom                                                                                                 133

Holiday                                                                                                            137

A World of her Own                                                                                        152

The End                                                                                                           180

Rev 17

Only Two?

  “No way!” she yelled in blind panic “No way this side of hell am I doing anything like that. Stop the car right now.”

“Its what you agreed to, kid. And you’ve been paid half already”

“I have no such thing”

“Kirsty, you agreed, I paid. I said we’d pick you up. Now its up to you to deliver”

“I don’t know who you think I am but I’ve not taken any money from you. And I won’t either. Let me out. Now!”

“Listen Miss Belmonte! You’re coming with us as agreed. I told you what you need to do. And we’re gonna be late”

“I am not! I’m Kirsty Gonzalez. You’ve got the wrong girl!”

“We can’t just let her out Kirk – she knows too much now”

“Let me out now or I’ll scream in your ear till you do. 

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh”

“Stup up” - “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”

“Shut her up Kirk I can’t think.”

She undid her seatbelt to move over right next to him and yelled as loud as she ever had.

Dar jumped, shifted to the right in his seat as she screamed and the car skewed “Ahhhhhhhhhh”

“Shut up”

“Slow down Dar”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”

“Shut her up, Kirk”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” 

“Slow down Dar! …    …Dar!”

 “We’re not gonna make it!!”

The screech of tyres went on for an eternity as Kirsty now held her breath as the car lurched sideways. She remembered “I can’t darling. I’ve got Tomas to look after. Just get the bus.” And the bus stop and the car, and calling her name and…………..

The car hit the kerb and took off. Still rising, it clipped the fence post in the low hedge by the forest and flipped over. The resounding crash was followed by an imminent silence broken only by the gentle whirr of a still spinning wheel standing proud above the tangled wreckage.

It was only a matter of minutes before the hill turned into a sea of wailing blue lights. Traffic was stationary, voices were shouting commands. Whispers invaded the top deck of the bus as they surveyed the disaster and with mounting dismay they saw two stretchers being carried to the waiting ambulances.

A buzz went round the playground before school on Monday that someone in their year was involved, but it wasn’t obvious who was missing, which was one good thing if no kids were involved. Probably just some hoolies messing around.

That was until Daryl noticed that Kirsty was missing from English Lit. Daryl was an only child who tended to be on the quiet side. He didn’t take English Lit but for that period he was homeless and had to park himself somewhere. He’d found that the library was too busy and the lower year classes were just too disrupted. But GCSE English Literature, top set, was fairly innocuous as he managed to let it float past him without interrupting him too much while he got on with his own work.

The previous year he’d been an anomaly too. Most kids were in a consistent set for all their subjects because they were either dumb or bright. But Daryl was across all sets. Stream 1 for Maths, Biology and Chemistry, Stream 2 for English and Physics, Stream 3 for Geography and 4 for History. But this also meant he got to know most kids in the year, and this had proved quite an advantage, as it was today. 

Kirsty didn’t take English Lit either. She too was homeless and sometimes showed up in this class just to park herself at the back and silently do her Geography.

He looked out for her the next day too. She wasn’t in but his luck changed as he earwigged some teachers and picked up the words Gonzalez and hospital.

That afternoon he walked home quickly to get his bike. It was all downhill to the County General, but he wasn’t looking forward to getting back up. He hardly knew Kirsty, but she was quite pretty, especially her European hazel eyes but he was just that little bit too shy to ask her out – quite apart from being skint, so this sounded like an opportunity. 

Directed by an impatient receptionist, he found the ward only to be told he could only go in for a few minutes.

“She’s still in intensive care, so be careful and keep your voice down. Absolutely no excitement”

He crept in not knowing what to expect, except that he wasn’t expecting to see so many wires, tubes and meters. Her eyes were closed and her face expressionless. But she didn’t have that ivory gloss on her skin like his grandma did when he found her dead in the bathroom two years ago.

He sat on the chair next to her with no idea what to say. It wasn’t like they were an item or anything. But there was no-one else there so maybe it hardly mattered.

“Hi. Didn’t know if anyone else would be down to see you. Thought I would. Of course you won’t know who I am. Its Daryl Miller. I sit in on the same English class as you….”

He told her about school and what the gossip was, and that the date for the summer prom had been announced.  And commented that it was strange her mum and dad weren’t here. He asked her a number of questions but of course, there was no reply. Just the same motionless expression.

“Funny” he said after a while “its actually so much easier talking to you like this. I’d never dare say all this stuff if we just met in the park or something, but then, you probably wouldn’t hang around long enough to listen”

Bur the nurse eventually remembered about him and suggested that it was time to go.

He thought about this visit as he struggled up the hills back to the imaginatively named Westhill estate where he lived and repeated the visit the next afternoon after school

“You back again?” asked the nurse as he asked if he could go in.

“Your girlfriend?” asked the tall well built, well spoken gentleman leaving her ward

“No – at least, not yet”

“That’s what I like - optimism and looking to the future. But you won’t get anything out of her I’m afraid, she’s slipped into a coma”

“A what?”

“A coma”

“What’s one of them?”

“No-one really knows. It’s a relatively stable state of unconsciousness. And sometimes they wake up and are fine, and other times the outcome is not so good”

“But I can go in and see her, can’t I?”

“Yes, but no excitement, no loud noise. She’s very fragile”.

“Hi, its me again” he watched carefully. He thought he saw just the faintest glimmer of a smile, maybe just a twitch. 

“I thought you just smiled. Maybe just my imagination. Maybe just hope” and he thought he saw it again. He felt so desperately sorry for her, just lying there, motionless, still alive but.. but only just.

He sat on the chair and slipped his hand under her cover to hold hers. He pulled her arm out so at least he could see her hand and held it as gently as he could. 

But what’s this! The very faintest pressure from her second finger on the palm of his hand. Yes, for sure! There it was again.

“Hey, you can move that one finger!” there it was again, “If you’re doing that, do it again”

And there it was, but twice like a double click.

“Say, Kirsty. If I asked you a question, you could give me one tap for yes and two taps for no”

One tap

“Is your name Sandy?” he blurted out saying the first thing that came into his head

Two taps

“Houston, it looks like we have communication”

One tap

“So Kirsty, if you wanted to say something, I could just ask you what the letters were, one at a time. Like I’d start with A and run through the alphabet till we got to the right letter and then you tap. Ok”

One tap

“It could take a long time, but you would be able to respond – do you want me to try this?”

One tap 

“It will take quite a lot of concentration –especially for a numpty like me”

Three taps

“Three taps?”

One tap

“Is three taps a correction?

Two taps

“One for yes” he puzzled “two for no, three….”

Three taps

“An interruption?”

One tap

“Wow! So I need to start listening to what you want to say?”

One tap

“OK, one tap when I get to the first letter, A, B C D…

It was painstakingly slow. She wanted to say she was pleased he’d come to see her, that he wasn’t a numpty and that she was unlikely to get any other visitors till the weekend. Or at least, that’s how Daryl had paraphrased it.

“Would you like me to come back tomorrow?”

One tap

The next day, Daryl talked about the accident. More information was drifting down the grapevine now and he said that Kirk would be prosecuted – if he ever woke up. He too was unconscious.

Three taps

“….K” one tap “ ..I” one tap “Kirk” guessed Daryl. One tap

W.. a.. s.. n.. “Wasn’t?” one tap

D.. r.. i.. v.. “Driving?” One tap

“Kirk wasn’t driving?” yes, Daryl choked. Each new letter revealed another revelation.

So who was?

D.. a.. r..

“Dar”

One tap 

“Is that all ?”

One tap

“Where were you going?”

‘Sex and drugs party’

“Why Kirsty?”

‘Expecting Kirsty Belmonte, not me.’ 

But time was up and Daryl was shattered as he said see you tomorrow and wandered out into the corridor. 

Kirk’s ward was four doors down and due to the charges pending was checked frequently by the beat policeman. Daryl stopped.

“It wasn’t him” he said 

“What wasn’t, son?”

“It wasn’t Kirk driving”

“And how would you know that?”

“That’s a question now!”

“Look, son, two people were taken in here from the RTA. Your friend in there and Kirk Grierson in here. He was taken from the driver’s seat. Ok?”

“Only two?”

“Yes, son. Only two”

So, he thought to take his mind off the long slog up the hill, if there were only two and Kirk wasn’t driving, then it must have been Kirsty. That can’t be right. How would he be in the driver’s seat if she was driving. Unless she got slung out and he bounced around inside and landed up there. Maybe she’d learned to drive. Her house was a good size and the drive was big enough for three or four cars so she can’t be short of money …. But this is all wrong. There were three people in the car, maybe more, not just two. So that leaves us with this Dar. And if he was driving, he wouldn’t be in any better state than the other two. And must have been thrown out of the car as well – or jumped, cos he’d know what was about to happen. But he can’t have stayed in the car because then there would be three casualties. And in that case, he might still be in the woods. Maybe dead of course.

Daryl snuck into the woods from the back footpath the next day after school. He made his way through the brambles and ferns to where he could see the gap in the hedge where the recovery truck had gained entry and looked up at the trees where the car had taken out some decent sized branches. And if the car came in from there, then the driver would be thrown out this way. But the police hadn’t been looking for anyone else. Why would they? They had Kirsty. They had Kirk from the drivers’ seat and that was enough. He found a branch and used it to scrub around. No point looking behind trees because thrown objects travel in straight lines – till they hit something. Or maybe he’d crawled a bit. Or maybe a lot and escaped altogether leaving Kirk to pick up the tab. But these bushes look flattened. He peered across a fallen log and choked. 

Oh grief! Daryl, if you didn’t want to find a dead body why did you go looking for one? He tried hard not to throw up as he found his bike again and freewheeled most of the way from there to the hospital

“Hi you. Sorry I’m a bit late”

Three taps

I?

One tap

W.. a ..

“Want”? two taps

S..

“was?”

One tap

W.. o.. r.. r.. i..

“Worried?”

One tap

y.. o..

“You?”

w.. o.. u.. l..

“Would?”

Two taps

“Wouldn’t?”

One tap

C.. o.. m..

“Come?”

One tap.

“Sorry, Kirsty. I went to look round the woods where the accident happened. I couldn’t figure it out. But now I think I have with what you told me. You got thrown out. And the driver, he got thrown out as well and Kirk was in the back, right? and got bundled into the ……”

“What d’you mean ‘What she told you?’ Sorry, I’m Mr Ansell, the consultant who is looking after Miss Gonzalez”

“Hi, Daryl Miller” he introduced

“I’ve seen you down here before. Is she your girlfriend?”
“No. But she might be if she wakes up”

“Of course, I asked you that before. But I’m still intrigued. You clearly said you’d made a discovery based on what she’d told you”

“Mr Ansell, Kirsty has the very slightest movement in her finger. We use that to give yes and no answers to questions. One tap for yes, two for no. So if the question is a letter of the alphabet we can spell out words”

“So that’s why nurse has to put her arm back in under the covers every night after you’ve gone. I thought you were told not to touch the patient”
“I’m only holding her hand. Oh wait, three taps - an interrupt”

“abcd”

One tap

“a”

One tap

“Abcdefghijklmnopqr”

One tap

“R?”

“Daryl?”

One tap

Ansell looked on with mounting interest as Daryl painstakingly completed the message

“Daryl is my only visitor. Please let him stay”

Ansell squinted suspiciously

“Do you know her birthday?”

“No, sir, haven’t a clue. It should be in her file though. We could look it up”

“Or you could ask her”

“8^th of June” said Daryl as the words came through and then the same with her dad’s first name – Phillippe, with the continental spelling

“Maybe I could bring my guitar tomorrow and sing you a song” he said, sensing that time to go was overdue

One tap

Three taps

‘Please’

“You know” Mr Ansell was saying as they left the ward “the police would be very interested in any information you've got” 

“I doubt it Sir. I told the copper yesterday that Kirk wasn't driving. He wasn't that interested. Like, polite and nice enough, for a copper, but.” 

“Oi! What d'you mean 'for a copper', me lad. And I've been thinking that you seem to know a bit too much about all this, and if Kirk Grierson wasn't driving, then maybe you were. That way you'd know who was driving, and a lot else about this whole sorry case” 

“You what! So hang on. The car ends up 20 feet up a tree, the two people you recover are both still unconscious and me, the driver, escapes without as much as a scratch?” 

“Ok, son. So what evidence do you have?” 

“I don't know very much. The driver was called Dar. Just Dar. Could be short for Darren. Maybe even Daniel” 

“Or Daryl” 

“There's a link to drugs in here somewhere. The car was on its way to a drugs party, but Kirsty wasn't meant to be there. The guys in the car were supposed to be taking someone else, but they got the wrong Kirsty” 

“And this Dar. Any description?”

“I don't know. Hard to tell. He's a bit smacked up” 

“Come on now son, you're pushing my patience with this” 

“Suppose you put my bike in your car, I'll take you to where he is” 

“You mean you know where he lives? What makes you think he'll still be there?” 

“Not exactly. But he's not going anywhere, cos he's dead” 

“Dead!” 

“Yeah” 

“And you know where the body is?” 

“Yeah. It's where you'd expect it to be. Look. The cars in the air. Kirsty gets thrown out the passenger side and lands like here, so if the driver gets thrown out his side, he'll land up like here. Right in the middle of a mess of brambles” 

“And that's where he is?” 

“Should be. He was there at half past four. Can't think he's gone anywhere” 

“But you didn't report this to us?” 

“No, I had to come here. I'm Kirsty's only visitor. She was expecting me. But I guess that's one more visitor than he was expecting” 

Once more the hill turned a flashing shade of blue as Daryl showed them the spot. 

CID were there as well as Daryl fought his way through the undergrowth. 

“Darrino Pallenski” announced the CID man “small time drugs and pimp” 

Well, at least it confirmed that aspect of things.

The squad car dropped him off at his house, much to his mums concern 

“What's he been up to” she exclaimed letting her mouth fall open, not really wanting to know and hoping it wasn't too serious 

“Nowt, Mrs Miller. He's been helping us with our enquiries. And very useful he is too” 

He sat down for a late tea and tried as best he could to relate the story so far to his parents. They knew he was going to see the girl from the accident in hospital, but the rest was new to them. 

“Well I never! But you say her mum doesn't go down at all” 

“No, I'm her only visitor. It's so sad. I'd want you to come and see me if I was in hospital.” 

“So long as you don’t get mixed up in all this drugs thing as well” 

“I don't think that crowd is involved yet. And they can't tie anything back to me. I mean, everyone knows Kirsty's in a coma and can't talk” 

Singalong evening was going well. Daryl managed to hit most of the right chords and his voice wasn’t that bad. It would be nice if Kirsty would just wake up and join in, but….

“So that's my attempt at a serenade”, he said finishing the third of his repertoire with the guitar. “And I've told you about what the old bill is up to with this Darrino Pallenski, but, Kirsty, why does your mum not come to see you?” 

He studied her face as he asked the question hoping for some signs of emotion, but there was nothing but the minutest tremble on her upper lip. 

Painstakingly she spelt out the story that brother Tomas could not be left alone or he would fly off the handle into a rage or a fit and do damage to whatever and whoever was around including himself. Things like that, she added should be put down like mad dogs. 

Daryl was taken aback by the unexpected vitriol, but accepted it as a point of view. And, seeing it from her perspective, quite valid at that. 

Mr Ansell was waiting for him as he left the ward 

“I tried talking to Kirsty today” he said “I held her hand gently and put her fingers where they were on your hand, but I couldn't feel anything” 

“It's very faint. The tap on her finger is as faint as the twitch on her lip when she smiles” 

“I hadn't noticed that! That’s very perceptive. But Daryl. I wondered if you'd do me a favour?” 

“If I can, like, what can I do for you” 

“Daryl, I have another patient. She’s also in a coma, and we know almost nothing about her. She had no ID, no papers on her when she was admitted, and she doesn’t fit the description of anyone who has been reported missing” 

“And you want me to see if I can pick anything up from her, yeah?” 

“I’d like you to try. I know the police are still in two minds about your involvement, but I watched what you were doing and it's fascinating, although I admit, I’m still a bit sceptical” 

Marcella

Daryl guessed she was older than his mum. He thought she might be in her early fifties with a long, severe face that looked perpetually angry. Mr Ansell had offered to take him home afterwards to create an extra half hour, and Daryl sat down, first on her right like he did with Kirsty, and then, having drawn a blank, he changed sides. 

“I've not given up hope yet” he said on his way out. “I'll try again tomorrow, or maybe Sunday. I'm not giving up at the first shout” 

 “Try calling her by name” encouraged Mr Ansell as he led him to the ward “I think her name could be Marcella from the photo brooch necklace that was inscribed Konrad and Marcella”

It seemed, Daryl thought, that Mr Ansell was putting a lot of effort and faith in something he was still seriously sceptical about, but he knew he’d had success with Kirsty. The least he could do was try with Marcella.

Daryl finally got some success with her left middle finger, but it was painfully slow. It reminded him that last year a boy had joined their class right in the middle of term. It soon became clear that he was unable to speak much English and while some kids took the micky, Daryl had tried to help him, and to some extent shield him from the worst offenders. And it occurred to Daryl now that Marcella’s first language was not English. And neither Marcella nor Konrad were common names in this town. 

But he persevered, and with some success before throwing in the towel when she appeared to be getting too tired. Maybe, he thought, she had to concentrate real hard, like trying to do semaphore in a foreign language. 

He reported quickly to Mr Ansell on his way out. He was still sceptical, but also couldn't figure out why Daryl would invent such a bizarre tale and then even act it out. This, however, would tell 

“I got through to her in the end. Her name is Marcella Gottenheim from Stockholm. Her husband Konrad lives in Stockholm, her daughter is married and lives in Oslo and her son lives in Barcelona. She has some problems with all of them, but I don’t know what, at least, not yet”.

And while Ansell was still trying not to believe it, some limited information came back from his inquiries with the Swedish authorities.

Daryl's next encounter with her soon took a farther turn towards the bizarre. 

Unlike Kirsty, Marcella was more interested in talking than listening. He'd learnt from his previous attempts and this time wrote down what she was saying in a notebook wedged between his knee and the bed frame. 

Ansell listened with increasing interest as Daryl read back his transcript 

“There are no things. There are colours. Colours like swirling of gas or smoke or just light. Very bright. Red and green are on my right and becomes a tunnel that disappears out of sight. Yellow is straight on and is I thinking what I been following. Intense blue and purple are on left. That way seems to bend around and go back the way I came.”

He looked to Mr Ansell for an explanation, but was met with a shake of his head

“I have no idea. But then no-one has ever looked into the mind of near death”

Tuesday evening he popped in again and immediately she gave three taps.

‘Thankyou Daryl’ he read back to Ansell, ‘But my husband is with other woman, my son is now married and she no like me. My daughter not speak for two year now and man I come to see in England has no visa to stay in country. I decide to take yellow. I move forward at midnight’

“We’ll see” said Ansell “That’s a pretty definite prediction”.

 “Bad news I'm afraid, Daryl” he said the next day “Marcella from Stockholm. Well she passed away last night. It's almost as you said, but around 11 rather than midnight”

“Sorry!” a stranger interrupted. He was a younger doctor searching for something in the filing cabinets in the far corner of the office. “I didn't hear all of that, but a heard mid-night and I heard Stockholm. They're an hour ahead of us, so that would be 11 o'clock our time.” 

Keith Ansell fell onto his chair with a bump. 

“So Daryl, you're going to tell me the yellow smoke was the way she'd been going and she chose to continue. If she'd taken blue she'd be back here waking up. Green?” 

“I've no idea, Mr Ansell. Where else could she go? But it's strange. It's like it was a conscious decision even though she's unconscious” 

“Hmmm. A calculated decision by the sub-conscious mind. Curious”

Daryl was now far more into the swing of it. Going in to see Kirsty, getting on to first name terms with Keith Ansell, and picking up a few wry comments from the guy who shared his office, Nigel something.

But Sunday it all went sadly wrong. A well-built man with a deep serious voice was talking in a European accent to Mr Ansell as Daryl arrived. He squeezed past and took Kirsty’s hand as usual, and almost immediately he had the news that her father was here somewhere, she'd heard him. 

Mr Ansell started to introduce them but didn’t get far

“Mr Gonzalez, this is Daryl, he's a frie........” 

“Daryl? Darrillo? Dar the car driver. He was Daryl. Why you! Have the nerve the impudence to come down here.... 

“No, you've got it wrong! He was Darinno” 

“I'll break your head when I catch you” 

But this was too unnerving for the small ward. Daryl made for the door to avoid the lunge. He wrenched it open as the larger man bumbled behind him, knocking his guitar over and smashing the neck as he trod on it in his haste. But Daryl knew his way round a bit better now. He dived through the oncology recovery ward and out through the side staircase, fumbling for his padlock key as he tore into the bike shed. 

Next day, Daryl was pleased that Keith had taken his phone call. But he hadn’t banked on it as a foregone conclusion. Keith was a senior consultant at the County Hospital and Daryl, well, Daryl was just a school boy. But he had found a way to talk to Kirsty and Keith was very interested in that as a project he could write up as a research paper. Keith confirmed to Daryl that he was safe to return. Mr Gonzalez was on a final warning from the hospital for overturning a snack trolley and flattening an orderly with an empty stretcher bed against the corridor wall in his efforts to catch up with him.

Back in the ward again, he surveyed the wreckage. The ward nurse had collected the broken pieces of his guitar into a bag and presented them to him on arrival, but there was a real tear from Kirsty's eye when he explained that there would be no songs now, and the guitar was irreparable. 

“I’m sorry. Kirsty. I’m thinking I shouldn’t stay long if your father’s going to be like that”

A new tear trickled down her cheek as Daryl placed her arm back under the cover.

“I’d better go before it gets dangerous”

Daryl was at something of a loss the next day. What was it that he used to do before he started going to see her every day? But it wasn’t just Kirsty that was sorry that he wasn’t there. Keith was struggling with the concepts that Daryl had raised, His discrete inquiries drew a blank on anyone else who was doing this type of communication, and the colours! That was something new completely. And Keith was quite relieved when Daryl turned up again two days later.

“I had to” he explained to Kirsty “I couldn’t let you have no visitors at all. That would be like no-one cared about you even when you were…” But he didn’t finish the sentence thinking better of it and not wanting her to decide to follow Marcella.

Life away from Kirsty carried on regardless and Daryl was surprised just how quickly he added his visit to her to everything else he was trying to do. Up to a point it was fun. He held her hand, and told her about school work and gossip, and deciphered her answers sometimes guessing the next word before she had even started it. Occasionally she hinted at a smile, and also at a tear especially when taking about her family. 

But Daryl also learned to his dismay that it wasn't that she missed them coming to see her, but that she felt like a complete reject within her own family. Daryl had found it difficult to decode her BFV. A bit like the BFG from Roald Dahl, but different. B he'd got straight away, F she had to explain wasn’t very polite and that he'd have to use his imagination, and V he found out was for vegetable. It was difficult to imagine, but she tried to share the venom she felt for being left out. Ok, he'd said, maybe we call him Big Lousy Vegetable the BLV, and she had agreed that for polite company, and not knowing who else was here, that would be a sensible idea. This level of conversation took its toll but he was finding that the time he was spending in Keith Ansell's office talking to him about his work more than compensated for it.

Keith shared an office with a surgeon called Nigel Westonbury. Nigel was quite a few years younger than Ansell and seemed at first to be a bit more abrupt. 

Daryl had got talking to him as he reorganised the entire filing system 

“It's a dumb system” Nigel was saying as he spread files all over the floor “these are all in order of ailment. Why? Who knows? It means I have to know what's wrong with them before I can find their file to find out what's wrong with them. That's sometimes ok if I can ask them, but that gets more difficult if they happen to be unconscious, or in shock or can’t speak English. Unless of course you happen to rock in and can conjure up some answers from a few taps of a loose thumb” 

Daryl took this as something of a compliment and helped him with sorting the files into name order until eventually he had the temerity to ask, 

“What's the difference between what you do and what Mr Ansell does?” 

“He's a doctor, of sorts. He can look at the symptoms and guess what they’ve got. Then he can devise what treatment to give. Sometimes he’s right. Me, I just chop bits out” 

“But does the body keep working if you cut bits off” 

“Largely, yes. But on the whole I only remove body parts that are both malfunctioning and likely to cause increasing pain or if it’ll probably kill you. Like lung cancer, solution, remove half a lung.” 

“But they won't be able to breath!” 

“Sure they will, it's like a car has four cylinders. If one stops working it will run on the other three. May be a bit rough till its re-tuned, but it won't just stop. The body’s a lot more adaptable than you might think” 

“It must be quite dangerous. I mean having someone chop lumps out of your body” 

“Yes, it is. The risks are high. But we don't do major operations unless they're absolutely necessary. And yes, some patients don't make it” 

“Maybe someone will find a cure” 

“A cure?” 

“Yes, for lung cancer” 

“I expect so. One day”

“What about things you can’t cure with an operation?”

“We just give all these other people to Keith to look after in his hospital so that he can try to keep them all alive until someone develops a cure, or something more serious finishes them off”

“It doesn't seem right to me” persisted Daryl “just keeping people alive for the sake of it. Surely the limited money and nurses would be better spent on making people better so they can enjoy life?” 

“Up to a point Daryl, I agree with you. But please don't try to argue this with Keith. He'll get very upset, so let me explain it this way. If you go into a ward would you be able to tell me fairly quickly how many of the patients are dead?” 

“Well, yes I think so. They have a certain, look, it's like...” 

“Ok. Now go into a ward and fairly quickly tell me who is going to enjoy their renewed quality of life, if they were given the correct treatment?” 

Daryl frowned, puzzling it for a moment “I don't know, and I'm trying to think how I'd find out, and I don't know that either” 

“Absolutely right. And even if we returned them all to better health than they'd ever had, it is likely that not all of them would take advantage of it. I was out on a stag night, oh some time ago now, sometime last year, and we all bundled into this bar as part of our pub crawl. It was pretty hazy from smoke, but I could see through to the back room when the curtain parted to let the barman through. There was a card game in progress and I recognised one of the players as a client of mine that I'd treated for a collapsed lung. But here he was, cigarette hanging limply on the edge of his lower lip, smoke filled room, full ashtray and looking like he was fit to drop. We had our pint and moved on. But I was a little disappointed that we'd tried so hard and his contribution was - well, there wasn't one. But it's not for me to judge how people live their lives. It's just hard to tell who will make something of the opportunity, and who is on fast track to the grim reaper by their own choice” 

“I see! That’s why Keith tries to save everyone, because it's too hard to tell who’s who. But sometimes it must be easier. I mean, if I was walking down the street and there's a house on fire and I dive in and there’s an old geriatric of 90 and a young boy of 9. I can either save the 90 year old because after all he has spent his life working to contribute to society. Or I can save the 9 year old even though his parents could make another one in about a decade. But he has his whole lifetime of opportunity to contribute. I know already who I'm going to save first, in case I can only save one of them” 

“That's true as well Daryl, and those decisions are made. It's just we don't advertise the fact. But in most cases, it's much harder”.

Nothing else for it

For the next few days, Daryl made a point of encouraging Kirsty to return to the world he lived in. She'd made some short comments questioning the value of it. Was it worth it? and did she really have to face life with the BLV?

“Daryl, its pointless, depressing. It drains the life out of me.”

But he broke into a huge smile when he finally got to the ward and there she was, sitting up eating the grapes he'd brought down a couple of days before just in case his persuasion worked. He went to put his arms round her in a big hug, but stopped short thinking she may be quite fragile after a month in that bed without hardly moving. 

“You're nothing like I remember you?” she sighed rather coldly 

“That” said Daryl “is just a balance. You look exactly like I remember you” 

Keith kept her in for observation for another two days to get the results of tests on her arms and legs to see if she'd be able to cope with the world outside intensive care. 

“You'll be absolutely fine” Keith assured her “But in the short term you should use a wheelchair and then build up to walking properly over a couple of weeks. You’ve still got some extensive bruising, but that will fade over the next few days as you get more blood circulating” 

Now with her discharge time scheduled, Daryl had left his bike at school, expecting to be offered a lift back with Kirsty’s mum when she came to collect her. 

“So!” called Keith “You’re ready to go. And Daryl’s taking you home?”

“I’m hoping her mum was going to be here. We’ll give it 10 more minutes, then its plan ‘B’ ”

“Good man! Its always a good idea to have a plan B”

But Daryl didn’t have a plan B. And it looked increasingly likely that Kirsty’s mum wouldn’t turn up.

He hadn’t really planned for this, but didn’t have the price of a taxi anyway. There was nothing else for it. Daryl would have to push her home – yes all the way up the hill and half way down the other side to the posh end of town. He opted for the longer way through the park as the paths there were wheelchair friendly and there would be no traffic to get in the way – except maybe for homicidal skateboarders.

He was fit enough, what with the cycling up and down the hill for the last 3 weeks, and progress was steady. Kirsty didn’t say much and Daryl tried to keep up some banter. But he still had difficulty coming to terms with the idea that her mother couldn’t take time out to collect her from the hospital.

Kirsty had been unconscious for 22 days and now her mother couldn’t come and collect her. Daryl was sure that his own mum would just have dropped everything and would have been there in next to no time, no question about it. It simply did not compute.

Conversation dried up as he started to run out of steam climbing the hill, but recovered towards the top. She admitted that she wasn’t really looking forward to going home. At least in hospital she was looked after and people popped in to say hi. She almost felt like she belonged there. But, it would be school day tomorrow and that would be exciting. 

“Yeah, you’ll have to work out how you’re going to catch up. 

“I should be ok, I think you told me just about everything that went on”

“No, Kirsty – work wise, not catch up with the crowd”

“Oh, I’ll figure it out”

“Yes, but it’s a big chunk out of the term!”

Back at her house, the door was locked

“It always is – its to stop the BLV escaping” and it took several minutes for mum to open it 

“Oh Kirsty, come in quickly”

Daryl maneuvered the wheelchair as best he could into the hall but only had time to say hi before an ogre of vaguely human features appeared. He was short and fat and clearly retarded in almost every direction and glared at Daryl, unnervingly, like some sort of wild troll.

“Mam” it yelled followed by a short phrase in a language he didn’t understand. But the voice was as menacing as it was loud and as frightening as it was frightened.

“I’m sorry Daryl! Shut up you brainless vegetable” shouted Kirsty with conspicuous venom and the objects face crumpled up as though it would blub like a three year old. Her mum comforted the object of Kirsty’s derision and parked it on a settee in the living room.

“Hello Daryl. Thankyou for bringing Kirsty back”

“That’s ok Mrs Gonzalez. “

“Its taken a while, was the traffic bad?”

“Traffic? No – we came through the park. Its longer but not so steep”

“You walked?!”

“Well, yes. We didn’t have much choice” said Daryl hoping immediately he’d said it that he didn’t sound too accusative.

“Oh my goodness – I didn’t realise – Tomas was having a fit when you phoned. If he doesn’t get his ventilator immediately, it could be very serious”

“Yes! With any luck it could be fatal!”

“Does he always need this much attention?” asked Daryl politely

“Yes” hissed Kirsty “every minute of every day, waking, sleeping or anything in between”

“Now Kirsty – You know he can’t help the way he is”

“Sorry, folks. But I’ll have to be off. It’ll take me till quarter past seven to get home- Hope my dinner isn’t cold”

“Of course. You’ll be walking?”

“Yes, had to leave my bike at school. I did think of maybe towing the wheelchair, but I think Kirsty decided against it” he joked

“Oh, I would take you home, but I just have to stay with Tomas”

“As always” muttered Kirsty vehemently

“Now Kirsty, how are you getting to school tomorrow – is Daryl picking you up?”

“No. Mum, Daryl is in my year. He doesn’t work for the hospital or anything! He hasn’t got a car. I thought you’d at least be able to do that!”

“Well I’ll have to see how Tomas is, especially if he has a bad night”

This whole thing had crept in completely under Daryl’s radar. This was appalling. But how could he interfere. Maybe he should invite her to stay at his house, but no, his mum would go ape. 

“Mama! I can’t get there on my own!”

“But I might not be able to leave Tomas….”
“If I hear one more word about that goddamned pet vegetable of yours, I’ll scream and scream and scream until I choke myself to death!”

“Kirsty, please..”
“Mrs Gonzalez. I’ll walk over and take Kirsty to school tomorrow. Maybe that will give us all a chance to figure out a permanent solution. Quarter to eight ok? We’ll need that long.”

Daryl had no idea how Kirsty had survived the night, but here she was dressed and ready to go at twenty to eight. He didn’t like to ask, expecting her to go off the deep end at the least mention of the Vegetable. And in any case, there was a certain kudos in pushing her in through the gates on her first day back. But they weren’t in any classes together and it was just a quirk of fate that Daryl had decided to crash that English class in the first place. So someone else would have to get her around the school. Daryl however, was quite confident there would be no shortage of volunteers.

Going home was a different matter altogether and there she was waiting for him at the gate. And given no choice, he pushed her home again. Still, he thought, its easier than the hospital run which was the lower half of the hill as well. 

But now having started, it was hard to just stop and the school push was repeated the next day, and the next.

This wasn’t quite the plan, but Daryl had always intended to go out with her when she got better and this was maybe just the next step.

Monday the next week was raining and they got soaked. Daryl dripped his way round till lunchtime when he finally dried out and resolved to get her walking again. That was the next step - to get rid of this wheelchair so that they could go out together. Mr Ansell had said there was nothing fundamentally wrong with her legs, just that they were very weak from the accident and then from lying unused for a month. He stopped in the small park near her house suggesting that they try to stand her up. He took hold of her hands to help her up, but she collapsed back down with him managing to stop himself landing on top of her. This should have been a moment of humour, but Kirsty seemed unable to see the funny side of anything. Over the next few days they tried different ways of standing her up and by the end of the week had figured it out.

But the familiar hand he’d held so delicately every day in intensive care wasn’t the same. It was cold and lifeless where before it had been warm and vibrantly tingly as she had tapped out her messages. And on top of that, he was struggling to find an excuse to see her outside of taking her to school and back, and she didn’t seem to have any enthusiasm for seeing him either. Even if he was going to help her walk again. And in all this time since that very first day she hadn’t invited him in – not once. Naturally he blamed the presence of the Vegetable, but it was disappointing all the same.

Light relief came on Thursday evening. He’d just finished dinner and was idly considering the consequences of whether to wash up the dishes or just smash them all into the bin when his mum called him to the phone.

“Daryl! Daryl, There’s a Mr Ansell on the phone for you. Is he a teacher, maybe?”

“No, mum” he said after the call “he’s a doctor. He’s the consultant who looks after intensive care. He wants me to go and see him tomorrow”
“Why, you’re not sick are you?”

“No, mum. He’s got another person in a coma and wants me to try to talk to them, like I did with Kirsty”

But reporting back to Keith would be more of a problem. By the time he got Kirsty back home, and then back to his house to get his bike there was hardly time to get down to the hospital and back before dinner time. 

But dad was on back shift. Maybe mum could put dinner back by half an hour and he might just get it all in. 

“Of course I can, Daryl. But what about your homework?” 

“Mum! I'll try to get it done after dinner” 

“Yes, if you don't fall asleep!” 

But, he argued with himself, the report back to Keith wouldn't take long. It's not as if he was supposed to do any interpretation or analysis of anything. Just tell Keith what had been said. 

Keith wasn’t there when Daryl arrived

“No, he’s off saving another lost cause” Nigel said 

“Lost cause?”

“Yes, young Daryl, Keith has a mission to save everyone’s life. Me, I improve quality of life by taking out offending organs and growths, replacing bits that are beyond repair and stitching things back up that had no business coming apart in the first place. Then I send them home to live their lives. Either that, or we call a man with a long box. Keith? His mission is to eliminate death”

“Why? Surely everyone has to die sometime”

“Quite so, Daryl. But Keith’s mission is to fend off that fateful day for as long as universally possible and he will try everything ever invented to give every single one of them as much extra time as is scientifically possible. He’s particularly good at heart disease”

“I may have got this wrong, but don’t people deteriorate when they’re sick? Or even just old! Like Kirsty. She still can’t walk properly and that’s just after being scratched to bits and some bad bruising and lying in bed for three weeks. Its not even as if her legs were broken”
“Yes. You are right. But that is of no consequence to Keith. So long as they’re exhibiting at least one of the vital signs of life, that’s enough for him”

“But is that not just cruel. What about quality of life? If someone can't do anything, like, nothing at all because maybe the only part of them that works properly is the brain, then all they can do is think. It's like a live brain trapped in a dead body” 

“Ah! But at least they’re alive” 

“But for what purpose? If they can't do anything. Even just go outside and smell the flowers. They wouldn’t even be able to tell anyone what they were thinking all day long! Its pointless! I'm trying to imagine it”.

He stood stock still with his arms and legs in the positions they were in and his eyes closed “look, no movement, can't see, can't hear, can't speak. I wonder if I'd be able to sense my heart beating. I'm pretty sure I'd actually will myself to die in just a couple of days. Anyway, what would he prefer them to die of?”

“Good question, Daryl, because there’s more treatments being dreamt up every day like the one you invented, but in addition there’s an entire worldwide industry with a vested interest in identifying new ailments because they make the treatments for them – drugs in the form of injections, tablets and capsules, different kinds of dressings, electronic widgets…”

“But all that will do is create more sick people!”

“It might not create them. That is, it might not make them ill. Then again. It might if you include mental health in your hypothesis. But it does mean they’d be identified. It used to be that some people were just identified as stupid. Now there needs to be an identification of the particular misalignment in the brain that makes them below average in whichever academic capacity. Ok think of it this way. A hundred years ago, Consumption was a major killer. Those same symptoms are now traced down to over 100 separate illnesses – any one of which could be fatal. Not just that, but expectations are rising, as are survival rates so there’s a similar rise in the number of people who are weak and disabled”

“But if the number of people we identify as needing care through illness, old age, weakness, disability and mental health just keeps going up, there won’t be enough people left to look after them all”

“Again absolutely right”

“It sounds like it will be the end of civilisation when the needs of those who can’t or won’t exceeds the capacity of those who can and will”

“Some might agree with you, but Keith is not one of them. However, I know what he wants. He wants you to try to connect with a patient of his. His name is Gerry and the only thing I know about him is that he fell off his motorbike. I’ve had a quick look at him, and he’s got some internal injuries around his liver and spleen, but I can put them back where they’re meant to be if he’s going to wake up. 

It would be useful to know. I won’t bother if he’s not and in any case in his current state it would be too difficult to get the anaesthetic right. Come on, I’ll take you along there”

A security guard gave them a long cold look as they pushed passed the restricted personnel sign “If you can succeed here, I’m going to get you a badge before security start asking too many questions”

Somehow, Daryl wasn’t quite so keen on holding hands with the man in the bed as he was with Kirsty or even Marcella. But he figured that this is a medical treatment, not a date.

He sat down and spoke quietly, introducing himself and what the plan was.

“So what I’m looking for is a finger or thumb or something that has even the smallest movement that we can use for yes which is one tap, no which is two taps or interrupt which is three taps. So lets start with the right hand. Tap away and I’ll see if I can find it”

Daryl had hardly the confidence or the expectation to succeed, but then some fifteen minutes intensive search later, he thought he felt something. 

“Was that a tap I felt? I know its one tap for yes, but just keep tapping if you can while I track it down.”

“And there it was! The tendon at the base of his left thumb had a barely perceptible twitch. 

“Found it!” announced Daryl as Gerry responded with one tap and an almost as imperceptible lip twitch which could have been his version of a smile.

But now there were three taps. Daryl concentrated. This was the first conversation. This was exciting. Marcella had proved it to Keith enough for him to be invited back, and now he had contact with Gerry as he worked through the letters

‘T o’ ‘ t i r e d’

Daryl could forgive the spelling “Too tired now? Ok. No problem. Would you like me to come back tomorrow and we can talk then?”

One tap

Daryl was elated. This was epic. It wasn’t just a fluke. And back in the office Keith looked up without showing any expectation of success

“Yep” he beamed

“Yes!” Keith looked genuinely excited, which Daryl found slightly out of character “What did he say?”

“He said he was too tired to talk today. Which is not surprising as we’d been looking for the tap point for half an hour”

“So?”

“So I said I’d come back tomorrow”

“Right,” said Nigel “I’m taking you to Security” and on his way out Daryl was the proud owner of an official ID badge that would get him in if Keith and Nigel weren’t there.

Daryl reflected on it a dozen times on his way up the hill and showed it to his mum as soon as he got home

“Look mum its official. Daryl Miller, Non-Verbal Micro-communication Specialist”

But this pass didn’t just get him into Keith’s office and the Intensive Care corridor. It also gave him access to the whole hospital. Daryl spent some time just walking from ward to ward and came to realise that if he just looked confident, and left his school blazer and tie in Keith’s office, no-one would question him. He wasn't looking for the meaning of life, just. ‘Why are all these people here?’ And he also soon came to realise that most of them were unlikely to be leaving any time soon. Some, he discovered, were waiting for treatment. Others were waiting for their treatment to take effect, waiting for symptoms to appear, waiting for them to disappear or sometimes just waiting for a treatment to be invented. A few were there just for ‘observation’ which Daryl took to mean that they weren’t ill at all and were being watched until they developed some identifiable disease.

Armed with his notebook, the conversation with Gerry was amiable - as far as Daryl could tell. The taps were soft and consistent, without the hint of frustration he'd felt with Marcella. 

But Daryl found the report back took longer than expected. It wasn't just reading the words Gerry had said, it was the explanation. Like Gerry had used a lot of abbreviations that had been confusing such as 'shell' which had taken several minutes for Daryl to work out if it was short for Michelle or if there should be an apostrophe in there. But Gerry had never heard of an apostrophe and Daryl had explored the rest of the sentence to see where 'shell' fitted in. 

However, the summary was that Gerry had had some kind of argument with Sarah. ‘She'll be sorry when I'm dead’ he'd said. ‘And I don't want her to come and see me. If you see her tell her she's dumped.’

Then finally, there was some light relief. Daryl's bike fitted neatly into the back of Keith's estate car and he was home fifteen minutes early. 

And by not grafting up Joyner Hill he had just enough energy left to do his Biology even if the Chemistry was left floundering in the long grass. 

The next phone call from Keith was another invitation 

“But I know you're really tight on time. I don't want her transferred from Bristol if we can't give her the time it needs. So this is just a discussion. I don't want to put you under any pressure.” 

“Keith, I'd like to. I really want to help. Not just you, but whoever the patient is as well. But I can't see enough time till the weekend” 

“So you're not seeing Kirsty at the weekend then?” 

“No, Keith I am not” 

“I'll leave this till Thursday evening and give you a call. If the patient is still in the same, stable situation and you can still do Saturday, I'll get her transferred on Friday”.

But that wasn't what had made Daryl think. No, he wasn't seeing Kirsty on Saturday, or Sunday or any other bloomin' day except to push her up and down the bloomin’ hill. 

With that thought still resounding round his head, he pushed her through the park on the way home from school. “Come on, let's give this walking a try” he'd said, although rather wearily. He took hold of her wrists to pull her up, but noticed her screwing her face up. 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you” 

“You’re not. I just don't like you touching me like that” 

Like that! Thought Daryl. It's not as if I've got my hand down her shirt or something.

“But that's the safest way of getting up” he responded, although now quite hurt. Did she not realise the effort he was putting into this and the things he wanted to do but couldn't because this was the priority? No of course she didn’t. 

“I can't help you walk again if you won’t try” he scolded crossly 

“No? So why didn't you just let me die? All this pain, all this effort. It's all your fault this is” 

“It is not! And you’re alive aren’t you!” 

“Oh yes! Great! I have to live with that lousy vegetable. Daryl, you have no idea what its like to be a reject in your own family”

“Well, maybe you should be more grateful for people who are trying to help you” he snapped back

But there was no rationale to the argument. Daryl had done what he assumed she would want. He undoubtedly helped her to recover. And it wasn't as if it was a suicide attempt in the first place, 

Now in silence they neared the top of the hill “Hi Frank! How are you?” 

“I'm good. And you're out of hospital? Yes clearly you are. Just out for a walk in the park then?” 

“Yes, on my way home, as usual” 

“No! Surely you're not bored already. Of course there's always the BFV to goad into howling the house down. Say, why don't I liven the place up a bit. I could make it over to your place by 7.30? Just catch up on what you’ve missed in the last few weeks? Yeah?” 

Daryl stood there dumbstruck. Some dude just rocked up and made a date with his girlfriend right in front of him, and she accepted! What the...! 

“And I can go your way anyway. Say bud, I'll take over the shift. You can take a break” and with that the newly arrived Frank took over the handlebars and pushed on up the hill with her. 

No introduction, no ‘hi Frank, this is my boyfriend Daryl’, no, ‘sorry Frank I...’ But of course she wasn't, and they weren't and he wasn't either. And this showed just how she really felt about him, and that hurt. After all he’d done and through all that he’d been building expectations. And now… 

But what's this! Daryl could only just hear what was said as the wind carried the voices his way 

“It's tough this uphill” 

“Well stop then”

“Ok….. Hey, where you going! 

Frank had stopped on the hill and his idea of taking a break was to let go and sit down on a convenient bench to catch his breath. The wheelchair rolled backwards and then gaining speed careered down the path while Kirsty let out a terrified squawk. Naturally they failed to make the bend, hitting the curb stone and overturning, spilling Kirsty out onto the grass. She lay moaning in a crumpled heap as Frank sauntered down the hill and Daryl caught up with them.

“So that's the thanks I get for all that effort is it? You just bowl on back down. Is that so I can do it all over again, it was so much fun? No. Your man can do the rest. I'll see you later” 

With Frank gone Daryl surveyed the scene. And, no, she hadn't even told him not to come round. Daryl was steaming, but just leaving her there was not an option. He righted the chair and set the brake. Then without another word he grabbed hold of her as roughly as he dared and dumped her back onto it like she was a sack of potatoes.

His resolve hardened as he rolled into the home straight. As usual it was several minutes before the door opened and he pushed the chair inside. 

“I'm not stepping in, Mrs Gonzalez” he said just to emphasise the point that he was never invited “And I won't be back tomorrow” 

“Not back tomorrow? Whyever not. I thought you were her boyfriend?” 

“Not any more. She's invited some other boy round later. I am, technically, dumped. But actually, I never was anyway”. He turned to leave, but decided to finish the job 

“And Kirsty is 110 per cent ungrateful for anything and everything I've ever done for her” 

“But Daryl! I need you to take me to school.” 

“Kirsty. You may do. But the way you’ve treated me, I don't need you. Not for anything” 

“Kirsty! What’s going on? Invited who”

“We bumped into Frank and he invited himself over”

“But what about Daryl? Is Frank taking you to school? Daryl?”

“Goodbye Mrs Gonzalez. Sorry. Kirsty’s choice, not mine”

Tears welled in his eyes as he walked across the estate. Sure big boys don't cry, but maybe he just wasn’t big enough yet. He felt hollow, deflated, used like a muppet. The plan had failed. He'd put in his best effort and it wasn't good enough. Or maybe he just hadn’t made the plan clear enough to her. But whatever. She just plain didn't like him. 

He got home slightly late and as his mum was about to get cross, until he really did burst into tears and hugged her.

Marianne put down the plate she was holding and folded her arms round him. “Now, now! What’s gone wrong.... And if it's anything a good helping of cottage pie won't help? It must be Kirsty? Is she hurt? You can’t have fallen out! No! After everything you've done! On my goodness!” 

“But if you've made cottage pie, mum, I'm sure that’ll help” 

“So how's she getting to school?” Mum asked tentatively as the cottage pie started to disappear. 

“Don't know. But it's not my problem any more. Mum, she invited some other guy over this evening, so I told her she was on her own. But it means I'll be able to go down and see Gerry again. I want to ask him something. I’m going to ask him if he actually wants to die and if that’s the case, what is it he’s waiting for?” 

Morning came up with him still feeling empty

“You didn’t have enough cottage pie then” his dad said in an attempt to cheer him up.

“I suppose so”

“Son, it’s the way it is. You’ll recover, especially if you have something else to concentrate on. Not every boy and girl get on together. Just because it hasn’t worked out doesn’t mean that you should have known that before you started”

At the hospital after school, Keith was supportive and interested in his ideas.

“You’re only danger is that if you ask him why he’s waiting at the crossroads, he may not have an answer and that will push him in to a rash decision. Most suicides don't really mean it. They’re really looking to be rescued but they say it because they're in a false state of depression”

“Keith” added Nigel bluntly “most guys that say they want to get married do so in a false state of euphoria but there’s still plenty of takers”

Gerry seemed to be up for a conversation when Daryl sat down, which was encouraging because Daryl had been thinking about this

“Listen, Gerry, if you've already dumped Sarah, and as far as I can see, she hasn't been to see you, why would you not just return back here and get on with life without her?” 

What he didn't mention to Gerry was Nigel's view that Sarah probably thought that anyone who jumped off a moving motorcycle just to prove that she’d be sorry when he’s dead was actually too stupid to go out with in the first place. 

Daryl collected Gerry's questions on if anyone else got hurt, and whether the police were bringing charges and if his insurance would pay out for his bike, for Keith to pass to his admin team to investigate and was delighted that Gerry then decided to return based on the answers. 

Also, Keith said, with this valuable research work, and this level of success, we really ought to be paying you. I'll set something up for you. 

And before he left, he managed to remember to drop by the HR office and pick up an application form for the Data Processing Manager job that his dad was thinking of applying for.

Life After Kirsty

Back now from half term, it was time for a new plan. Maybe Keith would have more patients for him to see. At least that was something to look forward to now that Kirsty had heaved herself into the outfield. And, if he tried hard, he could see that it might just be a monkey off his back anyway.

It was Wednesday afternoon. The sun was dipping in and out of the clouds and it was warm enough, barely, to not have to rush. 

Daryl headed out towards the gate – so – no Kirsty again. He turned out onto the pavement and right ahead of him was a sad looking figure with bowed head and a slow step, as if she had lost all enthusiasm for moving. It reminded him of that moment, what? four weeks ago when she’d suddenly asked him ‘We could just take a walk through the park’, and he’d really wanted to, but he was also due at the hospital to see Kirsty. And then he’d seen her so many times, holding hands with a guy he’d heard was called Bobby and being hauled along looking miserable as though she was some sort of captive.

“No Bobby today?” he asked catching up with her

“No!” she barked 

“Maybe” he said slowly, wondering hesitantly if she’d remember the inference “we could just take a walk home through the park together”

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to snap. Hi Daryl. No Kirsty today?”

“No, Not anymore”

“So what happened?” she asked, then suddenly thinking that was rather direct “No, sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that”

“That’s Ok. She’s got a new guy”

“What about you?”

“Don’t ask”

“Let’s both pretend I never asked”

But they’d reached the park gate and turned onto the riverside path that led to the café

“What about a coke?”

“Sorry Daryl I can’t. I’m skint, brassic, not a single penny to my name”

He pulled out a few coins from his pocket. “I’ve got enough, come on”

She hesitated “Hey, Debbie, its only a coke?”

“Emm. Ok. Thankyou.”

Debbie was a quiet girl, tall enough that he wasn’t looking down on her, but then not so tall as to tower over him if she put on a decent pair of heels. She had a roundish friendly face framed with dark brown hair down to just below her shoulders. Not quite the prettiest girl in the year but would almost certainly have a choice of partners to the prom. She almost always had a faraway look in her pale eyes but had a smile that would melt the Arctic when she cared to use it. Its just that somehow she always seemed to get left out more than she deserved.

“But you went to hospital every single day, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I kinda got caught up in it. Like, no-one else ever went, not even her mum”

“Not her mum? Why….Ohhh. But did you just sit there? I mean, she was in a coma, at least that’s what I heard”

“Yeah. She was, but people in comas can sometimes hear. They can listen. Its communicating back that’s the hard bit. And moving. That’s the other thing they can’t do. Its like being paralysed. Its like their whole motor system shuts down, while the rest keeps going”

“Wow! You seem to know all about it”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to be boring

“Not at all!”

“I spent a lot of time with the doctors down there. But its really interesting when you start getting into it”

“So this other boy? That’s not right. But how did she… I mean, you were with her most all the time”

“Oh leave it out Debbie!” 

He sighed deeply. Actually, it would be nice to be able to tell someone. 

“Oh I’m sorry. Look ok – I’m pushing her home through the park, up the hill and this dude she knows just rocks up and invites himself round to her place that evening. Like I don’t even get invited in for a glass of water before my mile walk home.”

“And she didn’t…………Oh Daryl……”

She pushed her hand across the table to touch his and he squeezed it gently

“Thanks, But what happened to you? Ok so you said don’t ask, bu…?”

“That’s ok. It just got to a point where….. its weird… I mean, it wasn’t…… Daryl, it was the way I was treated. And then the things he wanted me to do. They were unbelievable! He had this plan all along, and when I found out what it was. Oh Daryl! It was just… just… I can’t talk about it. I was speechless. I was …    I don’t know. I didn’t even know these things existed. I was less than speechless. I could hardly get the words out to dump him…”

He gripped her hand tightly in support

“….. Ok. So.. so now you know”

He smiled across at her and squeezed her hand again, so gentle, so soft. Like Kirsty’s when she was in intensive care, although he reflected, he was actually none the wiser as they finished their drink.

“Ok, so…I    mean would.. No.. Oh! I don’t know how to say this. What about…..” 

But she was smiling weakly but encouragingly across at him “So, what about you coming to the cinema with me on Saturday?”

She gasped and her smile extended “I’d love to. But Daryl, I can’t Daryl. I’m skint”

“Yeah, but look, I’ve got a fiver. If we went to the smaller screen the tickets would be 2 pound each, then 30 pence on the bus into town and that’ll leave 40p for an ice cream at the interval – we’d have to share it of course – then we walk home. Yeah?”

She laughed a little and bit the inside of her cheek “I can’t. I can’t have you paying for me”

“Why not? That fiver isn’t doing anything else!”

She giggled a little, then looked even more serious “Daryl, if you pay for me, I’d owe you and …”

“… and then I’d ask you to do something you… I see. I get it now. Suppose I promise not to pressure you. Would you come then?”

“I’d really like to, but..”
“Please?”

 “… but I need to clear it with my mum”.

“Well Deborah, I don’t know. I don’t want you getting all screwed up like you were only last weekend. I really ought to say no. I think you need to take a little longer to get yourself straightened out first” 

“Oh mum! Supposing I do the dishes for you”

“You’ve got homework to do”

“But I can do that as well”

“Oh Deborah, I know you’ll only go and ask your dad instead. But its hard on all of us and I don’t want you getting hurt like that”

Dad was equally sympathetic to her cause.

“If its that Bobby again then no, definitely not. Even if I have to chain you to the fence, so don’t try to persuade me”

“No, dad, his name’s Daryl. He’s in my class. And he’s nothing like Bobby at all, more the complete opposite. … and I’ll wash the car for you……..”

“You. ok for Saturday” Daryl asked in school the next day. He’d come up behind her and had startled her unintentionally.

“Hey! Are you creeping up on me!” she exclaimed as she tried to relocate her heart back from her mouth. She had resolved not to show him how excited she was. To her, this was a dream come true. So much so that she’d even collected together enough courage to try to start it herself a few weeks back. But she also expected that she’d land up back in the same trouble as before if he found out, at least found out too soon.

“Yeah. But oh boy! Did I get the third degree about you” 

“What for! That’s a bit unfair.”

“Well, first they asked me if I was going out with Bobby again. That was the first hurdle. But they’re only trying to protect me so I don’t run into the same problems as before”

“So what did you tell them?”

“Just about the sum total of what I know about you. You’re Daryl, and you’re in class with me for Chemistry. You live over the west side estate, at least I think you do, and that you were the boy that went to see that girl that was in the accident and was in a coma. They seemed impressed by that. Then they asked who you were going out with at the moment…”

“… what for?

“I think that’s to make me think about what trouble I might be running into there, like if she’s got a brother who’s six foot four”

But her dad wasn’t quite finished on the subject as she floated in on Friday evening for dinner

“So lets just replay this week Deborah….”

Now she expected to be in trouble being called by her full name

“So last week you moped round looking miserable and casting the shadow over everyone. Friday you get back way after time and the only reason you weren’t grounded was because you binned your date for Saturday before I could tell you.”

That phone call ran fast forward through her head

“Hey babe, we’re in for some real fun tonight”

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah, can't wait. Even more excitement tonight.”

“Yeah? Which girls are going?”

“You and Hannah”

“Is that all! Sorry? Me and Hannah. What d’you mean me and Hannah?”

“Yeah so far. Rocko’s working on that too. Of course you'll have to get yourself around a bit more cos there'll be about eight guys and Hannah will need some help so you won’t just be watching this time. And there’s a whole bundle of us – Rocko, Mario and everyone.

Yes she thought, if you like getting passed around like ‘pass the parcel’ at a seven year old’s birthday party getting unwrapped one layer at a time. But joining Hannah, not just watching. Watching was horrific enough. She shivered as she recalled. She already felt she’d be scarred for life by the memory.

“Yeah, you were so cool last night – you’re honoured – been invited back! Rocko’s planning a bonfire – just to keep warm. Can’t wait for tonight’s excitement”

“Yeah, well you can count me out. I’m going to skip it.”

“Skip it? What!”

“Look, Bobby, that’s just not me. Its not my excitement”

“But you gotta come. Its expected”

“No, I’m not going”

“Maybe I should come around and get ya!”

“No. I’m staying in tonight. And. And. And I’m not going out with you anymore. I don’t want to see you again. Ever. Its just not me. No way. Yes I will be like that! Look, you might find that kind of thing exciting, but I don't. I find it embarrassing, degrading and demeaning. What d’you mean just have a bit more to drink? This whole thing is just not what I'm about. Ok? Finito. No more, not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever”

She re-lived the shiver that skimmed through her whole body as she’d put the phone down

“I take it you're not going out tonight then”

“No” and if anyone calls tell them I just drowned while I was taking a bath” 

Jill had taken hold of her husband’s arm “Boys? Who'd bother with them?” 

“I for one am not sorry about that. Nothing but trouble that Bobby. Take her up a nice drink while she soaks her problems away”

Slamming the phone down on the replay refocussed her attention on what her dad was saying

“…….. so Saturday you were all wound up. Sunday like a sore with a bear head, Monday was miserable, Tuesday was miserable, Wednesday you left miserable and came home completely recovered. And now look at you, all dreamy and starry eyed all over again”

“But you are looking forward to this aren’t you Deb?” her mum probed to break the interrogation

“Yes. Its…”

“But Deborah, you hardly know this boy”

“I know. But we went to the café on Wednesday. Time never, ever flew so quickly. I….”

“Oh Deborah! My poor little girl. You’re a lost cause are you ever!”

But Saturday came up with a blue sky and Debbie beavered through her homework before washing the car. The afternoon found her on a lounger in the back garden which was day-dreamy relaxing until the five year old next door started lobbing mugs of water over the hedge before giggling his way back behind the laurel bush.

Then it was getting ready. She nearly ate something for tea before going back upstairs to finish off.

Maybe Rocko and Bobby were setting fire to some guys car for excitement, but nothing could make her more excited than she was now.

“Oh, Debbie,” cautioned her mum “please don’t look forward to it too much. The more you look forward to it the better it has to be just to live up to expectations. And the danger is that even if its great, its still a disappointment”

But dad was looking at her suspiciously as she appeared in the hall. Her bright green coat was open revealing her dark blue micro-pattern dress

“Oh daddy! Its not short – well, not very”

“You’re right. It’s a good 6 inches longer than last weekend. And that’s suspicious”

“No its not! I mean, yes it is! Oh! No it is longer and its not suspicious. I don’t want to give the wrong first impression”

“First impression? So you’re already planning a second, are you?”

Daryl was already sitting on the garden wall next to the bus stop that the lady who owned it had cleared especially for bus passengers to wait on, which was her sole lifetime contribution to the evolution of society. 

But he jumped up as Debbie approached and she watched him watching her as they met.

“Wow Debbie. You look fabulous” which brought a genuine tear to mix with her Pearl Drops.

The bus crashed down every single pothole between Hillside and Central bouncing them together more than either of them would have dared without external intervention and even though the film was decidedly average, neither of them had ever laughed so much. 

On reflection, the things they laughed at probably weren't funny really, but the occasion fuelled the excitement and they both laughed a lot anyway. 

Like, Debbie replayed, they're walking back up the hill and Daryl is fooling around falling off the pavement like it was three feet high instead of three inches. She hears a car coming and calls 'car' and he makes this hugely exaggerated dramatic leap back onto the pavement losing his balance and bouncing into the hedge while the car is still a hundred yards away and she grabs his arm just to pull him back upright again. Now if that had been Bobby, he'd have waited till the car was nearly here then given her a hefty shove out into the road grabbing her arm and hopefully preventing her death with only minor dislocations instead. He’d have laughed like a drain, but …..

All too soon they got to her terrace. The door was only a bin width back from the gate and they stopped, nervous on what to do next. 

He held both her hands 

“I guess this is goodnight” 

“I guess so.”                                         

“I’ve had a fabulous evening, Debbie”

“Me too”

“Maybe we could do it all over again next week? 

“I don’t know. I can't see me being any less skint and that makes me nervous …. As I said before” 

“But I could.... “

“Are you coming in or standing outside all night?” 

She turned at the sound of her dad at the door

“I'll see you in school Monday” 

“Daryl, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, sir” 

“I was thinking of walking back to your house with you. The Boys are out tonight. They've been down on the lower estate, but who knows where they're causing trouble now” 

“Thankyou Mr Ellis. But I'll be fine. Chances are I know a couple of them from football, and that'll blag my way out of trouble. You yourself might be at more risk, if you don’t know them at all” 

“Hmmm. You may be right. You’re confident you’ll be all right? Hmmm ok. But could you go something for me. Ring me when you get home so we know you're all right” 

The Boys were a regular gang of trouble on the estate and Daryl could hear their unmistakeable sound, although far enough away, and he was nearly on time getting home to his mum waiting in the living room.

“Good time? Well! You seem happy enough!” 

“Yes mum. But mum, I have to phone her dad. Just to say I got home, he's worried because the Boys are out”

“That’s very concerned of him”

“Yeah. He wanted to walk back with me. But I said he’d likely be in more danger than me. Like, If it was Jason or Jacko from football    …. Oh, hello Mr Ellis. Its Daryl just saying I got home ok. The Boys are still out though – over the North hill.. .. Oh, and Mr Ellis, thanks for looking out for me. Really appreciate it. Yeah, bye” 

“He did phone back, Debbie” her dad said at breakfast “Took a while though”
“But, dad, it would take him that long to get home from here, all the way over to Shepherd’s Hill in the west estate”

“Oh, not just round the corner? – maybe a good job I didn’t walk back with him. But he seems a very polite young man. Are you seeing him again? I only half expected him to ring at all”

“He’s asked me for next Saturday. I said I’d have to ask you”

It was lunch break when Daryl managed to find her in the playground. She was in a huddle with a few friends but broke out when she saw him 

“Dad thinks you're a very polite young man” 

“Oh, rats! Has that put you off completely then?” 

“No, don't be silly....” 

But the bell cut the conversation short 

“Saturday?” he hazarded 

“I'm thinking about it. I'm sure you know why” she said seriously 

“Ok. I'll see you after Chem on Wednesday, and maybe just a Coke in the park” 

She hurried off at the call of “Come on, Deb. We'll be late!” 

Daryl tried to be quietly confident, but he also had to think of a way to get through this curtain of hers. Clearly this Bobby guy had properly spooked her, and it still wasn't clear if she'd actually agreed to any of his demands, whatever they were. Cycling back up from the hospital on Tuesday, he felt particularly alive. He tried to mull over his Chemistry homework where he was on the fourth attempt at question 7, but kept returning to wonder if Debbie would make Saturday rather than focussing on the hill climb. 

“Hey dad. How’s your maths. Can you look at q7 for me? Yeah its Chem, but this bit’s all numbers”

“Yeah”, he said eventually “that’s what I got at my second attempt, but I’m not sure where from.”

But now that it was complete and written up he still felt like he was buzzing. Surely, he thought, it can’t be the thought of meeting Debbie tomorrow? Its only a drink in a café for an hour. But what else could it be. I didn’t feel like this down at the hospital. Maybe its just the satisfaction of getting that homework finished. 

Chemistry was last period on Wednesday and Daryl finally caught up with her to ask if she'd like a drink in the cafe in the park. He was still dubious, but she showed no signs of doubt about making the date. They drifted down towards the river and she suddenly realised they were holding hands although she couldn’t remember precisely when that had started. It was so discrete but she’d wondered why she’d strangely become so tingly. She sat down as he bought the drinks but he noticed the tear in her eye when he got back. She brushed it away as soon as she noticed him noticing.

“Sorry. Its just something that happened on the way down here”

“Oh come on! Its not that bad going to the caff with me”

“It made me feel all warm and happy inside and its just ….”

He took out a clean hanky that his mum had ironed and wiped it away properly.

Thursday morning saw them in the playground crossing paths as they changed subjects

“Saturday?” he asked speculatively

“Mhmm she nodded. But, Daryl, I’m still nervous. But I do want to” 

He smiled weakly “Maybe, but I’m not going to take it for granted that you'll want to. And the same for Wednesday. I won’t be taking you for granted. So I'd rather keep asking, just to make sure” 

“Are you sure you can afford it?” she'd asked with serious concern 

“Yeah. It's ok. I do some work down at the hospital” he explained vaguely. 

“Yes, but I'm sure there are other things you'd rather spend money on” 

“I guess. But if I had some more money. I’d like to spend that on you as well”

“Is that so!” she exclaimed perhaps taking offence “Well, let me remind you Daryl Miller that this Debbie Ellis is not for sale” 

“Whoa! I wasn't suggesting you were. Just the opposite. I was only saying that the best use of my money is for both of us to have a good time together” 

And right in the middle of the playground she have him an embarrassingly big hug. 

Saturday was epic. The film was good, the weather was perfect for a slow wander back up the hill, and Debbie seemed to be significantly less wound up. Daryl even ventured to think that she might begin to trust him sometime soon.

They'd already had their little kiss goodnight at the end of the road before they got to her terrace and their Saturday night wander home from the cinema was coming to its expected end. 

“I guess that's it till Wednesday” she said sadly “We are going to the cafe on Wednesday aren't we?” 

“Yes, but Debbie, I'd like to see you more often too, but you're so nervous about me paying for everything even though I'm not needed at the hospital tomorrow” 

She brightened up like a star just came out from behind a cloud 

“Maybe we could do something that doesn't cost much” 

“Do you think your dad will unlock your cage again?” 

She narrowed her eyes and glowered at him. She knew her dad was only trying to protect her, largely from herself. 

“After lunch if I get my homework done” 

“Hmmm. At the risk of being boring, we could just go for a walk. That wouldn’t cost anything” 

“Ok” she said rather too quickly.

“Maybe down to the river and back round by the canal? It's meant to be nice weather” 

“I don't think that would be boring at all. After lunch?” 

“Say two o'clock?” 

They walked hand in hand down the steep streets to the riverside, but he slipped his arm round her waist on the river bank path. They chatted idly about the river and the wildlife, the flowers and trees. 

“Funny” she said “I'm noticing far more things than I did last time I walked along the riverbank. Like fish jumping and insects dipping and birds in trees. Maybe it's something to do with being with you” 

“Is that because they're far more interesting than me” 

“No! No I didn't mean that. I meant maybe you make me feel more alive and part of nature” 

The fishermen tailed off outside the town boundary and she leant more heavily on his shoulder. 

“It'll be no consolation to me if you dump me cos I'm boring. I'd be quite happy to take you along to the stock car racing” 

“Stock car racing! Daryl, I’m not sure that’s me. But then I’ve never been. But Daryl, you're not boring. It's a lovely walk. And the countryside is so lovely with the sun shining through the trees like that. But I don’t want you to think I don't want to do other stuff. It's just that...” 

... Yeah, I know. You don't want me paying for you” 

“That's right. I told you before I'm not for sale! I just don't want to run into trouble” 

“Trouble?” 

“Yes. If I'm not paying my own way, I might be expected to contribute in, you know, other ways” 

“Oops. Sorry!” 

He retrieved his hand which had covertly and seemingly independently found its way through the armhole of her sleeveless top to be over-familiar with the part of her bra protecting her right breast. 

“No, not that. That's rather nice actually. But Daryl, why do you go out with me?” 

“Why?” 

“Yes, what do you want me for?” 

“Want you for?” 

“Yes” 

They'd reached the bend in the river and sat down on the pebbles at the water’s edge 

“Why? Debbie, it’s because I want to go out with you. I like just being with you. I want us to have fun together, do stuff together. I want to get to know you better. I don't really understand the question! Debbie, I just want you to be my girlfriend” 

“Anything else?” she encouraged. 

“I guess so. Yes. At the risk of being over-demanding, I want you to be sympathetic when I hit problems, maybe help me with the Maths I need for Chem homework. I want to make some memories with you that I'll remember for a long time” 

“And try to forget when we take a break?” 

“No, I want to make memories that will make me smile even if we're not still together” 

“So how long do you think we'll be together?” 

“Debbie, are you trying to tell me something? You don't want us to take a break do you?” 

“No! No, please! it was just a question” 

“I don't know how long. The more I get to know you, the more I want us to stay together. I was hoping you'd feel the same way.” 

“Really!” she beamed “oh my! ... Really?” 

“But Debbie, Kids change, they grow up. We've got another year at school. Then if we go to different colleges or Unis or something, who knows, it's all such a long way off. But Debbie, right now there’s no-one else in the whole world that I’d rather be with”

“Oh, wow!” 

“But Debbie, it's only fair you tell me what's behind that question in the first place” 

They walked on slowly in silence, Daryl waiting for a response hoping he'd said enough of the right thing to balance any of the wrong stuff which might frighten her away. 

“Daryl, it's just that I'm frightened. I get too involved. I get all emotional. And then if I'm not paying my way, I'm frightened that I'll be expected to do things that are wrong. Just plain… wrong. And then I have to walk away. I have to make that break, I have to inflict that pain on myself. It's a bit like if I just dived head first into that bed of nettles there, knowing I'd done that same thing only a few weeks ago and knowing that the pain will be unbearable - again. Not just on me but to people who care about me” 

“Like your dad?” 

“Yes, and me mum. Dads been out of work for six weeks now. It's hard for everyone. And they don't need the added pressure of me behaving like a melted jelly” 

“But you like going out with me - even if I'm stretch yawn boring” 

“Yes I do! And Daryl, you're not boring. I don’t need express train speed excitement all the time. I’m more quiet than that. I'm just rather selfishly looking for some reassurance” 

“Actually Debbie, I think I know what you're talking about. And I do understand. But you need to start believing that I'm not that kind of guy. I don't have an alternative agenda. My motive for going out with you is that just being with you makes me happy. It gives me something to look forward to - apart from double biology” 

“But you just said you knew what I was talking about. Like maybe you know about.....me.. and that .. stuff? My ….. contribution?” 

“Maybe, but I’m guessing at some of it”

“Oh, Daryl don't! I'm trying to forget about all that. No…” she whispered “….no. If you knew about all that, you'd have started by now” 

“No! No I wouldn't! Because I'm not like that! Look. I've not been spying on you but listen. I was just going home through the park last Thursday and Mario called at me. Scared the daylights out of me. Maybe you don’t know Mario in which case you’ve been lucky. He’s a guy I try quite hard to avoid. I’ve tried to avoid him ever since junior school just around the time when he discovered that he could get almost everything he wanted just by hitting people. And if they didn’t respond the first time, he’d just hit them a bit harder. But he looked like he was on his own, and he wasn't holding a chiv, but he introduced himself. Said he needed a word. He walked on with me. I asked him if it was any particular word he needed, but he was looking for me purely to say thankyou. Says it's not a word he uses very often. But apparently Kirk Grierson was his half brother. Treated him more like a real brother. They share a biological dad, so he said. Apparently Kirk’s mum just saved up for a new car, but was nervous that a court might confiscate the money to pay for the wrecked Audi that Kirk was driving in the accident Kirsty got hurt in. Except, Kirk wasn't driving, and Mario found out it was me that tipped off the old bill that it was Darrino Pallenski at the wheel. 

That info got Kirk off the hook and saved his mum from a shed load of grief that they'd never prove if he hadn’t recovered. He asked me where they were all going, so I said they were headed for a drugs party. But when I mentioned Darrino Pallenski, he said he was a small time pimp for one hand lovers, so there’s that aspect as well. He asked me what Kirsty was doing there and I told him straight, they'd meant to pick up Kirsty Belmonte and got it wrong. That's what led to the argument that led to the crash. He talked a bit, trying to get info on both of the Kirstys, but as he did that he let slip a few details about what Rocko was really up to. Interesting, setting some dudes car alight and pulling a chiv on random passers-by is all just a diversion for their real activities. Specially when he said, we’re not called the Boys for nothing. So, yes, I'm putting my one and one together and making it up to about a dozen. But I don't think I'm far off the mark. Then again, it's not really anything to do with me. There's enough busybodies out there sticking their sniffling snoots into other folks business without me joining in”

“That's hardly the attitude I'd expect from someone who works at the hospital!” 

“Maybe not, but folks in hospital need looking after. People who go out looking for that kind of excitement and adventure should do it at their own risk. And I'm not about to risk ending up as a patient because Rocko thinks I've rumbled him and am gonna do something about it” 

“But if you know about that stuff, why are we still together......” 

“Debbie, you never actually took part in that game. But even if you had, that was then, and this is now. And I’m me, not him. I mean you did find out about him. Like he’s batting for the opposition..?”

“Yes” she whispered “I wasn’t expecting anything like that. I mean, it was horrific. To me sex is a private thing. Its not a spectator sport. A girl called Hannah was the bait. There were two victims, younger boys that came bouncing in. They’d been promised something and that was Hannah’s job. Then it was Bobby’s turn to 'offer them an alternative' from the male ringleaders. When they turned it down they were held down. Screaming, swearing, crying, And I watched. I watched, Daryl! I had already watched before I realised what was happening. I was nearly sick. I left immediately. Then Bobby rang the next day saying it was my turn. Time for my contribution. Time for me to pay him back by … by being … Oh Oh Daryl!”

She broke down in tears partly on the memory but equally worried about Daryl’s reaction.

“Daryl, you have to believe me, I never took part. I was invited along as a guest. I didn't know anything about it. He said it was a show we were going to. It was horrible. I never knew people could behave like that!”

 “Debbie, I believe you. I'm not making a big thing about it” 

“Daryl, every girl wants her first time to be memorable. And I suppose a public exhibition of myself with a 12 year old would have been, but for all the wrong reasons. But I just can't believe you still want me to be your girlfriend when you know all about that, and that's why I need a little bit of security” 

“Debbie. That stuff is all about them. Its not about you. Kids grow up. Every day is different. We could walk round those bushes there and stumble across something going on. Maybe you do some stuff and realise that its not you, so you leave it out. You change direction, you don’t go there again. But you don’t write off the whole future because you got one thing wrong. I just like being with you. The future for you and me starts now, not back then with some other guy. I guess some time we’ll go our separate ways and I don’t want to think about that, but for now I just want to go out with you one date at a time and hope you keep accepting the next invitation”

“Daryl! I want to too. You're not boring because you give me a kind of security that I never had before, and you’re ok just going for a boring walk with me. You said you wanted to make memories we'll remember for a long time. I only hope they can overwrite the ones I’ve already got” 

But if he was going to make more time for seeing Debbie he was going to have to decide what had to go. He also needed to make more time for his activities at the hospital and that was becoming more interesting as well. Sunday afternoon would have been a good time, but if he dropped football practice maybe he could squeeze some more hospital sessions in after school instead. There were so many things there that intrigued him. Like why were all these people there? And if there wasn’t a cure for whatever they had, what could they actually expect in the future. And those just undergoing ‘observation’! What were they doing there? And why didn’t Keith figure out a way of telling who to concentrate his limited resources on? Keith and Nigel were really interesting to talk to when they were around, and, Daryl reflected, maybe he’d just got used to being there while he used to go down to see Kirsty. 

But this afternoon he was just browsing carelessly through a book he’d found in the library about human anatomy and the nervous system. This was, as he paused for thought, a major diversion for him. He couldn’t remember a time when he was actually this interested in something that wasn’t practical like bike mending. But no matter as he read on. He managed to persuade the librarian to let him keep it for a few days even though it was there as a reference book. Not his usual bedtime reading, but this was describing the whole body like a machine made up of individual components that just all worked together. Some of it used standard physical processes like pumping, osmosis and electrical connectivity, others strange enzymes, catalysts and huge organic molecules. Fascinating. But nothing on near death, comas, or colours at the cross roads.

Life just seemed to be different now. This was interesting. He wanted to read more, and now he was getting to understand some of the technical language as well. And he had this bizarre ‘research project’ as Keith called it, and he got paid. And he was seeing Debbie as well. What else could he possibly want?

Evidence for the Defence

The following week was equally idyllic. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, but it hardly dampened their enthusiasm for their longer walk home by the river. And her dad seemed ok with their next cinema date.

But this time was different. The film was gripping, the plot twisted and turned like a pole dancer and most of the audience were actually watching it. So often did the unexpected leap out from the screen making the auditorium abuzz with gasps.

Daringly, Daryl had slipped his hand on to her knee and she didn’t seem to be complaining. But the next sudden incident on screen was immediately followed by another, even less expected and from the other side of the screen. Most of the audience jumped including Daryl. His hand slipped off her knee onto the middle of her chair immediately ahead of her jumping forward in surprise only to crash the top of her legs into Daryl’s wrist and letting out an ‘oooh’ that made the near neighbours turn to find out what on earth they were doing. Daryl apologised. But the plot had moved on apace and the incident was side-lined till they were walking home. Daryl apologised again

“Its ok” she’d said “its ok. It was a good film. I just hope I don’t get too involved in the replays going on in my head”

“So long as they don’t replay me being so rude!”
“Daryl! I said its ok, now just forget it”

“Yeah, but”

“Daryl! L .. Leave it out.!”

Next day he found an excuse to go to the hospital where Nigel was bemoaning the various obscure cases he was having to sort out due to ‘incompetent imbeciles wielding scalpels like machetes’ and Daryl did his best to listen and be sympathetic.

“And” Nigel said forewarning him “Keith’s got another interesting case for you. Although I understand that some nosey jobsworth in Central is asking him if he’s established a specialist unit, and of course he doesn’t want to confirm or deny that at this stage”
“Why’s that?”

“Well, because if he confirms it he’ll get swamped, and the specialist unit actually consists of you. That in itself would raise questions about medical qualifications and client confidentiality and who knows what else from interfering activists. And if he denies it he’ll be asked why he wants those cases transferred here. But in the meantime, he wants you to take more on so that he can write it up for his thesis”

“Rock and hard place!”

“Yes, so he’s currently trying to figure out how to persuade you to work next Saturday because he knows that you see your Debbie on Saturday evening. But Saturday would keep this particular patient under the radar. I suggested he resort to bribery. Everyone has their price”

“Yeah, well he’s in luck. Debbie’s going to her grandma’s 70^th birthday party. So Saturday’s my best day for working this weekend”

Wednesday came round all too quickly. It just seemed that time was flying by at its own pace and leaving Daryl behind on far too many occasions. 

Debbie didn’t seem quite herself as they walked to the café by the river.

And then everything went downhill from there because Debbie was puzzling through another quandary. 

In all the weeks she been going out with Bobby, he'd never once touched her or suggested anything intimate or even kissed her properly. And now she'd found out he was a left hand lover and that explained it. But that was no compensation for how foolish she felt from going out with a known poofter. Maybe folks thought she was trying to convert him, or maybe he just wasn't known to her other friends. 

And now Daryl. Yes, he'd had his hand inside her sleeveless top at one point, but then she'd said something inadvertently and that hadn't happened again. She didn't consider herself a tart by any stretch of her imagination, and if she pushed Daryl into doing something he might get the wrong impression and then everything might just go too far. But it was frustrating. She wanted to move on with Daryl. Not too fast of course. She felt tingly enough just meeting him and holding hands, but she also wanted him to do more. So why didn't he? Was it just because she kept telling him she didn't want to owe him anything? Yes, that’s why. And that hang up was just getting in the way of everything. But no, they both knew what she was afraid of, and it wasn't being persuaded to do something with him, only to be pushed into doing something with someone else, someone she didn't know just being used as a toy for some strangers benefit. 

It all bounced around inside her head and bubbled up making her volatile. Hopefully it would subside by the time they got to the cafe and then she could think of some way to covertly get things moving a bit faster. If that was really what she wanted. And what if Daryl was really a poofter as well! Oh my, that would be such a disaster - why did she even think of that possibility even if it was remote? 

She calmed down just a little and opted for a milkshake, but somehow the wasp that had buzzed in had made her jump. Daryl swatted it and as he flicked it away he caught Debbie’s glass with his cuff. The shake spread itself all over her blouse and dripped out unnoticed onto her coat. Daryl picked up a serviette and was about to brush her dry when he noticed two old women just across from them watching with interest. 

“No, No, em. You’d better do this” he said hastily not wanting to embarrass her in public.

“What?”

“Yeah, it being your top half, like”

It could have been the cue for humour or innuendo, but with Debbie already out of sorts she flew off the handle instead 

“Oh! For goodness sake! I’m dripping wet and you’re faffing about and expecting me….” 

She rubbed her top down carelessly and leaned across the table

“I’m a girl right? Right. I’m wondering if you actually noticed that, the way you’re behaving”

Daryl remonstrated briefly but she got up from the table, getting crosser by the second

“No, don’t apologise, not again. I’ll just walk home and sort myself out” she turned and walked away

“Debbie!”

“Don’t bother, I’ll be fine on my own. The way you’re going you might as well join the boys”

He ran after her, quickly catching up

“Debbie, listen…”
“No, Daryl. Don’t apologise yet again. I can walk home on my own. The way you’re going you’d probably trip me up and land me in the river. So just leave me alone”

She walked off leaving him standing there as much confused as annoyed and as much angry as frustrated. He returned to the café and picked up her coat, only then noticing the strawberry stains all down one side.

The next day she avoided him at school, but he walked in to town and put her coat into Tomlinsons the specialist dry cleaners. Not cheap, but, they claimed, if they couldn’t clean it then it can’t have been stained in the first place.

Friday evening, he phoned her, only to be informed that she was out. She’d gone round to Stacey’s for some sort of girlie make up party. 

But Keith’s case on Saturday was interesting and he managed to get a good contact with a relatively active index finger. Keith sat in taking the transcription and suggesting the next line of questions and conversation but it took him a while to get the idea that this whole process was painfully slow, and Daryl was quite worn out by the time they headed for the café. The coffee and donut however, weren’t free. They came as a bribe to continue the case on Sunday and, Daryl reckoned, he needed the extra to pay for cleaning Debbie’s coat.

He thought about calling her again on Sunday evening, but the replay of the events by the river persuaded him that it wasn’t all his fault, and he’d called her once, so now it was her turn. He desperately wanted to see her, but at the same time, she was cross with him for being too condescending, so that meant she’d have to call him.

What he hadn’t reckoned on was that she wasn’t in school on Monday. 

He called her house at lunchtime, but there was no reply. Instead he went around to the year 7 playground. Juliette Musgrove lived a few doors down from Debbie in the terrace. She might at least have seen her around, but Juliette too was elusive. The only other options were to go round there, but if she was still mad at him it would make things worse with him pestering her. His final option was to track down the only other person he knew that lived near there and that was Mario.

Looking for Mario was a bad idea at the best of times. Apart from being a druggie he was violent and unpredictable. And if he was coming down from whatever he’d been high on, he could be well dangerous to people he didn’t know.

But then, he was ok last time they’d talked. Mario had looked for him on that occasion and it had been to say thankyou. 

After school, Daryl headed to the East side of the park where the druggies tended to hang out, reconsidering the option with every step and finally deciding that the way his luck was going, maybe that was just a risk too far. Instead, he turned to head towards home but was immediately dismayed to see his path blocked by three guys walking slowly towards him.

He only recognised one of them

“Do you know this dude?” asked one of the two he didn’t know at the same time reaching into his pocket. Daryl clocked it. Maybe a chiv, maybe a duster, but not healthy either way.

“Yes” said Mario, with no farther explanation

Daryl took to the grass leaving the path for them deciding that this was the wrong time to engage Mario in polite conversation.

“Hi Mario.” he said politely but not too loudly as they passed each other while making a point of not noticing the other two, and resolving to hang around no longer than necessary to avoid suspicion as he quickened pace. 

Now all he had to do was cut back towards the west side estate and home without crossing paths with these boys again. He cut back onto the road. More likely to be people there. Nearly home, but look, who’s that! Gosh, thought I’d lost those guys, but then, sometimes they get curious. Must have cut through the narrow alleys which Daryl considered out of bounds to law-abiding citizens like himself.

Mario had disappeared into a shop and Daryl was thankful for small mercies. Right up until he felt the point of a blade against his shirt as he passed the shoe shop door.

“You. You have not seen me. Ok” 

“Yep. I ain't seen anyone” 

“Or the two guys I was with” 

“What two guys?” 

“Good. You know the score. So what you sniffin’ round the east side for anyhow?” 

“I was looking for Debbie” 

“Debbie?” 

He sounded suddenly nervous and that made Daryl even more twitchy. Mario was volatile to start with. A nervous Mario was a full sized loose cannon. 

“Yea, say, you live a couple of streets from Debbie. Maybe you’ve seen her about?” 

“Don't you know?” 

“No. I don't know anything that you don't tell me” 

“Ok. You ain't seen us, and it wasn't me that told you, though it's common knowledge with the boys, Ok? She got lifted. Fuzz was round first thing. Up for the beak tomorrow. Got it” 

“You can count on it Mario” 

Daryl’s heart rate started to get below 159 as Mario disappeared down a side alley, and Daryl took the next left up the hill towards the magistrate’s court. 

He'd never been there before and while he wracked his brains for whatever Debbie would be up for, he really couldn't guess. If it was anything to do with her maybe getting out of line after she left him last Wednesday, he'd surely have been invited as a witness of some kind. Maybe her gran’s party got out of hand and she’s up for inciting a riot! 

“Can I help you?” asked the girl behind the desk as Daryl milled around like a crowd of one. 

“Hi, I was looking for a schedule for tomorrow's cases” 

“There isn't one” 

“So how do you know when each case will be on?” 

“You don't”

His puzzled look persuaded her to continue “you see, you can't tell how long a case will take. Could be there's a dozen people turn up to give evidence and the first case takes all day, or it could be the defendant doesn't turn up at all and the case is deferred and it takes 10 minutes” 

“So how many cases are on tomorrow” 

“Oh, there's 8 on the list but chances are at least half of them will be deferred till Thursday” 

“Thursday?” 

“Yes. Wednesday’s cases are already scheduled ….” 

Or as scheduled as they can get

“ … although the first case usually starts on time” she shrugged, and Daryl figured that was the most he would get out of her. He turned to go 

“But look, here's the list of tomorrow cases. Which one are you interested in, or is it all of them?” 

“Are some people interested in all of them?” 

“Yes, reporters and the like” 

“No, just the Ellis case” 

“Oh. Should've guessed really. That's an interesting one. Cut and dried video evidence they say. It's on second. Look towards the top. Ellis versus the crown” 

Daryl reckoned that sounded worse odds than David v Goliath, but the bigger challenge for this evening was to persuade his mum that he'd have to skip school.

Daryl had never actually been in a courtroom before and he hadn't figured on the security delaying him a half hour. Still, he could hear the proceedings from the foyer where he was being delayed and the first case seemed to be getting a move on. He heard a verdict and the subsequent commotion as people were allowed to talk again and complain about the result. And then the melee of villains from both sides of the case milling out around him heading for the exit. Finally he was allowed in. Shame the helpful receptionist hadn't warned him about being pre-registered before you could attend. 

Being a juvenile court, it was much less formal than he’d expected and the video she'd mentioned was already playing. He stood inconspicuously at the back and he’d missed the very start. There were only half a dozen or so people there but Daryl was too focussed on the screen to take stock of the crowd. Being the only evidence, the video was rewound and played again now that everyone had the context.

But that can’t be right! He narrowed his eyes and peered at the screen

“So here, your honour, you can see the defendant in her distinctive green coat getting very close to the back of the car.    - - - - And here you can see the arm with the same coat and the torch that actually lights the fire” 

“So, Miss Ellis, what defence would you like to propose?” 

Debbie stood up. She was sitting with her mum who had a clear stream of tears running down her face. 

“You honour, it wasn't me. I wasn't there. Last Friday I walked over to a friend’s house for a make-up party” 

“And can this friend verify this? 

“Well, no. She wasn't in. I must’ve got the date wrong, so I just walked back again” 

“So can anyone else verify this walk of yours?” 

“I guess not. I didn't meet anyone I knew. But, I can't have been me because I’ve lost my green coat. I've no idea where it is” 

“And where did you lose it” 

“I think I must have left it in the riverside cafe. I looked all round school for it and asked everyone if they'd seen it lying around, and I went back to the cafe and it's just gone” 

“So you're suggesting that someone may have found it and pretended to be you for the making of the video. Tell me, why would someone do that?” 

“I don't know. I guess maybe they just don't like me” 

“And do you have any particular person in mind?” 

“No” 

“Miss Ellis, much as I would like to believe you, I am struggling a bit with the video on one side and precious little verified evidence on the other” 

Debbie sat down and buried her face in her hands shaking her head.

But this was too much for Daryl as he jumped up with his hand up like in a primary school class

“Your honour! Excuse me your honour. May I speak to the court?” 

“It is unusual, young man, but if you have something material to add, then you may. However, I am obliged to point out before you start that wasting the courts time is an offence with a minimum fine of 50 pounds” 

“Thankyou your honour. But there are a number of things that I’d like to point out before you pass sentence. Could you possibly rewind the film and pause on any of the first few frames.” 

Daryl moved forward so that he could point to the screen 

“Your honour, here on screen is Miss Ellis, clearly seen approaching this car. Could I ask someone, perhaps this officer here to tell the court what the car badge is at the bottom right of the picture” 

“It's A U S, your honour. I suggest it’s the first letters of Austin” 

“That's because it looks like an Austin 1100 you honour” 

“Now, officer point two. Can you please note the rear window, the glass, then next to that the rubber seal and then the green paintwork of the panel”

“Yes, but I would suggest that was normal, young man”

“I agree, but next would you please check the state of the bushes. No, not the foreground, the ones towards the back near the footpath through the park. They’re in bud, but have very few flowers” 

“Officer, can you confirm this?” 

“Confirmed, your honour. That is the case” 

“So far young man, this all seems rather random and I can see 50 pounds coming my way very shortly” 

“I appreciate that, your honour. One more minute please. Can you now move the film forward in slow motion to where the torch appears.” 

Silence prevailed as the tape moved slowly on without anyone knowing what they were watching for. Debbie had sat up with her mouth wide open and a heart rate of 200 as Daryl now continued 

“Thankyou. Now, your honour can I please confirm that the case rests on this arm in the green coat setting fire to that Austin 1100?” 

“Yes, young man. Now please get to the point” 

“Officer, can you please take a look at the bushes that we pointed out” 

“By Jove, your honour. They’re in full flower!” 

“Meaning that there are at least two parts to the video. One taken perhaps a couple of months ago, and one taken more recently, but it has certainly not all been taken on the same day, and certainly not last Friday. Can I now ask the officer if the arm in the green coat appears in the same frame as the torch anywhere in the video” 

The frames played through one at a time from the green coat to the torch 

“It would appear not” said the judge, now becoming more intrigued.

“You see your honour, we have already established that the film has been edited, and now we see there is a distinction between the arm and the torch. Officer, would you now please check the rear window. It looks to me as though it is glass, then a chrome strip of trim covering most of the rubber, and then the green panel”

“Oh my! So it does. How strange”

“And now can you read the car badge, or at least the bit that appears”

“Good grief! It says M O” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Certainly” 

“Your honour” said Daryl “that would indicate that this car is a Morris 1100. It's indistinguishable from the Austin except for some interior trim parts, extra chrome on the outside and the badge. And that means that this is a different car.” 

“I'm beginning to think that the evidence may not be as cast iron as originally portrayed, which is leading me to ..” 

“I'm sorry to interrupt, your honour, but there's one other point and this is the last one. The case rests, you confirmed earlier, on the arm in the green coat using the torch specifically last Friday. We have already seen that the arm and the torch do not appear in the same frame and that the video has been edited in other ways. So it is probable that there is no connection between the coat and the torch. However, are you familiar with Tomlinsons the cleaners in the high street? If you’re not, they’re a dry cleaning service specialising in difficult and delicate jobs. Their system is that when you hand in an item you get a ticket with a number on it and it is time and date stamped, and you must hand that ticket back to reclaim your item. It is strictly enforced because many of their items are very valuable, and this is their way of minimising fraud. Now, Miss Ellis said she had lost her coat, and that is the case. You see, the coat is at Tomlinsons. It is being cleaned following a spillage of strawberry milkshake last Wednesday. And the only way of getting it back is to present …. this” he said holding up the ticket. “This is the ticket I got when I handed the coat to them last Thursday, as time and date stamped on the ticket. So there is no way Miss Ellis could have been wearing the coat last Friday. Your honour, it seems to me that you should dismiss this video and this entire case as a fraud”

Debbie was sure her heart stopped beating during the stunned silence before the magistrate finally spoke 

“I am minded to agree. However, for final confirmation I would like to check that your ticket does actually relate to the green coat. Sergeant, would you please detail one of your officers to accompany this young man to confirm this validity”

“I shall go, your honour. That leaves the constables all at their designated posts”

With the court now adjourned for 15 minutes, Daryl set off at a pace with the sergeant down towards the High Street.

“So far you’re playing a blinder, young fella. If this ticket checks out its game, set and match” 

“I hope so”

“Doesn’t help me though. Still got the questions of who’s lighting up cars in the park, never mind who set this up, and on what motive”

In the shop, the sergeant produced his warrant card and asked the questions

“Do you want to collect this now?” she asked as they turned to leave.

“No thankyou, if its ok with you. I want to wait till payday, and that’s Thursday”

“As you wish” she said returning the coat to its rack.

“So that looks like its all sewn up to me, but it still leaves who set this up, and the motive”

“Look sergeant, I don’t know anything. All I know is what you might call hearsay. I do some work with the surgeons down at the hospital, and I get to talk to a number of the patients. But none of these conversations is recorded or anything. Still, the impression I get is that setting fire to some dudes car, and mugging passers-by at knifepoint are just a smokescreen for the real activities this group gets up to”

“But these things you mention are serious crimes” 

“That’s true, but the main objective of the group is to do with young boys. The group uses older girls to lure the young boys to a warehouse with the promise of the pleasures of the female body. However, after that, they are subjected to what most would find an appalling ordeal by the male ringleaders. And its a spectator sport” 

“And how would you know all this?” 

“Just overhearing talk here and there at the hospital and the description of some of the injuries that they have tried to stitch back together” 

“And what of Miss Ellis” 

“I’m guessing, sergeant, but it might be that one of the group tried lining her up to be the next bait girl. When she found out what was going on and what the plan was, she bailed out, as you would expect, and that would cause them a major embarrassment and that could be the reason for revenge” 

“Maybe you should come down to the station and make a statement”

“There’s no point, really. I have no evidence. Just a possible theory made from a dozen random bits glued together to give a possible story – a bit like that video. You’d be better talking to the doctors or maybe Ricardo Varrendini” 

“Rocko?”

“Sorry sergeant?”

“I thought you mentioned a name”

“Nooo, I have no evidence, just a theory based on hearsay”

“But its worth a chat, you’d say?”

“And Kirsty Belmonte”

With the court back in session and the evidence presented, the magistrate pushed back in his chair

“There is no doubt that the video is edited. There is also no doubt that it was not all taken last Friday. There is no direct connection between the arm in the green sleeve and the torch, there are two different cars depicted and Miss Ellis could not possibly have been wearing her green coat last Friday as suggested by the video producers because it was locked up in the cleaners. A comment from the crown prosecution, perhaps?”

“The crown is of the opinion that there is no case to answer, your honour”

“I agree. In fact, I suggest that the video should have been studied more carefully in the first place thereby avoiding the not inconsiderable distress to Miss Ellis and her family. Case dismissed. Young man. Could you spare me a couple of minutes as the court dissembles?”

Daryl felt his eyes misting up as he moved down the central aisle to see the magistrate, as Debbie and her mum were ushered out through the side door.

Jings! He breathed. How did you ever pull that off? Where did that come from? Maybe the concentration on one tap or two has given you an eye for detail? But the magistrate was only interested in complimenting him and asking if he had considered law as a career choice

“I don’t think so, its too stressful. I think something medical is more likely”

Outside, Debbie’s mum was still trying to compose herself, and Debbie herself was no help at all, being a complete hyperventilating wreck.

The pair of them made it just as far as the cafe on the corner of the High Street. It could have been a cause for celebration, but both were suffering from a kind of shock and sat largely in silence. 

“Your dad told me weeks ago that Bobby would cause trouble” 

“But mum, I got out as soon as I found out he was involved in something. I didn't know. And I didn't know they’d pull something like this” 

“Well I know what yer dad will say. He'll say you’re not responsible enough to go out on your own. Not with anyone.” 

But now feeling elated while also wallowing in self-disbelief Daryl drifted in to the cafe. He didn't see them until after he'd got his Coke, and then sat down with them uninvited. Rather reluctantly Debbie made the introductions.

“Well Daryl, you really saved the day. So thank you so much for everything” said Jill as the caffeine in the Coke started to clear his head, but Debbie was less upbeat 

“Yeah. Thanks Daryl. I guess” 

“What do you mean, you guess?” questioned Jill, still distraught. “You were about to get a massive fine. Maybe even sent down. You could be in the cells by now!” 

Daryl smiled weakly, he too had few words, but it didn't prepare him for the sudden change of tack 

“But it’s still a disaster!” she snapped at him “Everything. Everything we’ve done together was on the basis that I wouldn’t owe you anything. I kept telling you I didn't want you to pay for me because I didn't want to owe you anything. Now look at me? How am I ever going to pay you back for this? I can only guess at whatever it is you're going to tell me to do. I didn't ask you to come here, I didn't ask you to be my defence. And if I had known you were going to, I'd have told you not to. Now I'm in the very situation I've been doing everything I possibly could to avoid.” 

Daryl was stunned speechless. This in fact was de ja vue. He'd assumed Debbie would want this. Who wouldn't? Was she crazy? It's just like Kirsty. He assumed she would want to be returned from death’s door, and then she'd thrown that back at him as he pushed her up the hill. He got up, leaving his half empty glass and headed for the door

Jings! I just assumed she'd want rescued from a criminal record and everything. Evidently not. What’s wrong with these girls? She’s as grateful as Kirsty was.

“Daryl! Please don't go!” exclaimed Jill, but Daryl just shrugged and walked slowly out into the rain. 

He made it back to school for the afternoon, although he reflected he shouldn't have bothered. He couldn't concentrate and if he hadn't built up his brownie points with old Butcher in biology, he would be in serious trouble. 

At home, his dad was in for dinner as his shift pattern was changing. 

“So what's this bunking off school? I thought you quite liked school” 

“Yeah, I do dad. But I heard Debbie was up in front of the beak. I had to go. It was bound to have been wired. I mean, I knew she wouldn't have done anything, but then they had this video there that proved she'd like torched up this car down the park. But, dad, there were obvious errors on it, like obvious inconsistencies. And then the last bit was her holding the torch and wearing her Brennan coat. Its bright green and she always wears it. It was supposed to be last Friday. Except it couldn't be cos I put that coat into the cleaners on Thursday and haven't got it back yet” 

“So what happened? Did you say anything?” 

“Sure. I wasn't just going to let them send her down was I? Yeah. But I was the only one that did. I pointed out the flaws like the bushes were in bud in one part and full flower in another. And even the car wasn't the same start and end, though it was proved by a technical difference. Anyway the whole thing got kicked out the park. Case dismissed. Judge held me back to ask me if I intended to do law cos he was quite impressed with the defence. But what would have happened if I hadn't been there? I mean she was up for criminal damage with a possible threat to life. That's like you get sent down. How would she ever cope with that?” 

“Maybe, son, you should think a bit more about who you go out with. You two have had a bit of a tiff anyhow” 

“Yeah. Last Wednesday. And then in the caff afterwards! She wasn't grateful at all. I don't understand it. But then it must’ve all been a huge shock cos she hadn’t even done anything”

“I'm not sure boys ever understand girls” said Marianne trying to sound sympathetic 

“Sounds like she might just be storing up trouble” added Jim 

“I don’t know what was up last week, but today she was just completely stitched up. But she’s not trouble dad. You haven't met her”

“So maybe we should, if you’re going to spend any more time on her, ’specially if you start getting more involved” 

Things were fairing equally badly in the Ellis house. Her dad was away with the new job he'd started and had decided not to ask for time off. Jill would be there and the image of mum on her own with her daughter might gain more sympathy. And in any case, if there was a big fine to pay, he'd need all the overtime he could get. But he'd phoned as soon as he'd got to his hotel. 

“What's the damage?” he asked trying and failing to sound sympathetic 

“Case was dismissed, dad. It was all a big fraud. It was…. Dad I can't talk about it” she handed the phone to her mum who had recovered enough to speak slowly.

“Ger, you've no idea. Someone made a video and gave it to the police. When they first played it you could see clearly that Debbie was guilty. But then Daryl stood up and pointed out some strange things that proved the tape was all rigged. And it showed her wearing her coat last Friday, you know the one she lost, well it's in the cleaners. Daryl took it there on Thursday, so she couldn't have been wearing it Friday. So the lawyers just dropped the whole case and that was that. Ger, it's so stressful. We just went to this caff. We were going to have lunch but we didn't feel like it. Just had a coffee and sat in silence for about an hour just trying to stop my head from spinning.” 

“Fraud or no fraud, I don't think Debbie should be going out for a while” 

“You hear that Deborah?” 

“What! I don't deserve that. It wasn't my fault. Someone stitched me up! But I don't want to go out anyway. It's not safe” 

“Are you going to call Daryl to say thankyou” 

“No mum, I can't. I won't be able to talk about it without getting upset. And I need to work out what to say to him. I was pretty horrible to him last Wednesday” 

“Last Wednesday! I think your behaviour in the cafe today was appalling. Daryl saved you from a criminal record, and a big fine and possibly time inside and ...” 

“... But mum. Now I owe him. You've no idea how much I've tried and tried and tried to avoid that!” 

“Well, I for one can’t see the problem with that. He’s such a nice boy. But I think there's every chance you won't be going out with him again” 

“Mum, dad won't really be that harsh” 

“Its not yer dad! You won't be asked!” 

“Was I that bad? I don't remember” 

“Deborah! It was only this morning. But if I was Daryl, I'd know where I wasn’t wanted” 

“But that’s not true!” 

“Deborah, you told him you'd rather be sent down than go out with him. If he’s any sense at all he’ll take that as a hint” 

“That's impossible. I can't have. That can't be true!” 

She sank down in a confused heap no longer able to separate what was real from what was just in her head. Still in a panic she snatched the phone from the table and quickly dialled his number before she could decide not to. 

“Oh, hello Debbie” Marianne said sounding more upbeat than Debbie was expecting anyone to be. Maybe she was happy that Daryl and her weren't going out any more.

“I'm sorry, but he's gone to meet Miranda at the station” 

“Miranda? When did that happen!” 

“Sorry Debbie? When did what happen? She was meant to be here on Saturday, but got delayed.” 

Marianne was going to say it had been arranged by Keith and she was surprised Daryl hadn't mentioned it because it was really quite exciting, but Debbie cut in 

“Thanks Mrs Miller. I guess I'll see him around” 

Now even more distressed, she ran up to her room. She didn’t cry herself to sleep that evening but only because it was way into the early hours of next morning before she finally crashed out. 

The next day, she woke feeling as bad as she ever had before in her life. She failed to make school, and that in itself would need extra explaining and it set her even farther back. With both parents out at work she dozed fitfully till midday then slumped listlessly all afternoon deciding that it was now almost certain that she would never ever recover. It was all just churning round and round in her head. Everything from the riverside café all the way through to what her mum said about not being asked out again. But going out on her own was now completely out of the question. Maybe she’d be able to persuade her dad, but whoever it was that had it in for her might try again. Or maybe someone else would have a go. And she had no idea who to look out for. Naturally, suspicion had to fall on Bobby, but while he was a thoroughly unpleasant character, he was more spontaneous especially when he was high on something. This had been premeditated, callous and vindictive. It had taken detailed planning and quite some expertise. And Bobby didn’t fit that description whatever else he was. She kept turning over in her head that Kirsty would jump at any second chance, but he'd already lined up a date with someone else and she hadn’t even realised that Daryl and her were that fragile!

Her dad was back late that evening, but made no farther comments seeing how distraught she already was. And that evening she spent her time just gasping for breath in between crying as every new thought hit her brain. She knew her dad was cross with her but at least he wasn’t having a go at her as well.

Over on the West side, Daryl was in a more pensive mood. He remembered how he felt when his Kirsty plan went pear shaped after all that planning and effort. He felt bad about Debbie, but until she confirmed they were splitting up he persuaded himself that they might not. Especially since he couldn’t believe that she really felt that way about him. But with Debbie being difficult, he got to thinking about some unfinished business with Kirsty and who, if anyone was helping her to walk again. 

Her phone took an age to be answered by her mum who transferred him to the extension without asking who it was. Interesting, thought Daryl. Maybe she gets so many calls her mum’s given up asking, or maybe she just doesn’t give a hoot.

“Hey, Kirsty. Was just wondering who’s helping you learn to walk again, outside school that is. Thought maybe your mum, or maybe your mate Frank?”

“Oh, Hi Daryl. Thanks for calling. No, like no-one, since you ask. Mum can’t leave the Vegetable and please don’t talk to me about that scumbag you mentioned”

“Ok, so would you like to try going for a walk? I could push you along to the park down the end of your road where there’s plenty of soft grass to fall down on”

“Hey, that’s cool. I hardly get out the house after I get home from school. No, scrub that. I never get out of the house after I get home from school. Kate and Tina are helping me around, but only from class to class”

“Sounds like progress. But the sooner you’re back on your own two pins, the sooner you’ll get your life back”

“Would you really? Ok, let’s give it a go”

That, thought Daryl, was a whole lot more positive than she’d ever been since waking up and coming out of intensive care. 

She was already waiting outside her front door by the time he got there and wearing a smile as well. That, he reflected, may even be a first.

“Right, you just lean on me for a few steps and if you don’t crumple to the ground we’ll see about flying solo. Let’s see how good a job Kate and Tina have been doing”

She managed a few steps and looked like she would fall as he grabbed hold of her. And he wasn’t going to put up with any whingeing about his touching her. In fact, if she had, he was all ready to tell her he’d give her some touching to moan about. But she wasn’t complaining, and the times he caught her and steadied her might well have been part of some intricate dance and she fell laughing into the chair a good half hour later. 

“That’s enough for tonight” she gasped quite out of breath.

“Yes, you’re not used to doing much exercise. But you’ll get there”

Daryl declared the trip to the park a success and said it had gone a whole lot better than he expected. He had been deliberately not careful in catching her as her legs gave way almost to the extent that he thought she might be faking it so that he’d catch her. But she agreed that the progress was good and she smiled appreciatively that he’d taken the trouble and that she was actually able to move a bit on her own if she really concentrated.

It was nearing bedtime and Daryl had been having trouble concentrating on his essay.

“Ok with Kirsty?” Marianne asked

“Yeah, she’s ok really but she’s not able to walk yet. She needs a lot more help than I thought she would by now. But mum, she’s not Debbie” 

“You need to think carefully about that girl before you do anything. I don’t want you getting into trouble”

“Mum, I have been thinking about it. She hasn’t done anything wrong. I can’t dump her on top of everything else that’s hit her”

“Daryl, I do think the balls in her court right now” 

“I guess so, mum. But its now that she needs the support. I still think I should call her tonight. I don’t want to just bump into her in school without talking to her first”

“Its quite late Daryl. She’ll likely be asleep already. But, then, at least you tried”

“Mr Ellis? Its Daryl. Look, I know its late but is there any chance I can speak to Debbie. Just for a minute. Please?”

“Hmm. She’s gone to bed, son”

“Oh dear, I was so hoping to speak to her tonight, before school tomorrow”

“Daryl, I’ll tell you what I’ll do for you. I’ll knock her door. If she’s still awake I’ll ask her. But I can’t promise anything. She’s pretty upset, and as you said, its school tomorrow. If she does, you’ll only have a minute.” 

Daryl heard the phone fall onto the glass table in the hall as Geraint went to tap on Debbie’s door

“Debbie, Daryl on the phone, but I can tell him you’re…….”

 ‘Asleep’ fell on disappeared ears as Debbie had already bounded out of bed and fled past him down the stairs. Jill picked the phone off the table to hand to the whirlwind that had just arrived

“Daryl!”

“Hi Debbie, how you doing?

“I’m … .. I’m,    …”

“Look, Debbie, your dad’s limited this to just a minute so I have to get a wiggle on, but there’s a couple of things I want you to know before we just bump into each other at school. Maybe you’d like to think about them before you go to sleep tonight, cos I know that’s the kind of thing you’d do. First up, I’m sorry for being so condescending, but its partly because I keep getting it wrong…

“No, Daryl, you don’t. Please! I’ve been really difficult. I don’t know what’s been wrong with me…”

“Ok. But the other part is that I want to keep going out with you”

“What! You do?!”

“Listen Debbie, everything was great till last Wednesday and I don’t know what went wrong….”

“Really! Daryl, after everything I said?”

 “Yeah. But Debbie, the ball’s in your court. I’m not hard to find in school if you want to. If you don’t, we’ll just take the break that you’ve started because I respect you too much to go pestering you”

 “Oh wow! Daryl! I don’t know what to say”

“Then say nothin’, because you’re out of time” cut in Geraint

“See you in scho…….” But the phone had clicked off. A man of his word, that dad of hers.

She threw her head back and turned a bright smile through her tearstained face round towards her dad

“Thanks dad”

“And now, after all that you’ll be telling me its all sorted. Whatever are we going to do with you?”

“So everything’s all right now?” asked Jill from the kitchen door “Oh Deborah. Are you ever a lost cause!”

“And I was thinking that Daryl boy had some sense!”

Debbie was up early the next morning. She needed extra time to clear the wool out from between her ears so that she could think properly. She needed to get this right. He’d given her this chance and she had to make sure she took it. She needed to get dressed carefully and put on as much makeup as the teachers wouldn’t notice to hide the tearstains and puffy eyes and she needed time to think what she’d say when she met him. And she needed time to make sure her dress was just as short as she could sneak past the gate monitor, remembering how she felt on their first date when she’d met him at the bus stop and he’d said she looked fabulous.

But on her walk into school, she couldn’t help but keep looking around. Who was there? Who was filming her? Who was watching? But she hadn’t done anything wrong, why would someone, anyone, have it in for her in such a big way. Maybe it was Kirsty? Surely not. Or this Miranda girl, Or? Or what?

“You still going out with Daryl?” asked Susie 

“Yes. Why?” she replied nervously

Susie shrugged “Nothing. Just I saw him with Kirsty last night. Just wondered”

Debbie flashed an unconvincingly weak smile. Maybe it was someone who wanted her out of the way so they could go out with Daryl? Maybe it was Kirsty!

She hardly saw him during the whole day except in passing. She’d tried to put on her best smile.

“Walk home?” he asked quickly as they passed in the crush of the corridor.

Debbie clasped his hand as hard as she could once they were clear of the school gate. She'd been running on adrenalin all day and had recounted the story of her court appearance a dozen times but saying only that the evidence had proved to be completely false and the case was dismissed. Anticipation and trepidation had bubbled up inside her in equal measures as she saw him waiting for her, and yes, it was still as exciting as their first date. 

Daryl seemed pleased to see her, but maybe not as pleased as he might have been or even as he used to be. Maybe he'd just had a bad day. Maybe he'd been asked about the case as well. 

“You're really mad at me aren't you?” she said as they walked towards the river while all the time trying to squeeze his hand ever tighter. 

“I think we should grab a drink in the café” he diverted avoiding the question

He directed her to an outside table at the cafe, one that was near the gate that opened onto the riverside path. 

“No,” he said slowly “I'm not mad at you. I'm confused and I'm sad and I’m disappointed but I'm not mad at you.”

She reached her hand across the table in search of his, but it wasn't there.    

“I was talking to Nigel” he said after a while “He said he doesn't care what brand of cigarettes the guy was smoking to get lung cancer, only that he's got it and he needs to take half his lung out. And he doesn’t care what substances that girl took to half destroy her liver, only that she might have enough of it left to regenerate itself after he removes the dead tissue. What he said was he's more interested in giving these people their life back. The trouble is, some of them don't have the positive attitude to help themselves recover and he gets disappointed about that. 

And that’s like Kirsty. She really didn't want to come back, but I assumed she would and maybe she’ll thank me eventually, but probably not soon. And it's like you. I just assumed you'd want to be cleared. You told me once you wanted your first time to be memorable. Well it sure would be in a young offenders institution and you'd spend the rest of your life trying to forget it. So now I'm confused. Mum said guys never understand girls and I guess that may be true, but there must be some sense or logic in there somewhere” 

“But Daryl, you know why Kirsty didn't want to. She was rejected by her own family because of her brother” 

“Exactly. He was so much more important than her. But instead of seeking attention and even love from someone else she just decided to reject everyone without exception” 

“And you know why I can't let myself owe anyone anything... I explained it all to you. Except I do now. And I've been worrying myself sick on what the price will be”

“Yeah, But the point is, you can’t help people who don’t want to be helped. And that’s the reason Keith’s hospital is full up. Its because even he can’t figure out who will and who won’t appreciate the help before its been given. And you’re right. You do owe me. And that's why we're at this table, so that you can escape through the gate and jump straight into the river if that’s what you’re stupid enough to want to do” 

“What! You don't really want me to drown myself in the river? Do you?” 

“No of course not. But you do owe me” 

She shrank back into herself expecting to be sentenced. She felt the same as she had just before Daryl had asked if he could address the court and she quivered in silence waiting for him to continue. 

“You see, you go on and on about building up a debt and you think I'd call that in in exchange for you doing something disgusting and demeaning. How do you think that makes me feel? You must think that I'm a really bad person? Ok, I know your ex was a scumbag. But that's no reason to think I am too. You’re tarring everyone with the same brush and that includes me. Of course there are some things I want you to do. Right here in this caff you pointed out that you're a girl and I'm a bloke and maybe I hadn’t noticed. Well Debbie, I did notice. We’re sixteen Debbie. And at that age there are things that guys want to do with girls and I'm no exception. Except that these things should be done when both of you want to. It's not a reward for being a nice guy or a bribe not to be so horrible. And that’s our decision. Not yours, not mine.

I said on the phone I wanted to go out with you and there are things I want to do and places I want to go. I said before about stock car racing. I've never been, but I'd like to go just to find out and I’d like to go with you. It might be tragic and we’d leave inside ten minutes or it might be fun or it might be ok, but not worth going back. And there are all sorts of other things I know nothing about yet. Don't get me wrong, I love walking by the river with you. But there's other things to do and try. 

So what you owe me, Miss Ellis, is respect. Yes, respect. I’m not like your ex. I don’t think anyone is. So what you owe me is the respect of treating me like Daryl Miller, who, even now, still wants you to go out with him. That’s you, Debbie Ellis, not Mrs ex-boyfriend. I want us to do things together, go places together and if they cost money then we pool our resources and sometimes my contribution will be bigger. Its not you, its not me its us. Or you could continue life as the shadow of your ex and the memory of a disaster which came close but didn't actually happen. Debbie, that’s all my cards on the table now. Now it's your shout” 

She sat there silently sobbing unable to reply. Here again was the opportunity she’d been praying for and she was too emotional to be able to react. 

“By the way,” he said placing the cellophane package on the table and unrolling it “I brought your coat back. It's all clean again now” 

“Thankyou” she said weakly raising an even thinner smile. She looked down at her drink only to discover that she’d been sipping at an empty glass for she didn’t know how long.

“I’ll walk you home if you like – I know you’re still a bit nervous about being out and about”

They walked through the park up the hill in silence. It was the longest silence they’d ever had. She hadn’t quite sorted out how to say what she wanted and he was quite determined that the next move was hers. He’d said his bit and now it was up to her.

They reached the end of her terrace. He took hold of her hand very lightly, nervously, and then dropped it quickly. 

“Good night Debbie” as he turned to walk away as she stood silently motionless with tears flooding down her face watching him disappear from her life. It was sad. In fact it was tragic. But if she was going to be that hung up and get into that much trouble, he’d have to move on. He had a life to lead too and there was more to life than treading the canal-side paths 

“Daryl – Please don’t leave me”

He turned back. Something stuck in his throat just leaving her there, crying on the street corner. He took the few steps back towards her

“Deb. I’ve said my piece. Its up to you now. I’m not going anywhere except home”. 

He leant over and kissed her forehead. And then this time he kept on walking.

Jill was baking in the kitchen when Debbie finally made it as far as her door an absolute age later. But she folded her arms around her daughter creating floury fingerprints all over her school blazer.

“Debbie! Oh my poor little girl. What on earth has happened to you now?”

“I don’t know mummy – something, maybe nothing and maybe you and daddy were right”

“In what way?” she asked gently

“Mummy, I don’t want Daryl to dump me”

“Yer dad did warn you he might! But, oh dear. Now come and sit down. Now has he said that?”
“No. But I’ve been so horrible to him. And everything he said was true. Its just…”

“He’s not pressuring you is he – I can’t imagine so?”
“No, mum, he keeps telling me he would never do that”

“So don’t you believe him?”
“Yes I do.”
“So what makes you think he doesn’t want to see you again?”

“Because he’s really cross because I keep thinking he might do the things Bobby tried to do”

“Well I’m not surprised he’s cross! You need to move on from that sorry episode. Oh Debbie! If you want to go out with Daryl you need to make him believe you want to for what he is, not for what someone else isn’t.”

“But Daddy won’t let me out anyway”

“We’ll have to persuade him that you’ll be safe. And with your eyes all puffed up like that you’re only going to show him you're getting into another state”

“I’ll have to try some make-up”
“I think you should try a warm bath. And I’ll bring you up a nice cup of tea”

The bath calmed her down but did nothing for her eyes that still looked as though she’d borrowed them from a giant panda. She tried putting on some light eye shadow but that only made her look like a Barbie doll. She tried applying more and that seemed to work, but stood out too much from the rest of her face. She applied a foundation layer all over, and that seemed to work better. Maybe if she removed it all she could blame the puffiness on the eyeliner remover. But before she could try any more experiments she heard the door latch and that meant her dad was back and that meant that dinner would be on the table in five minutes.

He looked at her with something of a side glance “You’re not thinking of going out are you”

“No, dad. Just a bit of practice for when I do. D’you like it?”
“Yes” he said after a little consideration “It looks a bit unnatural and I think you’re pretty enough without it. But its nice”

She slipped a nervous smile at her mum. ‘Looks like you just got away with that’ said the look.

It was late when she reappeared in the hallway

“I need to phone Daryl, dad”

“Go on then. But its school tomorrow so a quick call only – and don’t go arranging anything, because you're going nowhere”

This wasn’t exactly sympathetic. Not quite the rejection that Kirsty must be feeling, but she still felt alienated. Daryl answered sounding as downbeat as she’d ever heard him

“Oh hi Debbie, what d’you think?”

“Daryl, I can’t tell you what I think. There’s so many things bumping in to each other in my head. But you will walk home with me tomorrow won’t you? I’m hoping I’ll have straightened my brain out by then”

“Only if you want me to”

“Thanks – I’ll see you in school”

“That was shorter than I expected”
“Yeah – I.. .. I don’t know”   

He took her hand as they met just outside the gate and she tried to squeeze it just like she had on that first day in the riverside café. They walked slowly down towards the café but this time they didn’t stop. Instead they just carried on down to the lower path by the river until they left everyone else behind and were alone on the pebble beach by the water. 

“I didn’t know what to say on the phone”

“Sometimes phones aren’t the best way to talk”

“I was on another short timescale from my dad, so I didn’t get much chance.”

“Yes Its like using a phone box when you know you’re going to run out of 10p s”

“But…” she gasped “this might help” she turned and kissed him. Harder and longer than she ever had, hoping that maybe he’d believe she meant it.

Daryl responded by holding her tighter and letting his hands slip farther down from her waist pressing them together. 

“I still can't believe you still want me. I've been so horrible to you”.

“There's a lot of things I don't understand. But there’s one thing I do understand and its that you sometimes get too emotional to reply or react straight away. But I do still want us to go out together. And no, I don’t know why, at least not exactly. Everything was going so well up till Wednesday”

“And I still want to see you too. I really don’t want you to go out with Kirsty instead”    

“That’s not gonna happen, whatever else does” 

“No? Not even Wednesday?” 

“Oh, that. That was taking her out to practice a bit of walking” 

“Hmmmm” 

“No one helps her. Ok Kate and Tina help her get around school. But after that – nothing. She’s never going to get better without some encouragement”

“Not her mum? And what about that boyfriend of hers?”

“Her mum can’t leave her brother even for a minute. And she’s fallen out with Frank over something. I didn’t ask, I don’t want to know. Anyway, so what about tomorrow?”

 “I don’t think my dad’s going to let me out for a while” 

“It's not really different than now. Just without going to school first” 

“Yes, but I'm still very nervous. Who would do that to me? And why? Oh Daryl! You will help me get over all this won’t you?” 

“I can only help you if you want to help yourself”

She nodded nervously “Please Daryl?”

“Ok. But we need to have a think about who you need to look out for. Bobby? Maybe he didn't like getting dumped” 

“No. Daryl, we didn’t really have a thing going. It was all just his plan leading up to you know what.”
“So maybe not – if he didn’t have any emotional investment”

“Bobby is as evil as they come, I found that out. But he's spontaneous. He wouldn't think up something like that and then follow it all through. Lining me up was simple, just one step at a time. This is different. But Daryl, I’ve been thinking about what you said. You can’t turn the clock back, but we can go back to when we were together and happy and start again from there – Please”

“I’d like that.. .. “ 

She buried her face in his shoulder and found it fitted perfectly as he held her so tightly it nearly crushed her ribs and it squeezed a tear out of his eye as well.

The walk home was more reserved than they’d have wanted, but neither of them wanted to pretend that everything was back to the way it was. It might take some time and Daryl was expecting things to be rather different anyway. Debbie knew she’d have to change her attitude but that would have to happen anyway if she was going to make any progress at all and to prove it she called him that evening. 

“Hi Daryl. Just called to make sure you’re at home and not popped round to Kirsty’s” she teased

“No. That’s enough pushing wheelchairs for one week. Maybe next week” he teased back

“Daryl, listen, dad’s still saying I can’t go out. I don’t know how long its going to last”

“Hey, that’s too bad. Maybe we’ll just have to catch up after school instead”

“I’d like that. But Daryl, mum suggested you could come round to tea on Sunday with me and mum. So we’d still see each other. I know its not perfect, but… “

“Sure” said Daryl with a lot more enthusiasm than she had expected “Sounds like a plan”

But while Debbie moped around all day Saturday, Daryl had spent some time thinking about who could have set this up, but he also had a whole load of other things to think about, and without some kind of investigation, it was all speculative. And the problem with investigating was that those involved like maybe Bobby, might not want to be investigated. And the bigger danger was that he might find the answer and that the answer was something he didn't want to know. That is, until he had a breakthrough.

Mario was the epitome of someone who Daryl aimed to avoid at almost all costs, although his track record recently was nothing to be proud of. All the same, seeing him coming towards him on the narrow path was not something that Daryl had scheduled in for today. Diving into the bushes or turning round and running like the wind were viable options but would almost certainly raise suspicion and that would cause Mario to come looking for him until he found out what that suspicion was. 

A retired couple had seen Mario coming as well and had vacated their bench and headed off across the grass away from the river to avoid any possible misfortune. 

Mario took hold of Daryl's arm as he moved to pass him, and spun him around. 

“How you doing?” he asked, clearly with no real interest in the state of Daryl’s health and only as a prelude to something more sinister as they walked the few paces back to the vacated bench. 

“I'm good. How about you?” 

“I'm ok. No better, not much worse.”
He paused as if thinking “Look Daryl, I don't think we would consider ourselves as friends. We know each other’s names and that's about it”

“Yeah” 

“But I want you to do me a favour….”

Rats! Is this Mario calling in that favour he did me telling me about Debbie. Double rats!

“…I want you to do something for me. I doubt if I'll be able to pay you back, but I will if I can. Who knows.” 

Daryl was now nowhere near as nervous as he was expecting to be, but then again, who knows how unpredictable Mario would become if he didn't co-operate. And Daryl did owe him one

“What have you got in mind, Mario?” 

“I'm concerned. In fact I'm worried, which doesn’t happen often. And that's because I don't know who to watch out for anymore. I don't want you repeating this so I have to trust you, and believe me, that's not something I do very often either. But listen up. I heard a rumour that you do some work at the hospital” 

“Yes” 

“And that includes sometimes talking to people in what’s called a coma?” 

“That is true, Mario. Sometimes it works, but also sometimes it doesn't.” 

“Ok. I’ve got that. Look. Rocko's in a coma. At least I think he is. He's not responding to anything, and he just lies there with his eyes closed. But he's not dead either” 

“Is he in the hospital?” 

“No. When we found him we panicked a bit and took him home as quickly as we could so as not to draw…. attention” 

“And you want me to try to talk to him?” 

“That's right. I want you to find out who did it and why. At first I thought maybe it was you. Maybe something to do with your Debbie. But then, I thought, you against Rocko? Not without someone else's small army” 

“I can't disagree with that, Mario” 
“Then I remembered about the stuff you did with the other Kirsty which is how you got Kirk off the hook, and I thought its worth a go”

Daryl had never been to Rocko’s house. He'd never even been to this part of town in the depths of the East Side estate and was nervous. This area had a reputation and it made Daryl even more nervous to think that someone might see him around these parts. He kept looking around as they walked even if he had possible protection from Mario. 

Rocko's mother answered the knock, but informed them that he'd been taken to hospital. 

“He looked worse” she said “if ever he could. And I'm not having any dead bodies lying around here. Folks ask questions you know.” 

This sounded less than sympathetic, but it gave him a small reprieve. It was sad that the boys own mother seemed to dislike him, but then, everyone else does, why not her as well. 

Daryl suggested that he went to see Rocko that afternoon. He invited Mario to come along, but appreciated Mario's point of view that various members of the constabulary would likely be milling around with nothing better to do than remember something that they’d previously failed to arrest him for. 

“Ricardo Virrandini?” questioned Keith. “I’m surprised you want to talk to him. You should see the things we took from his clothes as we transferred him in to intensive care. A lethal sized knife, a knuckle duster hidden in an inside pocket, a length of bicycle chain, two small bags of unidentified white powder, eighty pounds in cash.... eighty pounds!” 

Daryl nodded “yes, and that's probably after his friends had unloaded him after the attack in case the police happened along” 

“But I assume you know the man then?” 

“No, I know of him. I know a friend of his” 

“I'm surprised he has any friends” 

“Yeah. But, Keith, if Rocko tells you you're his friend, you keep quiet and just go with it” 

It was hard to keep any pace with Rocko. His spelling was atrocious and Daryl was having to interpret and paraphrase at almost every word to confirm the sentence. But eventually he had the story. Daryl felt that maybe he’d made it up based on Rocko’s words, but no matter. Mario wouldn’t be able to verify it either way. 

On his way home he tracked down Mario on the east side and they sat quietly on a bench by the river while Daryl related what he'd found out.

“These names mean nothing to me, but the guys who scragged him were Yandel Messi and Karl Bund.” 

Mario nodded. “They're dealers. Maybe Rocko hadn't paid his bill” 

“No Mario. Oops! Sorry! I didn’t mean to contradict you because I don’t know. But what I do know is that there was thirty thousand pounds worth of Cocaine in a car Rocko torched” 

“Oh! Man! That figures now. Yendel will be hopping. Thanks Daryl. At least I now know who I'm looking out for and that it was nothing to do with me – for once” 

But Daryl was troubled. He'd done the favour Mario had asked and that would mean he'd be a bit safer around town and the park, but Sunday morning he went back to see Rocko anyway. 

Rocko thanked him for coming, and asked if Daryl knew what happens next. He explained about the colours at the crossroads and wasn't surprised to hear that Rocko decided immediately not to return. 

“I hate me. Everyone hates me, and with reason” 

“That’s really quite sad” said Daryl “I mean, we’ve never really crossed paths before, but I’d give you the benefit of the doubt based on our conversations so far. That’s the kind of guy I am. And I’m still here talking to you” 

“Thanks. No-one ever did much for me before”

Daryl eventually figured that the word Rocko was looking for was reincarnation rather than resurrection which he was trying to spell. Daryl tried to persuade him that he could just start behaving better and he'd soon start to like himself and everyone else would follow, but Rocko was having none of it. 

“No” he'd said. “I'm taking the green path at that light show of yours”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I know I turned out wrong this time. I’ll just go round again. Maybe try harder”

Daryl related the story to Keith, who said it sounded like he was having his epiphany just ahead of passing to the next world, whatever that was in his case

But one thing Daryl now did know was Rocko’s real reason for framing Debbie and it was nothing to do with her avoiding his warehouse party.

And with Debbie grounded and now Sunday afternoon, it was tea time at her place. 

Surprisingly, Geraint was there as well and opened the door to him with an impressively gentle smile for such a large man. Yes, he was tall and a bit overweight despite that. Not surprising maybe, for someone who sits in the cab of a crane all day long. He’d been down to the depot checking out the plant and equipment before Monday’s early start, but was just back and sat down at the table just as they were starting. This was rather unexpected. Tea with Debbie and her mum was one thing. But now with both her parents, it seemed to take on a whole new and unintended significance. 

The meal was beautifully prepared by Jill. Daryl knew that she thought Geraint grounding Debbie was quite harsh and she’d gone to an extra effort to do her best. But Debbie seemed to be accepting it without much protest. She knew she'd see him in class, and she thought he'd want to walk home with her the long way round and she was still super nervous about being stitched up like a kipper again. It all went passively well with Jill’s extra efforts, but then it was her that had been all apologetic over Debbie’s behaviour in the café. And Geraint, he knew, was grateful for his white knight rescue, although Daryl knew his main objective would be to make sure he looked after his daughter, even to the extent of being over-protective.

But Daryl for his part had already decided that the shrinking violet had to go. Debbie had already criticised him for being too condescending and now it was up to him to make sure his point of view was heard as well. After all, that was the point of accepting this invitation in the first place.    

“How long do you think Debbie will be grounded for” he asked Geraint rather pointedly 

“Until I think she's developed enough sense to stay out of trouble” 

That was too nebulous for Daryl. 

“What about if there were more people there to look after her? Like, if we were to go bowling with Susie. She's been on a couple of dates with Trevor Alderton and he’s an ok sort of bloke. Maybe we could make it a four for the evening. Susie's not one for seeking out trouble'.

“It's not just that” continued Debbie. It's also that I'm so nervous because I don't know who to watch out for. I’m still struggling for a motive. It was just so random” 

“I’ve been looking at that” said Daryl “And I think I’ve got enough pieces from different places to put it together like a jigsaw”

“This sounds interesting,” said Jill as she returned from the kitchen with a large trifle. I’ll just serve this and we can nibble while you explain it, if you like”

 “So” began Daryl slowly “I think it comes out like this from what I know, but if you’ve got any more pieces, then you add them as we go along….. 

Seems that a few weeks back Rocko was a bit wound up because he was short of girls at his warehouse party…..”

Debbie went several shades lighter, desperately hoping that he wouldn't elaborate on that in front of her parents 

“…. So he decided to have one of his bonfires. You know…” he said for her parents benefit “….that Rocko is the guy responsible for setting alight to cars in the park. Anyway, he chose a fairly non-descript Ford Sierra. No reason, I guess it was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and of course he wouldn’t care who it belonged to anyway. Next day this guy called Yendel something came to see him. This Yendel guy apologised for not being able to supply Rocko with his usual supply of drugs - weed, cocaine, that sort of stuff. That was a problem for Rocko because the success of his warehouse parties depended on this supply to keep everyone happy. But the bigger problem was that Yendel said that the reason for the shortage is that someone had torched his car while he was in the pub the previous night.

Rocko’s first reaction was to try to give Yendel a hard time over not delivering but Yendel responded that he was intending to detach the offender from his spleen when he found out who it was, and since it was in Rocko’s patch, he was expecting Rocko to help him find that person. Rocko said there were a number of people who did this sort of thing around town, but he himself tended to stick to more upmarket cars like BMs or Ford Scorpios. But Yendel said that if Rocko didn’t help him he’d bring in a squad to do the job. 

This put Rocko into something of a panic since he was quite attached to his spleen, and had something of an affinity with it and didn't really want to lose it. 

But he remembered that Bobby had some footage on video of you, Debbie, in the park. So he got hold of that and came up with a plan. The film showed you passing a dark green Austin 1100. Looking at it he needed a car the same as in the video. So that’s what he did. He found that dark green Morris 1100 and positioned it to be in the same place as the one in the original video. Then he edited the rest together clearly showing it going up in smoke. Rocko showed the video to Yendel to prove that it wasn’t him he was looking for. Unfortunately, after Rocko showed it to Yendel, he left it in his video player at home. Next thing is, his mum plays it and immediately drops it in to the old bill. So that’s when they came round to see you.

Yendel wasn’t best pleased that you were expected in court because if you didn’t turn up, the old bill would start asking even more questions, so instead he was hoping you’d be released with a caution so that he could detach you from your spleen”

“So this Rocko fella set the whole thing up as a cover for his own villainy. Oh dear, I ‘spect he’s not best pleased with you or Debbie now” warned Jill. 

“Maybe he'll be out for even more revenge now. It won't be safe anywhere!” wailed Debbie. 

“Now slow down, Deb. The story isn't finished yet. You see, Yendel is a professional drug dealer. He works with a guy called Karl Bund. Because he, Yendel, is known around here, well, in those circles anyway, he sent Karl to sit in on the court to check out progress and what they should be doing next.

I think he must have been the one that looked like a reporter a couple of rows back sitting on his own. So when the flaws in the case were exposed, Karl started taking more interest in the other people in the video so that he could start asking questions. Of course when you start asking questions you start getting answers. So the result is, Yendel and Karl jumped Rocko and he's now in intensive care at the County” 

“Oh my goodness. Is he in a very bad way?” 

“Eh…Yes. In fact I have it on good authority that he’s not gonna survive” 

“So if this Rocko’s not around, is it safe to go out?” 

“Absolutely. The other main players in the gang, that is Bobby and Mario, have ditched that whole scene. The leader used to be a guy called Darinno Pallenski. He died in the crash on Primrose Hill that Kirsty was involved in. Rocko took over, and now him. Without Rocko leading it, they’re finding other things to do. These dealers, Yendel and Karl will have no interest in you. You're just a random girl that Rocko got some pictures of so that he could set up an alibi. They need a low profile themselves for disappointing so many of their clients. So it's all safe now, assuming Rocko passes away and I can check that with Keith” 

“Well I'll be...” breathed Geraint “but it's all linked up to that Bobby fella” 

“Not really, Mr Ellis. Ok he took the original footage, but it's pretty normal for a guy to want a few pictures of his girlfriend. He didn't set out with this in mind. And you dumping him caused a bit of an upset, but not something on this scale. That was just another smokescreen” 

“Hmmm. But you're still grounded, young Deborah, me girl. One way or another you get yourself into all this mess and I’ll need to be convinced you won’t do it again before you’ll be allowed out again” 

“Oh, daddy. Surely you'd let me go out with Daryl. It'll be safe with him” 

“If there was another target, it like as not would be him. Especially if this Rocko fella pulls through” 

“But, Mr Ellis, I still think letting Debbie come out on Saturday would be safe enough. We'd go somewhere safe like bowling where there’s plenty of people around. If Susie's still going out with Trev, then we'd make a four. Play two or three games, pick up a drink from the café and walk back home. Won’t be late or anything.” 

Geraint was clearly considering this, and Daryl thought that maybe this was a step in the right direction

“Oh, I don’t know. Deborah, its only because I’m worried about you. Susie’s a nice girl, but I’ve never heard of this Trevor boy…..”

“Ok, Mr Ellis, Ok, plan B. Supposing the four of us go out next Saturday”

“Four? Of us?”

“Yeah. I'll book a lane at the bowling alley and we can all just knock a few pins down just for fun. Maybe me and Deb against you and Jill?” 

“Oh I don't think so” said Geraint quickly “you don't want us tagging along on your date” 

“Except” Debbie retorted “we don't have a date” 

“Noooo. Hmm” 

“And in any case what do you think we get up to that we wouldn't do if you were there?” 

“Yes, I suppose...I .. I don't know. It's ages since we did any bowling” 

“But you have been bowling?” 

“Yes, a long while back. We used to go quite a lot, didn't we Jill” 

“Well, that's one more than us. Debbie and me have never been bowling, at least not together” 

“I don't remember ever going bowling” said Debbie 

“That hardly matters. It's quite simple. But if helps if you've got good hand eye coordination” 

“Sounds like it's two novices against two pros” 

“Ok, so maybe I should play with Jill” 

“What? You play with mum and me and dad go bowling?” 

Jill broke out into a wide embarrassed smile while Geraint turned to Debbie with a look of disbelief and disapproval.

“Deborah!” 

“I'm not sure that's quite what I intended” recovered Daryl as Jill's smile of embarrassment turned to one of fake disappointment. 

But the ice was now well and truly shattered and the date for the four of them was sealed. Debbie was speechless – again. Genius! She thought. If you aren't safe going out with your own mum and dad, you might as well become a nun. 

“But only if Rocko’s still in hospital. If he’s out…”

“If he does pull through and come out, Mr Ellis, he’ll be in no fit state to do anything for several weeks. He’s in a coma due to multiple injuries any one of which could prove fatal”

“I suppose…. But I do think you've lost your marbles wanting to go out with her at all after the way she's been behaving” 

Debbie sat forward in shock. That was surely unfair from her own dad 

“You might be right, Mr Ellis, but this isn’t something she’s done. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. All the same, it certainly won't be happening a second time”

War at Kirsty’s

Back home that evening, Daryl congratulated himself on a successful day, but the euphoria didn’t last long. It was the very next day that the whole world went berserk. With Debbie grounded, he was nervous about dallying with her too long after school, and in any case, he wanted her to learn – or maybe relearn – to go out and about on her own.

Down at the hospital Keith was really fired up about the paper he was writing on ‘Coma patients – non-verbal micro communication’ 

“Jeez Keith, are these titles designed to put people off! What about 'Talking to people in a coma' or better still 'Listening to coma patients’ ”

“Daryl, I don't expect anyone to read it. I just need it published to count towards my professorship”.

But over at Kirsty's it was like war had broken out. She was upstairs when the BLV kicked off on a rant. Stuck upstairs and unable to move much, she concentrated hard but made it only as far as the door before she lost concentration, crumpled to the floor and had to wriggle like a worm. She could only imagine what was going on, but the increasingly frantic calls of stop! stop it!. Ow! Don't do that.! Haya paz! Basta! Haya Paz! para, para! And the increasingly overwhelming yelling and howling from the Vegetable rising to a crescendo that sounded like he was now completely open loop. But suddenly the only sound was from the Vegetable. 

Oh my. Oh good jeez. What's happened?

“Tomas! What's happened to mama?” 

There was a silence and Kirsty shouted again

“ela está no cháo” he yelled

“You idiot. What have you done to mama?”

But all that did was to enrage the beast as she heard him stomping around. She slithered across the landing to the front bedroom where the phone was and barricaded herself in. It took 10 minutes for the blue lights to arrive, and with her brain in turmoil it took her that long to wriggle up far enough to the window to open it. She knew she could walk a few steps if she concentrated hard, but now she was thinking about too many other things.

“Doors locked, come down open it” called the paramedic 

“I can't. I'm disabled and can't walk. The back door is open, but you'll have to climb the gate. But watch out for….” 

She hesitated. She was about to say ‘brother’ but the word cawed in her throat. 

“….Tomas” she replaced “he's fat, ugly, has a mental age of nothing and is seriously violent”.

I'll take my chances said the medic making inroads onto the gate. But the BLV was quiet as a church mouse at the sight of flashing lights and the stranger at the back door and a subconscious fear that something was wrong with his mama. 

The para was solemn “We're taking her to hospital straight away. She's in a bad way, miss. A very bad way” 

“Mama.....!?”

She was Kirsty’s mum, but that was more of a title than a job description. She spent her entire life looking after the BLV. And that meant no time for her. Kirsty had felt neglected and rejected from as far back as she could remember. At first she'd thought maybe she was just selfish, but as the years passed, she got more to thinking of the inequity of the situation. But now seeing her mama carried out on an emergency stretcher with an oxygen mask made her go very quiet. Apart from anything else, she might be next if the Vegetable had gone mad as well as everything else. Apparently he’d been a bit better while Kirsty was in hospital, and worse now that she was back. But with his mama nowhere to be found BLV remembered Kirsty and shrieked at her in Portuguese. The exchange was protracted and shouted with as much venom as Kirsty could find

“Kirsty, Kirsty. I'm hungry. Get me my dinner” 

“Get it yourself you lousy vegetable.” 

“Get me my pie” 

“Get it yourself” 

“It needs cooked “

“Well put it in the oven”

“It's not getting hot” 

“You have to light it, you pratt” 

“It won't light” 

She’d heard him clump into the dining room, presumably to find the matches that were used for cake candles. She called down to him

“You have to turn it on first. Then light it. But you be careful. If I have to crawl down there to help you I’ll skin you alive and hang your hide with the washing, you evil virus”

He went quiet as he did when he became afraid of her threats. She wasn’t sure where he’d gone and after some time was about to call out to him again when she seemed to lose balance just a moment before the ear shattering B..BOOOM and a momentary silence before something approaching an earthquake rocked the floor. The ceiling crashed down on her as the light fitting bounced off her leg splintering as it hit the floor. She looked up quickly and even quicker looked away as plaster continued to drop all around her. She covered her head as the walls buckled from another explosion and the window shattered onto the front lawn. The floor heaved upwards pitching her forward and equally quickly fell away.

 It was like a war zone in an air attack as the dust rose with each new crash. She wriggled to the door cutting her legs on the broken glass light and made it through the dust clouds towards the landing.

 It was quickly filling up with smoke and she could hear the unmistakeable crackling of fire spreading from the kitchen 

She barricaded the door and grappled with the phone 

“Help, my house is on fire, and I can't walk. I can’t get out” 

“Address please … Did you just call us? “

“Yes, but this is different!”

She pushed and heaved her way back up to the window

Oh my, why didn’t someone strangle that monster at birth. Its inconceivable that things like that are allowed to live and cause untold pain to everyone else. And what’s he done to my mama? And now – and now I’m going to die too. I’ll be burned alive, or smoked - as the noise of the fire intensified and fumes started creeping under the door. And my poor mama. I don’t know what he’s done but I wasn't able to help. And that's because I can't walk again yet. And that's because I didn't want to learn. Why would I? When I can get a taxi to school and when Daryl or Tina or Kate all feel so sorry for me and are there to push me all round. Except now, when I need to, I’m stuck and I wish Daryl was here now or ….. Oh my gosh! Fire engine! Oh wow!

Daryl's mum was working that evening and his dad was quietly listening to some music before his night shift began when the phone rang. It was Keith, and could Daryl make it down to the hospital after school tomorrow. And did he know Kirsty's mothers name. After all, how many Gonzalez families were there in this town? All of which was not far ahead of two officers holding Kirsty between them tapping on their door. 

“Mr Millar?” 

“Yes. Jim Miller. Evening officers, evening miss” 

“Is Daryl in? 

“Yes, he’s not found more trouble has he?” 

“Not this time.” 

“Kirsty! What are you doing here?” he exclaimed from the foot of the stairs.

“Everyone come inside and maybe the officers can explain …” said Jim “… rather than discuss this on the doorstep”

But it was Kirsty who spoke first 

“Daryl, my house. It just exploded... “ as she broke down in tears and couldn’t continue

“Its pretty much burned down” continued the officer. “The young lady here says she has nowhere to go and the only suggestion she had was for us to bring her here. Seems like they don’t get on with any of the neighbours – even in a crisis” 

“Where's her mother?” asked Jim innocently. The WPC was about to reply when Daryl intercepted the question

“She's in hospital, dad. She's still unconscious. That’s why Mr Ansell wants me to go down. If she's still like that tomorrow, he wants me to go down after school. But I understood it was physical violence. He didn't say about a fire. Maybe he meant the building falling on her” 

“No” Kirsty said through her haze “this is different. It all happened after mama was taken away” 

“From our brief recce, we think she left the gas on” 

“Well you'd better stay here tonight, Kirsty, and tomorrow we'll have to figure out what to do next” 

“Oh thankyou Mr Millar, Daryl. I'll try not to be too much trouble, although I’m bound to be some” 

“Thankyou Mr Miller. That sorted we can be on our way” 

“So Kirsty, what about something to eat. Have you had dinner yet? Come through to the kitchen and we'll get something fixed”

“Thanks, but I’m really not hungry”

“Glass of water then?” 

Daryl's mind raced ahead. He was planning to take his bike to school and then on to the hospital afterwards. But now it looked like he'd have to take Kirsty to school instead, which meant that he'd have to come back to get his bike to go all the way down to the bottom of the hill - oh! This would just be like old times. Except, no, he’d have to bring Kirsty all the way back up here after school, and then get down to the hospital. Oh what?! Her! And how was he going to explain all this to Debbie?

Find Debbie

But the big hurdle was not Debbie. And it was not even explaining it all to his mum early next morning when she realised there was a girl in the spare room. It was that Kirsty didn’t even have a wheelchair. 

“We could drive over to the hospital and see if they can lend us one” Marianne offered, “and then I'll drop you both off at school”. 

But relief was not that far away because it soon became clear that Kirsty was in no fit state to go to school at all. Marianne put some sandwiches in her room beside the bed and a bottle of Lucozade and water and squash. 

“So long as she keeps drinking, she’ll be fine. She'll survive without food if she doesn’t feel like eating” 

So, now it was find Debbie - before word got round. He had no idea how she’d managed to slip in past him, and without her noticing him either, perched up on top of the wall by the main gate. Unless… Unless someone already told her that Kirsty spent the night at his house. Oh grief! What mess could almost anyone get him into by using the wrong words about the right situation? 

He finally tracked her down at break by figuring out what class she was going from and to and lurking en-route like a highwayman. She was chattering excitedly with Susie and Stacey and Daryl felt like he was encountering the three musketeers. 

“Debbie, I've got to talk to you” 

“Oooooh, sounds too serious” teased Stacey 

“Can't it wait till later Daryl?” 

“Oooooh secret meeting later, Debbie?” 

“Got to be, Stace, if it wasn’t secret, we'd all go, right?” 

“No, no it won't. It's about last night” 

“Ooooooh so what did you two get up to last night?” 

“Nothing. I didn't get up to anything last night” said Daryl in exasperation. 

“No one said you did?” said a now puzzled Debbie 

“No, but they might” 

The two minute bell went “S block in two minutes” 

“You could join us for lunch” she offered 

“Thanks, but I'm not sure I'd be allowed to make any sense” 

“No change there!” teased Stacey

But Debbie was puzzled, and she was already making herself nervous. She tracked him down in the Biology lab after her lunch with the girls. He was trying to set up an osmosis experiment when she appeared. There were two senior sixth form guys at the other end of the lab, and Debbie kept her voice to a whisper. 

“Somethings up. And I know you wanted to tell me what it is. Except, I’m scared that I might not want to know. We're still going to the cafe on Wednesday aren't we?” 

“Yes” 

“And bowling on Saturday” 

“For sure”

“Daryl, come on, you’ve got to tell me” 

“Debbie, it's Kirsty” 

“Kirsty, she's not in today” she gasped “Not pregnant is she?” 

“No, she's not in today and if she is it's nothing to do with me. But Debbie, last night, her house burned down. Her mum was taken into hospital unconscious, but that may be unrelated. Apparently they don't get on with any of their neighbours, so the only person she could think of that might help her at that time of night was me. So two coppers brought her round to my house, and in the circumstances, my dad said she should stay” 

The bell interrupted for the second time 

“So you're telling me that your ex-girlfriend stayed at your house last night” she snapped starting to get agitated 

“Not, really. She never was my girlfriend…”

“I think you’re splitting hairs – you went to see her every day for a month. And again last Wednesday. And now you’re telling me she’s staying with you!”

“Yes. And for the next few days, probably” 

“And nothing happened?” 

“No. Dad put her in the spare room, after he shifted all the boxes and stuff off the bed there. And this morning mum left her some food and drink for the day” 

“And I guess you're going straight home to make sure she's all right! Daryl, can we just go to the cafe later? We'd have more time” 

“No. I have to go to the hospital.” 

“Why!” 

“My boss phoned me and asked if I could go in after school today” 

“So, now you're avoiding me. Daryl, just tell me! I thought we were getting back together. If it’s the long walk just say so and be honest!” 

“Debbie, Debbie, please don’t. Maybe you could come to the hospital with me. I’ll show you what work I do” 

“I thought you just pushed trolleys, or beds down to X-ray or something, right?” 

Daryl shook his head “No, no, none of these. What I do is rather specialised and actually quite secret because its part of a research project that my boss wants to use as part of some sort of thesis” 

“Daryl, what would you say if I said I don't believe a single word you’re saying!” 

“I'd say, you should come with me. I'd be letting you into a big secret, and that might convince you there's nothing between me and Kirsty, and that I only want to go out with you and that the circumstances are just the way they are and that’s why I’m telling you about it instead of just letting you find out.” 

“Oh Daryl! Ok, But I'll have to phone my mum and tell her I’ll be a bit late back. Who knows what my dad will say” 

“Ok, east gate. We need to walk down to the shops to get a taxi” 

“Taxi?”

“Yeah, the bus takes forever”

But if Debbie had thought things were strange, the bizarre was about to take over. 

At reception, Daryl signed her in and she was issued with a staff visitor’s badge. She couldn't believe his badge when she read it 

“ ‘Non Verbal Communications Specialist’ Daryl? What does that do?” 

“You'll see. That's what we're here to do. It's someone who talks to people who are unconscious. In this case, Kirsty's mum” 

“Kirsty’s mum! What! Now you are joking. No. No, you're probably not…. Daryl, you are impossible!” hardly believing that the bizarre had just turned into the surreal. “Daryl, this is the intensive care ward. It's no access!” 

“Except to authorised personnel. That's us. Now we have to keep our voices down. No panic, no getting upset no matter what gets said ok? Because the patient is in a very fragile state, and I have no idea what’s going to happen.” 

“Is she dead?” 

“Not yet” 

“Good afternoon” said Daryl as Debbie took the chair near the door. He sat down next to the bed and spoke quietly, clearly and very slowly. Somehow this just added to the theatre of the situation and Debbie sat on the edge of her chair not knowing what to expect.

“Good afternoon Mrs Gonzalez. My name is Daryl and I'm a communications specialist. You're in a poor state I’m afraid. Basically, the external motor parts of your body have all shut down, but the good news is that your internal and non-motor organs are still working fine, which all means that your condition is stable. That also means that your ears are probably working but your eyes and your voice are not. So I expect you can hear me, but won’t be able to speak in reply. Now what I've found is that often people in your condition have managed to retain the very smallest of movements in just one part of their body like maybe a finger, and what I want to do is find that. What I want you to do is tap the palm of my hand if you can. I will be putting it within range of all your fingers one at a time. First right hand and then the left. The movements you make will be minuscule but that’s ok, because that’s what we’re looking for.” 

Debbie sat in stunned silence. She thought that if it wasn’t trolleys he'd be serving coffee in the café and they’d be able to talk in between customers, but this was mind bending. 

He took out his notebook and laid it ready on the top cover as he carefully moved from one of her fingers to the next, all the time studying the rest of her hand for any sign of a twitch. He replaced her arm under the cover and moved to the left hand. All five fingers, then back down the line and again in reverse to her ring finger. 

“I can feel something on this finger. Tap once for yes if you are controlling this?” 

A broad smile crossed his face as he looked over to Debbie 

one tap - just what he needed right now. 

“The next question is 'do you want to talk to me, or would you rather be left alone. Do you want to talk to me?” 

One tap 

“Ok. That’s good. Because I’d like to talk to you too. Now, if the answer is no, then its two taps and if you want to interrupt me, or if you have something to say, its three taps. That’s it. Then we'll figure out what you want to say using yes and no answers based on the alphabet. But first, if I’m going to hold your hand most of the evening, I think we should get on first name terms, don’t you? I’m Daryl, and I’m going to go through the alphabet one letter at a time. You tap once for yes when we get to the right letter. Ok. So the question is what is your name. I know its Mrs Gonzalez, but what’s your first name. Ok First letter A b .. one tap. A?

One tap

…. M .. N 

One tap

Debbie watched, astounded as he ran through the alphabet time and time again and wrote down the letters that spelt out ‘Annaliese’. Not a name you would accidentally conjure up

“And now Annaliese, I'd like to ask you where it hurts most. Right leg? No. Left leg? yes. lower body? No Chest? yes yes Was that a yes” 

One tap 

“Ok soo that was two yeses, so that means its a big pain” 

one tap 

“What about your head. I have to tell you that its all bandaged up so I can’t see what it might be like”

two taps 

“Does it throb? No reply. Maybe you don’t know that word. Does your head hurt? “

one tap 

“Does it go thump thump”

Two taps 

“It hurts but its not very bad?”

One tap 

“I think that’s what Keith needs from a medical perspective. So my next question is do...” 

Three taps. 

“That’s an interrupt, Annaliese. So what I'm going to do is recite the alphabet like we did for your name. Give one tap as a yes when I get to the first letter A b c d...First letter is .. .. W second letter .. ..” 

Debbie shivered as she picked up the notebook and took over writing the letters as he confirmed them. It was like contact with an Ouija board or some other supernatural voodoo.

“What happened to Tomas? Oh Annaliese, I'm afraid I have no idea. But I will pass that question to the admin team to find out and the doctor will let you know when he has the answer. I have very little information, except what you tell me. So I guess the next question is, have you come to the swirling colours yet?” 

two taps 

“Oh, and three taps” 

‘Everything is yellow’. Debbie wrote one letter at a time

“Ok. Annaliese.    Sometime soon you will have a choice of colours. Blue will bring you back here.... three taps, interrupt….” 

Half an hour later and suffering from a bit of a headache he read back Debbie’s notes 

‘I need to know where Tomas is. And can he stay there. After all I did for him, this is what he does to me. If my life is as slave to him I am not coming back, which colour should I take?” 

Debbie sat quivering on her chair. This was genuinely life and death. 

“But you’ve got Kirsty as well, maybe you could ….. three taps. An interrupt 

‘My poor Kirsty. But I can’t go on’

“Ok” said Daryl “I think you’re getting very tired now. I know I am. Don’t make any hasty decisions now. I'll talk to you soon” 

three taps 

“Thank you. I wait” 

He led Debbie round to Keith’s office and were greeted by Nigel. 

“Hello you two. I wondered where the schoolbags came from” 

“Hi Nigel. This is my girlfriend Debbie. She's been scribe for the afternoon” 

“Oh, good”

“Yes. It actually saves a fair bit of time. Especially with her. She wants to talk so much so its quite a strain” 

“Can I have a look?” 

She handed over the notebook 

“Hmm - so I can cancel that theatre session. I was very tempted to check out that head wound, but it sounds like its not so bad. Chest – that’s ok - or as ok as three broken ribs can be. Leg - I'll have a look tomorrow. Good work Daryl. So who's this Tomas she's on about?” 

“He’s her disabled son” 

But the conversation was interrupted by Keith coming back in 

“You guys finished? I'm just going home too. I’m going your way, if you want a lift” 

“Oh wow, Mr Ansell. I’ve never been in a Mercedes before!”

The discussion was about cars for a few minutes, and Debbie sensed that talking about the case was off the agenda. Maybe they didn’t talk business outside the office, as it were.

He dropped them at the end of Debbie’s terrace which was a one way street going the wrong way, which Debbie considered to be quite apt for her life now that Keith had pointed it out.

She stood next to Daryl on the pavement trying to get her head together as Keith drove off 

“Daryl, I’m stunned. I’m in shock. I can’t hardly think. Its like you’re talking to the dead. And did you learn this with Kirsty?”

“Yeah. Keith reckons I invented it. Its quite scary really when you start to think about it”

“Yes – especially if she makes her decision based on what you tell her”

“Its not just me. Keith and Heather – she’s the staff nurse there – they’ll talk to her as well. Just they won’t get any answers. But, please Debbie, don’t go talking about it”

“No! Apart from anything else, no one would ever believe me!”

They walked on towards her door

“So what did happen to Tomas?” she said with a breathless sigh, now starting to believe that irrespective of what they had been doing, she was still alive and in her own street now.

“No idea. I’ll ask Kirsty”

“Is she at your house tonight as well?”

“I guess so, Debbie. But please don’t worry about it”

“But I do. Even if you didn’t really go out with her. You might just want to do something to her just to get back at her for being so mean”

“And risk you saying you won’t go out with me any more? No way”

“So why didn’t she go and stay with this Frank boyfriend of hers”

“I don’t know, Debbie. I’ll ask her when she’s stable enough to give a rational reply. I mentioned Frank last week to her and she told me not to use rude words, or something like that”

But Kirsty shed no light on the subject. “I don't know” she said blankly “I guess being a vegetable they threw him on the compost heap.” 

Daryl turned it all over in his mind as he slept that night. He kept waking up wishing it was Debbie in that spare bedroom rather than Kirsty and then thinking its best that it isn't because he would be sorely tempted to just creep in there. 

Next day, classes came and went all the way through to Biology last period and Daryl trooped in listlessly with the rest 

“Miller!” 

Whoa! That was unexpected. That woke me up!

“Yes sir?” 

He stopped by the teacher’s desk who unceremoniously slapped a small envelope into his hand

“What is it, Sir” 

“I have no idea. But do not let it distract your attention” 

He read it as he meandered to his desk, but is raised more questions than it answered. This seemed to be the way when people tried to be helpful, he mused

“... And that concludes section 4 on plant cell physiology. Think about it and we’ll cover any questions at the revision session next Thursday. We’re behind schedule so I’m moving swiftly on. Next, is something I've been asked to cover as part of the personal health initiative. Here you see a diagram of the human body. Miller, are you listening to me” 

“No, Sir” 

“Full marks for honesty, Miller. No marks for class work. Now, did I or did I not tell you not to be distracted by that note from Mrs Osbourne” 

“Sorry, Sir” 

“So, which organ of the body is this?” he demanded jabbing the board with a long pointer.

A ripple of sympathy ran through the class, but it may be what he deserved, and at least it was Daryl that was getting the sharp end this time. 

“That's the eh, Gal.... No, it's not, it's the spleen, Sir” 

“Well done, Miller. But you were about to say something else?”

“Yeah, I was thinking Gall Bladder. But that’s farther down The spleen is farther up. Its just sort of stuck on the side of the stomach. The gall bladder is kinda surrounded by the liver and simply connects through a tube down into the stomach”

“And perhaps you could tell us what the function of the spleen is?” 

“That's tough. It has a whole load of work to do, it acts as a filter for the blood and stores platelets and white blood cells and other stuff for fighting diseases that have gotten into the body, and releases them straight into the blood stream. It gets triggered by the toxins that are being dumped into the liver for it to get rid of.” 

“Quite so. And the Gall Bladder?” 

“That's part of the digestive system, it stores bile for release into the stomach when it's needed to digest fats” 

“Quite outstanding. Miller. I think you may just have redeemed yourself” 

The lesson moved on to the other organs and ended up with the head 

“So here we have?”

“Ears” and here “eyes”

“I’m glad most of you know that at least. And what is the main difference between them?”

“Eyes use light waves to let you see and ears use sound waves to let you hear, Sir” 

“Miller, are you paying attention? Do you have anything to add to that?” 

“Sorry Sir. But Susie’s right, that's the main obvious difference. Except they have a more basic difference. They’re connected to different fundamental sub systems groups in the body. The eyes and eyelids are controlled using motor muscles and so are in the same group as legs and arms and other things that you control the movement of which includes your voice. The ears are passive, reacting to external influences only and are part of the same group as glands like the thyroid. Like, if someone is in a coma, their external motor systems close down, and that includes arms and legs as well as eyes, while the internal motor systems keep going, that's heart, lungs and alimentary tract that use internal muscles. Ears are in the passive group along with glands and non-motor organs like the liver and spleen. That's why coma patients can hear, but can't see or move or speak.” 

“Fascinating. Miller, Fascinating. And this little object here?” 

“Pituitary gland, Sir” 

And would you like to tell us it's function?” 

“Not particularly, Sir. It's lousing time in two minutes and describing the pituitary properly could take half an hour” 

“Miller, Thankyou for your contribution. I can confirm you are redeemed” 

“So, who's teachers pet today then? 

“Oh, hi Debbie” 

“Are you walking up through the park?” 

“Jeez, it's not Wednesday already is it?” 

“Do I only get to walk with you on Wednesdays then?” 

“No, 'course not. I'll happily walk with you any day, every day and anywhere” 

“Susie said you got a note as well, before you demolished Old Butcher” 

“Yes. It's from Nigel”

He handed it to her to read 

‘Don't know about Tomas, there are no disabled persons registered at that address’

“So, if Kirsty says she doesn't know, she can't have told the old bill” 

“She might have done, and then just left them to it, But I think she'd have said something if she had. She’s still pretty fragile. I didn’t want to push her with an inquisition. But if he's not registered as living there, how would anyone know to look for him?” 

“I don't know” she said, now as puzzled as him “I guess he could just be wandering about the streets” 

“Could be, but someone would have noticed, surely! It would be like having Godzilla on the loose” 

“Any other ideas?” 

“No, but I need to have some kind of answer for Annaliese. I can't say, I don’t know, or he's just disappeared. Because we know what she’d do then” 

“Even if she would be quite pleased” 

“But it's such a shame she doesn't want to come back for Kirsty. I think that's a tragedy” 

“I agree. But don't you go feeling too sorry for her. Not after the way she treated you. Although, I must admit, she did me a favour by mistake” 

“I'm going to take a walk over there after dinner and take a look. I think I need to know a bit more before I tell her that her house caught fire. She doesn’t even know that yet” 

“Can I come?” 

“Yeah? If you're allowed out. Are you sure you want to? It might be quite upsetting”

“So maybe I should come too and hold your hand”

He returned her meek smile “Ok. Phone me if you can come and I’ll call round for you.”

Jill listened to the case for the reprieve

“I think your dad would say that it sounds like a lot more trouble for you to get yourself into. But if you can rescue some of her things maybe we should take the chance”

By quarter to eight they were surveying the scene of devastation. The house had largely collapsed with only one of the front corners still standing, and the staircase leading nowhere, and what was left of the roof seemed to have slipped off one side of the house.

Debbie stood gazing at the destruction shaking her head slowly in disbelief

“So Kirsty won’t have seen this either” she said with quiet reverence continuing the previous theme.

“Oi! Don’t you be going in there! S’dangerous. That’s why it's taped off” confronted a man letting his dog pee against the garden wall. 

“Yeah, it belonged to a friend of ours” 

“Didn't think they had any friends. They never got on with any of us folk round here” 

“You live round here then?” 

“Yes, across the road, there. It was quite a blaze, but the brigade did a fine job stopping it spreading” 

“You stay outside” he said to Debbie as he ducked under the tape “It'll be safer. And I'll need someone to call the ambulance if it all goes Pete Tong”.

He climbed through the still smouldering rubble and scaled the collapsed floor. This must have been Kirsty's room he called from the only room left standing on the first floor.

“Is there anything worth saving for her” Debbie called back 

“Maybe, looks like she took the precaution of investing in a solid oak wardrobe”. 

She scrambled across the debris to the side of the house so that he could drop a large suitcase down to her. It was only suffering from third degree burns and would be serviceable at least as far as Debbie's house. Then he dropped down as many of the undamaged clothes as he could find, a couple of ornaments and a teddy bear as Debbie packed them into the case 

“Oi, you're not nickin’ all that are you?” 

“No, as we said, she’s a friend of ours” 

“So why isn't she collecting them herself?” 

“Because she's still in shock, and in any case she can't walk following a previous accident a few weeks back. Deb, just wait a minute. There's something else I just need to check. You see, there's another possibility”. 

He clambered over to the staircase and gave it a shake to see how stable the remains were, then started heaving pieces of masonry from underneath, checking each one like a giant irregular Jenga. A few short minutes later he saw what he was looking for. He stepped back suddenly disgusted and dismayed, choking slightly as he retreated back to Debbie 

“Find it?” she asked cheerfully 

“Yeah. Found it” he said sounding distinctly downbeat “And the answer. And the way forward for Annaliese, and maybe Kirsty too” 

“Wow, that’s a big find. So where is it?” 

“Back in there. Where did that bloke live?”

He answered their knock looking not best pleased

“Sorry to be a pain, Sir, but could I possibly use your phone?”

“Important is it?”

“Yes” 

He waved them through into his hallway, still wondering why a couple of looters would stay around to make phone calls.

“Good evening Sergeant Wallace. Do you think you could send a patrol over to 105 Acre Bank. Yes, that is where the fire was. No, No its not. It's because there’s a body still in there. I haven't disturbed it more than just to confirm its there......”    

The man’s face fell even farther “A what!” But Daryl just nodded.

Police arrival was swift and noisy

“You're the fella that tipped us off about that body in the woods, ain't ye? So where's this one” 

“Under the stairs. He's 15 years old and was severely mentally handicapped. He's also responsible for beating his mother unconscious, which led directly to the fire” 

“And how did you know to look there” 

“His sister told me a long time ago” 

“We'll have to interview her, then” 

“Yeah, best thing”

Difficult though, he thought. With her in the state she’s in.

“I thought you said Kirsty didn’t tell you anything? And what's all this about finding a body in the woods?” Debbie said as they headed back up the hill pulling the case.

“Let's save that for when we have more time in a café somewhere.” 

She caught up with him briefly at lunchtime the next day. So much more was buzzing around her head that she’d largely forgotten about her previous problems. They all seemed so last week and no longer relevant. 

“Daryl. You need to go and tell Annaliese”

“I suppose so”

“And we need to wheel this case over to your house and see if Kirsty is anywhere near grateful”

“I’m supposed to be a full time schoolboy, not a full time social worker! And I’ve got a date with someone very very special in the café after school”

She smiled briefly at the compliment

 “But. But Daryl. She said she wasn’t coming back if … You have to tell her, or Kirsty will have no mum either”

He drew his hand through his hair in despair

“Look, I’ll come with you” she persuaded “Maybe we can even catch a coke in the café down there and you can tell me about this other body in the woods, and how you knew where to look unless you're into some kind of telepathy with Kirsty!”

Keith and Nigel were both in the office when they got there

“Did you get my message? The lady on the phone gave it no better than a 50-50 chance”

“Yes. And we also have an answer for Annaliese”

All four of them filed into her room and stood by as Daryl sat down on the far side of the bed to find her hand

“Annaliese. Its Daryl again. I found an answer to your question about Tomas. He won’t need looking after and he’ll be staying where he…. …..interrupt? I was telling you…” he said slightly crossly as she seemed uninterested considering the trouble and grief he’d been to. But this was an interrupt and that, he had previously decided, would always be more important 

“Interrupt. Ok First letter. A b c d…..”

Keith looked on in awe. This was amazing. This was leading edge research. Nigel watched as Daryl called the letters and Debbie wrote them down as before. His previous attempt had saved precious theatre time and now he watched the magic in progress with analytical interest. He had no idea how Daryl made this work. He knew Keith had tried without success, but there were hundreds of medical procedures that he had no idea why they worked, and this was just another that he would accept in ignorance. But now Debbie was completing the sentence.    

“My neck. Hurts. Thump, thump”

Nigel took a step forward

“Does your head hurt?”

Two taps

“No”

“Is it the left side of your neck that hurts?”

Two taps

“No”

“Is it the back of your neck that hurts?”

One tap

“Yes”

 “So, the right side of your neck, back rather than front” confirmed Nigel “Lets take a look” he said quietly pulling back the cover and releasing the mayhem that escaped from underneath it.

He lunged for the phone “Keith, get that bed unplugged, Daryl ready to push. Debbie get the door. I’ve gotta get her to theatre, right now” as they all sprang into unquestioning action and moved with uncommon speed down to the operating theatre. Daryl and Debbie had both caught a glimpse of the large swelling on the side of her neck and retired somewhat shaken to the café. They’d only just finished their coke when Nigel reappeared as calm as a cucumber and sat down

“That’s that fixed. Not hard, not a big operation. Just fatal if you don’t do it in time”

Debbie smiled. This guy was so wonderfully straight down the line on life and death

“How much time?” she asked innocently

“Oh, enough. It would build up pressure for another couple of hours, maybe three”

“So if we’d come tomorrow instead?” she asked tentatively looking over at Daryl 

“Tomorrow? Man with long box I’m afraid. But you told her something about Tomas?”

“Yes. It was triggered by something Kirsty said a long time ago that he used to hide in the cupboard under the stairs if he thought he’d gone too far and she was actually going to murder him. And the firemen wouldn't know to look for him there. They'd check out the main rooms, but anyone with any sense would make themselves known, or be somewhere sensible. That leaves him out, because he had the mental age of I don’t know, two or three, maybe less.” 

“But he’d be on the register”
“Even if he's Portuguese, not British? He was 11 when he came to the UK 4 years ago, and I’m guessing he was never added to it when they moved here. Which could be why he’s not registered there”

“Could be” added Keith as he arrived “If they thought they wouldn’t qualify for medical treatment straight away, or maybe they just didn’t know”

“But he’s ok now?”

Daryl frowned evasively “That depends on your perspective, Keith, I said he wouldn’t need looking after and I said that he’d be staying where he is. And that’s the answer Annaliese wanted”

“Ok. I suppose there’s a certain poetic license allowed. What’s the real story?”

“He’s dead. The gable end fell on him during the fire while he was hiding under the stairs”

“What fire?”

“After Annaliese was taken away, Tomas demanded his pie. Apparently it was already cooked and they were going to have it cold, so she hadn’t lit the oven. But he didn’t know that, so without his mum there, he tried to light the oven, but I guess he turned the gas on but was a bit scared so true to form he hid in the cupboard, played with the matches and blew the house up”

“It’s a pity that Kirsty isn’t a bit more active. But where’s Mr Gonzalez during all this?”

“Is there one?”

“Oh, yes. Remember that Sunday with Kirsty? He bundled in here, smashed my guitar and then nearly got banned for overturning the drinks trolley”

“Some light relief at last” said Debbie, but their task was done and it was home time.

Back at Daryl’s house Marianne was reflecting on how simple it seemed suddenly jumping from a house of three to a house of four as they sat down to dinner.

“Debbie’s coming over later, she’s got….”

“Really, It’ll be nice to meet her at last” said Jim

“You’ll like her” said Kirsty rather wistfully “She’s sweet”

Daryl looked over at her wondering which doctor he should be calling as she continued “She’s not exactly a live wire, but then not everyone lives for adrenalin”

“Daryl, she’s not moving in too is she!” asked Jim as he watched her pull the case down the road towards him.

“No dad, but I need you to be ready to look after Kirsty”

“What!....” but Daryl had opened the door. He made the introductions as Debbie pulled the case into the living room.

Kirsty looked up recognising it as Daryl slipped his arm around Debbie as she opened it 

“Kirsty, we went over to your house yesterday evening…”

“We salvaged what we could” said Debbie “But honestly, there’s nothing left of it” she brushed away a tear “But we rescued what we could”

“Nothing left?”

“No, just one corner. The rest is rubble”

“But I’ll have nowhere to live!”

Jim slipped into his allocated role as Marianne held Kirsty’s free hand

“Sorry Kirsty. But there really is almost nothing left.” 

She cried into Jim’s shirt for a while as Marianne slipped out and made some tea. 

Eventually she resurfaced as she sipped the cup and asked about her mama.

Rats! Thought Daryl I was hoping you wouldn't ask. 

“She's ....she's not so good. She's still in the intensive care ward. But I've been talking to her a little, the way I talked to you” 

“I didn’t understand how that worked when you first told us” said Marianne “One letter at a time would be very very slow”

“Yes mum it is. And its very delicate. I doubt it would work in a noisy environment, but in intensive care you’ve got no interruptions and only the background hum of a ventilator or something” 

“I don’t remember much about that” said Kirsty as the room went quiet all but for the sound of crunching digestives. “Most of what I know is what you’ve told me since then”

“And Tomas. What about him?” 

This was a change. Where did such politeness come from so out of context. 

“Kirsty, you know you told me what he used to do when it all got too much for him” 

“Apart from howl, he’d hide in the stair cupboard” 

Daryl nodded “except that this time no one knew he was there. It may have been the first explosion when he lit the matches, but then…. Well, then the side wall fell on him when the house collapsed” 

“So he’s…?” 

Daryl nodded 

“We must be thankful for small mercies at last” she said unexpectedly brightly

This finally was the straw that took Jim and Marianne by surprise. Being a small, close family, this was completely new territory, but they kept the close hug on Kirsty even though they hardly knew her. 

Daryl took the case upstairs and put it in the small room that was quickly becoming hers. 

“I need to get to work” said Jim. “In fact I'll need to take the car or risk being late” 

“And I'd best be getting back” said Debbie looking for some time to think this out quietly for herself. 

They walked slowly, neither of them saw the need to rush and once again Debbie had some different thoughts all bumping into each other inside her head as she returned Daryl’s cuddle as they walked.

I don’t expect anything back from her, she said to herself. Maybe she does owe me, and maybe she should. But I don’t want anything. I’m a kind person really. I think. Kirsty hadn’t demanded anything, hadn’t asked for all this. But she needed somewhere to live and Jim and Marianne did what was necessary. I would have as well if I’d been put in that situation, wouldn’t I? and Kirsty needs help, and I’m helping her. So is Daryl and Jim and Marianne. And none of us is counting up the cost and demanding their pound of flesh.

 Cue Profession of Violence by UFO

Now with Daryl walking Debbie home and Jim out as well, Marianne sat alone with this unknown girl that was suddenly part of their life, and bringing a cartload of trauma with her. 

Marianne’s early life had not itself been without incident, and she was able to draw on the memory of those emotions to empathise with Kirsty, and finally convince her that now more than ever before the future was up to her. Jim and she would help with whatever they could, but they couldn’t do it all for her. She’d got this far without a lot of help. But now the walls had quite literally caved in on her life and she was as much a vulnerable frightened lost little girl as she was the more expected almost grownup young lady.

But, Marianne had convinced her, with the right attitude, things could only get better from now on and at least for the time being she should stay there with them.

Kirsty had gone to bed when Daryl got back, but as her light was still on. He knocked gently on the door and sat down quietly on the side of her bed. 

“Sorry” 

“Don’t be. Its not your fault. It's ok. But I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't even know how I feel” 

“Debbie wanted me to tell you she'd like to do something to help, but she's afraid of interfering” 

“That's ok. She won't be. I think I need all the help I can get….” 

She brushed away a residual tear “…. Debbie's sweet. Actually, she's a whole lot sweeter than I thought she was. And she’s so much in love with you. I talked to her a few days ago, only because I was waiting for my taxi and she was waiting for you. Asked her if you two would be together forever.” 

“That’s a bit premature…..” 

“She said, maybe, she hoped so, but you know, kids change, and everything changes. I said to her, that you’re the kind of guy I’d like to settle down with one day but that I thought you were too boring to go out with. Jeez. Little did I know!”

“Kirsty, I'll do what I can. And Debbie will help you too, but Debbie needs help in her own recovery so I need to keep track of that too” 

“I know. I had my chance. Blew it” 

Lunch break saw Debbie and Daryl making a date for the cafe in the park that afternoon. Ok it was two days late, and there was no rule that it had to be restricted to just Wednesday's. But the afternoon saw him passing the office as Ozzie, Mrs Osbourne that is, called out to him. She was on the phone as she held her hand over the receiver “do you know when Kirsty is coming back in to school?” 

“No. Could be Monday, if we get organised. Who wants to know?” he asked nodding his head at the phone

“The gentleman on the phone here is really quite anxious to get in touch with her”

“Who is he? Does he sound like an insurance guy?” 

“Who knows? Sounds very foreign” 

“If he really wants to see her he should come round my house, cos that's where she's staying for a few days while her mum’s in hospital” 

Also, he reckoned that if some strange guy was looking for her, then meeting up while there were other folks around would be a good idea. And if it was someone from insurance, then he didn't want her to get ripped off by agreeing to some nonsensical settlement.

Jim was on night shift again that night so the four of them were in the living room as they saw a car pull up outside. 

“Just some bloke” said Daryl as he got out of the car “Foreign car though, left hand drive”. 

He watched as the man checked his notepad, and then peered at the house number by the front door 

“But whoever he is, we'll find out... About now” 

He spoke with a strong Iberian accent, but politely inquired if indeed Kirsty Gonzalez could be found here. Daryl invited him in and Marianne was surprised to find he was enthusiastic about her offer of a cup of tea. 

“England has good points” he said “tea is one of them. It is impossible to get good tea in Portugal. When I leave the diplomatic corps I'm going to import tea instead” 

Daryl helped or rather carried Kirsty down the stairs.

“Are you injured?” 

“Yes” Daryl said. “She hasn't quite recovered from an accident a couple of moons ago.” 

He checked that he was talking to the right person and introduced himself as working for the Portuguese embassy, backed by an official looking photo ID. 

“I am sorry you are not well, because I need to give some bad news. Although maybe it is not so very bad.” 

Jim placed himself for the big hug and wet shirt that he knew would be inevitable, but there was something that appealed to him about this. Was it the father figure in him that wanted to look after this vulnerable little girl that needed help, or just a pretty lost teenager looking for attention and security, even if Marianne looked like she thought he was cuddling her just a fraction too much. 

The conversation was now in Portuguese as he asked Kirsty a number of questions and seemed satisfied with her replies. 

“We will talk in English so that your friends here can understand as well. As you know, your father was with the forward prospecting team in Angola. Unfortunately, two weeks ago the base was overrun and captured by rebels, taking everyone hostage. On Monday, the government forces stormed the base and re-took control. However, there were a number of casualties. Your father was hit in the leg by shrapnel from a mortar. He has been airlifted out and is now in hospital in Porto. It is important that I tell you this as the base in Angola was officially sponsored and it is the policy of the Portuguese government to report all medical emergencies to Portuguese families” 

He promised to phone with an update when there was one. 

Kirsty gazed blankly into the middle distance. “No mama, no papa, no brother, no house, no legs. Is there any of me left?” 

“There's spirit, Kirsty, and the future. And we can all work with that to sort out the rest” 

Saturday saw Daryl back at the hospital. Keith had another candidate for him, but he also found time to have a chat with Rocko. He confirmed his intention to take the green smoke. Sad, Daryl reflected, or maybe not. 'Anticipated end of life, 10 pm Saturday' and so the only surprise when Heather found him lifeless the following morning was that his notes had already been updated. 

The conversation with Nigel and Keith was puzzling and short. Daryl said that Rocko was taking the green colours, but the only thing they'd learned was that of the three, only blue came back. He told them that Rocko seemed convinced that he was in line for 'going round again' and was intent on being a better person next time. Keith was at a loss, but Nigel had said there are cases where some young person near death suddenly makes a miraculous recovery, but with a totally different personality. But none of them could think of any way to test a theory even if they were able to formulate one. 

He rang Debbie and as luck would have it, Geraint answered the phone 

“Oh, hi Mr Ellis” 

“Hang on Daryl I'll just get Debbie for you” 

“Thanks, but I wanted to speak to you. Just to check that we’re all on for tonight? You see I have till 2 o’clock to cancel the lane if we're not going” 

“Not going! No way. We're all looking forward to it at this end, especially Jill while Deb and me go bowling” he chuckled at his own attempt at continuing the wind up. 

“That's all good. Our booking is for half past seven. One other thing Mr Ellis. You might be interested to know that Rocko is still in intensive care. The consultant does not believe he will survive the night” 

On to the next world, thought Daryl wherever that might be. I've no idea what religion he followed, if any” 

“I'll never be speaking ill of the dead, but it does solve one of our problems” 

“I agree” he replied but continued thinking that maybe they could take some time this evening to work out what all the others actually were. 

Bowling

Daryl called round to their house and they all took the bus together bouncing in and out of the potholes all the way to the town centre and out the other side. Their lane was clear when they got there and the attendant said they could just go straight on early as a bonus. That got the evening off to an upbeat start with everyone reading far more than they should into that minor act of generosity. 

The hour passed remarkably quickly as Jill and Geraint’s competitive streak was equally matched by Debbie and Daryl's c'est la vie attitude preferring instead to treat the whole thing as a laugh and a giggle. They adjourned to the cafe where they were offered a cut price rate on a second session at 9.15. 

Daryl bought the donuts while Geraint paid for the drinks. He had to, he said, because he was having a beer. 

“You work at the hospital” Jill said by way of a question “What do you do there?” 

She watched Debbie’s face turn several shades paler 

“It must be quite interesting, even if you're serving coffee in the cafe. You'd hear so much about what’s going on” 

“I’m afraid not, Jill, there's not much discussion in the cafe. But I don't work there. In fact I don't work on the facilities side at all, I'm more on the medical side”

“Debbie? Are you all right?” 

But Debbie was remembering the conversations with Annaliese that had frightened her half to death and the sudden revelation about her neck haemorrhage that she'd told Daryl about with only a couple of hours to spare. 

“Yes” she said quietly and deliberately “Daryl does some scary stuff sometimes” 

“Really? So do you have a name badge and a title and everything?”

“Oh yes” said Debbie “he does have a title, but you'll be none the wiser for knowing what it is”.

Jill looked over to Daryl for an explanation. 

“I'm a Non Verbal Micro Communications Specialist” 

Jill looked completely blank

“A what?” asked Geraint”

“I did say you’d be none the wiser”

“Communication” began Daryl “is talking to patients. Non-verbal means we don’t use spoken words while we’re talking and micro refers to the technique that we use very small movements to spell out words. Specialist is because we don’t know of anyone else who does this” 

Geraint looked like he was still none the wiser and Jill was looking both impressed and confused. 

“Maybe I should just explain how it works” said Daryl in response “It's like this, Jill. If you got seriously injured you might become unconscious. If that state continues for more than a few hours you're likely to slip into a coma. That's a relatively stable state of unconsciousness when the motor muscles controlled by your conscious mind shut down but everything else continues as normal. That means you can’t move your arms and legs or speak or see. But you can hear and your heart and lungs and brain carry on working. 

But usually we've found that you also retain a very minute movement in a finger. By sensing that, we can talk to each other using that tiny movement to tap out a code one letter at a time” 

“Like an old fashioned Morse code?”

“A bit, I guess, its more sequentially selecting each letter of each word from the alphabet” Daryl explained hoping that wasn’t too complicated. 

He demonstrated on Jill holding her hand while she played the part of the patient. 

“Well if he's going to hold my hand like that for the evening I'll be the first to volunteer to go into a coma!” 

“Mum!”

“Debbie, has Daryl not done this to you as well?”
“No, mum, I’ve not had the pleasure of being unconscious yet”

“But what sort of conversations do you have” 

“Mum, you might not want to know!”

Jill’s look of surprise encouraged Daryl to continue

“There’s a certain amount of chat, but of course its all very slow. Then there’s more important stuff. Like where does it hurt to help prevent the surgeons doing unnecessary exploratory operations. But the first one was where Kirsty told me about the driver of the car that crashed. Based on that, I checked it out and the police found another body and it got Kirk Grierson off the hook as well. It could have been a ‘death by dangerous driving’ rap if Kirsty hadn’t made it. Then there was Marcella who had no identification on her at all, but I found out her name and that she was from Stockholm and they tracked her down as a missing person in Sweden. There was a nutter who jumped off his motorcycle just to prove to his girlfriend that she’d miss him when he was dead. And more recently Miranda” 

Debbie's ears suddenly pricked up at the mention of the name that had skewered her the previous week.

“Keith paid for her to come over from France to see if I could help her talk to her fiancé. He’s Russian, but speaks some French, and she's French and speaks a few words of English. I met her at the station and took her to the hospital, then she asked some questions in French and he replied in French as best he could, taking account of there being no way to define an accent because I haven’t invented that bit yet, even if I knew enough French to recognise where it might be needed. Although I did manage to use the French alphabet. But she managed to interpret the answers and seemed pleased with the result. Something to do with a bank vault” 

“So why did Keith pay for that? Is she a friend of his?”
“She is now! But it was a different kind of case for his thesis to give it an international angle as well and just make it more intriguing because I had no idea what the conversation was about. Then after that there was Rocko. His friends, as far as he had any, were concerned because they didn't know who attacked him or why, and they didn’t know if they’d be next. And clearly they couldn't ask him, so one of them, a guy called Mario who, by the way, is well worth avoiding, he asked me to find out. And that's how I know what happened.”

“And then there was Annaliese” added Debbie with a nervous cold expression “She managed to tell Daryl about a haemorrhage on her neck and Nigel operated with less than two hours before it would have killed her. Mum, if Daryl hadn’t been there listening no-one would have known until it was … it was too late”

“Oh my goodness! That is serious?”

“Yes, I never expected it to get like that when I started it. But there's one other thing on that. Because I'd helped this Mario guy on who to look out for, I asked him who it was that had it in for Debbie. He said he didn't know and hadn't considered it, but would ask a few questions. He caught up with me yesterday and told me that he couldn't find anyone who was gunning for you and that he couldn't even find any likely candidate that recognised either your name or your picture. In his view Rocko set the whole thing up on his own to avoid .. well, to avoid his current situation. Which checked out with what Rocko had told me himself. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and are perfectly safe now that Rocko has gone. He also said he'd let me know if he happened to find out different. And you know, I think I believe him” 

“You seem to know these villains quite well” said Geraint with more than a hint of accusation 

“No, I'd rather I didn’t need to know any of them at all. But in hospital you don't get to choose, and on the streets of this town it's better to have them recognise you than drub you” 

The second session kicked off with a team change. Daryl was finally playing with Jill and now playing against her husband the needle set in. Now both teams wanted to win whereas before Debbie and Daryl were just happy being together and taking part. But Daryl was also determined to do his best for his new teammate and two back to back strikes saw them running away with the match. 

“Seems to me that yer mum and Daryl must’ve had some practice playing together when we wasn’t watchin’ ” said Geraint

“Dad! You’d tell me off if I said something like that”

By the time they'd got the bus back home, it was clear to all of them that the evening had been a huge success. 

This was the first time that Geraint and Jill had gone out socially with Debbie on an equal basis. It had always been the two of them and their daughter. Now it was the two of them and another couple, who were both a bit younger but nevertheless held their own in conversation, humour, wind up and even paying the bill.    

And Geraint had been thinking. What with the responsibility of Daryl’s work that Debbie helped with sometimes, his little girl was growing up a whole lot faster than he cared to appreciate. And with Daryl’s contacts with the rogues of the estate, while being able to keep them separate, he agreed that she could go out with Daryl the following afternoon. 

Daryl swallowed his self-satisfied grin and squeezed her hand under his coat on the bus on the way home. And with his coat strategically placed he started teasing her by drifting a finger or two ever so slightly up inside the hem of her dress. She tried covertly to resist as she was afraid that if he got too far she’d jump and at the same time she was trying hard not to wriggle because either of these would attract the wrong kind of attention from her parents sitting in the seats just in front of them. Mission accomplished! 

They walked up the riverside path as they had before and sat on the grassy knoll at the bend. 

“You do still like me a bit?” she asked nervously. After all, he must have been considering their position because she'd been so horrible to him, but he certainly wouldn't have dumped her during their date with her parents. 

“Of course” 

“Yes, but do you like me more than when we started going out together?”

“Of course! I even like you more than I did last week…”

She smiled sweetly at him until he continued “…last week you were pretty annoying” 

“Ohhh! But you do still like me a bit?” 

He gazed intently at different specific parts of her body in turn “what's up?” she asked beginning to get embarrassed at being studied like the residents of a fish tank in a biology lab 

“I'm just deciding which bit of you I like” 

“That's not quite the same!” 

“So, do you like me a bit, or maybe just like a bit of me more than when we met?” returned Daryl

“Yes” she whispered barely audibly “in fact, I like you a whole lot more than I ever imagined” 

Daryl had heard the admission but chose to bypass it “left arm is a candidate” 

“A what?” 

“Yes, for the bit of you I like most. It's very delicate” 

She jabbed him in the ribs with it. There she was trying to balance serious and romantic while he was fooling around. But then, that was one of the things that she liked about him. He could play the fool like this to lower the tension, but always kept in touch with anything serious that was going on as well. So she knew he would have heard her comment. What she didn’t know is what he would make of it and what that would imply. 

But with her dad’s restrictions lifted and Daryl’s teasing on the bus as a signal for the direction he wanted to go, she was now in a position to try to get their relationship back to where it was before the event. She held on to him more tightly, she pulled herself closer to him as they walked and found herself always responding more positively. He gave her an extra hard squeeze and she beamed over at him. 

“Debbie, we should go out together because we both want to. Nothing else. We’re not here due to any commitment, contract or promise. As soon as we don't want to we take a break, but for my money I hope that’s a long time in coming” 

“Yeah” she said, schmoozing round his neck in an attempt to ignore his seriousness “I just wish I could see you again tomorrow evening” 

“You probably will. It's parents evening” 

Parents Evening

That evening, talk around the Ellis dinner table was health and in particular the state of Jill’s dad. There was nothing really wrong with him except old age and the issue was he was simply getting older. He was increasingly forgetful, increasingly bumping into things with a decreasing ability to see, hear and smell. And while all of that indicated a certain direction, it was inversely matched by his determination to remain in his own home on the grounds of independence, irrespective of how much trouble and pressure he poured onto everyone else.

“But we do need to figure something out,” Geraint was saying. “We need to go up there and check out what he’s really like now” 

They were in touch with his neighbour, but as Jill pointed out, those incidents were either the exception that she panicked about or the tip of the iceberg.

“He's only got two bedrooms” Jill continued “and of course there's no saying what state the house will be in when we get there, but there's hardly room for all of us”

“And” Geraint responded “with your track record young lady, I'm reluctant to leave you here on your own” 

“Leave it out, dad. That’s all history now that stuff. We can move on can’t we?”

“I suppose we'll need to get a hotel” Geraint conceded “I was hoping to avoid that, they're so expensive.”

Next evening Geraint finished work early to get to the school on time “Ready?” he asked

“As ever I will be”

“There's a chance the Millers will be there too. I wouldn't mind a sneak glance of Jim and Marianne” 

“Marianne Miller?” 

“Yes, I just want to get a view on what kind of background Daryl is from. He’s confusing. Seems to know all the villains in the neighbourhood, but has a really responsible job at the hospital, and Susie was saying he’s a bit of a genius in Biology as well. Don't tell me you know her already?” 

“I don't know her. I know who she is. She works in the pharmacy at the doctors” 

“Which one, not the grumpy one?” 

“No, the quiet helpful one. Quite attractive too, although I'm sure you wouldn't notice that. I've seen her a number of times when I’ve been in there trying to understand our dads prescriptions when he’s got himself all muddled up. But I'm getting a bit worried about you. That's the second time in as many days that you've mentioned her” 

“Mentioned who?” asked Debbie only just catching the conversation 

“Marianne Miller” 

“Oh. Daryl's mum” 

“Will Daryl be there?” 

“I expect so. They're like us. His mum and dad do take an interest in how he's doing” 

“Yes, unfortunately not all parents do” 

“So what do you want with Marianne?” 

“Your dad’s just nosing into a bit of background” 

“Well don't be embarrassing! We've not been going out that long. It's hardly time for the parents to meet each other” 

“I should hope not, already! But I’m just interested. You don't exactly have an unblemished track record on the company you keep” 

“Oh dad. Leave it out! I’ve moved on from all that and I’m trying to forget about it. Its like in school work, you recognise you’ve made a mistake so you correct it next time. You can’t undo it. You’ve met Daryl, he came to tea and we all went out together. Its almost like you don’t want me to move on and grow up”

Jill kept quiet and Debbie gave her dad a hug just to soften the blow of maybe having said too much. She knew her parents had both been supportive when she had got over onto the wrong side of the tracks even if sometimes their protection was a bit draconian.

Parents’ evenings had always been fraught for Daryl. His view in previous years was that he was being forced into taking too many subjects. There simply wasn't time to do all of them properly, and the choice was simple - be mediocre at all of them, or polarise them into the good, the very good, and the basket case. For him, History had been the latter. What did it matter who did what to whom or even why two hundred years ago? Apparently because that's one of the things that got you to where you are now. But its irrelevant, he’d said rather aggressively. I care about being me being here. It's of no consequence how or what happened way before anyone can remember. Just accept you're here. You do not need to know what the road was. Just take it as read and plan for the future. Ah but if you don't study the past you may make the same mistakes in the future. Two ell’s!! The same situation will never occur again. It may superficially appear the same, but the external influences will for sure be different. The personalities of those involved, the economic situation, the egos of the participants, the morals and ethics of the day, social pressures and even the way, tone and manner in which it is reported. All of these conspire together to make this new situation different to previous ones and for that reason, all previous ones are irrelevant. And as for knowing who was king at that point! Was there ever a more pointless exercise? However, this type of radical thinking was not appreciated in the History department and the point was made quite plainly to Jim and Marianne as they had gone through the overall picture. Or as Daryl saw it, look down the test results and concentrate on the lowest ones. Why do they have to criticise you for things you're not good at? Why not applaud things you are good at and kick the others into the long grass. 

Strangely, it was only now that reality had set in. That’s exactly what he’d done to choose his ‘A’ levels and the results were something of a revelation. Previously these interviews had been a rollercoaster of success and humiliation. 

Now, Physics had been a short interview. “Predicted A - if he keeps up the work.” And that was that.

Old Butcher from biology dropped into listening mode rather than talking. He was genuinely interested in whether Daryl was anticipating using Biology to underpin his career and seemed over the moon to hear that he was currently intending to pursue either medicine or research, perhaps into brain cell physiology. Next was Chemistry and that’s it. No Maths, no Geography, no English, no basket cases and especially no History.

But it was only then that Debbie realised that their appointments with the Chemistry department were next to each other and the meeting of the parents was now inevitable. And worse, because the interviews were all quite short they all had time afterwards to adjourn to the refectory to have coffee together. 

“..... I'm not sure we'll get a holiday this year” Geraint was saying “Jill's dad is becoming more and more dependant. It'll be a full time job over the summer to persuade him to go into a home. And if we were away, we'd only worry that something would happen” 

“It’ll be a laugh a minute” commented Debbie dryly with an air of resignation

“That's sad. I feel almost guilty about saying we've booked a villa in France. I'm looking forward to getting away and just crashing out for a few days. Then maybe find a local vineyard - or two” 

But while Jim and Marianne were looking forward to their summer holiday, Debbie was not looking forward at all to two weeks without Daryl and was looking increasingly reflective bordering on miserable, while Daryl was looking at it from both sides. It was a break and that was good. Different to last year, he was actually looking forward to spending time with his parents. They’d been so supportive with Kirsty gate-crashing their family, and again when the issues with Debbie overflowed and he felt he’d earned some respect through this unexpected job at the hospital. Perhaps he’d be able to get some serious but unpressured conversations with his parents the way he did with Nigel and Keith.

But it was two weeks without Debbie and that was bad. Actually, he wasn’t looking forward to that at all. Except that he knew he tended to make the most of whatever situation he found himself in. So to keep the peace he concentrated on not looking forward to it when he was with her so as not to upset her.

He was getting used to Kirsty being around too and she was starting to be less insular and consequently less trouble. He didn’t have much spare time what with seeing Debbie and his work at the hospital, but he managed to squeeze in some walking practise for Kirsty in between frantic bouts of homework. She still took her taxi to school and home again. It might have been because she didn’t want to rely so much on Daryl or so that she wasn’t so much of a burden, but really she didn’t want to get soaked if it rained, and anyway, it was already paid for. 

Overall, he was content that progress was being made on all fronts, but most of all Kirsty seemed to be actually becoming grateful.

He was on something of a high after the feedback from his teachers, and his mum and dad seemed proud of him, especially, Jim reminded him, as there’d been a few other diversions recently.

So it was with some surprise that he found himself being extracted from Chemistry. Surely it could wait till he had a study period? But Carol Epstein was not a girl to be argued with. There was a regular demon lurking behind that prefect’s badge. She dumped him in the admin office while Ozzy was still on the phone. She motioned him to sit down and Daryl wracked his brain to remember something he’d done that would warrant this treatment. But Mrs Osbourne only had time for the quickest explanations before the call came through.

“Oh Daryl! I didn’t know who else might be able to help. I’ve had Mr Gonzalez on the phone from Portugal and he seems to be quite distressed. Like he doesn’t know what’s going on with Kirsty. Is she back yet? I thought not, so …. Oh that’ll be him calling back now”

“What! Why me?” as she thrust the phone into his hand.

“Hello? Mr Gonzalez?”

“This is Phillippe Gonzalez. Who am I talking to?”
“You’re talking to Daryl Miller. I’m a friend of Kirsty’s”

“Daryl? You are the Daryl from the accident, no?”
“No, the driver was Darrino Pallenski, and he died in the crash. I am Daryl Miller. I’m in class with her at school. I’m a friend of hers and I also work at the hospital”

“So do you know where Kirsty is? Many times I phone the house and there is no connection. My wife should be at home and now I hear Kirsty has not been in school….”

“Mr Gonzalez, I hope you are feeling better after the attack by the rebels”

“You know about that? How do you know that?”

“Mr Gonzalez, I have quite a lot of bad news for you. It would be better if you were able to come to England. I can tell you now on the phone, but you need to come to England anyway”

“This must be serious! But I cannot leave now, I am still in the hospital in Porto. But you must tell me now”

“Ok, but make sure you’re sitting down. To answer your question, I heard about your injury from the Portuguese Ambassador when he came to see Kirsty to tell her about your attack. You see, 8 days ago there was a gas explosion at your house. Annaliese was taken to hospital and she’s still there. She’s still unconscious. Kirsty was brought over to my house because she had nowhere else to go and she’s still staying there, except she still can’t walk after the crash. And Tomas. I’m sorry, Mr Gonzalez, but he was killed when the house collapsed. So that’s why there’s no answer when you called”

“But Daryl! That is my whole family, and my home”

“That’s roughly what Kirsty said when she heard you’d been injured by that mortar”

“And you are right. I must come to England without delay – as soon as I can get out of this hospital, But can I ask, you are Kirsty’s boyfriend, no?”

“No, Mr Gonzalez. Kirsty doesn’t like me very much, although I looked after her when she was in hospital, and I took her home when she was discharged because Annaliese couldn’t leave Tomas. And she’s been staying at my house since the fire because she can’t be left on her own because she can’t walk and she has nowhere else to go. But my girlfriend is called Debbie.”
Daryl gave him his home phone number and said goodbye looking forlornly at Mrs Osbourne who now seemed to be in shock herself.

“Oh my” she gasped “I had no idea”
“Nor me Mrs Osbourne. Its like a jigsaw. Its only when you put it all together that you see the whole picture”

And it was later with Debbie as he related the whole thing to her over a strawberry milkshake at the café.

Daryl felt a bit shaken up by this. He couldn’t figure out how it had become his job to break the bad news to Phillippe. But Debbie was sympathetic offering encouragement and telling him that its not everyone who would have done that. Some would have just denied all knowledge and got on with their own life instead, and that she was so proud of him taking on this challenge and that she was so happy to be his girlfriend.

That evening, dinner was all over the place. Marianne wasn’t back till gone 9 and was exhausted. She collapsed into a chair in the living room and Daryl heated her a piece of her chicken pie and boiled some broccoli to go with it. Jim was on the back shift and wouldn’t be in till 1, and Kirsty was strangely reflective as she sat down with him to share the omelette that he’d made for them. It was the first time that he could remember that they’d been alone together like this but she seemed preoccupied with something she didn’t want to discuss.

It wasn’t till he was in bed that he heard the unmistakable sound of her moving along the wall, holding on to it to stop herself falling down. He felt it was over dramatic. She could walk enough steps if she concentrated, but this way she thought she’d get more sympathy.      

She peeked around the edge of his door

“Are you still awake?”

“Yeah”

She turned on the light, dazzling him and sat down on the edge of his bed.

“Sorry. I was a bit quiet at dinner. I didn’t thank you for cooking”

He looked over to her. She wasn’t wearing very much, but that’s not what she came in here for

“S’ok. Had to cook something for me anyway”

“And Daryl. Thanks for explaining everything to my papa. Yes. He called me just as I got in from the taxi. He’s coming over, but not till Saturday. I need to book us all in for dinner together, and get him a hotel room. I thought you might be able to help me.”

And then at last! The news from intensive care was that Annaliese had decided to return and was sitting up in bed but looking pale and sick. Hopefully, Daryl thought to himself, someone else will tell her about Tomas.

But he was treating this as something of a success. When he had first made contact, Annaliese was still deciding whether to return or not. What would have become of Kirsty seemed of no consequence to her. But, as Debbie had pointed out, her father would probably have packed her off to boarding school in Switzerland never to be considered again. 

And again next evening Kirsty was sitting on the edge of Daryl’s bed and he was wondering if this would become a habit. This time she’d popped in to say that the Millers were all invited to dinner. Philippe was coming over from Porto on Saturday and she had booked a table at the Old Coachman hotel where she’d booked him in with her mama, as Daryl had suggested.

 “Its ok there.” Daryl had said “I booked Miranda in there when she came over from France. Its a bit dated but reasonably priced, I’d say, and still nice. It’s a typical old English hotel”

Kirsty had never heard of Miranda or why Daryl should be checking a hotel room with her, but she decided not to ask.

“And Daryl” she said instead “I think we should invite Debbie too”

“Debbie?”
“Yes. You, and me, and your parents and my parents. It just gives the wrong impression. I’d be upset if I was Debbie”

“Yeah ok but this is like… like a business meeting. Its discussing plans and action, not relationships and emotions”

“Debbie might not know that”

This of course was true. Debbie wasn’t jealous of Kirsty. She’d never want to swap places with her for all the tea in China. But she was also scared that Kirsty would suddenly come up with something that Daryl might find irresistible – like the translucent nightie that she was now wearing, except Debbie didn’t know about that either.

Daryl was not really looking forward to this dinner. Why didn’t Phillippe just come over, pack Kirsty’s stuff into a sack and take her away. Or maybe just stuff Kirsty into a sack and take her away. Ok so maybe ‘thankyou‘ of some description was warranted, and maybe that was dinner, but he still felt it couldn’t be quite that simple. 

Phillippe was walking with a stick, and Annaliese just looked ill. Her face was gaunt and drawn and a shadow of the way Daryl remembered her in the hall of her house with the BLV crouching behind her clutching onto her skirt as though any minute he might pull it off. Daryl had only met Philippe once and that was an episode not to be repeated, so he’d be keeping a tight rein on any comments. This guy was volatile, although Daryl had already checked out the exit strategy – and an alternative route, just in case. 

But, Daryl reflected, his run in with Mario recently had gone ok and he was a very volatile character. Not to mention Old Butcher in Biology although he wasn’t quite in the same bag.

The introductions seemed to be more complex than they really needed to be. Phillippe remembered Daryl’s face, but he needed to be reminded of the circumstances and Annaliese remembered Daryl from when he brought Kirsty home. Phillippe, like Daryl before him, found it incomprehensible that his wife had left his daughter to find her own way home after three weeks of unconsciousness but let the matter drop after a few words harshly spoken in Portuguese. He talked a lot about his experiences in West Africa and Daryl started to think that maybe Geology might be more interesting than medical research.

But Phillippe had missed out on knowing about most of the key events and Daryl decided to start at the beginning. 

It soon became clear that he was the only one who knew the whole story and it turned into a series of revelations as misconceptions and assumptions were dissolved.

“But one thing I don’t understand, Daryl, is that if you visited Kirsty every day and now you say she’s staying at your house, why you two are not boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Daryl was suddenly relieved that he’d persuaded Kirsty not to invite Debbie. Questions like that would make her very nervous, and Daryl would then spend the next week or even month reassuring her. He was also a little annoyed – he’d already explained that on the phone. Its as if Phillippe was encouraging him to reconsider this position. Kirsty started to answer but failed to find the words “because. Its because papa…”

But Daryl interrupted her

“Mr Gonzalez, its very simple. Its because my girlfriend Debbie likes me and Kirsty does not” 

“But why is that?” he directed at Kirsty but Daryl replied again

“Because I’m not an adrenalin junkie. I get enough excitement at the hospital. Many of the patients I talk to are near death and it can get very tense talking to them because they are so fragile. So I prefer making my own entertainment just watching the fish jumping and the insects buzzing as I walk along the river with someone who is happy and content just to be with me - Kirsty would prefer to be out there doing exciting things like tying a rope round her leg and jumping off a high bridge or strapping on a parachute and leaping out if a perfectly serviceable aeroplane”.

But over coffee, the conversation moved on again. Daryl was sitting next to Kirsty on a settee in the lounge area as she sulked, hugging a cushion not wanting to be seen as a nuisance but even less wanting to be talked about in the third person. Daryl was sympathetic. She’d tried so hard and done so well in getting herself to sixteen years old without major mishap. But now her father was just talking about her as a little girl, or maybe just as a commodity. He reached out to hold her hand as a gesture of support. After all, there was a precedent for him holding her hand – every day for three weeks only a couple of months ago. She smiled over to him sitting back like she would let it all flow over her and just live with the result.

“You have been hugely kind already” Phillippe was saying, “taking Kirsty in and looking after her. We hate to think what would have happened if she could not call on your hospitality. And she is very happy staying with you.”

Yes, she thought, a lot more than suffering a life of rejection and isolation with the lousy vegetable that her mama was under the misguided delusion was human.

“Thankyou. We’re glad she’s happy” responded Marianne having said very little up to that point.

“But” continued Phillippe “it would be a huge help to us if she could stay with you for some days more. Of course I would be happy to contribute whatever it takes. You see, I must return to Angola. The search is complete, but it needs to be registered and if this is not completed next week our licence to prospect will expire and the government there will be only too keen to take over all our assets, now that we have done all of the work. And I do not think it was the rebels that attacked the base. I think it was undercover government forces trying to delay our completion until our licence expired. But you understand that the nature of this work makes it quite secret, and I am the only one with the knowledge. This is very unfortunate because Annaliese must take a trip to Porto to see her mother who is very ill and unlikely to survive the week, and of course I am meant to be there as well. But I cannot be in three or even two places at the same time. I could book Kirsty a hotel room, but she has no experience of looking after herself and living on her own”

Oh really, living on my own? Like what have I been doing for the last 14 years while you’re away and mama’s engrossed in agriculture?

Jim thought for a moment looking in Marianne’s direction for inspiration and delaying long enough for her to interject 

“Its only a week till the end of term, and with Kirsty missing three weeks in the middle, she really needs that time to complete her catch up”

“And then a week after that” Jim continued “we are going on holiday. We have a villa in France and with my work the way it is and Marianne being called on for the extra evening shifts and callout, we all need the break” 

He looked over at Kirsty “and what about you little girl? What do you think?” 

‘Little girl' indeed! But Jim was so nice to her. He was the one she’d always turned to, to collapse and cry and he’d always been so sympathetic. And now he was the one who was actually asking her rather than just talking about her. Really, he was the only one who would ever get away with that sort of comment. She looked round the table from one pair of eyes to the next and felt a squeeze on her hand covertly hidden under her cushion

“I know I'm a nuisance Jim and Marianne, but I do like staying with you. I can’t go to Angola – it would take too long just to get the injections, and mama will have more than enough to do in Porto. I could just stay here in the Coachman but I’ll struggle until I can walk properly again. But actually Marianne - I’d like to stay. Please” 

“And we have kind of got used to it” added Marianne. 

Daryl looked passively from one to the other and just shrugged. Ce la vie! He muttered as his thought turned to how he would tell Debbie. He mulled over a number of options. What about ‘I persuaded them all to let her stay, but its really that I quite look forward to that see-through negligee sitting on the side of my bed’, or maybe ‘she said that if I supported her case she’d wear slightly less next time she came into my room’.

But winding up Debbie would have to wait as the conversation had moved on without him.

“So that only leaves me with the question of my son. Daryl. You told me he had died in the fire, but more than that I do not know”

Annaliese looked blank and eyes turned to Kirsty

“I was in hospital until yesterday” said Annaliese unnecessarily now that the attention had moved away from her. Kirsty raised both her hands as a gesture of both don’t know and don’t care, and again Daryl broke the pause

“Mr Gonzalez, I located him in the rubble. Then I passed the situation to the police”

“Kirsty?”
“I was stuck at Daryl’s house. I was unable to walk at that time”

Daryl had never seen anyone look so dismayed

“So where would he be?”

Jim looked over at Daryl “Any ideas?”

“Don’t know dad. If he’d died in hospital he’d be taken down to their morgue and the admin team would try to track down a relative to organise a funeral. I expect that the police probably use the same facility and took him there”

Marianne found the conversation somewhat distasteful and excused herself, but only as far as to find a waiter that could get them something alcoholic.

“Kirsty, did they not talk to you?”

Kirsty nearly choked at the question phrased like an accusation but Daryl rescued her again

“The police already knew that Annaliese was in hospital. I expect they were waiting for some developments there”

“So that’s a funeral I need to arrange as well! Once I find out where he is. But that is a fourth place I need to be at the same time!”

Annaliese burst into tears and without thinking, Jim slipped his comforting arm round her like he did with Kirsty.

“Obrigada” she murmured, but Phillippe continued unconcerned 

“Kirsty – I think you need to do this. And that is another reason you need to stay in England and not go to Porto”

“No way!” she exclaimed jumping forward in her seat

Good job that he didn’t have his hand on her chair like happened to him once before, thought Daryl

Maybe this was just on instinct or maybe Kirsty had recognised the opportunity to speak her mind on the subject after all this time.

“Why can’t we just find a compost heap for that inhuman vegetable!”

“Kirsty!”

“Or just get a plastic rubbish sack and put him in the bin like you should’ve done 14 years ago”

“Kirsty!” pleaded Annaliese “He was your brother”

“Oh yeah! I had a mama and papa as well as him did I?”

“Kirsty it can’t have been that bad….”
“How would you know? You’ve been here a whole 10 minutes in the last 10 years”

Now it was Phillippe’s turn to be distraught and with Jim only just managing to keep Annaliese from total breakdown, the rescue was down to Daryl again

“Kirsty, he would be registered with the police as a human being – so that means he’ll have to go through the funeral procedures for a human being…”
Kirsty gripped his hand which was back under the cushion for just such an occasion as she tried to keep herself under control and accept the finality of what Daryl said.

“Ok. Just don’t expect me to go” 

“Oh Kirsty!” wailed Annaliese “I spent 15 years of my life looking after him. ….”
“Like maybe I hadn’t noticed!” she shot back with a vengeance, which only served to remind Daryl just how often he was surprised by the human being’s capacity for injustice.

But now it was Marianne’s turn to rescue the situation. She refilled six glasses from her new bottle of wine and pulled up a chair next to Phillippe as he smiled stoically at her.

Jeez, it occurred to Daryl. This could turn into a right swingers’ party with Mum consoling Phillippe from the caustic bitterness of his daughter’s tongue, Dad with his arms round Annaliese who was just about to write off 15 years of her life and me trying to keep Kirsty from going open loop by covertly holding her down with a parallel hope that she doesn’t interpret this as something else. Oh my! I am so relieved that Debbie isn’t here.

“I’ll set up the funeral” announced Marianne with an unexpected air of calm “Although I’m sorry, I don’t even know his name. And Kirsty, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to”

“Of course you want to go” whispered Daryl “You want to make sure he’s really gone don’t you!”

Jim let go of Annaliese and instead handed her her glass.

“Ok. So there’s a few things here we need to do. Sounds to me like Phillippe, you need to get back to Angola as soon as you can. That way you might get through with that registration of yours and then you can prioritise the other events. Annaliese, you need to go to Porto and do whatever you can for your mother. Daryl, can you track down Tomas so that your mum can arrange this funeral. Ok, Marianne? And Kirsty, you need to come home with us and stay till the end of term to finish your school work and let you parents sort themselves out.

That at least gave Kirsty a little stability, but would hardly start to redress the balance on any of the deep seated rejection that she felt.

It was sliding on to towards the wrong side of midnight when she once again edged her way onto the side of his bed.

“I just came to say thankyou” she said quietly “Everything is very different when you have the whole picture”

“I guess I never realised that no-one else knew” said Daryl “It all just happened one day at a time”

But it was only now that Daryl could see this had really upset her. Or maybe it was only now that she was letting it show. He was beginning to realise how much she missed having a family, and maybe it was only now she realised it herself because now she was finding out how other kids lived and grew up and what it might have been like. He slid over towards her and slipped his arm round her shoulders. Previously she’d have shrugged him off and shaken off the after effects, but this time she leant gently in towards him.

“Oh Kirsty! Just because I’m going out with Debbie doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. And just because I care about you doesn’t mean I want to go out with you instead of Debbie.”

“That’s ok. But thanks for sharing your mum and dad. They’re doing so much for mama and papa and they don’t even know them”

“But they need help. For folks like us that’s reason enough”

“And me?”

“You never wanted me to help you before. I think it was your last resort coming here”

“Yes” she replied wistfully, although Daryl half expected her to get upset “I just got lucky.. .. at last”

He gave her a squeeze “But I will help you if you want me to.”

Over the next few days she started to break out of her shell. Tentatively she joined the others in the living room in the evening and discovered that she could join in with the conversation or just inject an odd comment or just read her book in the ambience of their company. She offered help in the kitchen and was surprised at how pleased she was when it was accepted. She apologised for needing her washing done, but Marianne just said she should add it to the basket on the landing. They’d easily recognise it as hers when it was clean again. 

 “Do you really like staying with us?” probed Jim as she looked up from her plate at the dinner table “Yes. Its friendly here. It’s a home. It’s a family. Not just somewhere to stay”. But there was the hint of a tear in her eye as she said it. 

“We said we’d do what we could” said Marianne softly “I’m glad its not all in vain”

Kirsty started to say something, “I wish I ….” then thought better of it, smiled and just continued eating.

Summer Prom

All too suddenly, it was prom night. Daryl had been adamant that he was going with Debbie, and Kirsty was devastated that no one had asked her. She tried to hide it all until Debbie came round to show Daryl her dress. Daryl understood Debbie’s excitement. He knew they were short of money with Geraint being out of work recently. But he’d done some extra overtime to buy this for Debbie so that she could look extra special. And Daryl suddenly felt humble that Geraint would do that for him.

Kirsty had resolved to repay everyone's kindness with good behaviour, but she was still emotionally fragile and now this was too much as she broke down in tears.

“I tried so hard to hold it all together” she sobbed until Marianne came to the rescue with a cuddle and a dry hanky.

“But Kirsty” Daryl said thoughtfully “you don't necessarily need a partner to go” 

“No, but I'll look like Betty no mates of I haven't” 

“Not if you're in your wheelchair. And your legs are probably not quite strong enough yet to stand up and dance all evening. So if you took your wheelchair, you could just hang out and talk to everyone as they come past. You can't really dance with a wheelchair because he'd have to be behind you. And if anyone does say anything, you just tell them you turned down all the offers because you thought it would be unfair on the guy just pushing you around all night” 

“So!” continued Debbie picking up the thread “We'll swap our taxi for one with chair access. We’ll take you in, and bring you back...” 

“... unless you make alternative arrangement during the evening.” teased Daryl

“... And you can sit by the drinks table and join in” 

“Would you Debbie?” 

“Of course we will, won’t we, Daryl”.

But the evening was not quite as sedate as expected. Susie hijacked Debbie for an opinion on Stacey's new boyfriend, and when she found Daryl again he was in some deep discussion about how he simply couldn’t make time for football training. Kirsty was still where they'd left her like a tortoise with no legs, but was taking more than a passing interest in some of the guys dancing with their partners even though she knew they weren't going out together and had just teamed up for the evening to have a good time and not be on their own like her. So when Daryl reappeared, Debbie pushed Kirsty out in front of her so they were both dancing with Daryl as she pulled the chair in short moves backwards forwards and side to side with Kirsty bouncing around with the sudden movement trying as they might to keep in time with the beat. It wasn't long before some others joined in and in a burst of over-exuberance Debbie cast the chair across the dance floor to be caught by Stacey. Her partner added a new move to the routine spinning her round like a jive with Kirsty desperately holding on before casting her over to someone else in a bizarre game of ‘pass the Kirsty’.

She was ecstatic even though she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hold on for before she tumbled out onto the floor. This diversion was light relief to couples who weren't really couples at all, and everyone began to join in. 

Kirsty even managed a short time out of the chair on her own. It had been cast across the floor and caught abruptly. She’d pitched forward and had stood up to prevent herself falling to the floor and was quite enjoying grabbing hold of random boys to steady herself and by the end of the evening she was glowing and exhausted.

They abandoned the taxi at Daryl’s house and he walked Debbie back across the hill excitedly replaying the highlights to each other. 

It was the following Monday that Kirsty got word that her parents were both delayed – Papa in Angola with issues with their government over registering the oil discovery, and Annaliese who had to stay to register her mother’s death. Both good excuses, Daryl admitted, as Marianne stood forlornly in the hall. 

“But they’re meant to be back today. Its Tomas’s funeral tomorrow. Oh dear, I was hoping at least one person would go”

“Can’t think he’ll notice, mum”
“I suppose Kirsty’s still adamant she won’t go?”
“Yes. I think it’s a tragedy, but I can’t change her perspective of the last 14 years overnight. But you’re right someone ought to go – if just to make sure everything goes right”

Debbie was understanding, especially when he said that Kirsty wasn’t going. It was his mum that had set the whole thing up and it was only fair that he should make sure there were no delays that might interfere with the countdown to their holiday, “although I don’t know what we’ll do if they’re not back by Saturday!”.

Following the weekend, work that Monday was an interesting diversion for Jim. Ok, so Kirsty was staying, but he felt like he’d suddenly become an instant foster parent without any of the usual red tape. It wasn’t as if she was a huge amount of work. Mainly, all she needed was feeding – like a pet cat – but she seemed to be showing increasing interest in joining in whatever was going on, and that was good – probably.

Jim concentrated as he got to the directors suite. Last time, he’d kept his cool even though he was falsely under the hammer. He’d fought his corner from the strength of ‘its not my job to do this which is why it is the way it is. But if you want it done then just say so and I’ll drop something else to make way for it.’

His director wasn’t best pleased with this approach but largely because he knew Jim was right. Jim had come up with his own solution and had submitted a radical proposal for changes to the system, the structure, the process and personnel, and now it was time to hear the result.

“I presented your paper to the board, Jim. I took your lead and presented the down side first to show them how bad things were, then how they could easily get worse, then the solution. So which do you want first? The good news or the bad news?”

This was not Alistair’s style. He was a dour Scotsman and Jim had never known him to play games like this.

“Let’s keep things upbeat Alistair. Good news first”

“The proposals were approved in their entirety. Even the additional funding you wanted”

“Hey, Alistair. That’s great news. So what’s the downside – like do I have to do my day job as well or something?”
“No, Jim. You even get promoted to a grade 6”
“Alistair that’s great. Thankyou so much. Wow. Ok what’s the down side?”

Now he had no idea what Alistair had up his sleeve. So far is was everything he could have hoped for

“Eric’s a grade 6…” Alistair began “…So you can’t work for him any more…”
“Even more good news” cut in Jim.

“…So the downside is Jim. You have to report directly to me” 

He reached out his hand in a congratulatory handshake, accompanied by the rarest of events in that office – a smile on Alistair’s face.

“More bad news, I’m afraid” he said sitting back down squarely “You are now a department in my division, so you have total control of your PnL. So I’ll leave you to break the news to your team. And if you still intend to take Zena with you, you’ll have to sort that out yourself. However. I want you to control the recruitment of the replacements for you, and any knock on effects, like Zena or Leon.”
“That should be Eric’s responsibility”

“That’s why I want you to do it”

This was everything he’d asked for. Not just for himself, but as a pre-emptive measure having already foreseen what the serious negative impacts to the whole company could be without these changes.  And before his holiday too! Which would give him the opportunity to think calmly about implementation without the usual time pressures.

He’d devised this job as a key part of his solution to some major corporate issues. He’d developed it into something tangible. He’d presented the solution to his director, and he’d taken the opportunity to put himself forward as the man to actually implement it. The difference was that this was a much more people orientated task. His background was all computers! Could he now handle people instead?

Holiday

His work was progressing in all the right directions, but the situation at home was becoming increasingly difficult. There was still no word from either Phillippe or Annaliese and the preparation for their holiday had come to an unexpected impasse.

If neither of them showed up to reclaim their daughter, what would happen to the holiday in France?

Daryl had already apologised for being difficult, but if he went on holiday and Kirsty came too, what chance of Debbie ever speaking to him again when he got back? Quite apart from breaking her heart. 

He’d already suggested that his parents take Kirsty and he'd stay behind, or that Kirsty could just stay on her own, although the chances of her surviving without major trauma were undoubtedly limited. 

But Debbie was due to drop in after dinner anyway, so maybe she would have an alternative. 

Her knock on the door interrupted the argument and to be fair, everyone seemed pleased to see her.

Daryl explained that she had arrived right in the middle of the conversation as she joined them in the living room and they all went round the loop again.

Jim didn’t want to leave Kirsty behind because he felt they had an obligation to look after her. Marianne didn’t want to leave Daryl behind because she didn’t want to take a strange girl instead of her own son. Kirsty didn’t want to go instead of Daryl because that wasn’t fair and Daryl was refusing to go with Kirsty because that would upset Debbie.    

Quite apart from that, Debbie didn’t want to go to Huddersfield and didn’t want Daryl to go with Kirsty.

“Its all so negative” complained Daryl. “Its all what everyone doesn’t want, not what everyone does want”

“Maybe Kirsty, you could stay with Debbie for a couple of weeks?”

Kirsty was so shocked she looked like she might burst into tears. Was this a betrayal? Just as she was feeling more secure for the first time in her life.

“My door is open” said Debbie carefully “but Jim, we only have two bedrooms. Mum and dad have one, and I have the other and I only have a single bed. But I could sleep on the floor if Kirsty had nowhere else to go. Or maybe I could stay over here with Kirsty?”

They all looked at each other before Debbie eventually looked over to Daryl for confidence

“I know what I want” she said breaking the deadlock, “although I appreciate it may be a long shot”.

She let out a long quiet sigh not expecting the hushed silence that awaited her panacea that pushed her into blurting out her solution 

“Jim” she began meekly “is there a possibility that we could all go on holiday? I mean, there’s three bedrooms in your villa. Me and Kirsty can share, and the car is going there anyway, it would just be a bit more full up, so it wouldn’t cost a lot more. Like, if we were all eight years old it would be impossible. But we're all 16 so if we all commit to getting on together, no one would be left out”. 

No one had interrupted her yet, as she looked round and continued

“We know Kirsty's not very good at looking after herself but we can't just abandon her - sorry babe, talking about you again. My parents need to go to Yorkshire anyway and there’s not really room for me there. I’m sure my dad and Kirsty’s dad as well will make a contribution to the cost” 

Jim nodded considering the suggestion. Could he possibly organise and keep control of three loose cannons on a family holiday – even if this family was slightly extended. Could this just be the practice run he needed ahead of his new, people orientated job? 

“I'm not so concerned about the cost, Debbie. It's more whether we can all get along together. “What do you think” he said turning towards his wife “can you commit to behaving yourself for a whole two weeks?” 

This wasn’t a yes but then it wasn’t a no either. And in any case, she hadn’t asked her dad yet either, so maybe it would all go up in smoke the way pipe dreams often did. But next day she was jumping with excitement just at the possibility. Of course, she admitted to herself, she’d be disappointed if it all failed, but it was the only solution available that suited everyone. There was also the possible fallback of her staying with Kirsty at Daryl’s house. That would be exciting too, but probably for all the wrong reasons

But time was running out now and although she hadn't been sure how to raise this or phrase it, she decided it was now or never and she’d jump straight in as they were finishing dinner

“Daaad” she drew out slowly hoping that it would give him a hint that she was about to ask for something “You know you were thinking about this hotel when we go visit grandpa? Well, there's another solution that might even be less expensive” 

“Oh yeah?” he asked suspiciously.

“Yes”, she said trying to sound optimistic, chewing on a spare crust from the loaf “What about, you two go to Huddersfield and stay at grandpas in the spare bedroom.. .. And I, em .. I go to France with Daryl and his parents” 

Debbie continued nervously to break the icy silence 

“Looks like Kirsty might be going with them. Her parents have got major problems and might not be back from Portugal and where ever he is in Africa so Kirsty’s continuing to stay with them. She can't be left on her own because she still can’t walk very well and I think Daryl's dad thinks she’ll blow the house up or something like happened to her own place. And there's plenty of space. I'd share with her, and Daryl would take the smaller third bedroom at their villa” 

She stopped suddenly noticing that her dad seemed to be seriously considering this.

“Well there's a thought!” he said stopping Debbie’s heart dead in surprise “Have they actually invited you?” 

“Sort of. It's a bit circular. Like you have to ask someone first even if someone after that says no. But Jim is looking at the practicality of all of us going. It just sounds like so much fun. I’ve not been abroad - ever – And if Kirsty goes as well…. And you'd be able to look round care homes much more effectively without me hanging on round your neck like an albatross” 

“I take it that this is what you want to do?”

“Yes please! But its just that it sounds best for everyone”

“And do you seriously think you can behave yourself and keep out of trouble?”

“I can only try. And Daryl’s dad and mum will be there. And Kirsty can only just walk again, so she’s not going to be able to get too far out of line. Please dad”

“Hmmm. No time like the present” Geraint said lifting the phone “what's Daryl's number?” 

The conversation with Jim seemed pleasant and positive, even if Debbie and Jill only managed to hear one end of it. 

“Ok” he said eventually “I'll just talk that through with Jill” 

Debbie was itching to know what was said, but her dad looked troubled like he always did when he was trying to think. 

“Ok. He says he's not too bothered about calculating a contribution, but a donation to cover a round of drinks would be appreciated. He's more concerned about having 2 or 3 loose cannons going off in different directions. But he also said that he and Marianne need a break and hauling Daryl around with them like a miserable wet blanket would certainly fairly take the edge of it. You clearly want to go” 

“Yes please daddy. It sounds epic”. 

“And what about going with Kirsty?” 

“She's so much better than she was. She used to be a right misery and so self-centred, now she's so much happier since she’s been living at Daryl's. She treats Jim and Marianne like a mum and dad. Its almost like she’s part of the family there” 

“You'd have to behave yourself” 

“Yes, we all had to promise we'd do everything we can to get along together before Jim would even think about it”

She raised a mischievous smirk “It was only Marianne that had to think twice about whether she could commit to behaving herself for a whole fortnight”

But that plan introduced another priority. One thing was for sure and that was with 5 of them in the car there would be no room for a wheelchair as well. Now, without school getting in the way Debbie and Daryl had more time and concentrated on helping Kirsty to get mobile again. Maybe it was the help and maybe it was this incentive, but Kirsty made good progress and Keith was finally proved right – there wasn’t really anything wrong with her legs, just weakness in the muscles – or as Kirsty herself admitted, weakness in the determination.

The new plan also gave Jim a whole lot more planning to do, but getting his new team at work sorted out was also a priority.

Going in early tonight?” asked Marianne as he got changed

“Kind of” he said “The shift doesn’t start till midnight, but I’ve got some work to do before then. I need to try to sort out my new team.”
Marianne looked puzzled “What? At ten o’clock at night?”
“Yes, I’m meeting the main candidate in the Cross Keys before shift”

She looked at him suspiciously with her head slightly on one side. 

“And that’s why the new shirt and trousers. Is this more executive style than the old shift manager?”

The next day she asked how it went “yes” Jim said “It was successful – so that’s sorted”
“Oh good! So he took the job?”
“She” corrected Jim

“She” said Marianne flatly “So that’s why you had to get all dressed up. And does this new ‘she’ in your life have a name?”
“Yeah” he said rather sheepishly “its Zena”

Kirsty had taken to going into Daryl’s room last thing at night and sitting on the edge of his bed for a quiet discussion of anything that was on her mind.

“I think I’m beginning to get jealous of Debbie” she said

“In what way, Kirsty. Because she’s better at Maths than you? Or is it a family thing?”

“Its more a boyfriend thing…”
“Oh Kirsty!! You and me, we just don’t look at life from the same perspective. That’s why it didn’t work first time, and that’s why it won’t work at all. Did I tell you that one of my patients at the hospital told me that she would die at midnight? Then she did just that. That kind of thing affects me. I need some quiet time to come down from things like that. I’m just a quiet shy introvert and you? You’re more interested in excitement and exhibitionism. I can see you behind the wheel of a Lamborghini in a few years’ time. Me, I’d be happier with a small Mercedes.    A long time ago I thought you and me would work out. I tried so hard. But you were more interested in a more exciting direct approach than my slow, steady, try-to-do-everything for you plan”

“I know. That was a mistake” she started to cry as Daryl slipped his arm around her shoulder “I didn’t appreciate anything back then”

“But there’s something more important to me than that…” continued Daryl “… and that is I’m not going to break Debbie’s heart, not for anything. She’s so much more fragile than you. You’ve had to grow up the hard way, and that’s not all bad. But Debbie - it could destroy her whole life – she might not ever recover. It takes her so long to build up trust that it would take years for her to even start again with someone else”

“Sounds like you’re stuck with her, then?”
“I’m not complaining at that”
“So you two will be together forever. I did tell her that before”

“I haven’t asked her yet. We’re too young still. But one day? Who knows?”

“Its ok. I’m not in love with you or anything. I guess I just feel left out. And you’re right, we do look at life in different ways. But you’ll be a hard match for anyone else to live up to. And no matter what, I’ll always be your friend”

“Next term, we’ll sort you out so you’re not on your own for the Christmas party”

She smiled, it was nearly a laugh “Daryl, I might as well be thinking about the turn of the century as look that far ahead”

Now in the countdown to their holiday, Jim had been planning and everyone had been discussing what they didn’t need to take to make sure there was enough room for everyone.

But with still no contact from Annaliese or Phillippe, Saturday rolled in. Kirsty was determined that she’d be first to the phone if it rang, and immediately hang up if it was them so that they wouldn’t interrupt the plan. 

There was huge excitement as Daryl loaded up the car. Jim watched as Debbie carried her small case along the road towards him. It was like a replay of when she brought Kirsty's case on the day they told her that her house had burned to rubble. But everyone was bubbling. Marianne had lists of everything, and Kirsty was helping tick them off as she passed boxes and bags to Daryl and Jim. 

Finally, they all squeezed themselves in. It seemed like there wasn’t a spare inch of space.

“Ok” announced Jim. “We're off! I have no doubt this will be exciting. I'm hoping its going to be fun as well” 

“Jim. It will be fun” said Kirsty seriously “we’re going to make sure of that”

Neither Kirsty nor Debbie had been on a cross channel ferry before. Kirsty had flown in from Portugal when she was 12 and hadn't left England since and Debbie had never been abroad at all. The excitement of new continued with the French menus in the café and the mental gymnastics of converting francs to pounds. It was well into the evening that they all retired to their cabin and despite it being quite compact they managed to edge their way round each other. They even managed to get some sleep before the tannoy woke everyone at six thirty next morning, excited, and ready for anything, especially breakfast. 

The three younger members rotated the middle seat every hundred miles and spirits stayed high, even high enough for Kirsty to start singing some traditional Portuguese ballads which she then tried to teach the others despite them knowing nothing of the language.

The chatter was about the changing countryside which was all new to Debbie - the shuttered windows, the seemingly deserted villages and the endless fields of sunflowers. 

“Have we got anything planned” asked Daryl eventually 

“Yes” replied Jim without farther explanation 

“Hmm. Secret is it?” 

“Yes” 

But as they approached the villa he expanded just a little “Tonight we'll unpack and have dinner. Mum’s brought a cottage pie which will be easier than starting to tour round looking for something. Then tomorrow is chill out day, maybe a little exploring. See if we can find a suitable restaurant within staggering distance. And Monday is chill out day too” 

“Is Tuesday chill out day 3?” asked Debbie” but Jim missed the pun “No, there’s something planned for Tuesday and Wednesday. But they won't take all day and we'll just see how we feel about doing something else. The danger is that we pack too much in and end up exhausted” 

The heat hit them as they unloaded, but neither of the girls was prepared for the surprise in the back garden. Debbie stopped dead on her way round to the kitchen 

“Oh wow! That's not just for us is it! It is? Oh my” 

“Yes, it goes with the villa. It's not shared, so it's just the five of us” 

Kirsty was next to see it “did you have a pool when you were in Portugal?” asked Debbie 

“No, we lived in a small apartment there. It's only in England that we had a big house” 

“So that's why Marianne insisted we packed a bikini” 

“I thought it was Jim said we should all wear bikinis?”

“And the lake is just over that ridge too. Should be able to walk there in ten minutes” 

“I think I might just wear my bikini all the time, just under my dress” 

“Yes, it's less of an issue if you're wearing a sun dress as short as yours!” 

But after the journey, everyone was hungry and cottage pie, iced drinks on the veranda and basking in the evening sun saw out the first day.

Sunday was chill out day with the morning by the pool. 

“Does anyone want to come and find the lake with me?” asked Debbie trying carefully to be inclusive after their lazy lunch. 

She held hands with Daryl as they headed down to the beach, but both of them were concerned that Kirsty might feel left out. Splashing in the waves seemed to be postal, and Daryl took Kirsty's hand as well on the way back even though he felt it was probably a risk.

But getting on together hardly seemed difficult as they fooled around in the pool again.

Kirsty began to realise that she could tag along with whoever, she wasn’t getting in the way and she had never enjoyed herself so much. She even managed a little spontaneous cuddle with Daryl without Debbie complaining as they became over-excited

“Your sister’s due the odd hug now and then, I guess” she’d said. 

Daryl had to agree that this was a pragmatic way of dealing with her and the girls disappeared on an explore towards the village as he helped Jim with the barbeque.

The evening saw the two girls now a lot more relaxed and even the tension of being with Jim and Marianne rather than their own parents was proving to be a non-issue. Debbie was finding Jim and Marianne a whole lot more chilled out than her own parents, and Kirsty was still getting used to having two parents at all.

The pressures of the previous months were fading as the girls now had every excuse to do almost nothing in the sun by the pool. And now as dusk fell, they lay awake in their room listening to the river and distant voices 

“You really like Daryl don't you” said Kirsty quietly 

“Mhmm” 

“You’re always going to be together, aren’t you?” 

“Maybe. I hope so”

“What does Daryl think”

“I don't know really. He’s stuck by me through everything. Me being horrible to him, and the court case and everything” 

“I was surprised you invited me” 

“Seemed the best solution” 

“I was really nervous I'd just get in the way” 

“No you won't. And we all promised Jim that we’d all get along together. It seems to me like you treat Jim and Marianne like mum and dad anyway, so they'll include you and I’m just thinking of you as Daryl's sister, so I'll include you in anything we do. I tried to when we went to the beach”

“I noticed! I appreciate that, it was so nice. My parents don't include me. They've always done everything for the warped troll and left me out. That's why I've never been on holiday before. It's not the money, it's dragging that loose cannon around like a ball and chain.” 

“But things will change, now he's not, you know, around anymore” 

“They might. But people get set in their ways. Mama doesn't know how to relate to me, how to talk to me or anything. All she knows is tantrums and violence and a vocabulary of about a hundred words. I think she’s lost touch with the real world completely” 

“She's going to have to adapt one way or another” 

“Yes, but it might not include me” 

“But what about your papa. He's away a lot overseas somewhere” 

“Yes, he's some kind of geologist. He's looking for oil in West Africa. But I don't know if he stays away so long to earn more money or to get away from me, or if it's to escape from the Vegetable. It could just be to get away from mama. She's seriously boring. All she knows about is that thing. I don't know if she'll cope. It'll be like me coming out of a coma and finding the world had moved on, except for me it was 3 weeks. For her it's moved on 14 years.”

Suddenly it was Tuesday. Debbie opened the curtains to the azure blue sky and a breeze hardly strong enough to blow out a candle. Kirsty opened half an eye. She'd stayed awake last night gazing out of the window at the sky and the stars, reading her book and smiling to herself. And now she was tired. 

“I'll be ok. I might just nod off by the pool”

“But you shouldn't! You could get serious sunburn if you fall asleep. And anyway, there's something planned for today, just Jim never told us what.”

Debbie returned with a reviving cup of coffee and breakfast drifted by with hardly a wave. 

“Come on, everyone. We've got to leave in ten minutes! And wear shorts if you've not got a bikini under that dress. You too, Marianne” 

An hour drive later saw them snaking up a ravine on a single track road that seemed to peter out at the top of a cliff. 

They bundled out of the car and looked around nervously creeping closer to the edge to look over. 

A swish from above distracted them, followed by another as what seemed to be three oversized kites landed close by.

A posse of five young tanned French men in shorts and company tee shirts headed their way in a relaxed French way as everyone waited in various states of anticipation.

“Monsieur Miller? You come this way please” 

“Where are we going?” 

Jim pointed upwards towards the sky “up there. But first you have to jump off this cliff” 

“You are joking!” 

But Debbie's remonstration was lost as the fit young French pilot continued to strap her into her harness ready for the brief safety briefing.

Kirsty was buzzing to the point of dropping back into Portuguese as she fired a volley of questions at her pilot. Replies came back in fluent Spanish which she mostly understood, but did nothing to calm her anticipation. This sheer rock face must be a thousand feet high and someone is saying she has to jump off it. No, not jump – leap, after running towards the edge as fast as they could. Wow. She could feel the adrenalin pumping just thinking about it.

Debbie watched as Kirsty threw her arms around her pilot in a continental gesture of excitement and watched the others as she was last to clip her harness.

But if Marianne was up for it, so was she, although she was sure her legs would give way on landing just like Kirsty trying to walk last week. Her pulse soared north well into heart attack territory, but once in the air, everything seemed to calm down. There was a low whistle from the air passing the wing tips, but apart from that it was silent, calm and exhilarating. They were free as birds to take in the view of the scenery, the cliffs, the lakes in the distance and the tumbling river gushing through the ravine as the pilots concentrated on keeping them well apart from each other.

A mere 29 minutes later and hang-gliding was over for the day. Pulse rates, adrenalin and blood sugar levels were brought back under control with the help of excited chatter, coca cola and ice cream sitting at tables near the cliff edge as the next group arrived and were led away to be strapped in and launched off the edge into the abyss. They watched the new group spiral upwards into the sky like a group of undersized pterodactyls and lunch was taken at a cafe at the foot of the cliff with more pterodactyls silently circling overhead. 

“And this afternoon, we’re visiting a vineyard - or two” 

Debbie had never even tasted wine. The sum total of her knowledge of wine is that somewhere along the line grapes were involved. It wasn't something they had at their house, and not something she'd choose at a party. The audio guide was in English except for Kirsty who chose to have hers in Spanish just to be different. But, Daryl reflected, she was caught between trying to be herself, be individual and be noticed as a backlash against being ignored and left to grow up on her own, against integrating with the others and just accepting her place as an equal member. 

But the afternoon belonged to Marianne. After her epic start in the hang-gliding, she tasted far too much of the local grape juice in the heat of the afternoon, and was looking decidedly the worse for wear as they headed homewards. 

Kirsty and Debbie offered to cook dinner but were reprieved as Jim spotted an interesting looking restaurant with less than a mile to go. 

Dinner turned into hilarious chaos. They all made a pigs breakfast of their French pronunciation and the waiter hammed up his frustration, over acting, over reacting and finally breaking out in fits of laughter. Even more because the British family on the next table were hardly any better, but they were taking the whole thing so much more seriously. Jim had ordered beer all round, and now it was Kirsty's turn to look wrecked. They left the car there and walked back with Kirsty swinging most of the way back hanging between Jim and Daryl while Debbie and Marianne had a long conversation although neither of them seemed to remember much about it the following day. 

Following that level of activity, poolside recovery took out most of the morning until Jim announced that the afternoon’s entertainment was white water rafting. 

“If we'd thought about it a bit more, we should have set this up for this morning. That sure would sober everyone up. The river is pure melting ice from the glacier. It's no more than two or three degrees, so falling in makes sure you wake up” 

Kirsty was keen to get on board first, but that meant she was in the front left position, and true to form it wasn’t long before she was tumbled into the water as the raft skewed round on some rocks as it careered down the rapids. The consoling factor was that her rescue was in the form of two young tanned French lifeguards in hi viz life jackets who picked her clean out of the water and laid her down gently on an island beach to dry out peacefully in the sun. 

Thursday kept up the pace as they zipped upwards in a cable car. 

“That view” Debbie was saying “is worth coming all this way for” 

“I agree” said Jim, “but it's not just the view that we’re up here for. It's the skiing” 

None of them had ever skied before but now fully equipped they lined up ready to slither down a gentle hump in the glacier a short walk from the cable car. Sliding down seemed ok – it was the climbing back up with these long planks screwed to their boots that made it exhausting. But at least Debbie didn’t think she would explode like she did just before take-off on Tuesday. Oh so soon and exhilarated they headed back towards the tele-cabin for the homeward trip. That is, until Jim ushered them past the entrance and onto the downhill footpath. 

“Oh dad! We're not walking back are we? What! All the way!”

“You can if you like, think of the views you’ll get. But I’m not” he said mounting the tension “I’m going by mountain bike….” 

Kirsty threw her head back and gasped in air. This whole trip was just epic. How could she ever have imagined that so much adrenalin, so much excitement, so much relaxation and so much fun could be packed into one week? And which turn of a friendly card was it that managed to get her invited?

The first week had flashed past and they sat around the pool in the evening sipping local intoxicating delicacies and discussing the highlights. 

There was so much more they could do. They’d each picked up brochures for various attractions that had caught their eye and they spread the collective heap out across the table. Jim said that there was no reason for them all to choose the same things. Only that there had to be some practicality in getting to the various venues. But no decisions were needed straight away, and in any case there was still some drink left in the bottles.

Debbie’s and Kirsty’s heads were both beginning to spin a little as they turned in for the night, but they lay awake for a while watching the stars and occasionally talking. They agreed that it would be better for each of them to choose one activity but that everyone would join in. That way everyone would stay together and minimise any travel issues. They’d maybe even try something that they’d otherwise pass by.

Daryl would probably not have chosen to browse the fashion boutiques in the lanes that led off the main square in the old town, but admitted later that he was pleased he did. Not just watching Kirsty and Debbie try on new clothes, but also the French shop assistants were an attractive diversion. But even that hadn’t kept them all together all afternoon – some of the shops were simply too small for 5 people.

“Yes” announced Jim to Marianne over dinner “I’ve finally found a use for a 12 inch ruler.” 

Debbie stopped eating and looked up puzzled “Yes, its for measuring Kirsty’s new skirt”

“I’m looking forward to that” said Daryl resulting in a poke in the leg, even if it was with a huge smile.

The mountain railway scared Debbie half to death with its precipitous drops which, according to the advertising, were actually an attraction. Even Kirsty likened it to a roller coaster rumbling along the edge of nowhere.

And all too soon the beach walks and lake splashing and the do-nothing by the pool time was coming to an end. The second Friday flew in almost unexpected and completely uninvited. They took the morning at the farmers market in the square and ate ice cream, they explored the castle, and ate more ice cream, and drifted along the narrow lanes of the old town shops before eating more ice cream and heading for home. Back at the villa, Kirsty helped Marianne get the dinner aiming to have a buffet feast, or more to the point, to avoid having to take home or throw away any left-over food, and instead of the poolside, they adjourned to the nearest bar for beer, wine and just a little Cointreau.

Debbie and Kirsty waited till the morning before packing in near silence, both so sad it was coming to an end and suffering mildly from that unintentional side effect of spending the evening in a bar.

The atmosphere on the trip back in the car was if anything, more excited than the drive down. On the way down everyone was a little nervous. They didn't know each other very well, and Jim at least was treating it as something of an experiment. Now, on the way back, they were more relaxed, more confident and more able to gauge what reaction they would get to any particularly off beat comment. 

They shared their highlights, and watched the scenery and shared some more personal feelings about how it had all panned out. 

The return ferry was more subdued but with the comfort of being with friends whereas before it was the excitement of being with strangers. Most of the passengers on the ferry were returning and only a few French and Dutch holidaymakers mingled amongst them. Going home, most of them had back to work to look forward to but Jim had a quiet smile on his face all through dinner. He had his new job to go back to and the fact that he'd organised this event and held it all together with no one falling out with anyone proved to himself that he’d be able do this new people focussed job. 

Debbie had come a bit farther out of her reserved shell, well, just a little. Kirsty had proved she was more adrenalin fuelled than anyone had expected, but maybe she was just so restricted at home. And Daryl had balanced the girls just perfectly. It all gave him a huge confidence boost. He’d also managed to avoid the danger that they'd all come back exhausted from over indulgence and trying to do too much while trying to be nice to each other, and in fact everyone was just so chilled out. He reflected on how well Kirsty and Debbie had got along together, and was quietly impressed that it was Debbie that had made the initial effort. And Kirsty was becoming a very different person. From helping Marianne with the checklists as they left, to helping with the shopping and even proactively clearing the table and bringing out drinks to the poolside she had proved she could be nice, contrary to everyone's first impressions. For that, she got the prize for most improved, but only because she was starting so far adrift from everyone else. Debbie on the other hand was just delightful. A trifle shy sometimes. But polite, helpful and so emotionally aware, even if so emotional. 

Fortunately, Daryl had comprehensively failed to disgrace himself on even one occasion. Maybe he was on his best behaviour for Debbie. And that left Marianne. Something of a revelation really. Maybe it was a hang-over from him meeting Zena in the pub for her interview. Or was it that she thought he'd been getting too many emotional cuddles from Kirsty, or maybe it was just being around two young attractive, often flirty teenage girls, but Marianne had taken the bait and seemed to have stepped back to her old carefree self. Lower neckline, shorter hemline, less planning more laughing, more make it up as we go along and never mind the herd. She'd had a good holiday and some of that must be down to Debbie and encouraging Kirsty to join in too. And Daryl helping him with the barbecue.

Debbie's parents had made a point of getting back from Huddersfield before she got back, and were staying up late till she got there. They were also a little concerned about the letter with police logos both front and back. It was addressed to Deborah and she was revived enough to open it slowly without jumping into an immediate panic. Geraint looked on with interest ready to become annoyed, but was surprised that she was keeping cool. She smiled briefly and passed the letter to him to read for himself. But it was from the criminal compensation board offering her a reasonable settlement for the distress caused by her wrongful arrest and trial

“Its Daryl you’ve got to thank for that” he said intensely

“Yes daddy. But its not just that I have to thank Daryl for” 

But it was gone midnight and any discussion would have to wait for the next day.

Kirsty, however, was a bit more on her own. Yes, she would stay at Daryl's. There's no way that Jim and Marianne would turn her out onto the street and staying another few days was a definite probability all along. 

A World of her Own

But now, three days on, there was still no contact from Annaliese. The funeral had been three weeks ago and there was a certain expectancy that she would have been back in the UK even then.

Jim had started his new job and that was taking most of his energy. Marianne was supportive, lending an ear at the end of the day and trying to give a helpful perspective based purely on the parochial information that Jim provided. She knew it would be like this at least at the start, and now, following the French break that she had feared could turn into a nightmare, she was refreshed enough to just accept that Kirsty would be there until someone rocked in and took her away. She wasn't spending any time thinking about when that ought to happen, because it might not and on a daily basis she would simply carry on regardless until it did. And in any case, she had almost got used to Kirsty being around and being increasingly helpful. Now looking over towards her, she was really just a lonely neglected child doing the best she could. She was growing up all by herself and trying not to go too far astray although more from fear than design. In fact, maybe if Kirsty had had a more stable home she might have dared to get into more trouble knowing that she had that security to fall back on. 

Marianne felt that she’d already made a positive difference. Kirsty was a much less self-centred person than when she’d first arrived and Marianne realised that she actually wanted Kirsty to stay because there was so much more to be done and so much more that she could do.

But Kirsty was less settled. Before the holiday she’d had a defined timescale to work to. Ok it hadn't worked out exactly like that, but then they came up with plan B which was to go on holiday with the others. That made her feel wanted, but also that she was something of an imposition. Now they were all back she thought there would be an expectation that she’d go and stay with her mama. However, there was no definite plan because Annaliese had been in no fit state to contribute to making one, and without her it would be pure speculation since she was the main active player. So what was next? She was walking a lot better now with the practice in France and she’d made it all the way to her old house and back again with Daryl and Debbie just before they went. Sure Debbie had told her it had been reduced to rubble, but exactly what that meant didn’t sink in until she saw it for herself and yes, it was rubble, and yes it was uninhabitable and yes it was in danger of farther collapse and yes, she was homeless and living purely on Jim and Marianne’s charity. She felt empty, hollow. No home, no parents and worst of all, no brother to blame everything on. She was nervous about raising the subject in case it triggered a negative response but it was eating away at her. 

She tried to do more to help Marianne in the days after they’d got back but she needed more certainty. With her mama and Tomas her objective was to survive till the next day. But now that her daily survival seemed almost certain, she became nervous about the minor things that never mattered before. Like her school work and friends. And what she’d do when she couldn’t stay with Jim and Marianne any more. And eventually she amassed the temerity to face the issue head on.

“What's going to happen to me?” she asked rather timidly looking up in the middle of her dinner the following Friday.

“I don’t know” replied Jim rather cheerily putting down his fork because he’d already cleared his plate. “What would you like to happen to you?”

She continued eating for a few minutes but everyone seemed to have silently agreed that it was up to her to answer that question before there was any wider discussion

“I don’t think I know what the options are. I think I was expecting someone to decide for me”

“That’s understandable” said Daryl “but I think you ought to have an opinion too”

Kirsty went back to thinking mode to finish her dinner

“But Jim, there’s so many more questions than answers”

“Maybe you need to split it all down into bits, like simpler questions and then build them all together to see what kind of future that looks like, and then see if you like the look of it”

“Like, do you want to go back to school after the holidays, or leave and get a job?” suggested Daryl trying to find a starting point.

“Can she get a job, Jim? She’s not a British citizen” asked Marianne.

Kirsty nodded, taking this in the spirit in which it was meant – as an example of questions that could be considered – rather than a suggestion of what the answer should be, which is the conclusion she would have jumped to only a couple of months ago

“And,” she continued picking up the thread “would I qualify for an English Uni if I stayed on and got my grades. And I don’t know if they’re recognised in Lisbon”

“We need to get a list of these questions together” insisted Marianne “and then get some answers so that we’re not just guessing”.    

Having seen that his light was still on Kirsty drifted into Daryl’s room that evening and sat down uninvited on the edge of his bed. He looked up from the book he was reading not wanting to discourage her because he believed she was still quite emotionally fragile, but at the same time if Debbie knew she was sitting there with only her nightie on ……. But then she didn’t have a dressing gown. In fact she didn’t have very much at all. He smiled and wondered if what she really wanted was an invitation or if it was really only a friendly face.

She smiled weakly “Daryl, I’m scared.” But there was no elucidation even though he waited some moments.

“Scared? Kirsty. Scared of what? Or nothing in particular, just scared of an unknown future”

She nodded quickly “You will help me, won’t you”
“Of course I will. I always have”

“You’ll help me think about my questions won’t you? But they might not all fit together”

“That doesn’t matter. We can sort that out when we find out what these conflicts are. But its up to you to think about it. And me and dad and mum can help you with that. Debbie will be only too pleased to help you as well if you ask her. She might have more of a girls view than the rest of us. But she won’t interfere uninvited. And then we can discuss what kind of a future you want. A lot of it will be in the implications. Like, if you want to do something where would that lead to in the future. Or if you want something in the future what do you need to do now”

“I’ve never dared to dream before. I’ve always concentrated on survival”

“So now’s your big chance. Your mama and papa may have a view, but quite honestly, I think they’ll go with what you want if it makes sense. Its not as if they’ve showed a huge interest up till now.”

She returned to a wistful look as she thought about exactly that. “No. And now its up to me”
“Yes, because you’re old enough to have an opinion, and next year you’ll be old enough to do what you like irrespective of what your parents want”

She nodded again “Big girl now!” she said, imitating an eight year old.

She smiled again, very weakly and bent over and kissed him ever so gently and ever so quickly pulling back with a bigger smile. “Good night, Daryl”

By the time Debbie came over the next day, the list had grown onto the second page with Jim and Marianne’s input as well, but just making the list was already formulating answers in Kirsty’s mind. They may not be possible, but she was beginning to define something to aim for.

Just working on the list started Daryl thinking as well. Kirsty was a free agent. She could do what she wanted, within some fairly extensive limits. But if it was Daryl’s list he’d add the question of how much he wanted to stay with Debbie after this next year at school when he was thinking he might go to Uni. And, no, no he didn’t see them splitting up before then.

Debbie’s list was even shorter. It only had one question on it and that was ‘how do I keep Daryl when he goes off to Uni’.

Jim however, continued to be concerned about the lack of contact from Annaliese. From Daryl’s comments, he knew she hadn’t taken any interest in Kirsty, but the few additional days that Phillippe had asked for was quickly turning into a month. Everything continued irrespective, and its not as if Kirsty was in any danger, or really any trouble. The default was that she stayed exactly where she was with them. And Marianne wasn’t bothered in the least, especially now that Kirsty was beginning to think about the future, possibly even a career and was so much more positive about almost everything.

Kirsty’s brain seemed to be quite good at sorting things out. She’d go to sleep with a hundred convoluted options going round in her head and in the morning a lot of them had either straightened themselves out, our decided to disappear altogether. She woke with a start but looked around the room with a quiet untroubled smile. It was small – probably the smallest room she’d ever had as a bedroom. But it was a gift. It had been given to her with no question of payment or return and it was from people who cared about her as an individual not just whether she was still alive or not. This was more than that. They assumed she’d wake up in the morning whereas she had always treated the issue with some doubt. They cared about her quality of life – was she happy? – Is there anything else they could do? They treated her like a real individual with feelings and emotions! It almost brought a tear to her eye being in such stark contrast to the way her mama had treated her. But then, this is how Jim and Marianne treated Daryl and they treated her the same. Maybe her previous experience was the way her mama treated the Vegetable because he needed to be kept under control at all times. She didn’t, and so she was left to look after herself. If Daryl had been that demanding every minute of the day then she’d probably be left to cope on her own by Jim and Marianne as well – except Jim might run away and take a job on an oil rig or something just to escape, a bit like her papa which is why he was never there either. Oh my! Was there no grief in her life that was not caused by that thing?

But now it was different. She would wake up tomorrow. She would have someone to talk to. She would have a sympathetic arm if she was upset. She now had the next 50 years to look forward to and the choice of what to do with it was up to her. That was weird. From some positions by her window she could see between the houses opposite all the way across the valley to the hills beyond. There was so much out there that she’d never dared to take an interest in before. But now it had all changed and the world was different.

Jim and Marianne were at work and Daryl was in his own room. She peeked in after getting herself some breakfast – and that was another thing. She could help herself to whatever she wanted with the only proviso that she tell Marianne if it was getting towards the end or if she took the last of something so it could be added to the shopping list. There was no-one chastising her ‘Oh Kirsty, I was saving that last one for Tomas!’ But Daryl was engrossed in some book or other with a notepad next to him on his side table for making notes. 

“I’m going out for a walk”

“You ok? Do you want me to come too? In case you need some help?”
“Thanks Daryl. But I’ll be ok”

She knew he was only being kind and she knew she wasn’t back up to full strength despite France. In France there had always been someone, and usually Jim or Daryl to catch hold of if she felt the need for some support. But she was nearly fully fit and she resolved there and then to complete the task in the next couple of weeks. Walks would be good. A bike might help, maybe she could ask Daryl if she could borrow his. But if she did need help she could easily be miles away if she had a bike and that single thought persuaded her against it.

It was a long way to Debbie’s house. She’d never been there before, but she knew exactly where it was. She held onto a number of garden walls along the way and thought about Debbie pulling her broken case all that long way. Debbie – Debbie, who was probably kinder, sweeter and more innocent than anyone else she knew and seemed to be as scared of losing Daryl as she herself was of the future. Debbie could quite easily be the nicest person she knew. They’d got on so well in France, perhaps because they had to, and they’d promised to and if they hadn’t who knows how they’d all have got home, but whatever the reason it hadn’t been difficult.

She answered the knock on the door and broke into a surprised smile 

“Hey! Kirsty! Come on in”

It was a small house. Their living room doubled as a dining room and a study and seemed to be doing a passable job as a store room as well. It was not much bigger than Kirsty’s bedroom at Daryl’s, but it felt friendly as Debbie offered her a cup of tea and started looking for some biscuits.

“Is everything ok, Kirsty? You’re not sick or anything? If you’d phoned I’d have come over”
“No, thankyou Debbie. The walk is good for me. I need to get stronger. And I just wanted to talk.”

“Oh dear! Anything serious? Daryl’s all right isn’t he?”

“Yes. Daryl’s fine”

“So have you heard from your mama yet?”

“No, Debbie. And that’s what started this”

“Started what?”

“Debbie. You remember Jim and Marianne said I had to think about what I wanted and what I wanted to do next. I’m at a bit of a cross roads and now I suddenly find myself old enough for people like Jim to expect me to have an opinion of what I want. It never occurred to me before. I just survived day to day and went to school and all the decisions just made themselves”
“Mhmm. Daryl told me they’d said that, but its not a threat Kirsty. There’s nothing bad about it. I think what Daryl meant is that sooner or later your mama and papa will show up with a plan and it would help if you considered what you want before that happens so you can have some say in it. At least express an opinion”

“Yes. And did you know that Daryl suggested that one of my questions should be if I wanted to leave school and get a job?”

“But Kirsty, that’s not because they want to get rid of you. Its because its an option and it’s a big decision”

“But Debbie, that’s being grown up! And that’s not me. At least not yet! Anyway I’ve been thinking and I think I know what I want to do now”

“Hey that’s great. What did Jim and Marianne say?”

“I haven’t discussed it with them yet. Or Daryl. You see, I wanted to talk to you first”
“Me?”

“Yes. You see I want you to tell me what you think of the plan because it affects you as well”

“Me? How can it affect me? But of course I’ll help you if I can, but…”

“Debbie, what I want to do is stay on at school. That’s maybe because I’m too scared to leave and get a job, but if I stay I’ll get my ‘A’s and then I might be able to go to Uni and get a good job and a career and everything that I never even considered before because my objective every day was to wake up tomorrow”

“That sounds great to me. But that’s sort of what’s happening anyway, isn’t it? So what’s the problem?”

“Only that… Only that… Debbie, I want to stay with Jim and Marianne. They’ve become a bit like a mum and dad to me. They’ve given me a home where before I had a house and I’m part of a family there. But .. but “ she hesitated increasing Debbie’s trepidation “…But I don’t know how you’d feel about me staying at Daryl’s”

She let out a sigh and threw her head back. She’d said it now and that’s what she had been building up to “That’s what I wanted to ask you”

“Oh I see. But you’ve been staying there for a month already. And we all got on so well in France. Staying with Daryl doesn’t mean there’ll be a problem. Unless you mean something more than just ‘staying at Daryl’s’?”
“No, it doesn’t. But Debbie, if you’d be really worried and upset about me staying there then… then .. then I’d think of another plan. I don’t deserve all this kindness and I ought to give something back rather than just take more and more. And one thing I can give back is to be more considerate to you and not upset you because you’ve been so kind to me. Its you that rescued everything from my house. Its you that got me this far with suggesting we all go to France, and you and Daryl that helped me walk because we wouldn’t have room for the wheelchair. So its only fair I get your reaction to the plan first”

“Kirsty, you don’t owe me anything. I’ve tried to help you because you needed help, and knowing you appreciate it is enough for me. But now I’d help you because you’re my friend and the only thing I’d ever ask you to do is please don’t take Daryl away from me”

“That’s not going to happen. No matter what else happens. I could never see me and Daryl together because I thought he was too boring”
“Yes, you said before”

“But he’s not boring at all. He’s more academic than me and he doesn’t like too much excitement and adrenalin. If I jumped forward 10 years maybe I could see me and Daryl settled down with a baby and a house in the Lakeside Estate. But we’d never get there because I want someone who’ll come kite surfing and potholing with me. And Daryl – and you as well – are more interested in quite walks through meadows, and being more intimate and enjoying each other’s company and being secure together. Me, I’d rather go out with lots of different guys. And anyway, Daryl’s really quite in love with you. He really doesn’t want to go with me, or anybody else”

She gasped at that last statement. Daryl hadn’t said that to her, but then maybe he wouldn’t, would he? 

“So what do you want me to do?”
“I just wanted to see what your reaction was to my plan before I ask everyone else. If it would really upset you, I’d change it. I would, really. And I didn’t want you to be the last to know”

“Oh Kirsty! In France I tried to treat you like you were Daryl’s sister, and that seemed to work. We can make it work again”

That evening, Kirsty slipped into Daryl’s room again. He was sitting at his table like before and it was too early for her to be in her nightdress. But she sat down uninvited on the bed

“I’ve got a plan” she announced “All I need to know now is if everyone will agree to it”

“Plan? Kirsty”            

“Yes. I know what I want to do like your dad asked me to think about”
“Ok. That’s cool. So what is it?”

She shivered momentarily in her short-sleeved dress. It wasn’t cold in his room but it made her realise just how nervous she was. She’d never had a plan before – for anything. 

“Chilly?” he asked flicking his duvet up and wrapping it round her. Playfully, he pulled it tight around her neck and she reacted by pretending to choke and fell backwards onto the bed before sitting up again. It was nice to have someone to play with, even if now it might seem to be ten years too late.

“What I want, Daryl, is to go back to school after the holidays and finish my ‘A’s and then go on to Uni – maybe here in England or maybe in Porto, I don’t know what’s possible. But Daryl, what I really want is to stay here with you and Jim and Marianne. I like my little room and I like having a family and a real mum and dad”

 “Ok” Daryl conceded “If that’s what you want to do, then you need to convince mum and dad. But you’ll also have to persuade your mama and papa to let you stay”

“Yes, I know that. But what do you think of my plan?”

He thought back to the night she’d suddenly shown up and how he frantically looked for Debbie the next day to explain it to her before anyone else did

“I think it’s a good plan. But Kirsty. I need to figure out how to explain this carefully to Debbie”

“I already did that. That’s where I went this morning. I said that if it gave her a problem I’d change the plan because she’s been so kind to me despite everything, and I’d do that before anyone else found out”

She leant gently into his shoulder “She made one request, but you can guess what that was”

“So Debbie already knows that’s what you want to do?”
“Yes, I asked her first, and you’re second”

She raised her nervous face “Do you like my plan Daryl?”    

“Actually, I quite like you being around. Just coming in and talking about everything. And I like you just sitting quietly on my bed. I think I’d have liked to have a sister when I was growing up.”

“I’m beginning to think of you as the brother I never had. I do like just talking quietly with you. I think you’re becoming my best friend”

He decided not to comment on that

“I’d like you to stay, Kirsty. I’ll come with you when you tell mum and dad, if you like. Have you told your mama yet?” 

She leant in towards him

“No! I haven’t spoken to her – no one has. I expected her to call, or come round here or something but she’s just abandoned me” 

She started to cry “Daryl, everything I own was pulled over here by Debbie in my little broken case and now I’m living on kindness from you and your mum and dad. I don’t mean to be greedy. I feel I’m becoming a different person, and I’m not disappointed. But I think you all noticed that anyway. You see, it’s a family here, and that’s what I want to keep. Because that’s what I’ve missed all my life.”

Daryl moved over to sit next to her keeping outside the duvet and slipped his arm around her. Last time he’d done this, she’d found it to be pure comfort and now this repeat felt strangely like it was for her benefit too rather than his.

“I know that its very selfish and I don’t know how anyone else will take it. I like staying in my little room. Its kind of warm and friendly and cuddly”

“Cuddly Kirsty! Cuddly is not the Kirsty I know!” he teased.

She hit him with a pillow, then replaced the duvet and turned back to give him a small and gentle kiss. He smiled up at her as she moved to the door

“Good night sis” 

She turned back with an even wider smile

“boa noite irmão”

She sank onto her bed as the sounds of Jim and Marianne talking downstairs drifted up to her. Of course she could go down there and join in if she wanted to, and that thought made her smile. But right now she lay back and reflected on what this plan really meant. She would have a lot of catching up to do but then there was the prospect of having a real family!

So far it was going well but that was the easy bit. Convincing the 4 adults would be the hard bit. It was late, but it wasn’t a school day, and she was still dressed. She could just go downstairs and.... but no. Leave it till tomorrow, give them warning that she wanted to talk about it and make sure Daryl was there as well. Yes, plan. And try to improve the chances.

It was the next evening that she plonked herself down on the settee next to Jim interrupting a lull in their conversation just as Daryl slipped in almost unnoticed.

“Jim, Marianne. I’ve been thinking about what you asked me, and I’ve got an answer. So I thought I’d better tell you what I think and the sooner the better so that you can consider it. Oh no! Oh sorry. That’s sounding quite aggressive and I don’t mean to. Oh dear. I didn’t mean to start like that. I’m just a bit excited that’s all. Maybe I should go out the room come back in later and start again?”

“You don’t need to do all that Kirsty. You tell us the plan and we’ll listen in the spirit you intended in the first place”

There was no more to the plan than she’d said to Daryl

“But” she said as she finished “I don’t know what I need to do to persuade you to let me stay. Its not that I underestimate the imposition. But you did ask me what I wanted” 

The silence was unnerving. She looked between them trying to gauge what the response was about to be but became increasingly nervous and thought maybe she ought to say something about the downside, just to show she’d thought about that as well

“But, Marianne, I can’t promise to be good all the time. I don’t know me that well .. .. and I’m changing so quickly even I can’t keep up”

Jim broke in “There’s been so many changes in your life these last few months, its bound to have an effect.” but the tone of voice was encouraging. “What does Daryl think. Have you’ve asked him?”

“Me? I think its the best thing for her. It keeps continuity on her school work and her friends like Tina and Kate and that gives her the best chance of getting good grades”

“We got on so well in France” she added “I think he’s getting used to me being here”

She looked over at Marianne who was just then getting off her chair. She moved over and knelt down in front of Kirsty folding her arms around her in a hug “Kirsty, we’d absolutely love you to stay....”

“You would!?” she gasped with spontaneous tears forming in the corners of her eyes

“But you’ll need your papa to agree too”

“If he ever calls”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“You’ll stay with us – until he does”.

Back on Daryl’s bed late that evening she was quiet and Daryl could see there was something troubling her that she hadn’t mentioned. 

“That went pretty well, then” said Daryl hoping it might lead somewhere.

“Yes. And thankyou for supporting me. Its the little things like that that make all the difference”

“Kirsty, there’s a little ‘but’ hiding in there somewhere”

“Em, yes. But I don’t want to appear ungrateful by asking for anything else”

He screwed up his face at her “I don’t think so. Come on. Something’s missing isn’t it?”

She hesitated again, but only coming to the conclusion that he was unlikely to let it drop

“Daryl. When Jim started this whole thing he said I should dare to dream, and I did and it looks like that dream could come true, if papa agrees because its not that crazy. But... . But supposing he doesn’t. Supposing he wants me to go back to Porto with him and mama. And that might be ok as well without the Vegetable. But if I get all enthusiastic and excited and dare to dream about living here with you and mum and dad, and he rocks in and takes me back to Portugal, or anywhere else, everything will shatter...”
“...and I don’t know how you’d handle that” he completed.

She gazed over at him with those big hazel eyes now turning watery looking hopefully for some guidance

“We need to track him down. Him or your mama. We need to tie up those loose ends before you get too set on the plan”

She nodded fearfully “But I don’t even know where to start”
“What about contacting family back in Porto?”

“I don’t have any contact details. I might have had some, but then the fire.. it destroyed so much....”

“Yes Kirsty. But it was all historic. It didn’t destroy the future”

She turned her prettiest smile to him and nodded

“Ok, what about that ambassador bloke. He might know how to contact your papa?”

“Ok” she said visibly perking up “I’ll call him tomorrow”

But Daryl was thinking about a completely different approach. He was thinking maybe if he reported Annaliese missing then the constabulary might start looking for her. But that could easily backfire. No, he decided. But he could call in a favour from Keith. Somewhere in the hospital there must be a unit that tracked down relatives of people that had died. After all, it must work for people who aren’t dead as well. And they might be prepared to help.

Keith was sympathetic, but was also initially concerned that because this involved two of Daryl’s ex-patients, there might be some link with delving into or even interfering with minds of a body that was in a state of suspended animation and that would be a significant side effect of Daryl’s work. But having explained that Annaliese’s condition was more likely connected to Tomas than the research project, Keith mulled it over for a few minutes

“I’m sure they’d point you in the right direction and give you a few tips” he said “But, you know, I’d really like to get one of my psychologists to talk to her, just to get an insight into why people behave like that. And that would be a justification for getting them to handle the case.”

Daryl was buzzing. Not only was the immediate problem solved, but Keith was bending the rules for him and that meant so much more. Ok, so he’d done a lot for Keith with his communication technique, but this wasn’t payment for that. It was doing him a favour because he was a friend. 

That evening, Jim had asked Kirsty over dinner if she’d thought any more about her decision. Not that he was suggesting she change it, just more to reaffirm it.

“Yes, but I’d feel better about it if I knew papa wasn’t going to rock in and take me away”

“Which is why we’re trying to contact him. So that we can get that sorted” added Daryl “Because then Kirsty can look forward and make some plans instead of just living for today in fear of it all crashing down tomorrow”

Jim nodded agreement 

“Sounds like the best plan. But it does seem strange that we’ve not heard from them”

“Marianne, its not uncommon not to hear from papa for months. Maybe now its different, but he used to spend weeks on end just trekking through jungles where there’s not even any villages never mind telephones”

“But what about.....” 
A glare from Daryl made her abandon the sentence, Maybe they hadn’t got on well together and Kirsty had felt totally neglected, but Annaliese was missing and she was still Kirsty’s mama.

It was four days later that progress charged in all at once. They all looked at each other as the phone rang. “Could be work, if somethings crashed” said Jim getting up to answer it. But it wasn’t. It was Keith. 

Daryl returned to the table  where the others were waiting in anticipation. Jim was nervous – he reckoned Keith wouldn’t be interrupting his evening to phone up just to say there was no news. Daryl had nearly sat down when the phone rang again. 

“Keith again?” asked Marianne but Daryl shook his head “Doubt it” as he headed for the hall.

“Phillippe!”

The others bundled into the hall to see if they could hear. He passed the phone to Kirsty, but the line from Kinshasa kept dropping out and fading. She managed to get the message across that they hadn’t heard from her mama but it was difficult for her to gauge her papa’s reaction as the line faded and recovered.

“No papa we don’t know where she is....” 

“Yes we do” interrupted Daryl but was waved down as Kirsty tried hard to hear.

“Tomorrow papa – you phone tomorrow. From Luanda, yes”

She hung the phone up, now somewhat distressed

“I could hardly hear him”
“But it sounded like he hadn’t heard from Annaliese either” speculated Jim

No dad, thought Daryl. If there’s no phone in that particular jungle, then he can’t phone Annaliese just the same as he can’t phone Kirsty. But there was nothing to be gained from pointing this out.

They migrated to the living room as Daryl’s mind raced ahead figuring out how to say what he knew and Marianne re-appeared with a pot of tea.

“But you said you knew where she is” accused Kirsty sharply

Daryl sat down on the settee next to her. He had no idea how she’d take this.

He nodded as he sipped his tea “Yeah. I know where she is. Keith’s team tracked her down”

Kirsty interpreted the tone as bad news

“Shes not......”

“No. Not quite”

“Not quite... you mean?”
“Yes. We don’t know very much” he said turning towards her as Jim and Marianne listened intently

“Seems like she fell from the Luis 1 Bridge. Some guys scrambled a boat from the riverside and managed to catch up with her before she floated too far downstream” although he suddenly hoped he hadn’t sounded too frivolous “Kirsty, she’s in the Santo Antonio hospital in Porto. She’s in a coma. Has been for over two weeks” 

He took a deep breath “And Keith is suggesting that I go out there and see if I can talk to her”

“The hard bit is going to be telling Debbie” he confided to Kirsty on his bed that evening. 

“Maybe I could talk to her about it. Because Daryl I must go as well. Even if she doesn’t answer, I know she’ll be able to hear”

But it was Geraint that answered the her call

“Who?”

“Kirsty? She’s popped out. Yes. I’ll tell her”

Kirsty looked at Daryl “That wasn’t in the plan” but an hour later she answered the knock at the door. Kirsty had gone over to her house unannounced and uninvited and Debbie had thought it was great. And now it was her turn.

“No, dad didn’t tell me anything. Just that Kirsty had called! I thought that could go any which way so I thought I’d just come over and make sure you’re ok. I mean, I know Daryl would look after you if Jim and Marianne were at work but.....”
“Debbie, slow down, babe!”

“Sorry. So ....”

“Debbie, Daryl asked the hospital for some help in how to find my mama..”
“You found her? Did she phone?”
“No, we got a call” she said evasively

“So where is she?”

“She’s in hospital in Porto”

“Oh my! What happened”

“Debbie, she fell into the Douro River. Debbie, she’s in a coma again”

“Oh Kirsty!” she cried throwing her arms around her “So can’t Daryl go over there and talk to her?”

“Maybe”

“What about your papa?”
“He called yesterday from Africa, but the line was impossible. He’ll call again tonight from the relative civilisation of Luanda”

She threw her arms around Daryl as he came in through the door and he lifted her clear off the floor “Are you going to Portugal?” 

“I don’t know yet..”
“Yes, but its Kirsty’s mum. And you’ve talked to her before. I know. I was there! Surely Phillippe will put up the air fares”

“We haven’t got a plan yet. Its all too soon”
“No its not! You know how fast these things move. Think about last time!”

She took a step back 

“So you two should go to Portugal” 

She narrowed her eyes and glowered at both of them “But if you two get up to anything out there, I’ll skin both of you alive and hang your hides out to dry side by side!    .. .. No I won’t, but I’d probably die from a broken heart”

Kirsty burst into tears. “Oh Debbie, please don’t you worry about that”

For Daryl, Portugal was strangely unemotional. It felt a bit like a holiday and a bit like an adventure and any gravity in the situation seemed to be evading him. 

The main difference between here and being in France was that here he had a native guide. Someone who knew the language and was familiar with the town. Ok, so some things had changed, but a lot of it was exactly the same as when she was last here 4 years ago. They checked in to their hotel and headed out to look for 

Paulo Lomas’ bistro somewhere just off the central square, and Kirsty seemed to know where she was going.

Dinner with Phillippe went passably well. There was no violence and not many cross words. But Daryl missed the full picture of what was going on despite her intermittent translation from Portuguese.

Daryl had rehearsed a number of answers, and was a little disappointed that none of them was needed, especially questions about why he was there.

But they were tired and heading for their hotel to get a good nights sleep and be ready for tomorrow seemed like the best option even if Daryl’s night was not without its random trains of thought charging off in different speculative directions.

“I’m still wondering” he asked at breakfast “just why we came here. I know I want to see if I can talk to her again and see if she remembers anything about last time”
“Yes, that will be interesting, because I remember almost nothing about my time. But I might if I was unconscious”
“Exactly”

“And I want you to ask her if I can stay with you. Of course, I must ask papa but I feel its more like asking for a divorce” 

She leant dramatically across the table with a growl in her voice “I’m leaving you for someone else who will treat me better, but I want a settlement!”

Phillippe met them at the hospital. He already knew she was unconscious and wasn’t expecting to stay long. Why would he? He could say hello, and express concern, but without any response there was little else to do.

Daryl followed them in, but once at the bedside he sat down on the chair closest to her and took her hand. Kirsty stood behind him with Phillippe at the other side looking down with only his own thoughts and ‘what on earth was Daryl doing’.

“Annaliese, its Daryl. Can you still tap? Do you want to?” 

He concentrated hard on her hand and to his mixed excitement and dismay he felt the undisguised miniscule tap

“Do you want to talk to me?”

One tap 

“Kirsty and Phillippe are both here too”

Kirsty looked over at the notepad as he wrote the letters one at a time. A few words in, she took the pen from him and wrote as Debbie had done before. She spoke the letters out and Phillippe watched in shock as the sentence appeared

‘Thankyou for coming. I am at the colours. Phillippe, Kirsty are you all right?’

“What does she mean, the colours? Is that really her talking? I have never seen this!”

“Mama, I am all right. I have been staying with Marianne”

“Annaliese! This is Phillippe. I also am well”

“Interrupt” said Daryl and started to recite the alphabet 

But now it was Daryl’s turn for a surprise. He was sure of the letters, but the words..?

Kirsty rescued him now reciting the alphabet and writing the letters as Daryl confirmed them. Then confirming the Portuguese words.

This was new, and then again, it was like Miranda when he didn’t understand that either.

Kirsty had gone several shades paler as she read out the sentence and then in translation for Daryl

 ‘There is nothing left for me in your world. Neither of you ever needed me. I should have done this last time and I am taking yellow’.

“Are you sure?” exclaimed Daryl “Everyone can always start again. And without Tomas, you can have a whole new life”

“Three taps – interrupt – Kirsty!”

‘No. It is too late. I will take yellow’

“She’s not going to come back” gasped Daryl with the gravity of the situation now striking him.

Philippe looked surprised and perhaps disturbed, not far short of distraught. 

“Not come back? But how can you be so sure?” 

“Because the only path that comes back from the colours is blue. And she said she was taking.....” 

“.... Yellow” he completed wistfully “Although I don’t know what that means”

“Kirsty, I have another interrupt. She wants to say something” 

The message was slow to appear and in Portuguese but then she looked up and read the note, first to her papa and then to Daryl 

‘Marianne will look after you much better than me. Goodbye Kirsty. Goodbye Phillippe.’

The moments silence was broken by Daryl 

“Kirsty she's gone! Kirsty! I'm holding her hand and I can feel it. She's gone” 

Philippe wrenched the door open and called for medical help. Two nurses appeared within seconds but searching for a pulse proved fruitless. 

Daryl tried a final time, but the tap had been turned off.

A reflective mood descended on them in the cafe. 

Daryl had lost patients before and he thought back to Marcella. But this was different. He'd been holding her hand when she passed the point of no return, and she was Kirsty’s mama even though she'd directed her dedication exclusively to Tomas. 

Yes, her mama had given her a roof over her head and had looked after her, but from the minimal perspective of a prison rather than a home and a family, and Kirsty had trouble understanding the sense of loss that now struck her. She was so glad that Daryl was there. Being here with just this older man that she hardly knew would have made her feel almost alone. The only thing they had in common was a shared sense of grief and loss. But, she speculated, maybe he shared her emerging sense of freedom as well.

Talk turned to the future, but enthusiasm had deserted them all.

Philippe had only seen his wife for a few days two or three times a year for as long as he could remember. It was a lot like being in the Navy he told himself. And the 10 years he'd been leading the prospecting in Angola was now paying off. Yes, he had his professional success. He would now probably be rich. But what else did he have? 

The conversation sounded distinctly downbeat, as Daryl expected, but he let them continue at their own pace in their own language, then left them to themselves and phoned the airport. 

“There’s a flight at 3, Mr Gonzalez. I’d like to be on it” Daryl said as he returned to a lull in their conversation. “I have no reason to stay”

“Are there two seats?” 

“Yes, but we’d have to phone them back right now” 

“But you will stay to arrange the funeral?” Philippe asked

“No. Papa, it can’t be that hard. I'm sure you'll cope on your own” 

Kirsty didn’t talk much at the airport or on the flight and seemed to be immersed in her own thoughts. He reached out every so often and squeezed her hand just to remind her that he was there if she wanted to talk about anything but she just smiled weakly and returned to her own world while Daryl took the time out to write up his notes for Keith. 

Their train wasn’t due to get in at nearly 11 o’clock, and Marianne was due to play taxi driver. Kirsty brightened up a little as the journey progressed as planned and she gave him a precis of the conversation she’d had with Phillippe.

 “He said he was not expecting this situation, so he hadn’t considered who I would stay with. He said I could probably go to my uncle Tiago but he hadn’t spoken to him yet. He said I would not be safe in Africa and he wouldn’t be able to keep his eye on me all the time. I said I’d like to stay with you and finish my school. He said that he was a bit confused because you were not my boyfriend. I said no, you're just the brother I never had and I think he understood that. He said of course, I can stay with you if that’s what I would prefer. He says he’ll talk to Jim about the cost and he says he’ll increase my allowance and hopes that maybe I will be able to go and visit him sometimes” 

No suggestion, Daryl noticed, of him coming to see her.

Now that she’d shared the important news she moved closer towards him. The armrest was a hard barrier that she felt she didn’t need and looked to him timidly for approval as she pushed it up out of the way to lay her head on his shoulder. 

“I've got what I thought I wanted” she said sadly “but I feel hollow” 

He slipped his arm round her. This wasn't encouraging her into doing something Debbie would regret, it was just a brother looking after an upset vulnerable little sister. He felt almost hopelessly sorry for her but didn’t want that to get confused with becoming more involved with her. The next few days would tell. Like she said, she‘s got what she dreamed of. Now she had to make it live up to expectations.

Marianne was waiting at the station as expected to pick up her two children, and Kirsty felt so much better now that the uncertainties of the journey were all out of the way.

The pair of them looked exhausted and Marianne could see Kirsty had been crying. Maybe that was just seeing her mama in hospital again or maybe just leaving both her parents to come back to England or maybe something else had happened. She herself was tired and from a selfish perspective would prefer not to know any of this until she was in a frame of mind to be suitably sympathetic. 

The next day Daryl headed for the hospital to report back to Keith leaving Kirsty with her own thoughts but he phoned Debbie and invited her round that evening 

 “I expect it’ll take some time to get used to” said Debbie sympathetically 

“No” she contradicted “papa was never here. I mean, only a couple of days two or three times a year, and he’s not here now. Mama was never here for me although she kept house and made the meals and she’s not here now. And Tomas was a .. ..a nuisance? Liability? Restriction? Threat? Devil? I don’t know the word but he was the cause of all my problems so that’s a bonus. I guess mama couldn’t cope with this real world, I did say she’d struggle.” 

Marianne came in with tea and chocolate biscuits 

“You’re not too upset for tea, surely?” 

“No Marianne, I’m sorry but I’m not. And if I can stay with you I have everything to look forward to. I've got nothing left to lose, so I'm totally free - to misquote Kris Kristofferson” 

“Nothing left to lose?” 

“No, papa is going back to Angola, and mama, she .. .. She” 

“.... She didn't make it mum. She passed away” 

“... But you were there? You got there before ...” gasped Debbie. 

“Yes. We had a conversation. Quite short, but they are and always painfully slow” 

It was Debbie that took over where Jim would have been, saving Daryl the dilemma of the choice. Kirsty relaxed as Debbie hugged her and Marianne sat down. More bad news from this newcomer to her family, but it was Kirsty that seemed the least upset.

“We were talking. She said she wasn’t coming back, she said goodbye”

“And I was still holding her hand when she went”

Marianne was confused. She’d met Phillippe and Annaliese, but they weren’t friends of hers. She knew quite a lot of parents of Daryl’s school friends and they weren’t friends of hers either. She had no right to be more upset than Kirsty, and after all, it gave Kirsty what she wanted. And it meant she could stay and that’s what Marianne wanted too. But at the same time, Kirsty’s mother had passed away and as far as Marianne could see it was Daryl that was most affected.

By Saturday, the whole issue was already fading. Phillippe was not here, but then, he never had been. Annaliese and Tomas weren’t here, but that only removed the restrictions on Kirsty. She had Marianne and Daryl instead and was so much happier for it. 

Debbie had invited her to crash her cinema date with Daryl, just as a treat welcoming her to the more permanent arrangement of being part of their lives. She was looking forward to it, but was also quite sure it wouldn’t become a habit. In fact she was already looking forward to developing the confidence to get herself an invitation from any one of three or four boys she’d be interested in and maybe going out with Debbie and Daryl as well.

And that meant that for the first time in what felt like months, all the children were out and Marianne was finishing tidying the living room

“It's surprising how much activity the two of them make that you just don't notice until they're not here” she commented to Jim

“Yes. Just having the quiet to take a step back and think …”

“But this new job seems to be settling down?”

“I wish it was. It's still full scale chaos in the office, but there's a lot happening and the people that matter are beginning to get the idea, and they're supportive so far. Zena’s turning out to be a good investment” 

“She's that pretty Eastern European girl that was at the party last Christmas” 

“That’s right. Yes. I think that’s going to work out ok, although Leon’s a bit miffed that I’ve pinched her from his shift”
“So she’s the third pretty young thing that's come into your life in the last couple of months. Anyway we never did really celebrate your new job” she said with something approaching a twinkle in her eye.

“I think I’ll take some time and make something special for dinner. Then maybe we can have a nice quiet evening together”

“Sounds good. But before that I need to pop into the office for five minutes. I want to make sure that Leon is ok and that he knows he’s not been completely abandoned. He probably won’t appreciate it and think I’m interfering, but we’ve got some new systems going live tonight and if anything goes wrong it’ll be me that gets the sharp end of Alistair’s claymore” 

“Ok. And pick up a nice bottle of wine on the way back” 

Now with the wine, Jim headed for the kitchen to put it in the fridge, but stopped dead at the door.

“Woah! Marianne! Look at you!”

She smiled back at him giving a quick twirl of her flared red dress

“Dinner will be twenty minutes, but we might just have time for a small drink before that”

He nipped upstairs and tidied himself up as much as he could in ten minutes. If she was looking like that, he couldn’t just slouch in like he was straight in from digging the allotment. They sat down in the living room with a sensibly long measure of the 15 year old malt. He slipped an arm round her and she gave him a squeeze as they sat down on the settee.

“Its not an occasion like a birthday or anniversary, but it is significant”

He waited for her to continue as he caressed her soft silky sleeve

“You see, there have been a few occasions when Daryl has been to a sleep-over or something when we’ve had an evening to ourselves. But on these occasions we’ve always been on edge and worried that something might happen that we need to rush over and collect him. But now this is the first time for as long as I can remember that we can take the evening to ourselves without worrying about him. So I decided we should make it special”

The timer went off and he watched her short hemline float seductively around her mid-thigh as he headed for the table.

“When you look back” she said as they ate “I’ve no real regrets about the last 17 years. Its just that its been one thing then the next. Its been constantly busy ever since Daryl was born and its not been easy to find time for just sitting down together when you’ve got a baby, then it’s a frantic toddler and a small boy that needs taken here there and everywhere and you use up so much energy you don’t feel like doing anything except maybe sleeping. Then he needed picked up from wherever he manged to land up, and we had all the issues with your parents for those years never knowing when we’d have to rush over there for yet another false alarm.” 

“Yes, and me being on shifts, especially nights just adds to the strain”

“And my overtime as well”

“But now he’s an older teenager with his own life, going out on his own. Of course we’ve now got Kirsty here as well but she helps with the housework and cooking and that means I’ve still got some energy left by dinner time. So what it all adds up to is that Daryl and Kirsty are planning so much for the future, and it means that we can too. We can get back to just the two of us and there’s life in these old bodies yet. We’re not finished yet, Jim and we can still have fun together now that we're going to get more opportunities”

“So is that why you decided about tonight? To make such a special meal and dress up looking so lovely?”

“Oh Jim! Partly. And partly to prove to us both that its not just Kirsty and Daryl that have a future. We have a future as well.”

“And that was the inspiration behind wearing that flirty red skirt?” 

“No, the inspiration behind the short dress was the thought of you taking it off” 

This type of evening was unexpected for Jim. Maybe it shouldn’t have been such a surprise after what he’d noticed in France. Things were changing for all of them – Jim had a new job to get into, Daryl was becoming increasingly independent now with both a girlfriend and a sister and Marianne had much more energy now with Kirsty’s help around the house. Not just that, but she seemed to be taking ten years off her age with two teenage girls around and about. 

The following week Kirsty was in the house on her own. Jim at work, Marianne at work, Daryl had taken Debbie to the hospital with him to see a new patient.

It was her mama’s funeral in Portugal and she had felt no inclination whatsoever to be there. Maybe papa would cut off her allowance – and maybe not, but this was her choice and it proved, at least to herself, that she did have one. She picked up her Geography book and fell back on her bed to read it. Yes, she had the supporting cast of Jim and Marianne, Daryl and even Debbie. But this was more important – she had the inclination and the determination. When she was supposed to be learning to walk again, she had none of these. Now she had all of them to help her pass these exams. She was starting work now and she had less than a year. 

Debbie had set this particular ball rolling and Daryl had supported her at every step, even before she appreciated it. She was determined that now more than ever before she would make it on her own. She gazed blankly at the pages reflecting instead on the last few months and thinking. The new school year would be a huge opportunity, but she’d need to make the most of it - not just survive till tomorrow as a passive bystander. No, she’d have to get out there and make it happen. It was her life, her future, her challenge and it would be up to her to succeed.

The start of the new school year was something of a revelation. 

She was bright, alert and ready for anything. She’d gone for a number of long walks all by herself, partly to explore the world, partly to build her strength and partly to prove to herself that she could, and Kate and Tina were amazed at the transformation.

Debbie was back to full confidence after the traumas of the previous term. She’d walked straight into Mario in the park on her way to Susie’s, stopping suddenly with hardly time to panic on the narrow path. 

He frowned menacingly at her as if he was thinking about something. Maybe thinking why he thought he should know her 

“Hi Mario” she almost whispered

“Ah. Yeah. Debbie. I knew I needed to tell you something. Daryl did tell you that Rocko didn’t make it, didn’t he?”
 “Yes, Yes he did Mario. Thankyou. I feel a bit safer now”

“Yeah. You should do. Take care Debbie” and without farther ado had slipped past her and moved on. That, if anything, persuaded her that the risk had subsided. Daryl had been right. Being known to these guys had its advantages. Occasionally.

Daryl was attacking his work at the hospital as well as his Biology and Chemistry with increased focus, and the three of them were all working hard for their exams, sometimes alone and sometimes together for mutual encouragement.

Kirsty had declared her intention to apply for a number of colleges in Lisbon as well as London and Debbie was relieved that none of these coincided with Daryl’s choice. Kirsty had also said that she was determined to keep in touch with everyone and maybe even spend the holidays back with Jim and Marianne.

Debbie knew that Daryl was intent on applying for Nottingham and Birmingham, both quite a long way from her. She had considered applying to these same universities as well just to stay with him, but on the odd depressing occasion when she suffered a bout of realism, she had to admit that her parents couldn’t really afford to support her, she was doubtful that her academic ability would stretch the length of a degree course and that she didn’t really want to go to Uni – except to stay with Daryl. She’d always expected to get to this point in her life and go out and get a job. Maybe she could earn enough to travel to see him at weekends. But really, she just didn’t want to think about it. Armageddon was inevitable. She had no idea how she’d survive except that the sun would inevitably come up the next day if only to repeat the intensity of her pain. 

Surprisingly, he'd said remarkably little about it to anyone. She’d asked Kirsty and she didn’t know much either. And Debbie wasn’t keen on raising the subject directly because she was so afraid of the answer. It was the one thorn in her otherwise perfect life. He was making good progress with his driving lessons largely paid for from his work with Keith, but to come back to see her at weekends he’d need a car as well and she didn’t know if he was planning on buying one, or indeed if Jim and Marianne might help him with that.

The year wandered on and all five of them were relieved that so far it was trauma free. Christmas came and went as a wonderful memory marred only by the first cross word Jim had had with Kirsty due to her behaviour with Susie’s boyfriend at their party. But no permanent damage was done and it was all downhill to their A levels.

Debbie had already explained that she saw her own career being somewhat less academic than Kirsty. 

A vacancy had been advertised at the company her dad worked at. It was to gradually take over from someone who was retiring and the start date was aligned with the A level results. Geraint had put in a word for her and she’d been invited for an interview. She’d not really considered scheduling as a career, but this was much more complicated than she could ever have expected. She’d been to her dad’s work when he was at his previous company, but this was different. Not just some of the biggest, heavy lifting cranes in the country but also some of the biggest and heaviest transport that ever travelled the streets. Sometimes the roads weren’t totally suitable for this type of transport to the extent that they had to be closed and obstacles like traffic lights and over-head cables had to be removed and then replaced. All this had to be planned to the minute and there was no room for error. 

Geraint was due to be the crane driver loading and unloading the next of these, and Debbie was invited to go along too. It was all part of the interview to see what her reaction was and what questions she’d ask and see how she might fit in with the existing team. 

As expected it was mainly at night when the roads were quieter, and it was awesome. She’d never been that close to anything that big. Ok, she’d seen big trucks before, not that she’d taken any real interest in them. But they had maybe 18 wheels – this thing had upwards of sixty and while it moved very slowly is was intimidating because it was unrelenting.

But it appeared that she’d asked the right kind of questions and impressed the right people. And now all she had to do was get suitable grades and it would be hers!

Wow! Was this exciting enough to make up for Daryl being away? No. No it wasn’t, but it would help.

But now Debbie was having dinner with the four of them and Kirsty was buzzing. She’d become a lot more bubbly as the year had progressed as she’d gained confidence, but now she was positively fizzing. They all made it through to pudding before she exploded with her news. She’d got her acceptance from both LSE and from the University of Lisbon. Ok they were both conditional on her getting As in her exams, but she said, that was not going to be a problem. Daryl congratulated her and offered a few encouraging words about keeping up her efforts. It would all be worth it in a few short months.

But this now prompted the question Debbie was terrified of

“So” Jim continued “What’s your plan Daryl. I thought you’d applied. Haven’t you heard back yet?”

“Not yet” was the short and rather final reply.

But the result wasn’t far away and the next week, it was Daryl’s turn. Marianne knew he’d got the letters, because she recognised the envelopes. But she was also aware that he might want to choose the right opportunity to share this new information with Debbie.

Jim however, wasn’t quite so sensitive. Debbie was having dinner with them again as he raised the subject

“You got the result of your applications yesterday, didn’t you, Daryl?”

“Yes dad. Its all good”

But Debbie wasn’t so sure about what good was right now.

“Yeah, I got an unconditional for Physiology at Birmingham. And a conditional for medical science at Nottingham”

Debbie burst into tears. This is what she’d been dreading all year. She’d been excited about her new job but now she felt hollow and lost. It was meaningless. Everything was meaningless without Daryl and she turned to Kirsty burying her face on her shoulder. Kirsty hugged her but there were no words she knew to help. 

“But I’m not going” Daryl continued

The room stopped. Debbie’s heart stopped.

“Not going? What? Daryl? Whyever not?”
 “No, mum. I’m not going. I’m going to push this along so that I’m fully accepted. But then I’m going to defer for a year, maybe two. I was talking to Keith about my work at the hospital, and I’m going to set up my own consultancy specialising in coma patients. Mum, no-one else that we know of anywhere in Europe is doing this and I want to make the most of it before someone else catches on. I can’t expect that to wait 7 years till I get a medical degree, or even 3 years for physiology. So I’m going to capitalise now. Keith’s given me a lot of advice on the rates I should charge and he’s already put a reserve in his budget for the summer, so its pretty much all set up. If other people start doing it, I might move into training people or maybe develop something for foreign languages, so there’s some opportunity for diversification. Then I’ll see how it goes and reconsider a degree course next year. Or maybe not”.

Debbie lifted herself up as Kirsty released her. She fixed a wide eyed stare of innocent disbelief as she made her way around the table and wound her arms round him in a quite unprecedented display of affection in front of his parents. But she didn’t care. This was every prayer answered. And this is why he hadn’t discussed it. He hadn’t wanted to raise a false expectation. He’d wanted to prepare everything properly and this had been the plan all along”
 “I don’t suppose you need a scribe, do you”

“Sorry, Debbie. But Keith’s already stretching the rules on medical qualifications. An unqualified accomplice would be a step too far for him, at least at this stage. And in any case, you’re really looking forward to your new job which will lead to a much better career. And I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to pay as much”

Debbie floated into her living room after Daryl had kissed her good night at her front door and broke the news to Geraint and Jill 

“Mummy, daddy. Daryl’s not going to Uni…” she beamed across at them as starry eyed as they’d ever seen her “…. He’s staying here to work at the hospital” and drifted off to bed, now she had everything she could ever want.

That evening, Daryl looked over at Kirsty smiling gently as she sat down silently on his bed. It was late but he still looked forward to her telling him her troubles and anything else that was on her mind and it was always unhurried. 

“I was getting to appreciate …” she said wistfully “…that I was born to make my own world. I knew I never really fitted in. A mama who wasn’t a mum and papa who was never here and Tomas who wasn’t really human. But now I’ve got a mum and a dad, a brother and even a sister. And they will all help. But its still up to me to make my own future.

Daryl, I never really came to accept who I used to be and I’m changing so much I’m not really sure who I am, but I’m much, much clearer about who I’m going to become”

The End

End of Daryl’s Sister