Dropping In by Geoff Havel Page A

voice is low and deadly.
    I nod.
    Then it hits me. Ranga is supposed to be in the skateboard contest tomorrow. If we have to do this, he’ll miss it.

21
    When we walk in to James’ hospital room, he’s sitting up and his Mum is in a chair beside him. Ranga and his mum are already there. All the mothers nod to each other like members of a firing squad. At least that’s what I reckon, because this feels like an execution with me and Ranga as the guys who are about to be shot.
    James looks at us, kind of puzzled.
    Ranga’s mum clears her throat. ‘Do you boys have something you’d like to say to James?’ She gives Ranga a shove forward.
    Ranga shuffles up beside James’ bed. I stand next to him.
    â€˜James,’ I say, ‘we’d like to apologise for our stupid behaviour. We shouldn’t have put you on that couch and run you down the hill. We didn’t think about the possible consequences of our actions and we’re sorry you got hurt.’
    James isn’t looking the slightest bit serious. Even with his face all grazed up and covered in cream he’s grinning. ‘Are you kidding me? That was the best fun I’ve had in years. Thanks guys.’
    Our mothers look at each other in surprise.
    Beside me, Ranga takes a huge ragged breath. He’s smiling but crying at the same time.
    â€˜I’m the one in hospital,’ James says. ‘What are you bawling about?’
    Ranga grins through watery eyes. ‘Nothing.’
    â€˜Does it hurt a lot?’ I ask, pointing at James’ face.
    James shrugs. ‘No more than the rest of me hurts all the time when I’m cramping. Sticks stacked it worse in the skate park, I reckon.’ Saying that, he pauses for a second. ‘Hey! What day is it?’
    â€˜Saturday,’ I tell him.
    James looks puzzled. ‘Isn’t the skateboard contest on today? How come you aren’t there?’
    Ranga smiles. ‘It isn’t important.’
    James shakes his head. ‘You would have won.’
    â€˜There’s always next year,’ Ranga says.
    Right then, a big clap of thunder goes off and the rain that’s been threatening for the last couple of days finally starts to really pelt down.

22
    As soon as he gets home James comes over to my house. It’s only been four days since we visited him in hospital but apart from a few scabs he looks fine. It turned out he wasn’t hurt as badly as he could have been. Mum and Dad told me that if the pump had been damaged and it let go too much muscle relaxer it might have relaxed his heart because it’s a muscle too. He could have died right then.
    When I think about the accident I see James lying there all crumpled and covered in blood with Ranga wailing next to me. At first it felt real, like it was happening all over again, but now it’s more like a bad dream. The last four days have stretched out forever. They were both hurt badly that day but James is already pretty much over it. He wants a game of Dip and Gunk.
    Mum puts on the kettle for us and I’m just gettingthe ramp ready for James to roll into the house when he calls, ‘Hey Sticks! Ranga just ran out on the road without looking. He’s coming here.’
    Ranga leans over as he pelts past the letterbox. He’s beaming. ‘James, you’re home!’
    â€˜Yeah!’ says James as if it was never in doubt.
    â€˜Milo’s ready, boys,’ Mum calls from the kitchen. ‘Oh, hello Warren. Do you want a Milo?’
    â€˜Ta, Mrs Whyte. That’d be great.’ He looks nervous.
    Mum gives him a big smile as though she actually likes him. ‘It was nice of you to try and do something for James,’ she says and then she looks around at all of us, ‘but you guys should think about what might go wrong before you do anything like that again.’
    We all nod together. I know I will, but I bet caution doesn’t even enter Ranga’s head