round to the other side of the bed and plumped her pillows up.
‘Thank you, Smiler.’
Easing back and resting her head, she looked at each of them in turn. ‘OK, who’s gonna fill me in here? And why have I got such a bloody headache?’
Five minutes later, the tale as they knew it told, Brother David rose. ‘I’ll pop along and get the nurse.’
‘Do you have to be such a bloody tittle tattle? Really, I’m fine, and ready for home. Just get my clothes and we can get out of here.’ She looked accusingly at Brother David. ‘You know I can't stand hospitals. Horrible bloody places.’
Smiler looked at her wide-eyed. As ignoring her Brother David left to find a nurse. ’Jesus, Aunt May.’ Smiler gasped. ‘You can’t go home yet, you’ve just woken up out of a coma!’
‘The plants need watering.’
‘I’ll do it.’
‘There’ll be guests to sort.’
‘All sorted.’
‘Dishes washed?’
‘Done.’
‘Clever bugger!’
‘Bloody hell!' she said a moment later, ‘what about the Shetland pony?' Shetland pony was Aunt May’s name for the huge dog, Tiny, who Mike had rescued from an empty flat in London.
‘Jill and her girls are looking after Tiny. So, see, there’s nothing to worry about.’
She looked down at her hands for a brief moment, then back at Smiler. ‘Where are the other two?’ she asked in a quiet voice, with an unspoken, they should be here.
Smiler was quick to Mike’s defence. ‘Mike’s had to go. Honestly, he’s just gone, really, but he’s been here all of the time with me, and Brother David. Don’t know about Tony, though. No one can get in touch with him.’ Smiler shrugged. ‘Mike won't tell us everything either, he says we're in danger if we know it all… Er, do you know who clobbered you?’
She shook her head, and winced slightly.
‘Please be careful.’ Smiler gently patted her hand.
Aunt May placed her other hand on top of Smiler’s, sandwiching his between hers. ‘You are a good, kind, caring boy, Smiler.’
Smiler felt the blood rush to his face. She’s talking about me! he thought in amazement.
‘Yes, I mean you, son,’ she said, as if she’d read his mind.
Smiler’s mind was in a whirl. Oh God! She doesn’t know the things I’ve done.
She thinks I’m nice.
I’m not.
I’ve done terrible things, really bad disgusting things just to get drugs and food.
I’m not the person she thinks I am!
He hung his head, his heart breaking. She’ll hate me, really hate me when she knows what I’ve done.
He looked at the scars on his arm, and for a moment wanted to feel the sharp knife in his hand, feel the release as the blood ran freely and dripped to the floor.
Sensing the turmoil going on inside him, Aunt May squeezed his hand to reinforce what she had just said.
Still staring at his arms, he shook his head. She’s going to hate me. When she finds out, she’ll look at me with disgust. I couldn’t bear that, to see it on her face.
‘Look at me, Smiler.’
After a moment, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes. She smiled. ‘You’re with family now. What’s past is past. You have a future with us.’
His breath caught in his throat, and his heart swelled with emotions he couldn’t ever remember feeling before. Could this truly be so? Could life actually be worth living, instead of just drifting from day to day?
Just then the doctor, arrived, trailing a couple of nurses and Brother David. He was a young, fair-haired man, who chose every opportunity he could to flash his perfect white teeth. Aunt May found herself staring at those teeth. She found the smile that went with them predatory.
For God’s sake, get me outta this bloody place, she was thinking, as the doctor moved closer.
‘Well,’ he said, flashing his teeth again. ‘You’ve given us quite a scare. We weren’t sure if you would make it or not, a head wound at your age.’ He shook his head as if talking down to a child, raising Aunt May’s blood pressure to a
‘Thank you, Smiler.’
Easing back and resting her head, she looked at each of them in turn. ‘OK, who’s gonna fill me in here? And why have I got such a bloody headache?’
Five minutes later, the tale as they knew it told, Brother David rose. ‘I’ll pop along and get the nurse.’
‘Do you have to be such a bloody tittle tattle? Really, I’m fine, and ready for home. Just get my clothes and we can get out of here.’ She looked accusingly at Brother David. ‘You know I can't stand hospitals. Horrible bloody places.’
Smiler looked at her wide-eyed. As ignoring her Brother David left to find a nurse. ’Jesus, Aunt May.’ Smiler gasped. ‘You can’t go home yet, you’ve just woken up out of a coma!’
‘The plants need watering.’
‘I’ll do it.’
‘There’ll be guests to sort.’
‘All sorted.’
‘Dishes washed?’
‘Done.’
‘Clever bugger!’
‘Bloody hell!' she said a moment later, ‘what about the Shetland pony?' Shetland pony was Aunt May’s name for the huge dog, Tiny, who Mike had rescued from an empty flat in London.
‘Jill and her girls are looking after Tiny. So, see, there’s nothing to worry about.’
She looked down at her hands for a brief moment, then back at Smiler. ‘Where are the other two?’ she asked in a quiet voice, with an unspoken, they should be here.
Smiler was quick to Mike’s defence. ‘Mike’s had to go. Honestly, he’s just gone, really, but he’s been here all of the time with me, and Brother David. Don’t know about Tony, though. No one can get in touch with him.’ Smiler shrugged. ‘Mike won't tell us everything either, he says we're in danger if we know it all… Er, do you know who clobbered you?’
She shook her head, and winced slightly.
‘Please be careful.’ Smiler gently patted her hand.
Aunt May placed her other hand on top of Smiler’s, sandwiching his between hers. ‘You are a good, kind, caring boy, Smiler.’
Smiler felt the blood rush to his face. She’s talking about me! he thought in amazement.
‘Yes, I mean you, son,’ she said, as if she’d read his mind.
Smiler’s mind was in a whirl. Oh God! She doesn’t know the things I’ve done.
She thinks I’m nice.
I’m not.
I’ve done terrible things, really bad disgusting things just to get drugs and food.
I’m not the person she thinks I am!
He hung his head, his heart breaking. She’ll hate me, really hate me when she knows what I’ve done.
He looked at the scars on his arm, and for a moment wanted to feel the sharp knife in his hand, feel the release as the blood ran freely and dripped to the floor.
Sensing the turmoil going on inside him, Aunt May squeezed his hand to reinforce what she had just said.
Still staring at his arms, he shook his head. She’s going to hate me. When she finds out, she’ll look at me with disgust. I couldn’t bear that, to see it on her face.
‘Look at me, Smiler.’
After a moment, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes. She smiled. ‘You’re with family now. What’s past is past. You have a future with us.’
His breath caught in his throat, and his heart swelled with emotions he couldn’t ever remember feeling before. Could this truly be so? Could life actually be worth living, instead of just drifting from day to day?
Just then the doctor, arrived, trailing a couple of nurses and Brother David. He was a young, fair-haired man, who chose every opportunity he could to flash his perfect white teeth. Aunt May found herself staring at those teeth. She found the smile that went with them predatory.
For God’s sake, get me outta this bloody place, she was thinking, as the doctor moved closer.
‘Well,’ he said, flashing his teeth again. ‘You’ve given us quite a scare. We weren’t sure if you would make it or not, a head wound at your age.’ He shook his head as if talking down to a child, raising Aunt May’s blood pressure to a
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