Chapter 4

Rosey paced the small room waiting for her nephew to come around from the anaesthetic, wondering just what she was going to tell her sister. When Rosey had agreed to take in young David, her husband had warned her that looking after a 14 year old would be tough. Looking after a 14 year who had just lost his dad would be even tougher. Nothing, however, had prepared her for the raging bundle of anger who had turned up on her doorstep from the Greyhound bus, and although she knew David was trying so hard to keep his anger under control, this was something she hadn't expected.

That evening she'd heard a noise at the front door and had thought at first that the boy had arrived home late because he'd been with friends, and she was glad that he was making some. However, when he didn't come into the kitchen immediately asking for food, she'd wiped her hands from her baking and stepped into the hallway. She'd uttered a little scream when she'd seen David lying full length on the ground and had rushed to his side, turning him over gently. And then, and only then had she seen the extent of his injures.

He had a cut beneath his left eye surrounded by a purple swelling and his eye was beginning to swell shut. But then she saw further that his right wrist was also swollen and discoloured. At that point she knew he'd been in a fight and her heart was in her mouth as she called for Al to come and help her lift David into the living room.

The curly haired boy remained unconscious, fortunately as they half carried and half dragged his body into the living room and laid it down gently on the sofa. Al went to call for an ambulance as Rosey stayed by David's side, gently stroking his forehead, and soon, his eyes fluttered open and he looked around him, confused for a moment as to where he was.

'Davey, what happened?' Rosey asked softly.

David wanted to tell her, but he knew telling her about Pete would lead to having to tell her about the party and all that happened and he couldn't face hitting his aunt with that sort of news. So he lied.

'I dunno. I was late at school and I fell down some stairs. I guess I didn't realise what I'd done coz I managed to get home' he explained.

'Steps at school? They need reporting. You need to be more careful, son' Rosey spluttered. 'And we'll have to call your Mom and let her know'.

'No, please Aunty. Don't call Mom. She'll only worry. M'ok. Just hurt my ankle' David said desperately.

Al came back into the room and sat down by the boy's side. 'The ambulance is on its way, then you can get your arm and leg fixed. Do they hurt a lot?'

'Guess so' David mumbled not ready to tell them exactly how much.

Rosey's face lit up. 'When you get back, I'll make you some chicken soup. That'll be good for you. Help to mend your bones' she said.

Al looked doubtfully at his nephew then his wife. He smiled kindly. 'Rosey honey, you know you can't make chicken soup. You want to kill the poor boy? Stick to your won tons. You can do great won ton. Just not the soup huh?'

The ambulance arrived and whisked them off to the hospital and there, the doctor told them that the ankle was badly broken and that it would need to be set under a general anaesthetic. Thereafter, David would always likely have a weakness on that limb, but it should heal adequately.

And so now, Rosey waited in the quiet room, waiting until David slept off the anaesthetic and wondered whether she should call her sister or not.

Later that night, going up for midnight, Al and Rosey wheeled a sleepy and well medicated young man out of the hospital and to the waiting car. David's foot was encased in plaster up to his knee and his arm was similarly decorated from finger tip to elbow, held in place by a black sling. His cheek sported three stitches in the cut there and had a small white dressing taped over it and David's eyes were glassy from the remains of the knock out drugs and the codeine he'd been given.

Back at home, he managed to hop upstairs to bed and was soon asleep. But his dreams were all of flying or falling off tall buildings and twice during the night, Rosey had come into his room to see the boy sweat soaked and thrashing on his pillow as another nightmare shook him. She'd sat by him, easing his fears and holding his hands and he'd drifted back into a troubled sleep, but his Aunt was firmly convinced that this was no ordinary trip down a flight of stairs, and she vowed she would get to the truth of the matter sooner or later.

The next day, she telephoned the school to say that David wouldn't be in class and explained about the steps. The head teacher was surprised, saying that there were no steps in the building which were steep enough or dangerous enough to cause those injuries, but she was sorry for David and she would investigate the matter. Rosey put the phone down and set about her daily chores as upstairs, David awoke and lay in the bed, nursing all the various aches and pains in his young body.

At school, however, things were not going according to Pete's plan. When he'd gotten home that night, Sienna had asked him what he'd been doing and he'd told her that he's fixed her boyfriend and that David wouldn't be bothering her any more. She pleaded with Pete to tell her what he'd done, but her older brother just told her to butt out, that it wasn't her concern any more. Sienna had gone to bed with a bad feeling and had wanted to ring David to check that he was ok. But Pete was always close to the phone and Sienna was a little of scared of her powerfully built sibling, so instead, she vowed she'd ask David when she saw him at school the next day.

When David didn't turn up to class, Sienna worried even more and by lunchtime, her worry was eating at her so much that she decided to go around to David's Aunt's house after school. The rest of the day passed agonisingly slowly for her and she was the first to pack her back when the bell finally went. Hurriedly she explained to her friends that she wouldn't be walking home with them, and careful to avoid her brother, she set off the half mile to David's.

She knew her brother was capable of hurting people. He'd interfered with a boyfriend once before. But she hoped this time she'd be wrong and that maybe David had a head cold or something simple. Arriving at the house, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door, her heart beating wildly as she waited.

After what seemed like an age, an older man came to answer the door and he smiled at her.

'Yes?'

'Erm….my name's Sienna Regan. I'm a friend of David's. He wasn't in school today and I was just checking on him' she said in a rush.

Al smiled at her again. Yes, she was just the pretty sort of girl he'd expect the handsome young lad to fall for. He opened the door wider. 'Come on in. David had an accident last night. He's injured, but I'm sure a visit from a pretty young girl will make him feel all the better' he said, showing her upstairs to the small bedroom at the back of the house.

Sienna walked into the room and gasped as she looked at the curly haired boy. The bruise across is cheek had developed into a deep purple/blue haze of colour highlighting the white dressing taped over it. As her eyes travelled further, she took in the plaster casts on his arm and leg and tears came to her eyes.

With her back to him, Al didn't see the reaction and closed the door softly behind her, to give the youngsters some privacy. As she heard the catch close, she rushed to the bed and knelt by the side.

'Pete did this didn't he?' she sobbed, tears coursing down her face.

'Yeah, some bodyguard ya got there' David replied a little too sharply. Sienna gave another racking sob and he put his good left hand out and touched her hair. 'Sorry. I know it aint your fault' he said.

She looked at him through her tears. 'I'm so sorry. He should never have done this. He's never been this bad before. What did he do to you?'

David turned away. 'Nuthin. Its nuthin' he mumbled.

'How can you say that? You have a broken arm and leg!'

'Ankle. Not leg' he corrected and she burst into tears again.

'Ankle, leg. What does it matter? He hurt you too much. He needs to pay' she sobbed again.

'No he doesn't. I'll get even. Just don't do nuthin huh?' David said, wishing she'd stop crying. It made him feel uncomfortable and he had no idea what to do with a crying girl.

'What did he do to you? Please tell me' she insisted.

'Promise you won't tell anyone?'

'I promise' she said, crossing her fingers behind her back.

'He dropped me off the roof of the music room'.

'He dro….Oh my God! How could he do that? Oh David. I'm so sorry' she whispered as she flung her arms around him.

He winced and gasped as she clung to his battered ribs. They hurt almost as much as his leg and arm, and along with his back they added up to a body that felt as though it had been pulled through a baling machine. But at the same time, having Sienna crying over him and obviously concerned for him felt good and for a moment he enjoyed the waves of sympathy rolling his way.

Sienna stayed another half hour, by which time she could see that David was getting tired. In truth, he just wanted to sleep and escape the pains he had each time he moved, took a breath or indeed blinked. She stood and kissed him lightly on the forehead and he grinned at her as she left the room. As David snuggled down into his bed, Sienna made her way down the stairs and knocked at the living room door. Rosey opened it and smiled at the young girl and showed her in. John Blaine was visiting with Al and Rosey now and at first the girl felt uncomfortable with what she was about to say, but she knew it needed saying.

'Erm….thank you for the drink' she started, hesitantly.

'That's no problem dear. Come round to see David any time' Rosey said.

'Well, its about David. He's terribly hurt'.

'Yes I know' Rosey said. 'he told me he fell down some stairs at school, but the head teacher doesn't seem to know which ones. Do you have any idea?'

Sienna swallowed. 'He didn't fall down any stairs. He erm…..oh God….my brother fought him. Pete and his friends were mad because he was going out with me. They ganged up on him last night and they….erm'. she put her head in her hands and burst into tears.

Rosey sat by her side and put her arm around the distraught girl. 'Its ok honey. You can tell us. You won't get into trouble'.

'No, but Pete will' she cried

'Well if Pete has done wrong, he needs to be punished' John said. 'C'mon hon, tell us what they did' he said gently.

Sienna raised her head and looked at the three adults. Finally making a decision, she told them. Pete and some of his friends took David up to the music room roof and pushed him off'.

As Rosey put her hands to her face, strangling down a cry of disbelief, Al and John looked at each other.

'We need to talk' John said softly.