Chapter 7
Charlotte ran around putting all the instruments back where they were and straightening up. Mike could only follow her with his eyes. He lay on the couch counting the minutes until the guys got home.
Charlotte was aware of that too. In desperation she turned on him. Mike moved back as she invaded his space.
"I need you to promise that you'll say nothing," she whispered in a tone of desperation.
Mike just stared her down, adamant that he would promise nothing of the kind.
"Promise," she shook him slightly.
When he didn't, she ran to her handbag. She brought it to the couch. He moved back as from its interior she pulled a small expensive looking knife. He could only watch as she tested the blade with her thumb.
"I've been watching you Mike, it's Peter. You're most protective of Peter. I don't want to hurt anyone Mike but I need you to understand. It's important that I stay here, in peace. We can all live here happily together. You, me, Davy, Micky...and Peter."
"Please, will you promise to say nothing," she asked.
As the blade moved easily back and forth through her fingers, Mike slowly nodded his head.
"Promise," he said.
~o~
The boys came through the door soon after. They dropped their gear and headed for the couch exhausted from their long shift at the pizza restaurant.
"Mike, you look terrible man," Micky told him as he put a hand to his shoulder.
"Aren't you feeling any better?"
Charlotte took up position behind Peter's chair as Micky spoke.
"I'm ok Micky," Mike lied, following Charlotte's every movement with his eyes.
"He's just had some broth and he took most of it, didn't you Mike."
Mike nodded. That was actually true. In his current state his swallow reflex would not be good so she cooked up some soup and made him eat it. It was foul.
"You sure you're ok man?" Micky asked.
"I...need to go upstairs," Mike asked with pleading eyes.
With a small smile Micky helped him up.
"Come on soldier, March in step," he quipped as he brought a hand around his friends waist and brought Mike's arm around his shoulder.
Charlotte looked up with a smile. "Oh you should have asked, I would have brought you Mike,"
Mike scowled. Exactly the reason he had been holding it for hours.
~o~
Micky left Mike in the bathroom and waited outside. Davy came up to join him. Micky looked down at him with a worried frown.
"I think we aught to bring him to the emergency room. This has come on very sudden. It could be meningitis. My cousin had that..."
"It's not meningitis," Davy smiled. "Your girlfriend called on Dr Mann, had him come out to see Mike. He has a virus. Apparently it's making the rounds of the neighbourhood."
Micky nodded with a feint smile. "That's a relief. Here, stay and help me get him to his room will ye Davy,"
When Mike was ready, Davy and Micky hauled him off to his bedroom.
"Where's Peter, Micky where's Peter?" Mike cried anxiously as they laid him on the bed.
"He's gone for burgers, he's ok Mike." Davy told him.
Mike nodded in relief as already his eyes began to close.
The boys exchanged worried glances, "He doesn't seem to have a temperature. How come he's so anxious?" Davy asked as Micky began unbuttoning his shirt.
"He's not himself but he is sick so..." Micky stopped as he had pulled Mike's shirt off over his head. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a slight bruise forming around a pin prick on Mike's arm.
"Charlotte said Doctor Mann had given him medication today. That's probably an injection he gave him."
Micky frowned as he looked at Davy.
"Charlotte said a lot of things," he commented.
"What's that supposed to mean," Davy snapped. "Aw for heaven sake Micky, she lives here. You're not going to have a face on every time she speaks to anyone besides you are you?"
Micky felt ashamed. "Sorry man, I'm just uptight about stuff,"
Davy nodded "Come on. We'd best get him in bed. He's asleep already."
They put Mike into his night shirt and covered him up. Something about him did not sit well with Davy. It was more than his pasty complexion and weakened state. His facial expression was as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Davy vowed to have a talk with him when he was next awake. Perhaps he felt guilty for missed days of work. Mike was prone to such guilts unlike the rest of them. Davy would talk to him, he promised himself.
~o~
There was much laughing and horse play as Davy and Charlotte cleaned up after dinner. Their task of washing dishes soon descended into a water fight. Charlotte giggled charmingly as Davy went to spray her with the hose and missed. She managed to plop a ball of foam on his head making him all the more determined to get her back.
Peter was in a corner heating milk for Mike. Peter considered every problem solvable with just the right amount of hot chocolate. He would bring it up in his favourite mug with a cookie on the side. Micky sat at the window playing lightly on his drums trying to tamp down the jealously starting to encircle his heart. Just then Micky could not see Davy's natural playful spirit, Davy could never complete a boring task without it descending to chaos, a trait that sometimes annoyed Mike considering he was older. But just now Micky could not see that. All he could see was his friend moving in on the girl he loved. Davy always gets the girl, isn't that it though!.
Micky broke into a loud thumping of drums as he sang "goin down" in his head. He carried on this racket until he caught sight of Peter at the foot of the stairs. Peter never had the nerve to openly challenge the other boys but he stood with pleading eyes asking Micky to think of their sick friend upstairs. Micky dropped the drumsticks and headed out the back door to go walk on the beach. Davy and Charlotte didn't notice his departure as they laughed all the more.
