Part 2

Isaac sat on the wall a blanket wrapped round his shoulders. Around him soldiers, police and nurses were sorting out the boys and teachers. He felt guilty for not having reported what he had seen. Maybe if the alarm had been raise earlier this shambles could have been prevented. But Isaac had let his jealously cloud his judgement and on seeing nothing important had been taken gone back to his room without a word to anyone. He held his head in his hands. Tonight had not been the best night for the school, it might even be the end of the institution, the end of his job. He looked up and spotted Nurse Redfern approaching the school with a determined stride and a faraway look on her face. He got awkwardly to his feet leaning on his walking stick. He traipsed over to her struggling across the muddy ground.

"Matron! Matron over here!" he waved to attract her attention.

She seemed to notice him and halted allowing him to approach.

"Mr Kreiner," she said, absently like her mind was elsewhere. "What's going on? Where are the boys?"

"Everything's going to be fine, the army are co-ordinating the evacuation and most of the parents should be here by morning," he looked around noticing that the sun was rising on the horizon. "Well, seems its morning already. Are you alright Matron?"

"He's gone."

"Who's gone?"

"John Smith…he's dead-,"

"How did it happen? Was it Baines? I never did trust that boy."

"It wasn't him, it's not the boy's fault," she replied with a reproving look.

Isaac felt his cheeks flush embarrassed at her reprimand - forever the schoolboy - unable to keep eye contact.

"There are only a few people unaccounted for, but the village…there have been some reports of-,"

He noticed she had turned away glancing back up the lane. "I'm sorry I'm being insensitive."

"What? Oh, no I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Come on," he took the blanket from his shoulders and put it round hers. "I'll get you a nice strong cup of tea with plenty of sugars. Everything will seem better then."

"I should go back. John…the Doctor."

"It's not safe."

"I am perfectly capable of looking after myself," she snapped, handing him back the blanket. "You should go see to the boys or something. He might…I've got to go."

Nurse Redfern spun on her heels and headed back across the field with a determined stride. Isaac hesitated only a moment before he decided to follow her at a discrete distance, his progress was somewhat slower than hers and he found himself falling behind once or twice. Eventually she came upon a cottage on the outskirts of the village, the Cartwright's home. She had not noticed him trailing her and she walked straight in through the door. Isaac hung back afraid of what she might think and unable to come up with an explanation for his behaviour. He had just plucked up enough courage to speak to her when he noticed Smith strolling up the lane. Feeling it would be imprudent to intervene he ducked behind a nearby tree, peering cautiously round its trunk to observe what was going on.

Isaac waited. Smith wearing an uncharacteristically [for him flamboyant pinstripe suit, had left only a short while after he arrived, whereas Nurse Redfern had hung around for longer. Finally with cramp in his leg beginning to make it uncomfortable he decided to take the proverbial bull by the horns and go confront her. He knocked gently on the door before entering the cottage.

"Oh, oh Mr Kreiner it's you, my goodness," she exclaimed putting her hand to her chest. He could see her eyes were red from crying. "You startled me. For a moment I thought…it doesn't matter. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"You need not put yourself out," Joan replied, sitting down on one of the chairs situated round the table in the kitchen. "I am fine."

"No you're not. We are all tired. I can see you've been upset…was it him that upset you?" he took a deep breath before addressing his main concern. "You said Mr Smith was dead but I saw him walk out of here just a moment ago."

"That's not John…Mr Smith. That is the Doctor."

"I saw him with my own eyes," he insisted, wondering if she had been unhinged slightly by the events of that night. "It was John Smith who walked out of that door."

"I know who he is now…John Smith is dead and the Doctor killed him."

"Obviously you've been affected by tonight more because of your situation. What with your husband's death it's completely understandable for you to be emotional."

"My emotional state is none of your concern Mr Kreiner and even if it was I can inform you I am quite composed." She shoved a leather bound journal into his hand (it looked a little like the one he had) with unwarranted vehemence. "Look. I am not crazy."

He took it from her and flicked through the pages.

"How does this prove anything?"

"You are in there or at least your name is," she said turning it over to the correct page. "Read it."

"Its just some odd diary it's not that amazing to find my name in it-," his sentence ground to a halt when he bothered to read the scrawled text next to a small sketch. "Oh."