DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN EMMERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF ITV.
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MID-DECEMBER
(CHAPTER 28/30)
xx
Aaron was sat in the back of the pub watching TV when Chas came through with a big smile on her face. Infact it was beaming.
"guess whos here!"
Aaron jumped up and swallowed when he saw Ed come through the door smiling at him.
"I came early to beat the traffic...is that alright?"
Aaron shook his head. Chas rolled her eyes at her son and said, "Well! Aren't you going to buy Ed a pint or something!"
Aaron scowled at her interference and she got the message and sloped off. Ed came over to Aaron and kissed him on the lips awkwardly.
"Sorry...that were abit lame, weren't it?"
Aaron half smiled and took Eds hand and they headed to the staircase, "Sod that pint...I think I can find something more interesting then that to do, don't you"
There was a teasing tone to his words. Ed was liking it and followed him up the creaky stairs. Aaron pulled him into his bedroom and before he closed the door the words 'I have to tell him' came to mind.
Maybe after...
XXX
At the hospital, Nathan reached over and picked up a pillow from the empty bed nearby, then came forward.
"I'm sorry Stu...I wish there was another way...but there isn't...I can't let you blab...and you will because you are weak...I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be, i'm afraid"
He lifted the pillow over Stu's face...
"Has he had any visitors?"
Nathan threw the pillow back towards the bed when he heard the female voice, then the doors opened to reveal Stus' Mum walking in with Jill.
Nathan smiled at her as he quickly did the 'obs', to make it look like he was there officially and not just there to kill him off.
"Nathan? I haven't seen you for a while...Stu told me your news, how so very terrible for you, pet"
Jill frowned, "news? What news?"
Nathan laughed out loud, "just abit of bad news I got...but I don't like it broadcasting...", he looked at Stus' mother as he enthusied it. She got the message.
"Yes...I'm sorry"
Nathan turned, "right, he seems to be doing very well, Stu...I'll pop along later to see you..."
And with that, Nate was gone.
Jill turned, "stay as long as you need to, I'll be just outside in the corridor at the nurses station."
When Jill had gone, Stu looked at his mother. His eyes reflecting the fear he felt.
"Mum...please...I don't want him near me...please...please...", he started to shake. She went over to him and held his arm and cupped his bruised face,"sweetheart what evers the matter? Tell me..."
Stu swallowed.
XXX
"So...that was really hot!"
Ed laid back on the bed pulling his boxers back on. Aaron smiled at him as he sat up at the edge of the bed. Both panting after the intense excersion that pleasured them to the heights.
"So...what's on your mind then?"
Aaron swallowed down and met his gaze, "What?"
"You said earlier...before you know...you wanted a word like...", told Ed, grabbing Aaron's ciggys off from the side, "...is it alright if I nick a smoke? ... used to go ape when I smoked! But after Sex is the best time!"
Aaron just nodded and thought quickly how he was going to say it...
Ed lit up the cigarette, he exhaled and laughed, "So...what is it...? I can tell there's been something bothering you for a while..."
Aaron looked up, somewhat alarmed, "What?"
"You are gonna dump me, aren't yah?"
XXX
Nathan didn't stick around. Upon leaving intensive care, he headed down the corridor and went into the staff locker room, where he stripped out of his tunic and into his civvi clothes.
Then, stuffing the nurse uniform into a clinical waste bin, he grabbed up his ruck sack and was out the doors like a bat out of hell. Although he was careful not to drawer to much attention to himself.
In the carpark he hurried to his car and jumped in, turning the engine over quickly, he sped off towards the hospital exit and out onto the busy street.
Would Stu be stupid enough to blab? Would anyone even believe the drama queen even if he tried to?
He decided it best to not take any chances. He was soon back at the flat and immediately upon entering the appartment, he snatched up his flightcase and threw it onto the bed.
Then started to pack at breakneck speed.
Nathan turned and went to the dresser. He opened a drawer and grabbed his passport.
He had plenty of money in his account. Being a saver always had it's perks. He could easily get a cheap flight somewhere. Somewhere were he could lose himself, AND the police if they ever came knocking.
Blimey...WHO CARES ABOUT STU!
What use is HE to anybody in this life? He was only going to college because he was too thick to get into Uni.
The only use he could surely have in life is being a bollard in a carpark. Or a lampost.
Finished and packed, he headed over to the window and looked out. No sign of an on mass police squad coming to get him.
But, needs must...it wasn't worth taking the risk.
The last thing he picked up was his laptop and phone. Then pulling the flightcase behind him. It was time to go.
XXX
Stu had told it as he remembered.
He told his mother about that night. The night he went over to Nathans house and tell him to keep out of his life.
He had told her about how Nathan went barmy and locked the front door so he couldn't escape the flat.
He told her about being hit over the head and kicked repeatedly. He cried over that bit.
And then...he remembered falling...just falling...
His mother was silent all the way through the sorry tale. Shocked. Nathan had been in here. Acting like nothing had happened.
"Are you SURE it was Nathan?", was all she could muster up. It was just so hard to believe with him working at the hospital large as life!
Stu argued that he was sure and upset himself.
Stus' mother walked towards the nurse station where Jill was sitting. She leaned over shaking, "Is...is Nathan around?"
Jill shrugged, "I think he's gone on his break or something...can I help?"
Stus' Mum stopped shaking, "I need to use your phone...I need to call the police..."
XXX
"I've been offered a job"
Ed and Aaron were now sitting downstairs in the backroom of the pub with a pint.
"Job? That's good...a job where...in town?"
Aaron shook his head, "It's in town, but NOT local town..."
Ed leaned forward scratching his head, "Aaron...where's this all leading? Come on...be straight with me..."
Aaron met his eyes, "It's a job in Bristol...it's in Bristol"
Ed sighed...
XXX
Nathan got a cab to Leeds-Bradford and went in the departures foyer to use the internet to book a flight somewhere.
Somewhere nice and hot.
Not Spain.
Not because of it's history with Jackson, but the cheesy cliche about it being the costa del crime.
No, Greece seemed a swell idea. Or EVEN Italy. Rome...who knows, he might get a nice holiday romance with a latinise into the bargain.
Thanks Stu. Caving your head in and launching you off the belcony like a sack of spuds had really done me a favour.
Credit card poised, Nates hands were working over the keyboard and scanning for flights and availabilities.
XXX
Aaron sat on the sofa with his head in his hands. Chas peered in as she grabbed a few packets of crisps from the box in the hall.
She pulled a face; "love? What's up?", she looked about the back room, "what's happened? Has he done sommit tp upset you? AARON!"
Aaron looked up at her, "no...but there's something that might upset you..."
Ed was then coming in, with having gone to the toilet.
Chas swallowed, "What? What's up...Aaron tell me, babe..."
He glanced at Ed who nodded a reasurance at him.
"I know I said I wasn't...that I'm done with living away from here...especially of what happened in Spain and that...but...
Chas knew what was coming...but asked anyway, "but...?"
"I-I'm moving away...from the village..."
XXX
In the departures lounge, Nathan came out of the Duty Free. Enough browsing. He justed to sit the rest of the time out.
He found a vacant seat and sat down as a flight was called in the back ground.
Within an hour, he would be on that plane to Milan...and leaving all this crap behind...forever...
XXXXXXX
NATHAN, WILL HE GET CAUGHT OR SHOULD HE BE ALLOWED TO ESCAPE...