Chapter Eight
Rose eased herself off John and grabbed a towel to cover herself as she stood up.
"I'm sorry." she whispered.
"I'm not." replied John.
"I am so sorry. I… I don't know what to say to you. That was so right but so wrong as well."
"Can't we just work on the so right part? Rose I love you."
Rose closed her eyes and sighed,
"And I love him."
"But I am him! I can make you love me if you give me a chance… please." He was begging and he knew it but he was desperate.
Rose knelt down in front of him and placed her hand on his chest feeling his single human heart beating in his chest.
"You aren't him. You never can be. You have his memories, you have his mannerisms, and you look hauntingly like him but you have to be your own man. Someone will give you the love you deserve."
"There will never be anyone else Rose."
And I'm sorry John but I know how that feels as well. I think I should go. I shouldn't have taken that from you. Your first time should have been with… someone else. If it's any consolation you're good." With those words she hitched the towel around herself and left the room.
John was left sitting on the floor and alone. He sighed deeply. She didn't love him and never would. He had to leave. He had no idea where to go but he had to get away from her. Looking at her every day was too much to bear.
He stood up and stepped straight in to the rooms shower cubicle and cut the water on cold. He washed and stepped out to dry himself and that was when the pain in his head struck him again. He moved to the bed and lay on it with his eyes closed and did his best to fight the wave of nausea washing over him. When he opened his eyes the room seemed to be bent at the edges and it felt as if white hot pokers were drilling in to his skull. With his eyes closed he managed to sit up.
Pain killers, he needed his pain killers. He swallowed two and waited for them to begin to work. Several minutes later he managed to stand and he threw his few belongings in to a backpack. It was almost dawn and he needed to be away from here before the household woke up.
He shouldered his bag and made his way to the stairs. The pain in his head lanced through him again and he grunted as he put his hand out to grip the handrail. He missed and grabbed at fresh air. His last thought before the dark descended was that maybe this would at least stop the pain. The last sound his brain registered was a sickening thud as his head connected with the plaster behind him.
Pete heard something in the night. He had been asleep. What was that? It had sounded like someone falling down the stairs… Tony!
He leapt out of bed and Jackie mumbled sleepily at him,
"Wha's up?"
"Someone fell on the stairs."
"Tony!"
"Or Rose!" he called behind him as he ran out of the room.
Jackie was right behind him and skidded to a halt behind him when he stopped at the head of the stairs,
"Oh my God." He breathed and Jackie looked over his shoulder and gasped.
"I'll fetch Rose."
Pete ran down the stairs to John's prostrate body. John's left leg was bent awkwardly under his body and it clearly had an open fracture. He was bleeding heavily from the back of his head and Pete noted an area of plaster behind where John's body lay that was crazed and cracked. Pete noted the backpack that was lying beside him.
"Where were you going John?" he whispered and then loudly "We need an ambulance now! Jacks! NOW!"
Rose had been in the shower when Jackie had burst in to her en suite. Jackie pulled open the shower cubicle door and threw a towel at her daughter.
"It's John, come with me!"
Rose caught the towel and wrapped it around her soapy body before running after her Mother.
"Jacks get your mobile! We need an ambulance now!"
Jackie darted to her left and ran in to her bedroom, grabbed her phone and dialled 999.
Rose stood at the top of the stairs and stared at John's broken body.
"Is he…?"
"Alive? Yes he is. Help me move him."
"No! Don't move him we don't know what he's done to himself yet."
"Rose he was leaving. But your Mum said…. What the hell happened between you two and what the hell were you doing in the shower at this hour?"
"Dad no questions please, I need to get dressed." she turned and fled back to her room just as her Mother called out,
"The ambulance is on its way."
Rose dried and dressed as fast as she could. Where had he been going and what had he been thinking? One thing was certain this was all her fault. She had hurt him terribly and he had been trying to leave. That much was clear. But he had fallen. Tripped? Or had he deliberately…? No, she shook her head he wouldn't have done that. But he had been trying to leave and that was her fault. If she had left him alone he would, in all likelihood, still be asleep in his bed. She had to make this better.
She could hear the wail of the ambulance sirens roaring up the driveway and resolved that this time she would be travelling in the back with him. This was her fault and she was going to make it better.