Decisions which have to be made
Chapter 8: Ewart Asker
Now having more knowledge of Fergal's past, Harry tried various other ways of making the boy realize that he was sorry. However, nothing worked. Fergal wouldn't even look at him or Eileen anymore.
After a while Harry gave up, knowing that he had better things to do than waste his time trying to make something happen that never would. Instead he concentrated on overcoming his fear of heights, learning how to swim, and on his studies. After being at campus for a few weeks, he could have conversations in Spanish. In a year's time or so he'd probably be fluent. Suddenly finding an interest in languages, he also started learning German in his free time.
There were trouble though. Yoshida was outraged as Mac told him that he wouldn't need to help Harry; Kazuho had looked forward to it since he'd been told to do so.
One summer night, it was very hot, Harry couldn't get to sleep. He turned around in his bed thousand of times, not understanding how Cieran and Hilary were able to be fast asleep while wearing pyjamas. Finally he decided to take a little walk, though he knew that if he'd be caught he'd be in big trouble for being out after curfew.
After having pulled shorts and a t-shirt over his naked body, he silently left his bedroom and crept down the stairs, looking around catiously as he went out of the junior building. Although the moon wasn't shining, Harry saw the shadows and silhouettes of the different buildings, and by then he'd been long enough at CHERUB campus to be able to say where what building was.
Harry made his way to the lake. He had to pass the changing rooms and the running tracks. And that was when it happened.
"So, you can do it all by yourself?" a voice sneered, grabbing Harry from behind and pushing him against the walls of the changing rooms. He felt how someone put their hand on his mouth in order to make him stay silent. "Can you?" Harry felt the stone wall in his back. It hurt, but he couldn't even breathe properly with the hand covering his mouth and part of his nose.
The person grabbed Harry by his hair and pulled his head forward, then slammed it against the brickwall with all their strength. Pain shot through Harry's whole body. Tears welled up in his eyes. He whimpered.
Again was his head slammed into the wall. Again did he want to scream out of pain. Again could he not make a single noise loud enough fr anyone to hear.
Harry bit the hand which belonged to the attacker, the hand which still covered his mouth.
"You little brat!" the voice hissed, and only then did the boy notice that there was a Japanese accent, no matter how faint. And he knew who it was. Kazuho Yoshida. The bully who'd been meant to help him overcome his fear of heights.
"What's going on here?" another, unfamiliar voice asked. Harry couldn't see who'd spoken, but he felt Yoshida's hand slip away and seconds later the bully had run into the distance, leaving him slumped up against the wall, crying.
He heard someone crouch down next to him.
"Hey, what happened?"
Harry shook his head, the pain so bad he thought his body would explode. Tears streamed down his face.
Lights in the main building went on. Through his watery eyes Harry could make out the person sitting next to him: A stocky boy, aged around 14.
"I texted Mac," the boy went on. He'll be here any minute, along with Dr. Kessler. Do you have any idea who that was?"
"Yoshida," Harry muttered, hearing people - not more than three - approach them. Slowly his senses ceased and everything around him went black.
"You're lucky Ewart was there," Mr. Large told Harry three days later. "That Japanese boy could've killed you. Good riddance, if you ask me." Kazuho Yoshida had been expelled from CHERUB the same night. "He hadn't been anything but trouble from the very beginning. Caused his partner to fail basic training, you know? Anyway, why were you outside after curfew?"
Harry knew this moment would've come sonner or later. After he'd woken up the day before Ewart Asker, a fourteen year old boy who'd earned his black shirt only three months ago, had a thorough talk with him, as did Mac. He was assured that he wouldn't get any punishment as he already had a small concussuion, but that the next time he shouldn't get off that easy.
"I couldn't sleep," Harry admitted. "So I went out for a walk."
"After curfew?" Large asked with raised eyebrows.
"After curfew," he repeated.
His handler leant back in his chair. "You'll start basic training in September?" Without waiting for an answer Large continued. "If you step out of line there, it could cost you having to start all over again. I'm watching you run laps every day, which started to get you into shape, but that won't be of any help if you injure yourself like this and have to drop out of training, having to wait another three months to start all over again. You realize that?"
Harry nodded.
"I'll do my best in September in order not to drop out," he said.
"That's the spirit," Large smiled.
