Chapter 19
Sorry this took so long. I have excuses, but you might not want to hear (read?) them – I wouldn't. Well I had some exams – which I don't know why we have to do as the teachers say, "these exams don't matter." – what? So I was revising, kinda. If they don't matter then I don't see why I need to revise loads – and besides I got over 80% in all of them, which is actually really good for me. Then, I had an accident out on the roads on my bike – yeah, don't go round extremely sharp corners at over 30mph, not good. So, I was in and out of hospital for about 5-6 weeks. In my eyes, there was a bit too much fuss, but hey ho. As you were.
Now it was the middle of June; Joey was recovering steadily and Sam and Tom's relationship was gradually getting stronger.
It was early in the morning - in Joey's mind. Sam was at work, so it was only him and Tom at the apartment. They would soon be leaving, as Tom had work and they needed to pick up their nephew and nieces to take them to school.
The brothers got into the car. Five minutes later and they were at their destination. Tom got out the driver's side and waited for his brother to get out, too.
"I'll stay here, mate." Joey spoke.
"Suit yourself," Tom mutter, opening the gate and walking up the short path to the front door.
Five minutes later and they were all strapped in. Tom turned the keys and they made their way to school.
The journey was short; about ten minutes at most. Well, it would have been if there was no traffic. But, they were sat there in traffic.
"Come on," Tom mutter while drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.
"When does your shift start?" Joey asked.
"In twenty minutes."
"Ah. Well we're going to be another thirty minutes at least," Joey stated, unbothered.
"Yeah, thanks. I know," Tom replied, slightly angered.
Then Harley decided to speak, "school starts in ten."
"Why'd you bring them to school if it was going to be so tight?" Joey laughed.
"I was not planning on getting stuck in traffic. And I thought I'd try help out."
This only caused everyone else in the car to laugh.
"Finally!" Tom shouted as the cars in front started moving.
They arrived at the school a near ten minutes late. Tom quickly sent a text to Sam, who was already at work, saying he would be late.
"Right, I'll go take Harley and Jess over to the main school, while you take Jodie over to nursery." Joey said.
"Yeah, sure." Tom replied and walked off, in tow of Jodie.
"Right, come on guys!" Joey said, walking off in the opposite direction.
Another twenty minutes later and Joey returned to the car. He saw Tom was already there, staring out the window.
He pulled open the door and got in.
"At last!" Tom exclaimed. "How long do you take?"
"Sorry, mate. I had to sign them in, then have a lecture from the reception person about how being late was unacceptable. In the end, I just walked out. I don't think she liked that." Joey explained.
"No, I bet she didn't," Tom agreed. "Anyway, I've got to get to work."
"Oh, yes. Zoe isn't going to be happy." Joey replied, laughing.
"Shut up," Tom hissed at his brother.
They arrived at the hospital. Tom was now forty-five minutes late.
They clambered out the car and Tom threw the keys at Joey, who swiftly caught them with one hand. "Give those to Sam," Tom said. Joey nodded and they proceeded by walking into the ED.
"See you later, mate." Tom smacked his brother on the back and walked off to find Zoe.
"Later," Joey shouted after him. "And good luck, too." He mumbled under his breath.
Joey wandered over to the reception desk, where he saw Noel and Big Mac talking.
"Hey guys." Joey said as he slammed his hands down on the desk top.
"Hey, lad. What're you doing here?" Big Mac asked.
Joey replied with, "ah, Tom has a shift now and Sam is just finishing."
"But why are you here?" Noel questioned.
"Well, apparently I can't be trusted at home by myself."
"And why would that be?" Noel said.
"Yeah. I heard something about the reason why." Mac prompted.
"I made something, tomato soup I think, 'blow up' in the microwave." Joey said.
"That was stupid," Louise spoke from behind Noel.
"Anyway. How long does it take her to get finished?" Joey exclaimed - referring to Sam.
"That's women for you, mate." Noel joked.
He got an unimpressed noise from Louise and a "what was that, Noel?" From Sam, who appeared around the corner at that moment.-
"Oh nothing," he mumbled and turned the other way.
"Right," She turned to Joey, "you ready?"
"Yeah, sure. Here are the keys," he said while digging in his jeans pocket.
"Thanks," she said after taking the keys from his hand.
They strode to the car. Joey had his hands buried deep in his black jeans pockets, and Sam brushed along with a coat draped over her shoulders, a hand bag hung on one and two inch heels - which made her just about Joeys height.
"Where's the car?" Sam asked.
"I was wondering when you were going to ask that." Joey smirked. "Over there." Joey said, pointing almost straight ahead and then lead the way.
Sam followed. Both got into the car and nothing much more was said until they arrived back home.
Sam unlocked the door to the apartment and walked in. Joey came in and closed the door behind him.
"I'm going to go have a shower," Joey said while slugging off down the corridor, towards the direction of the bathroom.
Sam didn't have a chance to say anything, so she took off her coat and dropped her bag on the floor. She walked through to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Seeing that there was not much in there, she continued into the lounge area and reminded herself for later to go to the store.
She sat down on the couch and sat there quietly - until she heard the shower turn off and Joey's door shut. Deciding to have a shower herself, she made her way to the bathroom.
After about fifteen minutes, Sam made her way out of bathroom and went into hers and Tom's room. Before she left the room, she donned denim short shorts, a grey lose top, and decided to go with bare feet.
She walked into the kitchen area, again, and stopped as she saw Joey, who was standing by the worktop with an only pair of lose tracksuit bottoms on. She had to think - even if she was dating his brother and he was way younger than her - that he did, in fact, have a pretty nicely toned body for a thirteen year old.
"Wow," she stammered. But she also had to think: was she seriously acting like this over a boy who has only just reached his teens?
"Oh hey Sam," was Joey's reply.
When she didn't say anything more, he broadcasted a dumbfounded "what?"
"Oh… um… nothing." Sam stumbled.
"Go on. Tell me." Joey prompted.
"I was just admiring the fact that you seem to have well developed muscles. That's all." Sam muttered with embarrassment, although Joey heard her completely clear. "It's just a surprise that after the accident and long hospital stays, that you can have such an impeccable body."
"Ah," Joey slowly nodded with a smile - that looked as if it was going to crack into a laugh - and a hint of embarrassment, too. "Thanks, I guess. But, please, don't try to compliment me every time you see me with my top off. You'll run out." Joey finally broke his smile and started to chuckle.
"Oi, you! Don't get so big headed. And I guess it just runs in the family." Sam laughed, too.
"Yes, because you would know." Joey said to the side.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Sam retorted.
"C'mon, Sam. Don't make me spell it out to you." Joey replied, leaning back against the worktop.
"Please do. I'm that stupid." Sam smiled while folding her arms across her chest and leant back on one foot, hip sticking outward.
"Fine," Joey mumbled, looked down, and then looked back up when he continued. "It involves you and my brother. Three letters. It starts with 's', ends with 'x', and has a vowel in the middle. Oh, and it's not six."
"No, still not following." Sam pursed her lips into a sarcastic frown.
"Yeah you are." Joey looked annoyingly at her and laughed. "Well, I'm going out for a run."
"Okay. I'll join you."
"Sure. I just need to go find a top." He said while jogging off to his room.
"Well I need to get changed, too. I can't exactly run like this." She shouted after him and proceeded to get her running gear.
There was a faint shout back of: "people do it in chicken suits." Which she just tutted at and bent down to the floor to get her trainers.
Joey was waiting by the front door when Sam emerged from her bedroom.
"Eager are we?" She asked cocking her head.
"Of course. I haven't been able to take a run for the best part of six months."
"Well come on then!" She nudged his back with her hand.
The weather was pretty ideal for taking a run. Being a bit after midday, most people were either inside enjoying lunch or busy at work or school, for that matter - same thing really. They made their way out of the apartment block.
Joey spoke, "so, we'll go for a run and then go to a cafe or something for breakfast. Sound good?"
"Have you not noticed that it has already gone twelve? You can hardly have breakfast. And are you saying that you haven't had anything to eat today?" Sam asked.
"Um, well no." Joey uttered.
"Joey! You're not going for a run until you've eaten something." Sam quietly shouted at him, annoyed.
"You're making it sound really bad." Joey laughed, but then stopped once he registered Sam's serious expression. "Do you have your keys?"
"Yeah." Sam said confused.
"Can I have them please?" Joey asked. He held out a hand and Sam placed the keys in his palm. "Thanks."
Joey walked over to Tom's car and unlocked it. He opened the passenger door and lent in to reach over to the glove compartment. He stood up again. "Happy now?" He asked, holding up a cereal bar that he was opening.
"Very," Sam replied sarcastically.
"Good. Now can we go for a run?" Joey asked, finishing the cereal bar and screwing up the wrapper, then stuffing it in his trouser pocket.
"Sure." Sam said, jogging off. "You coming or what?"
Joey moved from where he was standing and ran to catch up with Sam. He quickly twisted his torso and raised his arm with the keys in his hand, to lock the car again. Almost forgot he remember in his head.
They ran for about twenty minutes before Sam asked, "Joey, you don't take anything for your muscles, right?"
"As random as that question is and as much as that question makes me feel distrusted, no I do not. Honestly. I'm thirteen. I personally think it a stupid idea that people need the help of drugs to boost their fitness. Madness." Joey concluded.
"Good." Sam said, chuckling at his confidence. "Where are we running to?"
"Just follow me. I want to go somewhere and I think you'll understand why. It's only about another five minutes away." Joey reassured Sam.
They ran for a few more minutes and Sam still had no idea where they were heading, but carried on without a word. She didn't really recognise the meaning of Joey's words until her line of vision emerged from around the bushes, and she stopped still.
They were stood in a churchyard. Sam was still slightly confused. Then Joey moved from his position and started to walk forward - obviously to a certain grave, as it looked as if he knew where he was going.
Sam stood for another few seconds before moving herself. She followed in the same path that Joey led. She had a frown of confusion upon her face.
"Joey!" She called. "What are we doing here?"
Joey had stopped in front of one certain grave. He stood fixated by it, a sad expressions on him. "Just look here."
Sam walked to stand next to him. She stared at the name for a moment or two, before speaking. "Oh Joey." She wrapped her arm around his shoulders.
The grave read:
Benjamin William John Kent
April 12, 1985 – October 25, 2012
Afghanistan
Beloved father, son, brother, friend and soldier
"Sorry Sam. I just had to come here." Joey explained, still looking straight at the headstone.
"Don't be sorry. It's fine; I understand." She whispered. "Just wondering, why does Benny have one name the same – apart from the surname – as yours?"
"It's 'cause of our grandfather. His name was John. All of my brothers and me have the name as one of ours." Joey told. "You know, I still remember the day we were told he had been killed and the day we buried him."
"Aw, Joey. Don't make yourself upset now," she said.
"Sam! My brother's dead! Of course I'm upset. But, I'm not going to cry about it. He wouldn't have wanted that." Joey shouted, then calmed.
Joey couldn't help but think of those days including the insight of his brother's death and the lowering of his coffin.
October 24, 2012
Joey was in Hawaii and working with Steve, a police officer in Honolulu, Oahu and his uncle. He'd been there for the last year and a bit.
It was around ten and he was in his uncle's office, at work, sitting at the desk with a laptop before him. Joey was helping on a case and it hadn't been going too well. So many thought have been leads had turned out to be dead ends.
Sat there scrolling through new information on the case, he heard his phone ring. He looked down at the caller ID and snorted. It was his dad - and they weren't exactly getting on at the moment. Besides that, he picked up.
"What do you want, dad?" Joey asked harshly.
"I need to tell you something." His dad replied.
"Look. If it's another 'I'm sorry', I don't want to hear it." Joey shouted down the phone with the same harshness as before.
"Well, I'm afraid it is another 'I'm sorry,' but not for the same reason. "I think you might want to get Steve over. I'd like to tell you both." His dad explained.
"Give me a sec." Joey left the desk and walked until he opened the door and stood in the door way. "Steve! Dad's on the phone! He says he wants to speak to us both!" Joey called across the room.
"Sorry guys." Steve said to his team - two male detectives and one female.
Steve made his way into his office. Joey put the call on speaker.
"What's up, bro?" Steve inquired.
"Spit it out dad!" Joey scorned.
"Benny is dead." Neither of them were expecting that. "He was killed in an explosion; a roadside bomb."
Joey dropped the phone and ran out the office. Steve's team gave Joey a confused look as he darted out the room's doors.
Steve watched as his nephew ran. He was shocked, yes. He bent down to pick up the phone.
"Sorry, bro. Are you serious?" He asked.
"Yes, I'm being serious. Why would I lie about my son getting killed?"
"Sorry. It's just, woah, a shock."
"Okay. Well, his body is being flown back to the UK today. The funeral will be on Monday - the 29th."
"Right. I'll go book a flight and Joey and I will make our way over. I better go find him, bro."
"Yes, of course. Bye."
"Yeah, later."
Steve ended the call to his older brother and made his own way out of the office.
"Sorry guys," Steve apologised to his team again, "my nephew was killed earlier today – well, tomorrow on their time – in Afghanistan. I just finished a call from my brother, my nephew's father, who told me of the news."
His team voiced a chorus of sympathetic apologies.
"I'm going to go find Joey. I'm sure you'll be able to finish this case by the time I get back. We're also going over to the UK later, as the funeral will be over there. Can someone please email the governor and inform him. Thanks." Steve rushed out of the office and down the hall, in search for his nephew.
October 25, 2012
It had just gone midnight and Joey was sitting, with his knees close to his chest, on the beach section that was at the end of Steve's backyard, watching the waves lap each other. He was hugging his body for two reasons: one, it was getting colder – even as the temperature was breaching 20 Celsius, there was a cold breeze picking up – and two, he couldn't believe it. His brother was gone. The thought 'never coming home' struck him the most.
He heard a slight disturbance from behind; of the back door being closed. The person made their way across the small stretch of grass and onto the sand. Joey felt the tiny grains of sand as the persons feet kicked it up.
They came to sit next to him, but he still didn't look up – he knew who it was. Their style of movement was the giveaway.
"Strangely," they started, "this is the last place I would look. Joey, Steve told me. And I'm so sorry for you guys." They engulfed Joey into a hug, resting their chin on his head.
"No worries, Cath. I just never expected for this to happen. What if it happens to Keat or Kay? They are both out there. It could happen. Kay had only just turned eighteen – she's not exactly ready to be fighting in a war. I'm not being sexist; I'm caring about my sister." Joey ranted.
Catherine, Steve's girlfriend, had been asked to find Joey and she could relate to all he was saying. Her own father, who had been in the US Navy, had been killed aboard a ship when she was sixteen. Her brother and she joined the Navy as a result. She always feared that the same might happened to them as it did their father.
"Hey, it's okay." She rocked him in her arms. "You have Steve and me if you ever want to talk. Keatan and Kay are not Benny. It's tragic what happened to your brother, but you can't sit around, building up a fear that they will be harmed. He wouldn't have wanted that."
Joey listened carefully as she spoke. She was right. He managed the courage to let go of his knees and he rubbed his eyes – starting to feel tired.
"You better tell Steve that you found me." Joey said as he stood up. "And are you coming to England with us, for the funeral?"
"Sorry, kid. I've got to go on the ship for the next two months. Promise me that you won't cry?" She questioned.
"Sure." Joey nodded and started to walk back up to the house.
October 29, 2012
Steve had slept the majority of the flight, but Joey couldn't. In the few nights, he hadn't been sleeping well, at all. That and he was still on Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time. Joey kicked Steve's leg as the seatbelt lights flick to life. The landing was smooth – Steve was thankful – and they were quickly leaving the plane and hailing a cab.
They arrived at the hotel David was staying in with his wife and their children. They entered the building and asked for their room, which was under Joey's dad's name.
"I don't get why I have to share a room with you." Joey mumbled to Steve.
"Because you are thirteen – just."
"I have been for nearly two months." Joey shouted.
"More like one."
The room was nothing special – only a hold up for the next night or two. They dumped their bags in the room and started to get suits out of the bags. Steve wore his US Navy Service Dress Blue – which was a black suit jacket and trousers with a white shirt and a black tie. There were his ribbons on his left chest side and he placed his white and black peaked cap on his head. Joey wore the same but without the naval attachments.
Steve and Joey made their way out of the hotel and walked to the address they had been given for the church. Taking their seats, they listened to the service; people's speeches.
The group proceeded outside. The coffin was lowered by four men – of the deceased's closest soldiers, who were not on a tour at the death – all of whom were wearing the British green Service Dress.
After the coffin was resting below, Joey walked forward, holding Jess' hand - Harley had hold of his sister's other hand - and carrying Jodie in his other arm. Joey placed Jodie on the ground and let her drop the single red poppy in the hole – too young to understand her meaning.
The three year old slurred, in her innocent voice: "I remember you daddy."
Joey stood, drowned by the words, and held the child close to his legs, moving his hand gently across her head.
Everyone plastered a brave face, apart from Chloe, who had her head buried in Steve's chest, crying. Why not? Her husband had just been killed. David stood behind them with one arm around his wife, his young son held in the other, and his two young daughters before him. Keatan and Kayla had been allowed to fly home to be there, and they were standing together, with their military uniform on. Taylor was standing the other side of Chloe, wearing a simple black dress. Avan was then next to her and wore a suit much the same as Joey's.
Nobody had noticed the figure in the background. And the figure had never told anyone he had been there. He stood there, silent. He thought the need to pay his respect for his now dead brother.
Joey turned to Sam, "I thought, at the time – and still do, actually – that it was quite harsh the Keat and Kay had to fly out again less than a week later."
"Yes, of course." Sam muttered.
"We best be going!" Joey exclaimed, forcing a smile on his face.
He turned to see someone he didn't expect to see. Not ever again.
The man must have been early to mid-twenties. He had soft, short blonde hair that was sticking up straight with gel. His body was dressed in a casual, dark grey suit. The man saw the shocked look on Joey's face and his mouth turned down to a slight frown.
"Jack?" Joey spat.
Please review and all. Thanks.