Chapter Eleven – I Will Be By Your Side
Jo narrowed her eyes slightly as she, out of the corner of her eye, saw the troublemaker; young Ethan Philpot, carefully retrieving a large rubber spider from his trunk.
She pretended not having seen it and decided to take a little stroll, down the narrow passageway that divided the school benches, so that she could keep a closer eye on the proceedings. She knew he was very keen on getting attention, either from a sweet little girl who usually sat in front of him, today was no exception, or herself.
Jo clasped her hands behind her back, a slight smile appearing on her face as she neared the boy and his friends. "Ethan," Jo said casually. "How's it going with the reading?" she asked.
The boy looked like he had been caught with the hand in a cookie jar but then, as suddenly as the surprise appeared on his face, it vanished and was replaced by a sly grin. The spider hastily hidden somewhere, probably beneath the table.
"I'm doing fine, Mrs. Rowan," he said cheerfully, a bit too cheerfully for her liking.
She eyed him suspiciously. "Okay, why don't you read a few phrases for me?" Jo suggested.
The other children curiously turned to look at him and his pale cheeks prickled.
"Well, I…" he began sheepishly. "Yes, of course ma'am."
His brother in arms, Jonny Watson, nudged him in the arm with a chuckle on his freckled face.
"Let him be, don't tease him," Jo cautioned. "Why don't you continue when Ethan is done?" she suggested.
There was a soft knock on the door and a moment later the headmistress popped her head inside the classroom.
"Mrs. Rowan, can I have a word with you?" The headmistress, Mrs. Watson asked.
"Yes, I'll be there in a minute," Jo replied. She then turned to the pupils, Ethan and Jonny in particular. "Don't think I'll let you get away from it," she said and headed forward in the classroom, stopping in front of the desk. "When I come back we'll listen to some reading and then I'll give you a few tasks to perform in connection to what you've been reading," Jo explained.
The headmistress looked troubled as Jo neared. The woman gently placed a hand on the young teacher's shoulder. "Jo," she began, mentioning for her to take a seat out in the assembly room.
"What is it?" Jo asked curiously, feeling a knot forming in her stomach.
The petite woman hesitated, not sure how to break the news. "I've just been on the phone with the police," she said.
Jo chuckled lightly. "I know you don't like that Nick calls me when I'm teaching…" she began.
"I haven't been talking to the sergeant," she said evasively. "Jo, there has been an accident…"
"No," Jo whispered, putting a hand over her mouth.
"Your husband has been rushed to the hospital," the headmistress added. "I'll look after the kids, just go now."
OOOOOO
Mike Bradley looked down at his hands as he and Phil Bellamy walked down the corridor next to the casualty section at Ashfordly General Hospital. "We had him, Phil," he complained in frustration.
Phil looked at him sombrely. His fairly new colleague was sporting a crisp white Band-Aid on his cheek and a vivid bruise was forming on his forehead. His chin had been scratched and he limped slightly as they headed for the entrance doors.
"It's not your fault, Mike," Phil said kindly. "You're lucky you didn't break something in the fall, or worse, killed yourself."
Mike briefly closed his eyes in defeat.
"Are you sure you're supposed to be walking around?" Phil continued worriedly, patting him on the shoulder, earning a glare as the action hurt. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "Look, Mike, we'll find Jones, somehow, I don't care how but we'll find him."
Mike nodded, a faint smile on his lips, in appreciation of the comforting words. "How's sarge?" he asked gloomily.
Phil looked away for a while as if gathering strength. "He's unconscious. Doctor Bolton is doing everything he can for him," he said.
"But…?"Mike asked, not sure how to proceed.
"It was the look on their faces; Doctor Bolton and Maggie. They didn't tell me everything, something is wrong, Mike, very wrong," Phil said worriedly.
OOOOOO
Jo walked through the entrance doors of the general hospital in Ashfordly as if in a daze. She hardly remembered having driven from Aidensfield or having parked the car just outside. Looking completely lost she walked up to the reception.
"Can I help you, miss?" a stern older nurse asked firmly but in a kind manner.
"I…" Jo began. "I…my husband was brought in earlier…" she was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.
"Jo," Sr. Maggie Bolton said as she walked over to her.
The young teacher turned around and Maggie could see the blanched look on her face but she tried to put on a smile.
"Nick is upstairs," Maggie said kindly as she put a reassuring hand on Jo's shoulder. She nodded and gave the other nurse, stationed at the reception, a warm smile. "I'll take it from here."
"What's happened Maggie?" Jo managed as they walked up the main stairs and onto the third floor, toward the ICU.
"Nick and Mike fell through the floor at the old factory," Maggie began softly. "Apparently they gave chase to a man from the antiques gang."
"The antiques gang," Jo echoed, her voice suddenly stronger with a hint of anger. "I'm sick and tired of hearing about them."
Maggie smiled warmly as they walked into the ICU ward.
"Where is he?" Jo asked worriedly as Maggie stopped outside a closed door to a cubicle.
The nurse swallowed, the look on her face suddenly much more serious, causing another knot to form in Jo's stomach.
Maggie turned around to face her friend and formerly housemate. "Nick is in here Jo, but I must warn you, he's a little rough and he's unconscious," she said gravely.
"But he will be all right?" Jo managed.
Her words were met by silence.
"Maggie?" she asked feeling herself become sick with worry.
The nurse twisted the handle and motioned for her to follow.
Jo gasped as she spotted Nick hooked up to various machines and monitors. His complexion far too white for her liking and the side of his head discolored in a variety of red, purple and blue. "Nick," she whispered.
Jo was so caught up in her own word of fear and despair that she hadn't noticed Neil Bolton standing next to her husband.
"Mrs. Rowan," he began regrettably, causing her to jump slightly at the sound of his voice.
She turned to look at him and seeing the grave look on his face she felt herself pale to the point where her complexion equaled Nick's.
"Mrs. Rowan, I'm sorry to tell you this but Nick has sustained a serious head injury, a few broken ribs, a sprained ankle and various cuts and bruises. Most things we can fix just by letting him rest. However, the blow to his head was so severe that his brain is swollen, the x-rays show signs of a bleed behind the frontal lobe…"
"What are you trying to say?" Jo interrupted him, her eyes focused on Nick's peaceful face.
"I'm saying, Mrs. Rowan, that your husband is in a coma and that there's no guarantee that he will ever wake up again," he explained seriously.
The statement turned her legs into jelly and had Maggie not steadied her she might have fallen.
"Are you okay, Jo?" Maggie asked carefully.
She nodded but said nothing.
"I'm so sorry," Neil said. "There's nothing I can do at the moment."
OOOOOO
Mike sank down on his chair in the duty room, every single joint and muscle seemed to be either stiff or hurting. He let his head come to rest in his hands, elbows on the desk.
Alf Ventress gazed at him with worry and then nodded at Phil who had taken his seat at his own desk. "Is he supposed to be here? He's just had a nasty fall. I'm surprised they even let him out of the hospital."
"I drove by Aidenfield, tried to tell him he should go to bed, take some pills for the pain and go to sleep, but no, he insisted on me bring him here," Phil let on, mildly upset.
"I'm such an idiot," Mike mumbled, barely audible to Alf's ears.
"Yes, that you are," Phil concurred.
"They were there, right in front of me," Mike whispered.
"How hard did you hit your head?" Alf questioned quizzically.
Mike sighed and straightened painfully. He gently massaged his temples and then raised his head, opening his eyes to look at his colleagues. "Back at Hillsdale Farm," he explained.
Phil and Alf looked at each other, having absolutely no clue about what Mike was getting at.
"When I looked through the window of the henhouse…I didn't realize it then… but in those crates lay the stolen goods. They must have been shifting it from the lorry garage while we were busy getting the warrant," he finished.
"Oh dear," Alf said as he reached for a cookie in his top drawer. "You better give DI Shiner a ring," he said looking at Phil.
"Me?" Bellamy questioned.
"Why not," Alf asked.
OOOOOO
To be continued
11/28