Chapter 5

Alex had his third shrink in two months. Rick Montrose was a former Army Doctor, he had worked with disabled soldiers and torture victim's. He had volunteered with Medicine San Frontiers in Central Africa for five years. He had categorised Alex as a child soldier. Like the children in Africa orphaned, disabled, tortured and raped.

Alex quickly settled in to his strange new home. Tony's house was a converted industrial building in Lambeth. He'd bought it for a pittance in the early 1980's when he was a student at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Tony had done a lot of the conversion work himself. Two storeys and a large roof garden. First floor was Tony's and Jon's bedroom, three guest bedrooms and the large entertaining area. The kitchen on the ground floor had a dining area, den and exercise room. Alex's bedroom was on the ground floor, next to Tony's office. Alex had an en-suite with adapted shower and hand rails. A wider than average bed. And lots of floor space in case he needed to use his wheelchair.

There was a metal internal staircase to the first floor. But the ground floor was the main living space. Alex had a computer in his room and also new clothes, books and music.

Tony pushed Alex to school in his wheelchair. Alex was still bone tired from jet lag, underweight and he looked frail. There was a blanket on his lap and legs as the early December morning was damp and cold. The cold made Alex's legs throb with pain, making Alex look grey and drawn.

The first problem was the school steps. Alex got out of the wheelchair and accepted help from Jon. Alex saw the Year Seven kids were watching him as he slowly negotiated the four steps. The chair was manhandled up and Alex then resettled in it.

"Hello Alex. Welcome back." Stated Miss Bedfordshire warmly. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Umm I'd love a cup of black tea."

"And Mr Fletcher, Mr. Smith can I get you anything?" asked the school secretary, but both politely refused.

Mr Bray came into his office expecting to see the same athletic boy from the previous three years. He was a visibly shocked. "Oh! I was not told you were in a wheelchair, Alex."

"I'm just really tired today. Most days I get around fine. Its hard work with the prosthetics but I can walk just fine." explained Alex, knowing that Brookland had no wheelchair provision. The options had already been stated with a meeting at Lambeth Social Services when Alex first arrived back in London. If Brookland was not suitable, Alex would be a day pupil at St. Saviours' Boys School, two miles away but fully adapted for disabled children.

Umm Jon piped in "Lambeth Council have promised Alex a full time assistant to begin with to help him get around and carry things for him. He took his educational tests in Washington and should fit right back in with his Year Ten Classmates." Mr. Bray knew he should have read the Alex's file in more detail, the explanation of months in hospital was as far as the teacher had got. He'd been expecting Alex to have had a short stay at a Young Offender's Unit considering his behaviour in the last two terms of Year 9.

"So. What happened Alex?" the teacher asked.

Alex took a deep breath and got on with the cover story. "I was placed with new foster parents during the summer holidays, we went on holiday to Cuba. There was a boating accident. Belinda and Tom died. I was hurt, my right foot and lower left leg had to be amputated. I got a post op infection and was in ICU and high dependency care for a month. There was problems with my status in Cuba. It could have been a real diplomatic incident. I should not have left California and the Cuban Social Services had US and British Embassies to deal with to sort the whole mess out. I was looked after by some lovely people on Cuba and I was offered the chance of staying there. Then I got double pneumonia last month, I went to Washington DC as a medical emergency." Alex had barely breathed as he blurted out his cover story. "Umm Tony and Jon are my new foster parents."

Mr. Bray looked at the two men. He'd heard of Lambeth's fairly open fostering policy, not that he agreed with it, but it looked like Alex was settled. "Ok any other concerns, the school should be aware of."

"Alex has physiotherapy once a week and therapy twice a week. He is on anti depressants, twice daily, which he will take at home. Alex will be carrying tranquilizers, and only takes them if he needs to, or if you think he needs to"

"Therapy?"

"Grief therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. For Ian and the Gardiner's deaths. Alex had been quite down since the accident as well. He's had a lot to deal with. His T cell count is still on the low side. So he's likely to miss school with every illness making the rounds. His stomach is weak and he could vomit for England at the moment." Alex's prolonged bouts of vomiting had meant a visit to St. Dominic's and a foodintolerance was suspected

"Shut Up!" stated an embarrassed Alex.

Jon smiled at Alex's outburst but still continued "We hope Alex can use the School Pool for swimming. He was swimming every day in Washington."

"Umm I'm sure he could swim whenever he likes. The assistant from the council will supervise this as well?" Bray asked taking notes.

"Maybe we are still arguing over hours. Swimming is good for core strength, something Alex lacks after three months in hospital."

Jon then added "Alex is looking forward to starting school again in the new year."

I'll have discussions with Louisa At Lambeth Social Services. I'm glad Alex wants to come back. For two and a half years he was a model pupil. The hiccups last year are understandable due to his uncle dying" Mr Bray did not add about his thoughts on the parenting skills, or lack of, displayed by Ms. Jack Starbright. That woman had no idea where the boy was half the time, and made up pathetic excuses of various illnesses. "I'm sure we can get all the details worked out, in the mean time. Alex will be most welcome back".

It was lunch time when they left. Tom Harris was standing outside Mr Brays office when Alex emerged. The news had flown around school that Alex had returned looking like a ghost and in a wheelchair.

"Hey Tom." Alex shifted uncomfortably and fidgeting with his blanket.

"Hey Alex, I heard a rumour that Druggie Rider was back." asked the black haired boy who seemed to have grown into a giant during the six months Alex had been away.

"I'm back, I'm bad." Alex stated without enthusiasm.

"So what happened. You disappeared before the summer hols. No phone calls no postcards. Forget I existed did you?"

"Umm Tom. Is it?" Jon cut in. "Can you come visit Alex later. He needs to get home, eat and rest. Come by after school. 155 Christchurch Road."

"Sure See you later Alex." Tom was still in two minds whether to go or not to bother.

Tom arrived outside the weirdest looking house. He could have sworn it was a factory. He was faced by a high brick wall with razor wire on the top. There was an intercom. Tom was buzzed straight in. There were two nice cars in the yard, in front of a former works. Alex's new parents were obviously quite well off. It was a far cry from the council maisonette Tom lived in. The large kitchen opened onto an area with a large sofa, a smaller sofa and a huge TV, and home cinema system. There was a poster for Cabin Monsters on the wall. Alex was asleep on the sofa.

"So Tom, can I get you milk or orange juice. We even have coca cola in the house. The one drink Alex does not puke up." stated to slim, tall brown haired man wearing jogging bottoms and a Cambridge Uni T-shirt.

"Coke please. So Alex has been really ill?" Tom did not really belive it. Alex had not been ill the previous year. Just been in fights by the look of him.

"Really ill, he's still quite weak at the moment. Traveling back from the states has completely knocked him for six. He'll get better. He needs rest, good food and exercise."

"Oh like football"

Tom was cut off when, In a firm low voice, Jon commanded, "No, you are not allowed to mention football."

It was then that Tom noted the two prosthetic legs by the sofa. "Oh Christ. What the fuck happened"

"Boating accident. Double amputation. Alex nearly died from a post op infection. He had pneumonia last month. They got that straight away with very strong antibiotics. Hospitals in the US are the best in the world. He's lucky to be alive."

"Jesus. We all thought he was faking his absences last year." Tom suddenly looked down, regretful of his doubts about his best friend. He'd only come over to tell Alex to get lost and the James and Dean were who Tom hung out with now.

Jon continues "Grief affects everyone differently. The doc in the US thought Alex might have leukemia." Another half truth, they had all suspected Alex had HIV/AIDS but that little fact was in Alex's top secret medical file. "His T-cell count is low. First Ian dying, then his foster parents died in the boating accident. Jack was offered his guardianship full time but she bailed."

Tom had wondered about Jack, she had been trying to get custody of Alex but had major problems with her visa and residency, "Jack left him? The bitch."

"He needs full time care at the moment. He'll recover eventually. With recovery will come other problems."

"Like what?"

"The psychological damage caused by watching people die and almost dying himself. He was just beginning to bond with his foster parents when the accident happened. He will likely be a bloody nightmare, but we will get through it and Alex will recover, evolve, cope and thrive. He'll need his friends."

Tom blushed at that statement "Ohh. Well I was the only one left talking to him last year. Even James thought he was a weirdo. Everyone said he was doing drugs."

"So taking antidepressants is doing drugs is it. He's still on antidepressants and is likely to be taking them for a while. The boat accident is something he's still dealing with. I won't tell you want I think about Jack. She took one look at him in hospital and bailed. Well, when the going gets tough you find out who your true friends are."

Tom then decided he really like Jon, bent or not, This bloke was good for Alex, a proper Dad. "You sound like your talking from experience."

Jon almost sneered "When I came out. Most of my friends and family told me to fuck off. My Aunt Silvia stuck by me and three of my uni buddies did. The rest were complete tossers."

"Alex was my only friend in Year 7 and 8. Then I made the football team and people who wouldn't give me the time of day suddenly talked to me and exactly the opposite happened to Alex after Ian died. Kids are bastards sometimes." A strange understanding had come over Tom. Alex was still Alex. Friends were friends. He'd stick it out even if Alex was a complete nut job.

"Ohh Alex is waking up." stated Jon suddenly.

Tom looked at the unmoving prone figure on the sofa and questioned "How can you tell?".

"His breathing changed." was said in a quiet voice by Jon and then louder he spoke to Alex "Afternoon Al, Tom is here. I'll leave you guys to hang out. There are rice crackers in the cupboard and mung bean salad in the fridge if you are hungry."

Tom looked at Jon like he was talking a foreign language. Jon just smiled and went upstairs.

Alex had sat up and was smiling. "Yeah, Tony is a health food nut. There's also brown bread and peanut butter, organic of course as well."

"No chips?" Christ maybe Alex's foster parents were just too weird thought Tom, a life without junk food would be hell on earth for him. Then again Jack had been fucking weird as well.

Alex cheerily told his friend as he put on his false legs "Chips, crisps and sweets are forbidden and the work of the devil. I have been brainwashed completely by Tony into his weird super healthy lifestyle."

"So its worse than Jacks cooking?" Tom deadpanned.

"No not that bad." When Jack had first started working for Ian she had burnt instant noodles. "I made the bread by the way. Tony read an article that baking was good for getting over psychological trauma."

"Bullshit!" exclaimed the dark haired boy.

"My words exactly." laughed Alex.

Tom was now seriously worried by Alex's new parents "You'll be telling me that the top of the range TV had children's controls and we can only watch CBeebies."

"No I can even watch porn. Not that I want to. Its just too bad to contemplate." Alex had noted all the channels were completely unrestricted.

"What really?" Tom looked astonished.

"Awful scripts, bad acting. Its like drama club at school." Alex did not tell Tom that he didn't need to watch porn as his dreams and nightmares were full of memories of the real thing.

Tom had seen a strange blank look cross Alex's face. No Alex was not OK. Still Alex but different, "So how are you really Alex?

"OK, its better now I have Tony and Jon. They care. I had to nearly die to get a proper family."

"Proper? Gay parents like something out of a bad sitcom."

"Well I'm surprised Tony isn't writing it now." quipped Alex.

"He's a writer?"

"No actor. Cabin Monsters. Cop Chop." Tony in the early 1990's had made a series of very low budget slasher horror movies with a group of friends. They had became underground favourites of British teenagers. Bad sets, terrible effects but the scripts and acting made the most of the tongue in cheek humour.

Tom finally connected the handsome stranger he had met briefly this morning to his battered video collection "OMG!"

"Yeah all our favourites." smiled Alex. Alex had watched them all with Tom. Bad horror movies were one of the long list of things not approved of by Ian Rider.

"You lucky bastard. He played the best evil overlord ever. Dr Kurt Hymen in Spy Kill." Tom blurted out. Then it clicked "He's mummy isn't he."

"Yes. Totally and absolutely lovely. My mummy is the mutant cyborg." Then Alex laughed.

After Alex had recovered from his fit of laughter Tom whispered "So why can't I mention football?"

"Ohh, one of the nurses' in DC found out I was a big Chelsea fan. He got a video of the lastest game and put it on for me. Well, I had a bit of a freaky because it kind of hit me there and then that I'd never be able to play again. I wanted... you know ... to play professionally. Well, my freaky was a bit violent. Jon and Tony walked in on two nurses restraining me and the doc sedating me. So no talk of football."