by Ella Craig
‘Thanks, Jenny, but don’t try to talk, you’ll wear yourself out. I gave them your mum’s number; she’ll meet us at the hospital.’
Hospital? Someone must be ill. Hey, I’m flying now, floating up and gliding along. Inna box, I’m in a big box, like being in a fish tank. Stop staring at me. Go away. Batten down the hatches. Close cover before striking. I want to go home, smells funny in here. Wait a minute can’t go yet. Did Miles want to kill Kath or the cat? S’not going to help my insurance claim. Something’s missing, not complete yet...
‘Jim.’ Getting harder to form words, drifting off somewhere.
‘What?’
‘Zzzhhimmm...’
‘What did she say?’
‘She’s asking for Jim, her boyfriend. I’ll call him.’ Miles rummaged through his pockets. ‘I’ll go to the phone box. Where is my bloody wallet? Must be in the car. Do you have any change? Shit, I don’t know Jim’s number. Do you think he’ll be in the phone book?’
‘Calm down mate; we’ll sort everything out at the hospital.’ Nick pushed Miles back into his seat. ‘Don’t worry; these things always look worse than they are.’
‘You’re not having me on, are you?’
‘No, the head wound requires stitching. She’s got a couple of cracked ribs. Doesn’t appear to be any internal injuries. Her right leg’s a mess, but she’s not in danger of losing it. The rest is shock.’ His matter-of-fact voice had a soothing effect on Miles.
‘Are you sure?’
Nick nodded. ‘I’ve witnessed enough accidents now to diagnose the injuries from the state of the wreck. I can also tell by the skid marks you weren’t speeding.’ He gave Miles a reassuring smile. ‘You’ll both be all right.’
No flashing lights and sirens just a dull ache in her leg, but what was clinging to her face? Something out of Alien. Pull! Ow, won’t let go, stubborn bugger.
‘Hey, careful with the mask, I’ll do that.’ The Alien came away. ‘Hello, Jennifer, I’m Staff Nurse Atkins. You are at Derriford Hospital. Can you remember what happened last night?’
‘Did I drink too much and dance naked on the table?’
‘I’m afraid you won’t be doing much drinking or dancing for a while. Do you recall anything?’
‘Going to Sainsbury’s with Miles and driving to meet Kath. I think a cat ran out in front of me, and I hit the brakes and ended up here, everything is fuzzy at the moment.’
‘It is six in the morning, and you are in post-op. They had to operate on your leg and put you in traction.’ The nurse waved towards the end of the bed. ‘The doctor will explain the—’
‘Nuts and bolts?’ Jenny butted in. She stared at the complicated pulley system holding her plastered leg aloft.
‘I was going to say the intricacies of your operation. Apart from the leg, your ribs and a three-inch gash in your head, you are in the best of health.’
‘Don’t make me laugh, it hurts.’ She closed her eyes and thought of the cat, but it wasn’t a cat that made her lose control. ‘The bloke in the car with me, Miles, how is he?’
‘He’s fine and waiting outside with a coach load of people eager to write rude messages on your cast.’
‘News travels fast in these here parts,’ said Jenny. ‘Will you tell them to go away? I can’t cope with visitors now, although I would like to talk to Miles, could you sneak him in here without the others seeing?’
‘You shouldn’t be seeing anyone until the doctor has been in, and the police are here to take a statement, but I’ll do what I can.’
Miles looked dreadful with grey skin and huge dark circles under his eyes. She noticed bloodstains on his shirt.
‘Is that yours?’ Jenny asked.
‘Not a drop, this is all yours. I am just a mass of bruises. You and your poor old mini had the worst of it.’ Miles took her hand. ‘I’m sorry. I did this to you, if I hadn’t been going on about Kath, you would never have had this accident.’
‘Don’t be daft. I am sure someone said something about a cat in the road.’
‘There was a little old dear flapping because she couldn’t find her pussy.’
Jenny giggled until the pain in her side told her to stop.
‘I was not being rude,’ said Miles in an indignant voice.
‘I bet. Now listen, Miles, if anyone asks, say it was a cat. I can hardly tell the police I crashed the car because you threatened to kill yourself or Kath. We will both be locked up. Let’s stick with the cat story; we already have a witness.’
‘I can’t.’ Miles was shocked by the idea. ‘I must tell them the truth.’
‘And what is the truth?’
‘We were rowing, and I distracted your attention. It was my fault; I’ll tell the police, besides it’s not right to tell lies.’
'Good old Miles, always the Boy Scout but if we don’t cover this up things could get messy.’
‘Why can’t we tell the truth?’
‘What else do we say? If we tell everyone I swerved to avoid a cat, I won’t be prosecuted for reckless driving, and the RSPCA will probably give me a medal.’
‘No, you can’t take the blame for something I made you do.’
‘It doesn’t matter. We had an accident leaving me with no car and a leg in plaster, but I still have my driving licence, which I would like to keep.’
Jenny realised Miles was not convinced, but she had a way to make him change his mind.
‘How do you think Kath will take this?’
‘Kath?’
‘What do you think she will say or do when she finds out I crashed my car because we were arguing about her?’
Jenny prayed Miles would see sense. ‘If the cause of the accident is put down to a cat-in-the-road life will be a lot easier.’
‘I didn’t think of that.’
‘Miles, if we tell the truth we risk inflicting untold damage on Kath, my insurance claim, and your sanity.’
Jenny lapsed into silence and watched his facial contortions with interest.
‘Never knew this would ever happen,’ he said with a tired wonder in his voice. ‘To do the decent thing, I must tell a lie.’
‘Welcome to the real world, baby boy.’ Jenny smiled with relief. ‘I hope you enjoyed your baptism by fire.’
so good to be back home again
A worried phone call does not a relationship make; don’t blow everything out of proportion, Miles told himself. Of course, she cried, but with relief or joy? It didn’t matter, but hearing Kath’s voice again after so many months, so tender and inviting, maybe this time would be the right time. Yeah right, join the queue! Well, faint heart never won fair lady. He should follow Jenny’s advice and press his suit with a little more ardour, but not without a wee dram of Dutch courage first. Miles rummaged through the sideboard in the dining room and failed to find anything alcoholic.
‘Mickey, any whisky in this place?’
‘We drank the bourbon last night. In fact, we drank the place dry, apart from the cooking sherry.’ Mickey appeared in the kitchen doorway. He wore a plastic apron and a haggard smile.
‘Brilliant, I’ll take mine on the rocks with a twist of lemon,’ said Miles, always one for trying to make the best of a bad thing.
‘No you won’t!’ An angry voice bellowed from the kitchen. ‘I need the sherry for my trifle.’
‘Allie, darling, it is for Miles. Remember what he’s been through.’
‘Don’t try the sympathy ploy on me and, by the way, your cheese sauce is burning.’
‘Bugger!’ Mickey dashed back to the kitchen.
‘Can I pour a small one?’ Miles followed him.
‘Dan and Sue are bringing some wine; they’ll be here soon. Will you leave the sherry alone?’ Allie snatched the bottle from Miles and slammed it down on the counter where Mickey made a grab for it.
‘Keep away from my sherry, will you?’ Allie slapped Mickey with a spatula.
‘I am moving the bottle to get to the hob to sort out my cheese sauce.’
‘Jim, how do you fancy driving me down to the off-license to pick up some whisky or something?’
‘Love to, mate.’
Jim’s enthusiasm probably had something to do with the way Liz oozed across the settee towards him. He pushed Miles out of the room, leaving the hapless Barry to Liz’s tender mercies. Oblivious, John sat in the corner doing the Guardian crossword.
‘Everyone is here.’ Jim squeezed his metro into the tiniest of parking spaces. ‘There’s Darren’s car.’ He pointed to a black Audi. ‘He and Kath went to visit Jenny before coming here.’ Jim paused as he got out of the car. ‘Do you want to come with me this evening?’
‘No, you go on your own. Tell her I’ll pop in tomorrow. Tell her...’ Miles dragged himself on to the pavement. ‘I have no idea what to say.’
‘Come on, mate, don’t blame yourself,’ Jim smiled at Miles. ‘Jenny’s going to be OK, but what about you?’
‘Eh?’
‘Drinking straight from the bottle.’
‘Oh, that.’ Miles took another swig. ‘My nerves are shot to hell. I can’t stop thinking about it all.’
‘I know what you mean, when I got the phone call last night, I could hardly breathe and I didn’t stop throwing up. You always imagine the worst.’
Miles gave himself a mental slapping for being such a selfish knob. He wasn’t thinking of Jenny, he was thinking of Kath. It was always about Kath for him. This time he would give it everything he had. If he could control his bowels. He had butterflies the size of elephants down there. Either that or it was horrendous wind. He took a deep breath and another mouthful of whiskey before following Jim into the house.
The atmosphere was no longer tense and fretful. A euphoric glow had developed even though one of the intended guests was laid up in hospital. A beguiling smell of roast beef drifted from the kitchen, and ripples of laughter floated out of the lounge. It had a calming effect on Miles, or was that the whisky? He moved through the flat, searching, hungry, cautious.
She smiled at him, and time slowed down. In freeze frame motion, Kath launched herself from the chair and flew across the room towards him, knocking Dan out of the way. She radiated sheer joy as she wrapped her arms around him. Her laugh lifted his spirits, and her tears soothed his soul.
Miles listened with pleasure to the voice telling him how much she missed him, and how wonderful to have him back. Now would be the perfect time to die, but time unglued itself and life returned to its normal pace. Kath babbled incoherent questions and didn’t wait for answers. Miles didn’t care because this welcome gave him hope, whatever happened next was up to him.
‘Your hair!’ He ran his hands over her head. ‘Very Sarah Con—’
‘Don’t you start, and I look nothing like her.’
‘Let others be the judge of that, but it suits you like this.’
‘Do you really think so?’ Same old Kath looking for pats on the head but always expecting kicks in the teeth.
‘Yeah, I could fancy you myself.’ Miles tried to hide the serious edge in his voice. He wouldn’t make a move now, not with a strange dark-haired bloke staring at him with such hatred. It was like being the victim of a physical assault. This must be the infamous Darren. He looked a little unstable. How much had he been drinking? Miles swung Kath around and blocked Darren’s glare of wrath.
‘Mind my specs!’
He straightened her glasses. ‘There you go, four-eyes.’
She giggled and pinched the end of his nose. ‘I hope you are back for good; I had no one to play with when you left. Now Jenny’s put herself in hospital I need you more than ever. Shall we go and see her later? We didn’t go this morning because Darren turned up late.’
He hated hearing her say another man’s name with such casualness.
‘Between you and me,’ she continued, ‘Darren’s been acting weird lately, positively schizoid. He’s up and down all over the place.’
‘Shall we have him committed,’ Miles laughed. One way to remove a rival.
‘You stink of whisky,’ she said. ‘You always did.’
Throughout lunch, during the washing up and later on back in the lounge, they were oblivious to the others, talking about old exploits and planning new ones. Miles forgot the presence of everyone else in the room until Allie asked how to cheer up Jenny.
‘We have some amazing ideas,’ Kath announced from her perch on the arm of his chair, her feet curled up in his lap. ‘But we must set up rota system, or she will be swamped with visitors.’
General agreement greeted this, and they worked out a visiting timetable consulting diaries and checking dates. Except for Darren, he stood on his own with his back to them and hands shoved in his pockets. His suppressed energy unnerved Miles and made him want to push Darren through the window. He was a human black hole, sucking all life towards him, which would explain how he attracted Kath, Miles thought sourly, if not enviously.
‘Great! Everything is sorted for the next week or so,’ said Kath. ‘Miles will organise the strippergram so let’s have a whip round.’
‘Do you think that will help Jenny get better?’ Darren sneered. ‘A stripper is a bit childish, isn’t it?’
‘Not if you are stuck in hospital,’ Kath said. ‘Nothing like a well-hung man to cheer you up.’
‘And you’d know all about that?’ Darren was drunk and bristling with pent-up anger. This much was obvious to everyone except, Miles realised, Kath.
‘What’s wrong with you, Darren? Every time I say something to you, you bite my head off.’
‘What’s wrong? Where shall I begin? How about the way you ignored me this afternoon?’ He turned from the window and glared at Kath.
‘I did not, you—’
‘Yes, you did, and it’s not the first time,’ Darren cut her off. ‘You come on strong then you freeze me out. What the fuck are you playing at?’
Kath stared first at Miles then around the rest of the room. Her eyes begged someone to stop this before things got too silly. No such luck, silence rang out, and no one moved. A perfect study of embarrassed friends in still life.
Miles coughed and began to speak, but Darren interrupted him.
‘I wouldn’t bother with her, sunshine; neither of us is in her league. We won’t get anywhere with this cold-hearted, ball-breaking bitch.’
‘Watch your mouth,’ said Miles. ‘There is no need for talk like that.’ He attempted to stand, but Kath’s feet were in danger of emasculating him. He grabbed her ankles with impotent fury.
‘Come on, Darren, cool it,’ Jim moved to Darren and put a hand on his shoulder, while Dan sidled round into a suitable position on Darren’s other side.
‘Don’t worry; I’m not going to do anything stupid.’ Darren pushed his way past them and stalked towards the door.
‘I am leaving now, Kath.’ He stopped in the doorway. ‘You can come with me, or you can stay here. I almost don’t care what you do but if you stay, understand this, we are finished. Will it be me or him?’
‘I’m staying here,’ said Kath in flat tones. ‘So you can knob off, and don’t bother coming back.’
‘I won’t,’ Darren turned to Jim, ‘Give Jenny my best wishes.’ He nodded at Mickey and Allie. ‘Thanks for the lunch.’ He directed his final words at Kath. ‘We could have had something together, but you wouldn’t give me anything to work with, and I hope I never set eyes on you again.’
‘Are you going to let him go like that?’ Liz asked as Darren stormed out banging doors behind him.
‘Yes, he’s been nothing but trouble,’ Kath did her best not to cry. ‘Darren certainly knows how to live
n up a party.’ Her attempt at humour fell flat. She stood up. ‘I can’t cope with this.’
‘I’ll go and speak to him,’ said Liz.
‘Good idea,’ said Miles. ‘He’s had too much to drink.’
Liz hurried after Darren. After a pause, Kath ran from the room. Her footsteps, accompanied by loud sobs, thundered down the passageway. A door slammed and then silence.
Miles rose from his chair. ‘It might be best if we didn’t mention this for a while. I’ll go to her now.’ As he left, he heard Jim try to inject some normality back into the room.
‘Kath, it’s me, Miles, will you let me in?’
The bolt was drawn and the toilet door opened to reveal a red-faced and tear-stained child.
‘You OK?’ Miles fumbled in his pocket and brought out a Winnie the Pooh handkerchief.
‘I’ll live,’ Kath gave him a weak smile. ‘What a homecoming!’ She snorted into the hankie.
‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you did this to entertain me.’
Kath gave him a lopsided grin, and Miles couldn’t help grinning back at her. He stepped forward and gave her a hug, hunching over to rest his chin on the top of her head.
‘Oh, Miles, what am I going to do?’
‘With Darren?’ He tensed. ‘Do you love him?’
Kath paused for what felt like several small eternities. ‘No, I don’t. I never did. I’m not sure why I got mixed up with him in the first place.’
‘So, you and he are definitely over?’
‘Yes. We would argue, not speak for days, Darren would come back, and we’d start all over again.’ Kath shrugged. ‘That is not the way to make a relationship work. I’ll leave it a couple of days, and I’ll tell him we’re through.’
Miles somehow avoided punching the air and shouting hooray.
breaking up is hard to do
‘Sorry I’m late, I missed the bus. May I sit down, please?’ Kath cringed at the formality and politeness in her voice.
Darren indicated a chair without looking at her. He sat staring at a point above her head. He had finally agreed to meet her. In a foul burger bar and knowing Kath didn’t drive, he chose the most awkward one to get to by bus. The bright and boppy Muzak was already getting on Kath’s nerves, but Darren was impervious to everything, including her. This promised to be a difficult meeting.