Danger by Association: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 3

by Heather Burnside

  He then demonstrated, breathing deeply and sticking out his stomach in an exaggerated manner then letting his breath go slowly. Daniel copied his actions and for several minutes they stood on the pavement practising deep breathing. The passers-by were too consumed with their own troubles to bother about this unusual activity.

  “Right, are we ready to go now?” asked Rita.

  Before Daniel could object to the walk, Yansis lifted him up and put him on his back.

  “But you’re cut, Yansis,” said Rita.

  “It’s OK. He’s only light and it won’t make any difference to my cuts.”

  Rita was full of admiration for Yansis as he struggled the rest of the way up Deansgate carrying Daniel.

  “Just keep doing your deep breathing Daniel. We’ll soon reach those ambulances there,” she said, pointing. “Then a nice man or lady will give you something to help you feel better.”

  Once they arrived at the ambulances, Daniel was given oxygen and they were taken to Manchester General Hospital. It was a blow for Rita. The last time she visited hospital was when she lost her sister. In her haste to get help for Daniel and Yansis, she hadn’t thought about the impact of a hospital visit. But as they approached the entrance, she could feel her heartbeat quickening as memories of her sister’s death flooded her mind.

  They staggered inside, dazed, and sat down among the many other injured people while the press pounced like pigeons foraging for scraps.

  Any hopes of seeing an end to their suffering were soon shattered. The waiting room of the Accident and Emergency department was already packed and, as more casualties from the bombing arrived, the place became overcrowded. People smoked to calm their frayed nerves until a dense fug hung over the room. This exacerbated Daniel’s breathing difficulties.

  Although they were among the first casualties to arrive, they still had to wait two hours to be seen by a doctor in a department that was overworked and understaffed. The receptionist informed them on arrival that Daniel would be considered high priority due to his age and his asthma.

  After a while Yansis lost his seat: there were too many people arriving whose need was greater. He joined lots of others who were forced to either stand or sit on the floor. Rita clung to her chair, nursing Daniel on her knee. She thought he was going through enough without having to endure the discomfort of the floor.

  “My chest feels poorly, Mummy,” Daniel complained, so Rita sent Yansis in search of a doctor.

  “If they can’t see him yet, ask them to let us have an inhaler, at least,” she pleaded. “Will you ring my mam and Julie as well, and let them know what’s happened please, Yansis?”

  She passed Yansis her mobile, grateful that she had it. At least they weren’t having to scout around for change, and then queue up to use the public phone, unlike many of those here.

  As she sat waiting to be attended to, Rita watched a stream of people enter the waiting room. Bloody, bedraggled and distressed. Some were silent with shock. Others spoke in harried, clipped sentences, emitting shallow breaths between words of devastation. They repeated stilted, clichéd phrases: “I can’t believe it!” “Oh my God!” “It’s hell!” It was their only way to describe such a traumatic experience; their minds were too numbed to find other words.

  It was several minutes before Yansis returned. “It is no good, Rita. All the doctors are busy with patients. I tried to wait till one was available, but a nurse told me to wait out here. She said Daniel will be seen as soon as possible.”

  Rita knew there was no point kicking up a fuss. The staff wouldn’t see them any quicker. Besides, her conscience wouldn’t allow her: some of the people here were in a much worse state.

  “OK,” she sighed. “Did you ring my mam and Julie?”

  “Yes, I told Julie but your mother’s phone was engaged.”

  “Thanks. I’ll just have to try my mam again later if I get a chance.”

  In the end, Rita had no choice but to let Yansis keep their seat while she took Daniel outside for some air.

  Rita wasn’t comfortable about Daniel being a part of this situation either. Everywhere she looked there were people sick, in pain or bleeding. She was worried that Daniel would already be traumatised by the bomb, and being surrounded by so many bloody and distraught people would only make matters worse.

  Aside from all that, they were fed up. There was nothing to do but listen to endless speculation about the bomb, or read out-of-date magazines. The latter was out of the question for Rita as she was busy looking after Daniel, and keeping him calm. Although Yansis offered to take over and give her a break, she thought Daniel needed her at the moment.

  Unfortunately, with nothing to take Rita’s mind off things, the impact of the bomb hit home. They were all suffering from delayed shock, and the thought of how much worse things could have been was preoccupying Rita.

  She was thankful when Daniel’s name was called out. Once they went through to the treatment rooms, a nurse assessed Daniel and provided more oxygen to ease his breathing until the doctor could get to him. When Rita saw some of the people who were waiting to see a doctor, she wasn’t surprised that Daniel wasn’t attended to first. She didn’t envy the job of the staff who would have to decide the order of precedence among so many sick and injured.

  The medical staff treated all three of them at the same time. Rita only had superficial wounds so it was just a matter of cleaning them up. Yansis and Daniel, on the other hand, had deeper cuts that needed stitches. Yansis went to have his cuts tended to while Rita stayed with Daniel. She held his hand to comfort him while he screamed as the doctor plunged the needle into him repeatedly.

  When the doctor finished stitching Daniel, Rita heaved a sigh of relief, “Thank God for that. I just need to find my husband now so we can all go home,” she said.

  “I’m sorry but I think it’s best if we don’t send your son home just yet,” said the doctor.

  Rita looked at him in astonishment.

  “Your son has suffered a great deal of distress and also inhaled a large amount of dust. In view of the fact that he is asthmatic, I would prefer to keep him in overnight for observation. There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a precaution, but it’s best to be on the safe side. He’s one of the youngest victims of the bomb blast, and shock can do strange things to people.”

  “Oh … right. I-I’ll let my husband know so we can fetch his pyjamas and stuff.”

  “If you want to stay with your son for now, I can go and let your husband know,” volunteered a helpful nurse on seeing the look of dismay on Rita’s face. “Don’t worry about pyjamas. It’s only for one night; I’m sure he’ll manage with a hospital gown.”

  “Y-yeah, thank you,” said Rita, her voice breaking.

  She could feel a lump forming in her throat, and knew that the staff would see her reaction as a little extreme. But she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want Daniel to stay in hospital, but she was too concerned about him to go against the doctor’s advice.

  Although the doctor told her not to worry, she wasn’t reassured. She didn’t want to come to hospital in the first place, not after what happened to Jenny. However, she had regarded it as a quick patch up and then home, and that thought had kept her going. But the idea of her son staying overnight was too much. And, once again, memories of her dying sister flooded her mind.

  “Will I be able to stay with him tonight?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry but I’m afraid that won’t be possible. There aren’t enough beds. We’re full to capacity at the moment because of the bomb blast,” said the doctor. Then, seeing the expression on Rita’s face, he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before adding, “Don’t worry, my nurses will look after him well. He’ll be absolutely fine. If you can wait here with Daniel, one of the staff will let you know when we have a bed ready on the ward.”

  Then he was gone before Rita could say anything more.

  When Yansis returned, Rita gabbled, “He’s got to stay in overnight be
cause of his asthma.” Her voice was shaking. “They won’t let me stay. They said there’s not enough beds.”

  “I’m sure it is for the best,” said Yansis. “The doctors know what they are doing.”

  “I’m not leaving him on his own!” Rita snapped. “If there’s not enough beds then I’ll just have to sleep in a bloody visitor’s chair.”

  Yansis sat down next to her and took her hands in his, “Rita, calm down and tell me exactly what the doctor said. Are they concerned about Daniel’s asthma?”

  Rita swallowed before replying. As she repeated the doctor’s words, the situation didn’t sound quite as dramatic as her behaviour suggested, “The doctor said not to worry. It’s just a precaution because of his asthma and his age. Because of the shock of the bomb.”

  “I think the doctor is right. There is nothing to worry about,” He looked at Daniel who had fallen asleep, “His breathing already seems a lot better, and I think he will be fine. You need some rest too, Rita. It has been a very tiring and stressful day for all of us. If you sit in a chair all night, you won’t be able to sleep, and you will feel much worse tomorrow.”

  He released his hold on her hands and gently stroked her upper arm, “Come back to Julie and Vinny’s with me, and we will feel much better when we see Daniel tomorrow.”

  Yansis was putting forward a very persuasive argument. If she was honest with herself, the events of the day had got to her, and she felt tense. He was right: spending all night in a hospital chair would only make her feel worse, and that wouldn’t do Daniel any good. She knew that she would do a much better job of looking after Daniel if she felt well herself.

  Apart from a good night’s sleep, what she also needed right now was a good, stiff drink to calm her nerves. So, against her better judgement, she agreed with Yansis that they would leave Daniel in the hospital overnight.

  “I want to settle him into the ward first though, and make sure he’s still asleep when we leave him.”

  “Of course, I want that too,” said Yansis.

  By the time Daniel was allocated to a ward, it was late evening. Apart from a few murmurings, he stayed asleep while they transferred him into the hospital bed.

  “That Calpol they gave him must have done the trick,” said Rita. “He’s still flat out.”

  They both smiled fondly at Daniel before kissing him on the cheek and leaving the hospital.

  Chapter 8

  Saturday 15th June 1996 - Evening

  Manchester Daily Herald

  (evening edition)

  Bomb Rips through City Centre

  A huge bomb tore through the city centre this morning, injuring over 200 people.

  The enormous blast occurred at approximately 11:20 from a device believed to have been planted in a van. The vehicle was parked outside the Arndale shopping centre on Corporation Street, directly across the road from Marks and Spencer.

  Police believe the bomb to have been the work of the IRA following a telephone warning to a local television station at 10:00. The caller used a recognised IRA code word.

  This is the second largest IRA attack on the British mainland, and the seventh IRA attack since the group broke its ceasefire in February.

  After receiving the warning, police set up a cordon 400 metres around the suspect van. Police and other emergency services cleared the immediate vicinity of thousands of shoppers.

  Army bomb disposal experts were called in to examine the van and carry out a controlled explosion. However, the bomb went off before they were able to do so.

  Of the 200 plus injured, seven of them were serious, and a number of them were outside the cordoned area. Injuries were sustained as a result of debris and flying glass.

  Many of the injured were taken to hospital by ambulance. Those with less serious injuries walked to one of three hospitals, which were on standby to receive the injured.

  Among the first casualties to arrive at Manchester General Hospital were Rita Christos, Yansis Christos, Daniel Christos …

  ***

  Raeni stared at the newspaper print, the names registering in her memory. Rita Christos, Yansis Christos and Daniel Christos. Although she didn’t know the name of Rita’s husband she knew he was Greek, and Christos certainly sounded Greek to her. She knew the name of her grandson though. His other grandmother, Joan, had told her when she made enquiries about him. It was Daniel.

  She was convinced it must be them. It was too much of a coincidence not to be.

  So, they were back in Manchester. And nobody even bothered to tell her. She put the newspaper to one side. She’d read enough for now. As devastating as the news was, she had her own sorrows to think about.

  “What’s wrong with you?” asked Jamal, on noticing her pained expression.

  Raeni looked up at him through sad eyes, “My grandchild come home and nobody told me,” she replied, the Jamaican patois becoming more pronounced in her agitation.

  “What you on about?”

  “Daniel, Leroy’s boy. Who you think I’m on about? He’s been in the bomb. Look, here! It’s in the news,” she said, thrusting the newspaper towards him.

  “Well where is he now?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know where they’re staying.”

  “Well you need to find out!” said Jamal, his anger rising. “He’s your fuckin’ grandkid. They’ve no right to keep him from you. He’s my dead brother’s kid too. That cheeky bitch had no right to take him over to Greece. It’s about time someone taught her a fuckin’ lesson.”

  “Alright, alright! No need for that language, boy. What have I told you about bad mouthing? I’m going round there now, see what his other grandmother can tell me.”

  Within a few minutes, Raeni walked the short distance to Joan and Ged’s house.

  “Where are they?” asked Raeni when Joan answered the door.

  “Who?”

  “You know who. They back from the hospital yet?”

  “What?”

  “You don’t know? About the bomb?”

  “Course I know about the bomb. It’s been on the news. But who are you talking about?”

  “They been in the bomb in town. It’s all over the papers. I know they been staying here. I seen their names in the paper. When your daughter comes back, you tell her I want to see my grandson. She got no right keeping him from me. She shouldn’t have taken him out of the country in the first place. I’m his grandmother …”

  “Oh my God! You mean Rita’s been in the bomb? Is she OK? What about Daniel and Yansis?” Joan interrupted.

  “Yes, they’re alright. Check the paper. It’s all in there. Minor injuries, it says. How long they been home anyway? And nobody bothered to tell me.”

  “I’ve got to go. I’ll have to ring the hospital, see how they are,” said Joan, and before Raeni could say anything more she shut the door firmly, leaving her standing on the other side.

  ***

  Sunday 16th June 1996 - Morning

  Despite Rita and Yansis’s eagerness to fetch Daniel home, it was 9.30 a.m. before they arrived at hospital the following day. There was a heavy build-up of traffic heading towards the centre of Manchester. This delayed them as the hospital was on the outskirts of the city centre. Rita surmised that a lot of the roads must still be blocked due to the aftermath of the bomb.

  As they entered the corridor that led to the children’s ward, they were greeted by the lovely nurse who had been so helpful to Rita the previous day. Rita was glad she could return her cheerful smile, now she was on her way to be reunited with her precious son.

  “He’s been absolutely fine,” said the nurse. “His asthma’s a lot better and he’s been enjoying himself in the playroom this morning. He’s a little angel, isn’t he? You’ll have to wait until the doctor does his rounds, but I think he’ll probably discharge him today.”

  Rita swelled with pride as they continued to make their way towards the children’s ward.

  Her bonhomie didn’t last long. As soon as they walked
through the door she sensed there was something wrong. It was like a sixth sense. An ominous foreboding. ‘Oh no. Please God, no!’ she thought.

  “Where is he? His bed’s empty?” she asked Yansis, the panic rising.

  “Do not worry Rita. Remember, the nurse said he was in the playroom. That will be where he still is. Let’s look.”

  Feeling momentarily reassured, she followed Yansis to the playroom but, as she had foreseen, he wasn’t there. She knew. She just knew. It was something about this hospital. She knew something bad was going to happen. She had felt it and ignored her intuition.

  “Where the hell is he?” she cried.

  “Don’t worry, Rita. We need to search properly, and ask all the nurses,” said Yansis.

  But Rita’s intuition proved true. Despite them and the nurses scouring the entire ward and surrounding corridors, nobody found Daniel anywhere. By this time. Yansis had also lost his calm demeanour.

  “Where can he be? I cannot believe he could walk out of a hospital and nobody would see him go.”

  “It’s because they’re not doing their bleedin’ job properly! I said we shouldn’t have left him,” said Rita. “Heads will fuckin’ roll over this. You mark my words.”

  Just at that moment, a senior hospital administrator appeared, and Rita vented her anger towards him while he tried to reassure them that the hospital staff were doing everything possible to find Daniel.

  “We’ve issued an alert throughout the hospital and are checking all the exits. We’ve also called the police. They will need to speak to you when they arrive. Is there anything I can get for you in the meantime?”

  “Not unless you can conjure up a five-year-old boy out of thin air,” Rita replied sarcastically.

  “Shussh, Rita. He is trying to help,” Yansis cajoled. He turned to the hospital administrator. “Can you bring us both a cup of coffee please?” he asked.

  When the administrator was gone, Rita said to Yansis, “I’m going out for a cig before the coppers get here. If they arrive before I’ve finished, they’ll just have to bleedin’ wait.”

  Rita was in turmoil. Between taking drags of her cigarette, she paced about outside the hospital. Desperate to catch a glimpse of Daniel. She peered through the windows into the corridors then watched people walk by. Young people. Old people. People with children. Boys. Girls. Teenagers. Toddlers.