Blood Brothers

by Josephine Cox

  ‘Want some flowers, dear?’

  A little woman had emerged from inside to fill the flower-buckets. ‘Two bunches for six shillings,’ she informed him. ‘’Course if you only want one bunch, that’ll be four shillings and five pence.’

  Frank opted for one bunch, and quickly counted out the money.

  ‘Which colour, dear?’ She held up two bunches of roses. ‘Pink or yellow?’

  ‘Either will do.’

  ‘Oh!’ She seemed surprised. ‘I’m sorry. I assumed you might be taking them in for your wife and new baby.’ She smiled. ‘How silly of me. I got the idea you might be a nervous new daddy.’

  A moment later she had wrapped the yellow roses and collected his money. ‘I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions,’ she apologised. ‘I hope whoever you’re visiting will like the flowers. They’re fresh in this morn—’

  Before she’d finished talking, he was gone. ‘Miserable devil!’ she grumbled. ‘Anyone can make a mistake!’ Then she reminded herself and felt guilty. ‘Don’t be too harsh, Eva,’ she chided herself. ‘The poor man is probably worried about his sick relative.’

  Looking very much like the concerned visitor, Frank held the flowers before him as he went to the reception desk. ‘Excuse me…’

  When the young nurse glanced up, he noticed she was quite a looker and he thought if this was a different occasion, he might well be tempted to ask her out. But he was on a very delicate and dangerous errand, so he kept focussed. ‘I understand my cousin was brought here, but I don’t know which ward he’s in. I wonder, could you please point me in the right direction?’ He gave his most encouraging smile.

  Instantly at ease with him, she smiled back. ‘I’ll do my best,’ she offered. ‘What’s your cousin’s name?’

  ‘It’s Joe…Joe Arnold…transferred from Bedford Hospital.’

  While she consulted her ledgers, he continued in a friendly easy manner, ‘We’re very close me and him…we virtually grew up together, but we kind of lost touch. I’ve been abroad this past year: on business…travelling with my company. As soon as my uncle managed to get hold of me, I cancelled everything and got back as quick as I could.’

  She nodded. ‘I see…’ After returning her attention to the ledger, she glanced up. ‘Joe Arnold…he’s the young man who was attacked.’

  ‘That’s right! And I’ve travelled a long way to give him my support.’

  She nodded agreeably. ‘I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t have too many visitors.’

  She thought of Joe Arnold, who was not much older than she was. From what she’d been told, he may never again stand on his own two feet. It was a daunting and terrible thing, especially for one so young.

  ‘He’ll be pleased to see you,’ she told Frank. ‘So far as I know, his parents have been the main visitors. Oh, and there’s Bob of course. He takes a few minutes every now and then to chat with your cousin…lets him know what’s going on in the outside world so to speak.’

  She smiled. ‘Mind you, I expect he enjoys a little break from the monotony.’

  Being careful not to sound too interested, Frank enquired, ‘Who’s Bob?’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry!’ She explained, ‘The police have posted him outside your cousin’s room. I expect they think he might still be in danger.’

  ‘That’s good,’ Frank declared. ‘It shows the police are taking this seriously.’

  ‘Yes, but I’m afraid you’ll need to tell him who you are and he’ll question you,’ she said. ‘Bob’s all right though. He’s not too authoritative. In fact, he’s a bit of a pussy cat really.’

  Frank assured her, ‘That’s all right. I don’t mind answering questions.’

  In the light of what he’d learned, Frank was already looking to take a moment and realign his plans. ‘Like I say, I’m here to support Joe,’ he said casually. ‘A bit of inconvenience is neither here nor there.’

  She added, ‘Oh, but you’ll need to wait a few minutes, because Nurse Barry is in there at the moment. She’s doing her regular check-ups, but she won’t be long now.’

  Gesturing to the seating area opposite, she told him, ‘You could wait there if you like. There’s a tea stall at the back.’

  She had another suggestion, ‘If you want, you could go up to the next floor. There’s a proper café up there. Well, when I say proper, I mean they sell biscuits and sandwiches, and there are a few tables and chairs. It’s where the nurses go to eat their lunch.’

  Frank was relieved to have been thrown a lifeline. ‘Good idea. In fact I am a bit peckish. Yes! Thank you. So, how long will the nurse be, d’you think?’

  The young nurse shrugged. ‘Ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Nurse Barry shouldn’t be much longer than that.’

  ‘Might I ask where the loos are?’ He feigned embarrassment. ‘I was in a rush to get here. Sorry!’

  ‘Down the corridor, on the right.’

  Fifteen minutes later, she had completed her filing, when Nurse Barry came rushing up to return the medical tray. ‘Got to go, Sally,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I didn’t realise what the time was, and I promised mother I’d pick her up the minute my shift was ended. She’s staying with me for a few days. She’s not been well, y’see?’

  ‘There was a visitor for…’ The young nurse started to tell her about Frank, but the older woman cut her off. ‘Sorry, can’t chat. I’ve really got to go…but look, I know you finish today, and I just want to say the best of luck travelling. Be careful, and stay well. I hope you enjoyed your short stint at the desk. You did a good job.’

  Reaching over the desk, she gave the young girl a quick hug then she was off, calling as she went, ‘Mother will be in such a cranky mood if I’m late again! When you get back to university, work hard and you’ll get where you want to go.’

  She was still calling as she went headlong out of the doors and across the car park.

  For a time, Frank kept his eyes peeled. He saw the nurse come hurrying to the desk. He saw her quickly leave and soon after that, he watched as the shift changed hands.

  ‘If you’re gonna do it, you’d best do it now!’ he told himself.

  Impatient to get inside with Joe, he seized the moment.

  Staying in the shadows, he returned to the hospital foyer, where he sat himself in the area that the young nurse had earlier pointed out.

  The busy hospital staff went about their duties with a zest, while visitors seemed to rush about as though they hadn’t got a minute to live.

  As for the cleaner, she seemed half asleep. Dressed in a green wraparound apron and pushing a galvanised mop bucket before her, she went about this routine act like a zombie, rhythmically swishing her wet mop across the floor, then viciously screwing it into the drainer until it was bone dry, before slapping it into the disinfected water for the umpteenth time, and starting the whole pattern over again.

  Frank was mesmerised. He found he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she walked up and down, softly humming to herself as she flopped the mop in and out. After a while, he was amazed and angry to find himself almost nodding off. He blamed it on the bargee who’d kept him up late with his loud snoring.

  On seeing the policeman walking towards the desk, he was excited, and a little nervous. This was what he’d been waiting for.

  ‘You should never have brought me that tea.’ The big man had a deep, gruff voice, and a baby face. ‘Now, I need to visit the gents.’

  ‘And enjoy a crafty ciggie at the same time, no doubt.’ The young nurse was obviously familiar with him.

  ‘So, d’you think you could keep an eye on the ward for me?’

  The nurse assured him. ‘When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go,’ she grinned. ‘Yes, of course I’ll watch the door. I’ve done it often enough, haven’t I?’

  He laughed. ‘You needn’t think you’re sharing my wages though,’ he joked, ‘I’ve got a wife and kids at home.’

  ‘So you keep telling me.’ She gave him a cheeky grin, ‘And
I thought we had a future. Shame on you.’

  He went away chuckling.

  The moment she turned to collect something from the back desk, Frank made his move. He slid his way along the corridor and slipped softly into the now unguarded private ward where Joe was.

  At first he was taken aback to see how Joe was trussed top to toe in a kind of traction mechanism. Flat on his back, with his chin in a collar cast, he was totally helpless.

  Quickly over the first shock, Frank was delighted that Joe was in no position to shout or hit out. In fact it suited his purpose to see him restrained like that.

  He was about to make his way across the room, when he heard footsteps. Quickly dodging behind the door, he held his breath. Like a cornered rat, he meant to escape at any cost.

  He heard the footsteps stop outside the door, then he saw the handle move and he pressed himself flat against the wall, ready to make a run for it.

  The door opened slightly, then a nurse took a step into the room, peered over at Joe, then backed away and closed the door behind her, leaving the intruder greatly relieved.

  Taking a deep breath, he waited a second or two, before moving cautiously towards the bed where Joe was lying.

  Acutely aware that he could well be trapped at any moment, Frank leaned over him, his voice low and excited. ‘Well, well, well! Look at you…all strung up like a chicken ready for the oven.’

  Joe had been sleeping, though not deeply, for he was too uncomfortable and restless. When he now heard Frank’s voice, he opened his eyes to rid himself of the nightmare. But when he realised he wasn’t dreaming and that it really was Frank, his face collapsed in shock.

  The urge to fight was strong in him. He even made frantic moves to lift his arms, but they were like lead weights against his damaged body.

  When he now opened his mouth to speak, Frank clamped his fist across it. When Joe began to struggle, it did not take much to squeeze Joe’s mouth tightly shut. ‘Be still!’ he hissed. ‘And listen!’

  Against his bullish strength, Joe was helpless.

  Frank leaned closer. ‘I did have a mind to finish you off. But now I can see that would be a blessing for you. Besides, I can’t think of any single reason to show you mercy.’ He quickly observed the manner in which Joe was strapped down, and it made him smile. ‘It pleases me to see you this way, Joe,’ he whispered. ‘I never expected it to be like this.’

  When Joe closed his eyes in disgust, he went on, ‘Not very pleased to see me are you? Want to get up and make mincemeat out of me, do you? Want to fight me…’ He shook his head. ‘Looks to me like your fighting days are over, Joe. You’re a poor excuse for a man, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s no more than you deserve!’

  He gave a low, menacing snigger. ‘You can’t move. You can’t do anything for yourself, can you, eh? Face it, Joe! You’re helpless. So, what’s it like? How do you feel when the nurse has to bring you a bedpan? Does she have to wash you, Joe? Are you treated like some old man?’

  He was relentless. ‘I’m afraid that’s how it will be from now on, Joe. A broken old man, trapped in a young man’s body.’

  Joe continued to stare up at him, his eyes burning with hatred, knowing that every word Frank uttered was bitterly true.

  For a long, delicious moment, Frank enjoyed watching Joe suffer, then suddenly his manner changed. ‘I haven’t got much time,’ he growled. ‘I need you to know that Alice is tracking you down. Before too long she’ll be sure to find you…just like I did.’

  When he saw how that information lit Joe’s eyes with hope, he could have suffocated him there and then. But then Joe would be out of pain, and he didn’t want that. He wanted him to suffer, until such a time as his situation was so unbearable, he would beg to die.

  Never-ending suffering. That’s what he wanted for Joe; not a swift, easy end.

  He left Joe with one thought. ‘Alice is mine! She’s still my wife. If you give her just one inch of encouragement…if you so much as even let her touch you, I’ll know about it. And I swear, I’ll finish what I started. She got away last time. She won’t get away again!’

  He added, ‘Don’t even think about telling anybody about me being here, or what’s been said, because if you do, I might just go ahead and do the deed anyway. In fact, you can be sure of it.’

  He smiled into Joe’s tragic eyes. ‘You, more than anybody should know I mean exactly what I say.’

  He knew by the look on Joe’s face, that he was reminded of when they were boys. The animals that had suffered at Frank’s hands, and the children who had been sent home in terror. Joe had told, but nobody listened, and the children were too afraid to speak out.

  ‘And another thing, Joe,’ he purred. ‘When I finish Alice off, I’ll be sure to enjoy taking my time about it. I mean it, Joe! If I have to do it, then it’s your fault and not mine. So remember, if I find out you’ve been encouraging her, I’ll make her suffer like you would never believe.’

  He saw the tears of rage fill Joe’s eyes but he cared nothing for his brother’s pain. ‘I’ve got to go now, Joe. But I’ll be watching. I have my spies. I’ll know if you go against what I’ve said. Make no mistake, I will carry out my threat, Joe. You know I will!’

  His last words to his brother were delivered in a matter-offact way. ‘I’m so glad I found you, Joe. You can’t know how much of a pleasure it’s been.’

  His voice dropped to a whisper. ‘With just a flick of the wrist, I could kill you here and now. But it would be far more satisfying to keep you alive. Like the living dead, eh, Joe?’

  He chuckled. ‘That’s what you are, Joe…the living dead!’

  Before removing his hand from Joe’s mouth, he issued a final reminder. ‘Think on what I said, Joe. If you so much as smile at her, Alice is gone…forever!’

  ‘You cowardly bastard!’ Joe had never wanted to hurt anyone so badly as he did now.

  ‘Tut, tut, Joe…such language!’

  Then, as quickly as he had arrived, he left.

  Behind him, Joe was left thinking of Alice. So, she was out of hospital. Thank God for that.

  But why hadn’t his father told him?

  Why did he have to hear it from that no good brother of his.

  He focused on Frank’s threats.

  There was no doubt in Joe’s mind that if he dared to make plans with Alice, Frank would do what he promised. After all, he had already tried to kill her once.

  The worst thing of all was that he felt so helpless and trapped.

  Maybe Frank was right. Maybe he would be better off dead than to be left alive like this.

  More than once since being struck down, he himself had entertained that very same idea.

  Yet, with the doctor’s encouragement, he had never lost hope.

  If it took years, and all his strength and courage, he had to walk again, to work, and live, and be with Alice.

  But what of Alice? What would he do if and when she came to see him?

  How could he turn her away, when all this time he had yearned for her, longed to see her face; to know she still loved him.

  Every minute of every day he had kept alive the hope that Alice would come to him, and everything would be all right. It was the only thing that kept him going.

  Every so often they took him out of the contraption, subjecting him to agonising exercises that seemed to tear his limbs apart. So many times he came close to giving up, but he didn’t.

  He endured the excruciating agony because of Alice, and his dream that they had a future together.

  Alice was his hope, his reason to go on fighting.

  What must he do now, in the face of Frank’s warning? Rather than see Alice hurt in any way, he would cut off his own arm.

  There must be a way to keep her safe.

  In his mind he went through the options.

  He could somehow involve the police…tell them that Frank had been right here, making threats to kill Alice.

  Another option would be to tell his fath
er, and let him do what was necessary.

  Or maybe he could ignore Frank’s threat, and welcome Alice with open arms. And to hell with it!

  He then went through the reasons why none of the options were suitable.

  Even if the police caught Frank and threw him in jail, he would still find a way to get to Alice. Using any means at his disposal; enticement, bullying, or dirty dealing, he would use someone else to do the deed…an ex-prisoner maybe.

  Frank was dangerous and unstable, enough to make things happen. He might even extend the threat to the entire family; after all, he had shown no compassion when his own father tried to reason with him. Instead he turned on him, leaving both him and Joe for dead.

  A man like that would not even flinch at taking Alice’s life.

  Joe realised that if he passed the burden on to his father, that would be a cowardly and wicked thing to do, and it would paint him with the same brush as Frank. More than that, the end result might well be catastrophic, and Joe could not risk it.

  Lastly, if he was to ignore Frank’s threat, Alice would pay the ultimate price.

  Joe knew his brother better than most, and he knew the true depth to his wickedness. He was convinced that come what may, Frank would find a way to carry out his threat.

  Once outside the hospital, Frank slunk away, careful not to be seen or heard as he made his getaway.

  ‘One down, one more to go.’ He was satisfied that he had Joe on two counts. Firstly he was not about to inform on him, and secondly, he was so besotted with Alice, he would die rather than put her life in jeopardy.

  Heading for the canal, he dodged the main walkway.

  Keeping close to the towpath, his mind darkening with revenge every step he took.

  After what seemed an age, he neared the barge, where he glanced up and down to make sure he was not seen, then staying low, he ran forward and silently climbed aboard.

  ‘Who’s that?’ From the galley, Jack saw the shadow as it flitted in the twilight. ‘Fred? Is that you?’

  ‘Yes!’ Frank made his way down. ‘I’ve come to collect my stuff.’