Double Jeopardy (Hero Book 4)

by MA Comley

  Cara was following in her car with Fay’s mum, Deirdre, and Hero’s mum and dad brought up the rear of the convoy as they drove around the outskirts of Manchester to the adventure park.

  Hero was just as excited as Louie about swinging through the trees like Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, if that indeed was what was on offer at the park. He had no idea because it would be his first time venturing out to the location.

  When they arrived, the children unbuckled their seatbelts and opened the back door before either Fay or Hero could stop them.

  ‘It’s great to see them so excited. Maybe we should rein them in a little, for safety’s sake,’ Fay said quietly so the kids couldn’t overhear.

  ‘I think you might be right. I’ll pull my sergeant major routine on them to keep them in line.’

  ‘No need to go quite that far, Hero.’ Fay winked.

  The other four adults waited next to the car, carrier bags and picnic blanket in hand.

  ‘Louie, Zara and Zoe, here a minute.’

  The kids gathered around Hero, their eyes wide with excitement and their feet refusing to keep still.

  ‘Time for a serious chat, mini people. I know you’re buzzing with excitement to be here. We all are, me included, but let’s try and keep that excitement under control, all right? We don’t want to spoil the fun for anyone trying to have a good time here today. Understood?’

  Louie, Zara and Zoe stood upright and saluted him. ‘Yes, sir!’ they shouted.

  Hero looked over at the adult members of his family, who all seemed amused by his interaction with the children. ‘Okay, then, let this adventure begin. Louie, we’ll help your mum and grandparents set up in the children’s play area first, and then you, Cara, and I will head off. How’s that?’

  Louie clapped his hands and immediately picked up one of the heavier carrier bags. He gripped the bag with both hands and struggled across the grassy area to the children’s play area. He dumped the bag on the ground and panted heavily as he waited for the others to join him. ‘I’m ready, Dad.’

  Fay smiled and ruffled her son’s hair. ‘Go on, you three take off. We’ll be fine. Shall we have lunch around twelve thirty?’

  Hero glanced at his watch. It was almost ten thirty. ‘Sounds good to me, love.’ He leaned over and kissed her.

  Louie yanked on his arm. ‘Aww … Dad, come on. We haven’t got long as it is.’

  Hero laughed. ‘You won’t be saying that in a little while, mate.’

  Cara linked arms with Hero as Louie ran ahead of them and joined the queue for the zip-lines. ‘Are you up for this, Sis?’

  ‘I think so. I only had a light breakfast this morning, just in case.’

  ‘Lucky you, I missed out completely.’

  Louie only just passed the height restriction in place for the ride, which came as a huge relief to Hero. He hadn’t even thought about that being an issue, even though he agreed that it made good sense.

  ‘All right if my son and I go down together, side by side?’ Hero asked the young man in combat gear who was applying the safety harnesses to the joy seekers.

  ‘Of course. If you’re prepared to wait a few minutes I can let you go down together.’

  Hero pulled Louie back to let the person behind them go first, much to Louie’s disappointment. ‘It won’t be long, son. Feeling excited?’

  ‘Yeah, very. What about you?’ Louie asked Cara.

  ‘Oh yes, I’m super excited. Make sure you let out a large scream on the way down, Louie.’ Cara laughed at Hero’s mortified expression.

  ‘Thanks for that,’ he replied, shaking his head.

  As he waited for their turn to come around, Hero felt his stomach tie itself into large knots, which he found farcical, considering his experience with the Territorial Army and the training exercises they’d had to perform over the years. Maybe it was apprehension rather than nerves – this was the first time Louie had ever attempted anything so dangerous. He squeezed his son’s shoulder as the young man in charge of the ride beckoned them forward. He strapped Louie into the harness first then turned his attention to Hero.

  Once they were secured, Hero asked his son, ‘Are you sure about this?’

  ‘Yes, Daddy. You’re not scared, are you?’

  ‘No, son. Okay, here we …’ Before he could finish his sentence, the descent began.

  Louie did what Cara advised him to do and let out a blood-curdling scream that frightened the crap out of Hero.

  ‘Are you all right, Louie?’ Hero said breathlessly as the speed of the wind passing by sucked the breath out of him.

  ‘Yes, this is sooo much fun, Daddy!’

  Hero smiled, relaxed, and chased the nerves away to enjoy the moment just like his son was.

  When they reached the platform at the other end, Louie rushed up to him and begged, ‘Please, please can we go again?’

  ‘You really did enjoy yourself, didn’t you? Okay, maybe in a little while. Let’s wait for your aunt and see what other exciting challenges we can encounter first, okay?’

  Hero gazed up the zip-line to see if Cara was on her way down, but he needn’t have bothered. He heard her scream before he saw her descending.

  When she landed on the platform, she was absolutely buzzing, putting Louie’s excitement to shame. ‘Bloomin’ heck, that was mega. I’ll need to go on that again before we leave, boys.’

  ‘Louie said the same. Come on, let’s see what else they have to offer.’

  Cara and Louie both pouted. Hero sighed, realising he was outnumbered. Half an hour later, they had completed another session on the wire and were standing in the same position, wondering where to go next.

  ‘I fancy a go at rock wall climbing,’ Louie suggested.

  Hero bit his lip. ‘I think your mum would string me up if I let you loose on that, son. We’ll see if they have a low wall available for you. I’d feel far happier if they did.’

  Louie ran ahead, and Hero and Cara took a leisurely stroll over to the wall a couple of hundred yards away.

  ‘We’re in luck. There is a smaller wall he can climb. Are you going to give the larger wall a go?’ Cara asked.

  ‘It’s not really something that appeals to me. I’ll stay with Louie. You go ahead and attempt the larger wall, if you like. I’ll be rooting for you.’

  Arriving at the various walls, they split up. Hero checked Louie against the height restriction marker again and smiled when he only just scraped through. He was relatively small for his age. ‘Only just, munchkin.’

  ‘Yippee, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. Tommy at Scouts says that he comes here all the time and goes home exhausted.’

  ‘That’s good to hear, son. It’ll give your mother and me a rest when we get home tonight if we can wear you kids out during the day.’

  Louie slapped Hero’s arm. ‘Aww … Dad, you don’t mean that. I know you don’t.’

  ‘Maybe I was pulling your leg, but coming here really does give the parents the upper hand.’

  Louie frowned. ‘You’re talking in riddles. I have no idea what you just said.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. Go and enjoy yourself. Be careful.’

  He tutted. ‘I’ll be on a harness. Look, that girl just fell off the wall, and she’s fine.’ He pointed at a young girl dangling on a harness eight feet off the ground.

  ‘Okay, that’s put my mind at rest.’

  ‘Dad?’

  ‘Yes, son.’

  Louie sidled up to him and smiled. ‘If I find this one too easy, can I go on the one Auntie Cara is attempting?’

  ‘You’re a little tinker. Always thinking ahead. See if you enjoy this one first, then we’ll discuss it. Look, Cara’s already halfway up the wall, and you haven’t even started yet.’

  ‘I’m going. I love it here. This is so cool! Thanks for bringing me, Dad.’

  ‘You’re welcome, son. Good to see you having a fun time.’

  Hero watched his son climb the wall without ever hesitating where to step next.
He reached the top in thirty seconds. Louie rushed back to be by his side.

  ‘Wow, I loved it. You said I could join Auntie Cara after I completed that one.’

  ‘I did?’

  Louie’s head vigorously nodded up and down. ‘Yes, you promised.’

  ‘And I never break my promises, do I?’

  ‘No,’ Louie replied, running ahead to meet Cara.

  Cara was buzzing as much as Louie and volunteered to go up side by side with her nephew. Before they set off, Hero checked the harness himself, which amused the young man in charge of the wall.

  Hero stood back and looked up to see Louie racing up the wall ahead of Cara. He really was revealing a different side that Hero had never witnessed before. He was showing no fear at all when tackling the obstacles. Maybe enrolling Louie in the Scouts had been the best thing for him; it had done wonders for his self-esteem. He felt super proud of his adopted son and couldn’t wait to tell Fay what a star he’d been.

  An hour later, after several more successful attempts at the wall, the three of them decided to rejoin the others. The substantial picnic had already been laid out ready for their arrival.

  Even the twins looked as though they were having a wonderful time, and the adults looked relaxed also. After they’d consumed the mountain of food everyone had contributed time and effort preparing, Hero, Louie and Cara set off again, leaving the grandparents and Fay dozing in the sun and the twins venturing around the miniature assault course inside the play area.

  Exhausted, everyone decided to call it a day at four o’clock. Fay and Hero loaded the kids into the back of the car then waved the other adults off. Before leaving, everyone had agreed to do it all again in a few weeks.

  Hero pulled up outside the house at four thirty. The twins were both asleep, and he carefully carried them into the house, hoping not to wake them. Louie helped Fay and Hero with the bags, which they carried into the kitchen, and Fay began unloading the containers and placing them in the sink for washing.

  Hero took Sammy for another long walk and returned an hour later ready for bed himself. He resisted the temptation and helped Fay to bathe the kids early, then they both settled down to a movie they’d recorded the night before. At eight ten, the house phone rang. Hero answered the phone in a lazy, relaxed tone.

  ‘Mr. Nelson?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘This is Dr. Dodd at Manchester Royal Infirmary. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. There’s been an accident.’

  8

  Siren blaring, Hero’s car screeched to a halt outside the entrance to the Accident and Emergency department at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. He and Cara, whom he’d picked up on the way, rushed out of the vehicle.

  ‘Hey, copper or not, you can’t park there, mate. You’re blocking the entrance for the ambulances. I’ll get it towed away.’

  ‘Do that. Sorry, this is a genuine life-or-death situation.’

  ‘Bloody coppers, you think you own the damn roads. Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

  Hero switched off from the man’s whining and concentrated on locating Dr. Dodd, who had rung him less than thirty minutes before. ‘Dr. Dodd called me,’ he told the receptionist. ‘Can you tell him we’re here?’

  ‘Yes, take a seat.’

  ‘No, I’d rather stand, thanks.’

  Cara gripped Hero around the waist and placed her head on his chest. ‘Why? How did it happen? In broad daylight, too. Why them?’

  ‘It’s all right, Sis. Don’t go getting upset. Let’s see what the doc has to say first.’

  A doctor wearing a blue top and matching trousers appeared and whisked them into the family room. ‘Hello, I’m Dr. Dodd. Thank you for coming so quickly. It’s not good news, I’m afraid.’

  Hero held Cara’s hand and squeezed it tightly. ‘Just tell us, Doc. We’d rather have all the facts from the word go. We can take it.’ Hero’s voice was strained with emotion, and he could feel the heat behind his eyes as tears threatened to fall.

  ‘Very well. Your father has been moved upstairs, and he’s on life support. We think the airbag deployed and bumped your father’s head against the side window. He was unconscious when he arrived. His legs were crushed by the impact. and we also believe he has suffered a heart attack.’

  ‘Oh God, poor Dad. What are his chances, Doc?’ Cara asked, squeezing harder on Hero’s hand.

  ‘I can’t lie. At this time, I’m going to have to inform you that it’s unlikely he’s going to pull through.’

  Cara let go of Hero’s hand and buried her face in her palms. ‘No, please don’t say that. We can’t lose him – not now. It’s too soon.’

  ‘Do what you can for him, Doc. What about our mother? What’s wrong with her?’

  ‘Your mother has fared much better. Although she was also unconscious, I’m happy to tell you that I’m confident she will make a full recovery from her injuries. She’s suffered a few broken limbs, and we’ll be sending her down for surgery within the next hour or so.’

  Hero closed his eyes and released a relieved breath. ‘That’s good to know. Can we see them?’

  ‘Yes, of course. Come with me now to see your mother. I’ll ring the ward and ask them if you can visit your father afterwards.’

  ‘Thanks. Come on, Cara. Keep the faith, love. You know how stubborn our folks are. They’ll fight all the way.’

  ‘I hope you’re right, but I have a bad feeling here.’ Cara rubbed her flat stomach.

  ‘You can be assured we won’t give up on either of them,’ the doctor said. He opened the door and left the room, expecting Hero and Cara to follow him.

  Hero gave his sister a firm hug and kissed her forehead. ‘Be strong, Sis. They’ll be okay – we have to believe that. Come on, dry your tears, just in case Mum wakes up.’ He produced a tissue from his pocket, dabbed at her eyes then led her by the hand.

  Dr. Dodd halted outside a cubicle and slipped the curtain open for them to see their mother. Seeing the bruising on his mother’s face made Hero’s mouth instantly fill with bile, but he swallowed it down and stepped towards her bed.

  ‘Oh, Mum. We’re here. Both Cara and I are here with you.’ He touched his mother’s cheek, navigating the large black-and-blue bruise as he spoke. Looking over his shoulder, he motioned for Cara to join him. She clung to his arm, and he could feel her trembling body using his for support. ‘Talk to her. Let her know that we’re here, hon.’

  The doctor was on the other side of the bed and nodded his acquiescence to Hero’s request. ‘It truly helps unconscious patients to hear their loved ones’ voices. It can’t hurt, anyway.’

  Cara stepped around Hero and kissed her mother on the forehead. ‘Mum, we’re here. Please come back to us … we need you.’

  Hero thought he saw his mother’s finger twitch and pointed it out to the doctor.

  ‘Sometimes it happens, but it’s too soon for her to come around yet. Her body is going to start healing itself. She’ll be in safe hands. It’s better if she doesn’t wake up until her surgery has been completed. She has a broken tibia and fibula in her left leg, easily fixed. She’ll have an MRI scan to make sure no other bones are broken and that we’ve missed nothing else. I don’t think we have, but it’s hard to say when a patient is unconscious and can’t tell us where they hurt.’

  Hero nodded. ‘Thanks for the explanation, Doc. We’ll do our best to remain positive, at least where Mum is concerned. Can we see our father now?’

  ‘Let me make the call. I’ll be right back.’

  As soon as the doctor left the cubicle, Cara turned to face Hero and collapsed against his chest. ‘What if we lose them both, Hero? What will we do?’

  ‘Stop thinking like that, Cara. They’re both stubborn. They won’t be giving up the fight anytime soon. You have my word on that.’

  ‘Do we know what happened? How can they both be so close to death like this?’

  ‘I’ll need to check at the station. I’ll do that once we’ve
seen Dad. That’s out of our hands for now, love. Let’s concentrate on what lies ahead of Mum and Dad in the coming days.’

  The doctor returned. ‘It’s fine to go up. He’s in the Intensive Care Unit on the first floor. I have to warn you: to look at him, you’ll think the worst, but please be assured that we are doing all we can to make sure he comes back to us soon.’

  Cara shot a concerned look at Hero. He gripped her hand and tugged her towards the opening in the curtain. ‘Thanks, Doc. We’ll go and see Dad and then perhaps come back down here and sit with Mum for a while, if that’s okay?’

  ‘Until her surgery, that should be fine.’

  Once Cara and Hero were alone in the lift, Cara broke down in tears. He held her tightly, fighting back his own tears. He pushed away the thought that either, or both, of their parents, might die, even though the doctor had assured them that their mother should heal easily. ‘Now, now, Sis. Everything is going to be all right. We have to believe that. All right?’

  Cara nodded and sniffled. ‘I hope you’re right, because my head and heart are telling me otherwise, Hero.’

  He sighed, appreciating what she was saying but determined not to think negatively about the situation. ‘I hear you, love, but do it for them. We’ll fight with every breath we take and hope they both come through this.’

  The door to the lift pinged open. He wiped her tears away and led her along the wide corridor to the ICU at the end. They rubbed the antiseptic liquid into their hands then entered the room.

  A petite blonde nurse came to meet them. ‘Hello, you must be Mr. Nelson’s children?’

  Hero managed to display a weak smile. ‘Yes, Dr. Dodd said it was all right for us to come up and see him.’

  ‘That’s fine. Come with me.’

  Hero looked ahead in the direction the nurse was leading them and felt his heart slip out of his chest and into his stomach. His father, who only hours before had been laughing and joking and so full of life, was hooked up to all sorts of machines monitoring his vitals. A tube in his mouth was enabling him to breathe, and an IV in his arm was attached to two bags of liquid hung on the stand. He seemed to have aged ten years within the last few hours. Hero was blown away by the scene, and Cara started crying again the moment she laid eyes on their father.