The Team's Return (A Team book Book 2)

by S G Read

  ‘More being sick all over the bed.’ Stuart complained. ‘It's not fair!’

  ‘Life rarely is Stuart, now time for a wash. Do you want me to bring a bowl?’

  ‘No thanks. I'm going to the bathroom, even if I have to crawl there!’ Stuart declared.

  Brenda helped Stuart into the bathroom. When he returned she sat by the bed.

  ‘Do you want me to help you to dress?’ She asked.

  ‘I don't think I'll bother, I'm not planning to go anywhere.’

  ‘Jenny's back in.’ Brenda said quietly.

  Stuart's face lit up.

  ‘Why? What happened?’ He asked.

  ‘She collapsed on her way to school.’ Brenda explained.

  ‘Is she in the same bed?’

  ‘No, she's a bed down on the right hand side.’ Brenda said as she picked up his clothes. ‘She's a very poorly little girl!’

  ‘I'll go and see her then but I'll dress myself first!’ Stuart said with an air of independence.

  ‘Okay but no falling over!’ Brenda warned and left him to it.

  She walked back down the ward and put the blood sample on the desk, labelled and ready to go. When Billy arrived for work, she sent him down to the laboratory, with strict instructions as to where to put the sample. There was box in the large refrigerator, which Guys would be collecting. When Billy looked into the refrigerator he saw the box but he also saw another blood sample at the back on the top shelf. He picked it up and read the label 'Jennifer Robbins'. A wicked grin twisted his thin face, as he peeled the label off of both samples and swapped them over. He found Stuart's label would not stick very well to Jenny's cold bottle and had to use sellotape to stick it on. When he was satisfied, he put Jenny's sample in the box now labelled Stuart Sellars, closed the refrigerator door and walked away.

  ‘Get out of that one brat!’ He said quietly, to make sure no one overheard him.

  Stuart dressed slowly, then using the bed and wall for support, made it outside the room. The trolley Billy had brought still stood there.

  ‘Well it's better than a Zimmer frame.’ Stuart said quietly and started to wheel it down the corridor, leaning on it as he went. When he reached Jenny's bed, he backed in between the first bed and Jenny's bed until he was able to lower himself into the chair which stood there. He had to flop the last foot and the noise woke Jenny.

  ‘Oh it's the local Tarzan.’ She said weakly. When she saw the trolley she added. ‘What's that for? I'm not dead you know!’

  ‘Billy was kind enough to leave it outside my room, until I'm ready for it!’

  ‘That wasn't very nice!’ Jenny replied with her usual defiance. ‘I'll have to talk to him!’

  ‘My friends already have talked to him!’ Stuart said quietly.

  ‘Is that why he's limping?’

  Stuart nodded.

  Jenny looked at him for a moment.

  ‘I suppose he deserved it really.’ She said quietly and smiled.

  This was the first time Stuart had seen her smile. ‘You should smile more often; it suits you.’

  ‘I haven't had too much to smile at lately.’ She replied. ‘Surely they didn't all jump on him?’

  ‘Oh no, we're more subtle than that!’ Stuart related the story of Billy's 'accident' as Ben, C.J and Sherman had related it to him.

  ‘So he doesn't even know!’ Jenny concluded.

  ‘I think he might have guessed by now, unless he's very thick.’

  ‘Well, he's not brain of Britain material!’ Jenny pointed out.

  Stuart saw the medicine trolley as it was pushed out of the little side room behind the desk. This was where they kept all the prescriptions for the children on the ward.

  ‘I'll have to go now.’ Stuart said apologetically as he climbed to his feet.

  ‘Do you have to? It's nice to have some one to talk to. Brenda will bring your medicine up here.’

  ‘I don't have to but after I have my pills, I'm sick everywhere and it's a bit embarrassing.’ Stuart said looking down at his feet.

  ‘Come and see me again?’ It was put as a question but it was really a request.

  ‘As soon as my stomach hits empty!’

  ‘Can't they give you something to stop you from being sick?’ Jenny asked.

  ‘See this arm? They keep taking blood from it to decide what to do but they manage to lose it or something and they come for more! I told them to put a tap in to make it easier!’

  Jenny laughed. It was an old joke but she did not care.

  ‘The last reason for losing my blood was that someone had died and had fallen on it!’ Stuart said and started up the ward, pushing the trolley before him.

  He returned two hours later, still using the trolley to move around on and he felt as if his stomach had been turned inside out. He flopped in the chair feeling as weak as a kitten.

  ‘Hi!’ Jenny greeted.

  ‘Hi!’

  ‘Were you- you know?’

  ‘Yes but that's the longest I've kept my breakfast down so far.’

  ‘It's horrible being sick! I hate it!’ Jenny said and shivered at the thought.

  ‘So do I but I don't seem to have any choice. Until they get some blood test results, I have to take the pills they give me and then I'm sick!’ Stuart declared.

  ‘I wouldn't take the pills if they made me sick!’ Jenny said defiantly.

  ‘They are supposed to be making me better!’ Stuart complained.

  ‘What's wrong with you?’

  ‘They say I've got typhoid but the reason I came in here was because I keep blacking out.’

  ‘You mean fainting?’

  If it was anyone but Jenny, Stuart would have been annoyed at them calling it fainting.

  Instead he said. ‘More or less.’

  ‘Do you have any warning before you faint?’

  ‘Not much! Everything starts going black, then splat, I'm on the floor! Stuart explained. ‘Last time it happened I totalled Stevey's mum's glass coffee table!’

  ‘You were lucky you didn't cut yourself!’

  ‘I did!’ He displayed the scar on his arm. ‘You fainted didn't you?’

  ‘No I passed out.’

  ‘What's the difference then?’

  ‘I was sort of awake but things went all fuzzy and I just slid down with my back against a wall. It made scratches all the way up my back! Then I went to sleep and woke up in casualty again!’

  ‘What's wrong with you? I thought they'd sent you home because you weren't ill.’

  ‘I don't know, it sort of comes and goes.’ Jenny replied. ‘They've taken another blood sample, this time it's got to go to another hospital, while they're waiting for a replacement for the man who died!’

  ‘Mr. Follet's on his way, back to bed please Stuart.’ Carol said as she walked past.

  Stuart waved to Jenny and started back up the ward, still using the trolley as a Zimmer frame.

  ‘Sorry I need this!’ Billy announced, as he walked toward Stuart and tried to take the trolley.

  Stuart resisted as best he could.

  ‘You can have it when I get back to my room!’ Stuart retorted.

  ‘I want it now!’ This time Billy pulled the trolley from Stuart's hands and Stuart fell to the floor.

  ‘You might fall down the stairs instead of up them next time!’ Jenny warned from her bed.

  ‘That won't happen twice!’ Billy argued and walked off pushing the trolley, leaving Stuart on the floor.

  ‘Have you got a surprise coming!’ Stuart called after him, as Billy walked away.

  Carol returned from the dayroom and found Stuart trying to get up.

  ‘What happened here?’ She asked as she lifted him to his feet.

  ‘Nothing; I just fell over.’ Stuart replied, he had plans for Billy which did not need any help from a nurse!

  ‘I'm sure!’ Carol snorted and helped him back to his bed.

  Stuart saw the trolley parked in the same place it had been when he started to use it. It
was obvious that Billy had lied about needing the trolley. Carol left him sitting in the chair by his bed and Stuart looked at his watch. He was surprised that his mother was not there yet. The door opened and Mr. Follet walked in.

  ‘Good morning Stuart, how are you this morning?’

  ‘Well apart from watching my breakfast going down the toilet again.’ He replied. ‘I feel terrible!’

  Mr. Follet looked at Stuart's file and after a few minutes looked up.

  ‘As we have lost our Mr. Sykes and at the same time your blood sample was spread all over the laboratory floor, it will take some time to process your next blood sample. You do have my humble apologies about the necessity for all the samples but hopefully this will be the last one! I have decided to suspend your treatment until I receive an answer from this blood sample. It might mean you being in here longer but I am not sure they are doing you any good!’

  Stuart punched the air.

  ‘Yes!’ He said happily.

  ‘I see I have made someone happy today, let us hope I can make a few more patients happy.’ Mr. Follet left Stuart a happy boy. He could not wait to tell Jenny but he was not allowed out into the ward as long as Mr. Follet was there. Each time Stuart peered into the ward, he could either see Mr. Follet or hear him talking. The third time he looked out of the door Billy was walking toward him, his limp was less pronounced than it had been. Stuart hurried away from the door in case Billy pushed the door open in an effort to knock him over. Stuart waited, watching the side window but nothing happened. He crept to the door and looked out, the trolley was gone. He looked up the ward and saw it by Jenny's bed then the curtains were drawn round the trolley. Stuart was stunned, his legs gave way beneath him and he crumpled to the floor, tears in his eyes. From where he lay he could see through the door and a little later, someone covered in a white sheet was wheeled by. Now Mr. Follet chose to leave the ward. Stuart wanted to go down but was afraid to and it was sometime before he plucked up the courage. This time his progress was very slow, as he had no trolley to lean on and had to use the wall to hold himself up. Carol passed him several times but for once she did not speak and there were tears in her eyes. This started the tears flowing from Stuart's eyes but he travelled on. When he finally reached Jenny's bed the curtains were drawn round it. Stuart stood teetering on his weak legs not knowing what to do. Carol drew the curtains back to reveal Jenny lying there; it was obvious that she had been crying. Stuart moved unsteadily to the same chair he had sat in earlier and flopped down.

  ‘John died!’ Were Jenny's first words and pointed to the empty bed next to her.

  ‘Was he your friend?’ Stuart asked.

  ‘Not really. He was here when I was brought back in but what did he do to deserve to die? What did he do? Why him? He was just a little boy!’ Jenny said through her tears.

  Stuart waited until she stopped talking.

  ‘What was wrong with him?’ He asked.

  ‘He said that it was something to do with his sinuses. He kept getting these headaches but he liked the distalgesics that they gave him for the pain but the pain just got worse and worse and no one came to see him! Except your mum that is!’

  ‘Is that where my mum went, when my friends were here?’

  ‘Must have been, though I only saw her once but he seemed to know her!’ Jenny explained. ‘She certainly cheered him up a lot!’

  ‘That's my mum always got time for other people’s kids, not much for me though!’

  ‘How can you say that, when she's always here for you!’

  ‘It wasn't always like this! Since I came back from the jungle I've even been friends with my dad!’

  ‘You mean you weren't before?’ Jenny asked in horror, trying to think what it would be like if she was not friends with her father.

  ‘Not really. I never really saw him a lot; he was always working and when I did see him he would tell me off for something!’

  ‘My dad hasn't worked for two years.’ Jenny said with a heavy sigh. ‘That's why we're so poor.’

  ‘What does he do?’

  ‘Anything now.’ Jenny replied.

  ‘What did he do when he was working then?’ Stuart asked.

  ‘He was a carpenter. Since then he's been a taxi driver, a gardener, a printer and a builder’s labourer.’ Jenny answered. ‘It's a shame really he was such a good carpenter!’

  ‘I wish I was rich enough, I'd give him a job!’ Stuart replied.

  ‘Thanks.’ Jenny smiled then looked at the empty bed next to her. ‘I suppose life has to go on.’

  Stuart looked at the bed.

  ‘My mum will flood the ward when she finds out!’ He warned.

  ‘I haven't got a mother, she died.’

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Nothing to be sorry about, it was a long time ago. I never really knew her, my dad brought me up with the help of my auntie. She's been good to us my auntie!’

  ‘Why don't they come and see you in hospital?’

  ‘My dad finds excuses, he doesn't like hospitals and besides last time they said they couldn’t find anything wrong with me!’

  ‘Why did you faint then?’ Stuart asked.

  ‘I didn't faint! Only boys faint!’

  Stuart laughed.

  ‘That's funny, that’s what I keep saying, only I say only girls faint of course!’

  ‘Cheek!’ Jenny cried but with a smile on her face.

  They played hangman as all they had was a pencil and some paper. Stuart had more games in his room but did not want to walk there to get them.

  ‘Look out, here comes the cavalry!’ Jenny cried looking up the ward.

  Stuart turned to see the rest of the team walking down the ward toward them.

  ‘Do you want me to lead them away?’ Stuart asked, remembering the boy’s last visit to her bed.

  ‘No. I want to hear what they plan for that horrible Billy this time!’

  The leading boys saw Stuart and the group gathered round Jenny's bed, three of them, Simon, C.J and Antony sat on the empty bed. Stuart whispered in Antony's ear and Antony jumped up wiping the back of his jeans, as though death was catching. He whispered in C.J's ear and C.J jumped off, then whispered in Simon's ear. Simon jumped off the bed.

  ‘What was that all about?’ Ben asked.

  Simon moved over to where Ben stood, whispered in Ben's ear in his usual way and everyone heard what he said.

  ‘The boy in that bed died today!’

  In any other situation it would have been comical but it brought tears to Jenny's eyes.

  ‘What's up with her?’ Simon asked in his usual aloof way.

  ‘He was her friend Simon!’ Stuart said sharply.

  ‘Sorry, I didn't mean anything!’ He looked round, everyone was looking at him. ‘I didn't kill him did I?’

  As sad as Jenny felt about John's death, she said. ‘No it wasn't you who killed John, Simon.’

  ‘I'm not being horrible; it's just that I can't whisper for a toffee.’ Simon complained.

  ‘I noticed.’ Jenny replied. ‘Let's talk about something nice. Billy was nasty to Stuart today, he made him fall over. He reckons that you have no chance of repeating your coup de tat on him.’

  ‘That sounds like a challenge!’ Ben replied.

  ‘Plan B then?’ C.J asked.

  The others nodded.

  ‘Let's go and plan in the dayroom.’ Sherman suggested.

  ‘Hey aren't I in on this?’ Jenny asked as they walked off.

  ‘We haven't decided yet!’ C.J called back.

  ‘They don't take on new members quickly!’ Stuart said from the chair next to Jenny's bed. ‘I should know!’

  ‘That's plain to see. What's plan B?’

  Stuart shrugged his shoulders and although the movement was hardly noticeable he said. ‘I think they are going to make it up as they go along!’

  ‘Don't you want to be there, to tell them how to sort Billy out?’ Jenny asked.

  Stuart leant forward he wanted to stay
with Jenny, because he found her nice to be with and talk to.

  ‘By the time I get to the dayroom they will be on their way back!’ He replied.

  He had thought of saying that Jenny was nicer to look at than any of his friends but he changed his mind. It was nice to have someone to talk to when there was no one else about and Stuart did not want to annoy her. He had seen what she was like when she was angry.

  ‘But then I am the one who usually comes up with the ideas!’ He added, trying not to sound bigheaded.

  ‘I don't want to seem a killjoy.’ Jenny started. ‘But I need to go in a big way and I don't think I can do it while you are sitting there!’

  Stuart looked at the distance between the dayroom and his room.

  ‘There's not much difference between the distances so I think I'll go into the dayroom, where the others are then!’

  Jenny pushed the button to call Carol, as Stuart made his way down the ward using the end of each bed for support as he went.

  ‘You will be back won't you?’ Jenny asked as he reached the dayroom door.

  ‘This spoilt brat's got nothing else to do!’ Stuart called back before he disappeared into the dayroom.

  In the dayroom silence reigned, as no one had any ideas. Stuart flopped into a chair quickly vacated by Toby.

  ‘What's the plan then?’ He asked.

  ‘No one's got any ideas!’ Ben replied. ‘He'll be ready for the same stunt and we don't want to trip up the wrong person, that wouldn't go down too well!’

  Stuart sat, his chin resting on his right hand. The right elbow in turn resting on the arm of the chair he sat in.

  ‘We need to find out all we can about his daily routine. How he gets here, how he gets home and what he does in between!’ He said after a long deliberation.

  ‘What, we follow him?’ Sherman asked.

  ‘Yes and write down his every move!’ Stuart replied.

  ‘And if we do it right and Billy knows we're there it will make him well nervous!’ C.J added.

  ‘Yes, hide but make sure he sees you!’ Stuart said enthusiastically. ‘That way it'll be like we're doing something when we're not, because he'll be expecting something to happen all the time!’

  ‘You've got it!’ Sherman said. ‘C.J, J.C and Ben come with me. We'll go and play detectives.’