Barging In

by Josephine Myles

  “Come on, then,” Robin said. “Better get a move on if we want to get there while they’re still serving lunch.”

  They walked side by side, pushing their bikes along. Robin was quiet for a long while, and Dan was content to watch the scenery change as they journeyed through the industrial hinterland at the edge of the city. There was a narrow strip of steep bank between them and the fast-flowing water, with scrubby bushes and trees clinging there insistently. Dan was grateful for the steel railings along the side of the path that lent the illusion of safety. Buildings separated them from the main road, but traffic murmured in the background. On the other side of the river, some thirty yards away, the backs of the warehouses butted straight up to the water as if daring it to do its worst. Beyond them the twin gas towers added their defiant protest against the picturesque Bath skyline.

  “Look, witches’ knickers,” Robin said, pointing to the bushes festooned with ragged carrier bags.

  Dan couldn’t help a chuckle, despite his irritation at the way the litter spoilt the view.

  “Fucking arseholes, chucking their rubbish into the river and blaming us boaters.” Robin pointed at a large, floating object making its way downstream towards them. It was caught in the slower water at the edge, snagging on low-hanging branches as it spun its lazy way towards the ocean. “It’s not like they don’t have enough bins around to use.”

  Dan squinted at the humped object Robin had indicated. It looked like a floating bin bag from a distance, but as they drew nearer, he realised that the black plastic was in fact black fabric, shining because it was one of those puffy, nylon bomber jackets. Humped because it had something underneath it. Floating because that something was buoyant with air…

  Dan’s guts plummeted as cold fear slid down his spine. He froze.

  “Robin! Wait!”

  All his attention was focused on the floating object. His arm shook as he pointed to it. Now it was closer, he could see a second hump, barely visible, covered in dark, sopping wet hair.

  “It’s a body,” Dan said, his voice coming out in a croak.

  “What the—”

  The next thing Dan saw was Robin running to the water’s edge, vaulting over the railings and throwing off his jacket. Then time slowed, Robin’s body arcing gracefully through the air. Powerful, muscular, yet so fragile compared to the river’s relentless surge. Dan’s stomach tied itself in agonising knots as he watched Robin disappear into the dark water.

  The water still flowed, the birds still sang and the breeze still blew soft on his skin, but Dan was frozen to the spot. He couldn’t breathe, staring at the river’s darkly glittering surface, willing it to give up its hold on Robin. Promising anything just to have him back on dry land and safe in his arms.

  Robin’s head broke the surface near the body. Dan exhaled, taking ragged breaths as he stumbled to the river’s edge and clung on to the railings with white knuckles. Robin’s jacket lay on the ground before him. He picked it up, barely aware of what he was doing. He wanted to call out, bring Robin back to him by the power of his voice, but nothing would come out. Robin struggled with the misshapen lump, hauling it around so that the head broke the surface. It looked like a young man, waxy white, with a vicious gash on his temple.

  Now that the body was a person rather than a thing, adrenaline coursed through Dan’s system. Galvanised into action, he drew out his phone and thumbed in 999. Holding it to his ear, he ducked under the railings, his legs spread wide and knees bent low as he edged towards the riverbank. In the water below, all that was visible were the two heads moving slowly closer to the bank even as the current swept them downstream. Dan cursed. He’d have to move farther along if he was to be of any help hauling them onto the bank.

  “Hello, Emergency Services Operator. Which service do you require?”

  “Ambulance! I need an ambulance. And, oh God, I don’t know…some kind of river rescue?”

  “What’s the nature of your emergency?”

  “He’s in the river, trying to save some guy. I… I think he’s drowned.”

  “I’ll connect you to the Ambulance Service, and if you still need rescue help, then they’ll put you through after they’ve taken the details, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Dan jogged up to the towpath and followed Robin as he was swept downstream. Just then the operator cut in.

  “Ambulance Service, what’s the address of the emergency?”

  Bugger. He remembered passing an industrial estate just before they stopped, a furniture factory belching its cloying fumes out onto the towpath.

  “We’re on the river. J-just past a factory on the river bank in Bath. Going towards the city. Shit! I, um, I can see a bridge ahead, right next to the gas towers.”

  “Thank you. I think we can pinpoint your location from that.” The woman’s voice was calm and steady. Could she not tell this was urgent? “And what is the telephone number you’re calling from?”

  All Dan could focus on was the sight of Robin struggling in the water.

  “Hold on there, Robin. I’m calling for help.” His voice was louder than he’d expected, and the sound gave him confidence. He gave the operator his mobile number.

  “What’s the problem? Tell me exactly what’s happened.”

  “There’s a body, in the river. Young guy. Drowned, I think. Robin dived in to rescue him. He’s struggling. Getting swept along.”

  “Is the young man conscious?”

  “No. I…oh God, I think he’s dead. Looks like he hit his head.”

  “And do you think your friend will be able to get him out of the water?”

  “He’d better! He’s pretty strong.” Robin had better be strong enough. “I’m going to have to hang up and help them out in a moment.”

  “Please don’t put yourself at risk. I’ve already arranged for the ambulance and the police. I need you to be able to liaise with them when they reach you. Would you be able to go and stand by the main road so they can find you?”

  Dan glanced over at the rows of buildings standing between him and the main road. “No fucking way! I’m staying where I can help Robin.”

  He thought he heard a sigh, but when the woman spoke again, her tone was firm and professional. “Do you have any first-aid training?”

  “It’s been a long time.” Memories of fooling around when he had to blow into the plastic dummy’s mouth resurfaced. “I’m not sure how much I’ll remember.”

  “The first few minutes can be critical. Stay on the line and I can talk you through resuscitation.”

  “That’s not going to be any fucking use if he’s still in the river, is it?”

  Dan hung up on her, determined to ignore the advice about risk. Robin was closer to the bank now, only about four feet from the edge, but didn’t seem to be making any further progress.

  “I’m coming,” Dan shouted. “Just stay where you are.”

  “’Kay.” Robin’s shout was breathless.

  “Don’t waste your breath. Just stay alive, all right!”

  The handrail came to an end where the bank was lined with scrubby trees. Dan scrambled down between them, grabbing hold of thicker branches to slow his headlong rush. A boulder jutted out into the water. He knelt on the rock. Reached out. His hand grazed the water, and an icy chill shuddered up his arm. So cold!

  “Robin, you’re nearly there, just a little bit closer.” Robin was facing away from him, his head bobbing lower and lower in the water. Dan looked around him for something that might help. It was all just nature. Trees and bushes…and branches.

  Dan picked up the largest he could see. It crumbled, rotten in the core. His gaze skittered over the other branches littering the ground. One stood out as shinier than the others, and even though it was slender, he grabbed it and tried to snap it in half. The branch bent but held. It felt right in his hand. He turned back to the river, his heart skipping a beat as he saw Robin’s head duck almost completely below the water. Why the fuck was he still clinging
on to that deadweight? Even Dan could see the lad was quite clearly not breathing.

  “Robin! He’s dead. Let go of him. Please! Grab this stick and I’ll pull you in.”

  He thrust the stick towards Robin, poking at his shoulder in his haste. Robin’s head disappeared beneath the water again.

  Fuck, was he going to have to jump in there to save him? He stripped off his jacket and took a deep breath. He’d do it. For Robin.

  Robin resurfaced with a gasp. Dan gave a silent prayer of thanks to whatever or whoever might be watching over them.

  “Please don’t make me get in there! Grab hold of the stick.” Thank God. Robin clutched the stick with one pallid hand.

  Dan hauled. The weight of their two bodies against the drag of the current was enormous, and he just wasn’t strong enough.

  “Fucking hell, Robin. Let him go!”

  But Robin wouldn’t listen. Slowly but surely, Robin’s fingers began to slip from the far end of the branch. Dan watched it happen, and bile rose in his throat. His body broke out in a cold sweat.

  “Don’t you dare drown on me, or I’ll fucking well kill you!”

  Robin’s hand tightened, and with a final burst of strength, Dan managed to pull him close enough to reach. He lay down on the rock and grabbed Robin’s cold hand. He squeezed it hard and felt a faint answering twitch. Robin’s mouth was just above the surface, his arm still wrapped tight around the corpse. Dan summoned up every last ounce of strength and pulled. Robin either wouldn’t or couldn’t loosen his grip on the body. But then, with a last, muscle-screaming heave, they were out, lying on the rock, water streaming off their clothing.

  Dan lay back, Robin cradled in his arms. Dan’s heart was trying to hammer its way out of his chest. He lifted Robin’s arm. It was stiff with cold. He gave a shove, and the drowned lad rolled off Robin to sprawl on the ground.

  Dan stared at the corpse. There was a clean graze on the bloke’s temple, but no new blood welled up. Perhaps that was what did him in. An accident? Suicide? Murder? Dan shivered and tried not to think about swallowing water—tried not to imagine watching the sky grow dim as the river claimed you. He attempted to focus on concrete facts—the bloke’s eyes were open but unseeing. He was heavyset—no wonder Robin had struggled—and he couldn’t be any more than twenty. So young. And so dead.

  But Robin—Robin was shaking in Dan’s arms, trembling and gasping and reaching for him.

  And alive. So very alive.

  “Why didn’t you let go? I nearly lost you.”

  Dan grasped Robin tight. He’d willingly give Robin every last bit of body heat he could. He kissed his forehead, telling himself that those weren’t tears in Robin’s eyes. Robin was too strong for that. It was just water. Same as in Dan’s eyes. Just salty river water, running down their cheeks as their bodies shook with sobs.

  Chapter Nineteen

  A round-faced woman and a skinny blond lad in green appeared at the top of the bank. It wasn’t until they called to him that Dan recognised them as paramedics. The woman tried to persuade Dan to let go of Robin. He fought her off, snarling, but she plied him with offers of blankets for Robin. He followed as she led Robin up to the pathway. He didn’t see what happened to the body. He didn’t care.

  “D-Dan? Where are you?” Robin’s voice was weak, almost hoarse.

  In a couple of strides, Dan was at Robin’s side, wrestling him out of the paramedic’s grasp.

  “Please, Dan, we need to get your friend some medical attention.” The woman attempted to loosen Dan’s hold on Robin. “We need him to get into the ambulance. You can come too.”

  Dan clung on tighter, pressing his body against Robin in an attempt to transmit his warmth through the sopping-wet clothing. He buried his face in Robin’s neck, his head shaking as Robin’s teeth chattered by his ear. Robin’s arms came around to circle him, the grip almost as tight as his own. Eventually the paramedic gave up trying to separate them, and sometime later Dan felt a warm blanket being draped around them both.

  “Dan, my love, could you tell us your friend’s name?” It was the woman. The one whose face reminded him of his mum. He told her, hoping she’d leave them alone.

  “Robin? Can you hear me? My name’s Julie, and I’m here to help you. We need to get those wet clothes off you and check you over. Can you please ask Dan to let go?”

  Reluctantly Dan complied, but he refused to let go of Robin’s hand, forcing Julie to work around him in the confined space of the ambulance. He wouldn’t let her strip Robin’s clothing—that was his job. Robin’s skin was damp and clammy—the touch of it almost too much to bear.

  Warm, dry clothes miraculously appeared, and Robin obediently lifted his arms for the Pfizer T-shirt, then stepped into the faded jogging bottoms when Dan asked him to. There weren’t any spare socks, but there was a fluffy towel for Robin’s feet. Julie draped another dry blanket around Robin, this one powder pink and full of holes like something his baby cousins would have come wrapped in. They sat on the two flip-down seats by the back door as the other paramedic wheeled out the gurney; then Julie shut the door behind him, keeping the warmth inside.

  Robin’s reactions were slow to begin with. Julie took his pulse and temperature, all the while asking gentle but insistent questions. Dan needed to keep reassuring himself that Robin was there—it had been such a close call. He twisted up inside every time he thought about it. He squeezed Robin’s hand, watching the animation and colour slowly return to his face. Julie brought them both lukewarm tea in plastic cups. It tasted like the inside of a Thermos flask, but Dan didn’t care. All he was concerned about was the way Robin’s hand shook as he lifted the cup to his mouth. But then Robin looked up and gave him a hesitant smile.

  “Thank you,” Robin whispered.

  Dan’s heart swelled. The world’s soppiest grin took over his face and wouldn’t let go.

  “You are the bravest, stupidest man I’ve ever met. You ever do something crazy like that again and I’ll kill you myself.” He kissed Robin firmly on the lips.

  “All right, then, lovebirds. Break it up. You’ll make me all weepy if I have to watch much more of that.” Julie was smiling fondly, and Dan pulled her close for a peck on the cheek. She chortled. “Stop it, you! I’ll forget what I’m meant to be doing. Now, Robin my love, I want to take you back to the hospital to keep an eye on you. We don’t want you going into shock.”

  “No.” They both spun around to stare at Robin. His face was calm, but his eyes were flinty. “I’m not going into hospital. No fucking way.”

  “But poppet, it’s just for a little while. You’ll be in safe hands.” She reached out to pat Robin’s shoulder.

  “Dan can look after me.”

  Dan caught Robin’s gaze, the intensity of it cutting right into him. It was hard to bear, so he made light of it. “You just want to get me on my own again, don’t you? Play a bit of doctors and nurses.”

  Robin’s gaze faltered for a moment; then he laughed, the unexpected sound ringing harshly in the small space. “Okay. You can be the nurse.”

  “But I’m always the nurse!” Dan pouted and did his best impression of an aggrieved queen, complete with hands on hips and gratuitous hair flicking.

  Julie eventually managed to make herself heard through their giggling. “All right, all right. You’ve convinced me! Just make sure you give a statement to the police before you leave. I don’t want them on my case about it.”

  The hysterical laughter died on their lips as they stumbled out of the ambulance door.

  Robin stared. A shiver ran down his spine.

  There was a body on the gurney. A dead body. In a bag.

  He’d failed.

  His stomach churned. He leant on Dan’s shoulder. He’d probably feel better if he could throw up, but there were people everywhere. Most of them in uniform.

  An officer with dark rings under his eyes and slumped shoulders approached.

  “He’s dead?” Robin’s voice came out as a whisper. It
was obvious now. It was what Dan had been trying to tell him when he’d been struggling in the water. But maybe, just maybe, someone would tell him it was all a mistake. Maybe that was something else in the bag. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him.

  Dan clutched his hand as the officer filled them in.

  “There was nothing you could have done, sir. He was probably dead as soon as he hit the water. Took a plunge off North Parade Bridge and knocked his head on the way down. We’ve had fatalities there in the past.”

  “What was his name?” Robin tried to suppress the trembling in his voice. He needed to know.

  The officer looked at his pad, frowning. “Ben Parker. We’ve been looking for him after a report of him falling. Apparently he’d been drinking with friends in the Huntsman and someone dared him to walk along the parapet.” It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened next. Robin tuned out the officer’s voice and tried to concentrate on the way Dan’s fingers laced through his. Dan was warm and alive. Dan was here right now.

  Old ghosts had no business trying to resurface now.

  “So it wasn’t a suicide?” Robin asked. Dan squeezed his hand, his face a picture of puzzled concern. Robin tried his best to ignore it. He owed Dan an explanation, but he couldn’t give it here in front of all these people.

  “Doesn’t look like it, sir. Just a case of youthful high jinks gone wrong. You’d think they’d know better, these university students, but get a few drinks inside them and they all think they’re bloody Superman.”

  It didn’t take long for them both to give their statements, and the officer seemed satisfied, if his grim smile was anything to go by. Taking their details was a different matter. Dan received a raised eyebrow for his South London address, but Robin was given a look of barely concealed contempt. The officer muttered “no fixed abode” while writing in his pad.

  Someone had retrieved their bicycles and propped them up against the back of the ambulance. Robin’s wet clothes were in a carrier bag hanging on the handles of Dan’s bike.

  They pushed their bikes back to Serendipity, neither of them saying much.