Dodger

She always does.

We know Nicola is a useful ally and unlike Sue she's not hampered by Don. I think she understands now that her brother is in a very dangerous frame of mind and he needs professional help. She doesn't trust Alex and already has a good idea of want went on so she will want to keep them apart. I think if Robbie was convinced he wanted to kill himself he would have already done it. He made sure Nicola found out, maybe because he wants to be stopped. Sue's reaction will be crucial but she's a nurse and should know about teenage suicides. She will need to put her marital problems on hold for a while and take his threats seriously.

After revealing his plans to me on Friday evening, I was certain Alex would use every trick in the book to try to persuade me to go to Florida with him, but I had already decided it was a nonstarter. As much as I would have enjoyed sending Don a Mickey Mouse postcard from Disney World, I had no intention of riding into the American sunset with Alex. There would be no happy ever after for us, although this was his intention, and I suspected, the real reason behind his crazy, half-baked plan.

I love the Three Degrees. Saw them live once when I was a little tipsy and was convinced they were a drag act!

You and me both.

Thank you for fifty wonderful articles @Comicality. They have been much appreciated and always the first thing I look for on a Saturday. I've enjoyed reading every one.

The last couple of chapters were admittedly difficult. It will be a long time before Robbie is able to put this behind him, but as you point out, he was more positive in this chapter and he found something to laugh about. We shall see if Sue is able to stand up for herself very soon.

Thanks @Benji for the comment and well-worn cliches are always appreciated here. The idea that Robbie's problems are mental rather than physical seems to be gathering momentum with the readers and it certainly would explain a lot. He's caught between the need to talk about what happened to him and the need to keep it quiet. We will discover the identity of the stairway assailant before the end.

No not insensitive at all. You're right, I believe hobo is reading the story through a translation program which I find very interesting. There must be a few slang words which cannot be translated, but it should still be possible to follow the story. It's nice to know there's at least one person reading this outside of the US and the UK. Oh and Canada, I suppose. Than you @hobo

Living with Don and Sue is definitely preferable to living on the street, be it in the UK or Canada. If Robbie hadn't had the audacity to be gay, then his life would have been relatively comfortable with Don and Sue. He could have had as many girlfriends as he wanted and Don would have been as proud as punch. His big mistake was being gay. His second biggest mistake was letting them know about it. Of course I don't speak German, but I thought it was polite to reply in the language the comment was written in. Made possible by Google.

Robbie has done some stupid things in the past but I think this would top them all. Surely even he should be able to see such a crazy plan will almost certainly end in disaster. Even if they did make it across the border and all the way to Florida, who is this cousin of Alex and why is he or she offering accommodation to three runaway kids from Canada? You're probably right about the border. I know it's relatively easy for Canadians to get in and out of the States, but two teenagers and a eight-year-old kid would definitely raise a few red flags. Also, considering the family connection with drugs, I would be a little hesitant about trying to cross the border in either direction with Alex. Is this the reason why his cousin is so eager to help? Of course it could all be a figment of Alex's imagination. He may think he has a better chance of luring Robbie away if he tells him he has someplace to stay. Somewhere in sunny Florida and near Disney World, how bad could that be?

Alex is a sad character I'm afraid. He is the real victim, not Robbie and it's difficult to see a way out of this for him. It's entirely reasonable for him to want to run away because his world is collapsing around him. There really is nothing left for him in Cobourg, so if his cousin's offer of sanctuary and perhaps a new start in a different environment will be too much to resist. If he could persuade Robbie to join him then suddenly his life is perfect, and he really believes that is how it's meant to be. They're supposed to be together, all he has to do is make Robbie understand that. Unless Robbie decides to go all in with Alex, which would probably be his worst decision to date, then Alex will have to accept that his grand plan isn't viable and that's when things could get a little dicey!

I think even Robbie realizes the stupidity of running away with Alex, especially to Florida. This state may be the most popular destination for Canadians and I know of a few who like to spend the winter down there, but it probably won't be much of a holiday for Robbie. We don't know anything about Alex's cousin, but judging by the rest of his family, he's likely to be a fairly unsavory character. He can't handle Alex as it is; this guy may be even worse. I think you're absolutely right with your analysis of why Alex brought Robbie into the argument with his dad. He's trying to use this to influence Robbie. I dare say Alex is also exaggerating the potential threat to Robbie's life. I don't see any reason for his dad to actually go looking for Robbie. It's all part of Alex's mind games which he likes to play and of course he usually wins when it comes to Robbie.

Caught between Don and Alex is enough to give anyone nightmares. I couldn't imagine a worse pairing. Robbie has been playing games with Alex, pushing him as far as he can, knowing that he could get away with it because of their "special" friendship. However, there was always going to be a price to pay for that "special" friendship and now he finds himself in a very unenviable position.

I can't make any promises but Robbie's condition may not be quite as life threatening as he believes it is. He's also very good at playing the victim and sympathy has rewarded him in the past so he may be feel that he needs to make the most of his situation. Thanks for your comment @James B.

Die Straßen in England sind unwirtliche Orte zum Leben, aber ich verstehe, was Sie sagen. Vielen Dank an den Google-Übersetzer. Don und Sue sind aufgrund des völligen Mangels an Verständnis sehr schwierig für Robbie, und es überrascht nicht, dass er einige Probleme hatte. Vielen Dank @hobo

Thanks @Israfil You do come across as a bit of a Robbie, although that's meant as a compliment. I don't agree with many of the readers who pour scorn on his judgement. He makes mistakes, but probably no more than any other teenager. There are underlying issues and past experiences that contribute to his decisions, which we all know about. Lack of role model, his mother's death, etc. He may see himself as a victim, but I think he's a survivor who will do what he has to do to get by and he rarely gets praise for some of the good decisions he makes. I can't think of any offhand, but there are a few in there somewhere.

I would find it difficult to believe Alex when he says he's gay. He's had a lot of girlfriends. Does he really need to go to those lengths to cover up two nights with one guy? Other than Nathan's dubious claims about Alex, he doesn't seem to be interested in any other guys, so maybe he's just got some kind of unhealthy obsession with Robbie. I don't think Don is having an affair with either of these, but he's way too bitter not to be hiding some skeletons. Of course he would. He plays sport!

Sleepy Cobourg just doesn't suit a character like Alex. He must stand out like a sore thumb in the retirement capital of Ontario. It's a pity Robbie didn't pay more attention but the has always been attracted bu danger. He may have bitten off more than he can chew with Alex though. Sue seems to be a lot more balanced when Don isn't there. He's quite overbearing and she rarely speaks out against him but this religious kick of his seems to be pushing her to the limit. Thanks CG.

You're right but Robbie's been playing with fire for months and ignoring all the warning signs. Now the chickens have come home to roost (maybe I can fit a few more cliches in here somewhere).

I'm never far from a computer and I sometimes use my phone, but never napkins, and I always lose pieces of paper. I usually remember any good ideas I have, but If you ever decide to throw away those old notes of yours, @Comicality You may wake up in the night and find me rummaging through your garbage cans.

For once I agreed with Sue. She thought I would have been better off staying in the hospital and she had a point. Forty-eight hours of intensive tests had achieved little other than tear a hole in their budget, so the doctors decided to claw some of it back by sending me home. They were the same doctors who had earlier insisted I couldn’t be left on my own, so Sue had to take time off work to watch me. I got a full-time personal nurse, and the hospital was forced to hire temps at twice the cost.

You're right. I'm going back into my cave. Outta my way bear!

Good morning Albert Looks like I woke up too early. Fooled by that no good groundhog! Hey Page.

Is it spring yet?