C'est la Vie - 20. Chapter 20

Part 20
Separation
He stayed at the hospital with his mother for nearly an hour. In that time he was able to see Mr Clarkson and learn that Timmy was still in the same condition as he was the day before. The medical staff wouldn’t let him into the room but he could view Timmy from the observation window that looked into where he lay. It was hard to see anything of him with all the attachments to his body that were assisting in keeping him alive. With his mother finally convincing him to return home reluctantly he left the hospital.

He sat in his bedroom his mind turning over all the events that had happened in the last month and he berated himself. If he had done this and if he hadn’t said so and so then Timmy wouldn’t be in hospital. But that was in the past he couldn’t change what had happened. Now if Timothy survived he had to make it up to him if he would let him.
That evening his father who had been told of the attack on Timothy noticed his son’s lack of appetite and sorrowful demeanour.
When the plates and dishes had been cleared away he asked Kai to accompany him to the shed in the garden. Once inside and seated in his tattered armchair Frank Webster said, “Okay Kai spit it out.”
Kai stared at his father then as the tears trickled down his cheeks he blurted out, “It’s my fault dad, that Timmy got hurt again.”
Rising from the chair the man went and wrapped his arms around his son to comfort him. “It wasn’t your fault Kai,” he said, his hands stroking the boys back.
“Yes dad it was. I dumped Timmy for another boy who only wanted me for a brief fling.”
“You’re not the first nor will you be the last person to have their head turned by a pretty face. What happened to Timothy had nothing to do with you but hopefully you’ll learn from your mistake.”
“Dad, do you think Timmy will make it.”
“If there’s the slightest chance that he can then he will. He might be small in stature but he has a strong will. Have you forgotten all that he has been through from a very young age and he never ran away from the abuse and bullying? Now that you’ve got to get yourself sorted out, sitting around moping isn’t going to help. When Timothy comes out of this, you’ve got to be ready to help him and if I know anything about Timothy Clarkson he’ll be happy to see your face beside his bed when he does awaken.”
“How can you be so sure dad?”
“I’m not, but I’d rather see you put on a positive attitude then go around looking as if the world were going to end tomorrow.”
Kai Webster hugged his father saying, “Thanks dad,” then left the shed so that his father could partake of his ciggy.

The following morning as he made for the school gates he saw Adam, and Peter, getting off the bus. He waited for them at the gates to join him and together they walked into the school.
“Were you able to see Timothy yesterday?” the boys asked.
“Only from the observation window, he’s still on life support, and I couldn’t see much of his face with all the attachments he had stuck all over him.”
“Any news about who attacked him?” Adam enquired.
“Nothing, zilch, no one seems to know. But maybe the woman would be able to recognize the boys if she were to see them again.”
They’d arrived at their lockers and were putting their belongings away when Brian and Sammy, joined them.
Kai repeated what he’d said earlier for the benefit of the two newcomers.
“They watched as Peter’s eyebrows lowered and knitted together as he asked Kai, “Do you know if he was robbed at all?”
“No his dad said that nothing was taken from him.”
Still frowning Peter nodded his head saying, “Then it must have been someone from the school who roughed him up.”
“You can’t be sure of that,” Sammy said.
“If nothing was stolen from Timmy then it stands to reason that he was beaten up by someone who had it in for him.”
“Does anyone know if Timothy had been involved in any arguments with anyone?” Sammy asked.
“I was the only one I think who had any sort of and argument,” Kai said, “He was trying to be friendly with me even after I’d dumped him and got involved with Adam’s brother. I told him to leave me alone and wasn’t too friendly towards him. Then when I finished my meal I left him and went out into the recreation grounds. But I know I didn’t and would never hit Timmy, and in any case the woman who saw the kids beating him up said there were three of them.”
“Do you think she’d be able to recognize them again,” Brian said, standing behind Sammy with his arms wrapped around her waist, “she could be brought to the school and as the pupils came through the gates she could look them over.”
“Good idea but will she be willing to do it.” Kai said looking at the others, “And if she doesn’t want to get involved in the investigation then when Timmy recovers he could name his attackers.”
Any further discussion about Timothy’s assailants was brought to an end with the sound of the school bell for the beginning of classes. As they dashed along the corridors to the classroom Adam called out to Kai, “If you’re going to visit Timmy after school can Peter and I tag along.”
“You don’t have to ask my permission you two have just as much right to visit him as I do, so we’ll meet up after school and go to the hospital together.”

Timothy Clarkson remained in I.C. till Friday afternoon. Although still in coma the doctors thought that he could be taken off the life support machine as he was now able to breathe on his own. He was moved to a room rather than a ward and still had his drip-feed and monitors attached to him.

He had been walking down this tunnel like forever. He thought he’d seen a pin prick of light at what seemed like the end of a very long tunnel but after walking for what seemed hours it had got no closer.
Think I’ll have a bit of a rest, a lie down and sleep a bit then carry on walking later. Wish these effing insects would stop buzzing around my head they’re Bloody nuisance. Can’t see them in the dark but I can surely hear them, God! I wish I had a fly swat. Great they’ve stopped now for some rest.

It was Sunday afternoon and they had been sitting around Timmy’s bed talking to him. Although the unconscious boy didn’t show any response to their voices, undeterred they still kept up the barrage of words informing him of the latest news from school. There were five of them now, Peter had brought along Crystal Lenihan and they’d been at the hospital with Timmy’s family since 12 noon.
“I think we should have a bit of a break,” Mr Clarkson said interrupting their conversation, “We can get something to drink and eat then you can resume your talking to Timmy.”
They all agreed and started making their way out of the room. Kai as usual was the last to leave and this time he thought, hang it, they all know my feelings for Timmy so he lowered his face and brush his lips against those of the comatose boy.

He was thankful for the silence now he could rest, and he was sliding deeper into himself and as the point of light had nearly diminished. Something brushed his lips and light exploded into his brain as he slowly opened his eyes. He saw an image in front of him then a loud noise coming from that image. There was more noise none of it made any sense, he tried focusing his eyes at the figure above his face and slowly recognition came and he smiled, Kai, he thought then closed his eyes and slept.

Four hours later Timothy Clarkson opened his eyes for the second time since being beaten into unconsciousness, this time his eyes focused immediately on the figures around his bed. The woman smiling at him wore a uniform as also the man attired in a white smock with a stethoscope hanging from his neck.
“Can you hear me?” the man asked
Timothy nodded in response to the man’s question.
“Good,” he said putting his hand to Timothy’s face and lifting his eyelid and shining his transilluminator into the eye to gauge the pupil reaction. After looking at both eyes then doing other tests on the boy he asked, “Do you know where you are.”
Timothy looked around then tried to talk but only a strangled sound came out. The nurse quickly put an arm around his shoulders lifting him and brought a feeding cup to his lips letting him drink some water then laying him back on his pillows.
Timothy tried again this time his voice didn’t fail him, “I suppose I’m in hospital,” he said, his voice clear but weak.
“Do you know your name?”
“Yes, it’s Timothy Clarkson.”
The doctor smiled, “Okay you seem to be doing really well I suppose you’d like to see your family and friends now?”
His eyes eager with anticipation Timothy nodded his response.

A few moments later His mother holding Linda’s hand walked into the room followed by his father, and then the gang.
They all had smiles a mile wide on their faces when they saw the boy in the bed his eyes bright and smiling.
There was the general conversation then his mother asked the inevitable, “Timothy do you know who assaulted you?”
Timothy looked around at the faces surrounding his bedside that gazed at him expectantly. He shook his head saying, “I can’t remember mum, the last thing I can remember is getting off the bus and walking up Grove Road and then Kai waking me up.”
“Never mind it may come back to you when you’re fully recovered.”
He wasn’t listening to the voices humming away in the background. He was thinking back to the incident and visualizing James Fletcher’s face and his two companions as they confronted him. He was wondering what to do about it when the humming in the background suddenly broke his thoughts with Kai’s voice calling his name.
“Uh, yeah what did you want?”
“We got worried we were talking to you and you seemed like you weren’t listening your mind seemed far away.”
“I’ve just realized something.”
“What?” They all asked in unison
“Your voices, when I was thinking about something else just now I’d blocked your voices out it was just like a droning in the background. Now I remember where I’d heard that noise before.”
“What d’you mean?” Peter asked.
“When I was unconscious often I could hear this irritating buzzing in the background and I thought they were insects. I used to wish I could see the blasted things so I could swat them, now I realize it was you lot talking to me.”
“Well it’s good to know that our constant jabbering got you to wake up eventually,” Peter said smiling, “And now that you’re awake you’ve got seven weeks to get better. School finishes next week then it summer break.”
“I’ll be there for the first day,” Timothy said, not realizing that he himself will make a decision that will take him away from his friends in the not too distant future.

Two weeks later Timothy left the City Hospital and on arriving home found all his friend’s and their parents waiting for him inside the sitting room. He blushed at all the good wishes and compliments paid to him by the adults. As soon as the adults had finished with him the three boys with Sammy, and Crystal, started by giving Timothy all the latest news and also where each of them were going for their summer holidays.
Finally the house emptied till at last he was left alone with his parents and sister. His mother came over to him and noticing the tired look in his eyes helped him up from the armchair he was seated in and over to the settee.
“Lie down here for a couple of hours son and get some rest, then your father and I want to discuss something with you.”
“I’m not that tired mum we can talk now if you want.”
“No rest then we’ll talk.”
Knowing it was no use arguing with his mother he lay down on the settee, as he stretched out Linda came and lay beside him. He wrapped his arms around his sister’s body as she cuddled into him. With the smell of the baby shampoo their mother used on her hair invading his senses he slowly lost consciousness and slept.

Two hours later he awoke alone on the settee. He stood a bit shakily at first still groggy from sleep, as he came fully awake he made his way to the kitchen where he could hear voices in conversation.
Seeing Timothy enter the room Jack Clarkson pulled out a chair at the kitchen table for his son saying, “You feeling rested?”
“Yes dad,” he said as he took the proffered chair next to his sister.
His mother left the dishes she was washing in the sink dried her hands and joined them at the table.
The adults eyed each other nervously before Jack Clarkson after clearing his throat and then hesitantly began speaking.
“Um Timothy your mother and I have been discussing your future and we’ve decided,” And he looked across at his wife who gave him a nod of reassurance, “Only if you are agreeable if you’re not then we’ll scrap the plan.”
“Dad, it would be a good idea if you told me the plan before you talk about scrapping it.”
“Um yes well your mother and I have become really frightened for your safety after this last assault. This is the second time you’ve come so close to dying, we’re terrified that the next time it will be fatal. Don’t say there won’t be a next time if you stay in this school or in this locality it is sure to happen. Your friends can’t be with you 24hours of the day to protect you, and for some unknown reason certain individuals seem to target you as their victim and attack you. We don’t want to take that chance again so we think its best that you return to Manchester and finish your schooling there staying with your aunt Lucy. Your mum and sister will also move up there with you, and I’ll come up twice a month and spend the weekends. When you’ve finished school then we can all return to London.”
His father stopped speaking and his parent’s looked at him expectantly.
Timmy sat silent for a minute then stood before saying, “I’m going to my room to give it some thought as soon as I’ve decided I’ll let you know.” He went to his mother who looked worried and kissed her on the cheek and smiling said. “Don’t be frit,” then made his way to his room.

He lay on his bed giving what his father had said much thought. He was still in love with Kai, and since leaving hospital they hadn’t had much chance to be alone together, and on Saturday Kai, with his parents was leaving for the Algarve for two weeks. They were starting out really early to drive down to Dover to get the cross channel ferry to Calais then drive down to their destination in Portugal.
It would be painful leaving London for Manchester, especially with all the friends he’d made but the one friend he would miss most was the one who had severed their relationship. Yes they were back talking again but that may be down to sympathy for an injured friend. If he went to Manchester he could still keep in touch with all of them by phone or correspondence over the internet and two years would give Kai time to decide if he really wanted to get back together again or as he recently did find someone else and go his own way.
He’d been thinking for the best part of an hour on the subject when he got to his feet went down to where his parents were in the sitting room. As he walked into the room Linda made a beeline for him, he took her hand as she led him over to the settee to sit next to his mother while she clamoured into his lap.
Looking at his parents and smiling he said “Okay mum and dad I’ll go to Manchester to finish my schooling, have you got any particular school in mind?”
His mother with a smile of relief on her face said, “We contacted your aunt in the hope that you would agree to our plan and she has acquired you a place at St Peter’s RC. High School.”
Now a bit sadder Timothy asked, “When do you want to leave?”
“Whenever you’re ready,” his mother responded, “We can have your medical notes sent to Manchester with the doctor we were registered under before we came to London, also it would be good for you to be in Manchester for a couple of weeks before school started to give you time to settle in.”
I’ll talk to my friends tomorrow when they come over and let them know what we’ve decided, I know they’re going to be upset and Peter more so, but it won’t be for long he’s got Crystal to keep him occupied now.”

The boys tried their best to get Timothy to change his mind about leaving London he even got a call from Kai in Portugal pleading for him not to go, but Timmy, his heart breaking had made his mind up and for the sake of his parent’s peace of mind was going to go along with their plan.

It was the day before he was to leave for Manchester that Adam was the first to arrive at his house.
As soon as Adam had made his presence known to his parents Timothy ushered him up to his room. Once again Adam tried to dissuade him from leaving London
“No Adam, you guys can’t spend all your time keeping an eye on me and its all settled I’ll be leaving tomorrow.” Before Adam could voice his disappointment Timothy said, “I’ve got something important to tell you but you have to make me a promise that before you say or do anything you’ll speak to your parents first.”
Adam was about to make a light hearted remark but seeing the serious look on Timmy’s face refrained from doing so instead he promised to do as he was asked adding, “So what’s so important?”
“It’s about the kids who attacked me, I know who they were.”
“You said you didn’t know who it was, all you could remember was walking up Grove Road then nothing.”
“Yeah that was because I wanted you and your parents to decide what to do. You see it was James and a couple of his mates who beat the shit out of me,”
“What,” Adam shouted.
“Shhh not so loud you’ll have my parents running upstairs. I don’t know the other kids names but you’ll be able to get them off James.”
“Why didn’t you say so in the hospital?”
“Because the attack was premeditated not like Peter’s incident with the knife which was an accident. I couldn’t do for James and his mates what I did for Peter.”
“But why did they attack you what was the reason?”
And Timothy related what had happened in school and the consequences at Grove Road till he blacked out.
Adam hung his head in embarrassment when hearing the story, “I’ll do what you said Timmy and talk to my parents and also the parents of the other kids, but you can bet your life none of them will get away with it. I’d better get home now and as you suggested talk to the parents.”
“You don’t have to go now Peter and Brian will be along shortly.”
“No Timmy I’ve got to get this sorted right away I’ll be around to see you off tomorrow.”