Part 38 (2/2)

'Yes.'

'I'm looking after Hal. I'm Dr Sutton.'

'Can I see him?'

'He's not looking very good.'

'I want to see him.'

The doctor thought for a moment then relented. 'OK. Just for a few minutes. He's not conscious. He's lost a lot of blood.'

'I just want to see him.'

Jesse banged the door of the relatives' room open, making Mickey and the constable jump. 'Mick. How is he?'

'We're just waiting for the doctor,' Mickey said in a quiet, shocked voice. 'Loveday's gone to get tea.' He looked at the clock on the wall. 'She's been gone ages ...'

'Where's Hal?' Jesse's anguished voice was completely at odds with Mickey's.

'With the doctor.'

'How is he?'

'We're waiting ...'

'He lost a lot of blood.' Jesse was agitated. 'He'll need a transfusion.'

'Yes. I expect so.'

'I want you to know, Mickey, that I am going to give him my blood.'

'That's kind of you, but if they don't have enough at the hospital, he'll need some from a relative, won't he? Me or Loveday? Or the girls? Where are the girls?'

'With Greer and Freddie at home.'

'Oh, good.'

'But,' Jesse tried to be gentle, 'I might have the right blood.'

'Yes,' Mickey said kindly. 'It might be you. It might be me. It might be lots of people in this hospital, so I'm sure we'll get some.'

The doctor came in. 'Mr Chandler?' She looked from one man to the other. 'Yes,' said Mickey. 'I'm Hal's dad. How is he?'

'He's lost a lot of blood and we're going to start transfusing him before he goes to theatre.'

Jesse leapt to his feet. 'I'll be a donor.'

The doctor looked surprised. 'Are you a relative?'

'I'm his-'

Mickey stepped in. 'He's his G.o.dfather.'

The doctor had experience of dealing with shocked and confused relatives, so she smiled and carried on. 'We're always grateful for donors, but there's no need in this instance. Mrs Chandler has offered and she's a perfect match.'

36.

There was a police investigation, which found that human error was the strongest factor in what had happened. Freddie hadn't known that Hal was in the water when he nudged the throttle forward to move the boat round slightly.

Mickey and Loveday refused to press charges against him, so he was left with the freedom of liberty but also the imprisonment of guilt. He was filled with remorse and suffering from sleepless nights and panic attacks; the doctor concluded that he was probably suffering from of PTSD. He was suspended from the lifeboat crew on compa.s.sionate grounds as he was unable to perform his duties. All talk of a future on the lifeboats was quietly forgotten. For now, he was given sh.o.r.e duties only, at Behenna and Clovelly. The unending kindness and sympathy of Hal, Mickey and Loveday served only to bury him under a dark cloak of depression.

Jesse left Loveday alone after that. In the back of their minds, both Mickey and Jesse blamed themselves for drinking on the boat; both felt that if they had been more alert and professional, the accident might never have happened. But the two sets of friends continued as they always had, albeit with an underlying strain and an overlying brightness, and kept their private thoughts to themselves.

Hal's left arm now finished just above his elbow. The scars on his stump, face and chest began to fade and, incredibly, he bore no resentment. 'I'm alive, aren't I?' he said again and again to the well-wishers who pitied him.

Before his birthday, Loveday had asked Hal what it was he wanted to do.

'Me and Freddie's having a joint party, ain't we?'

'I know that was what you wanted ... before.' She hesitated. 'But you might feel differently now, what with your arm.'

'No way are we cancelling this party, Mum.'

'I didn't mean cancel ... just that maybe a joint party with Freddie might be a bit upsetting for both of you,' she said kindly.

'Mum, Freddie's been to h.e.l.l and back with his guilt and is suffering more than I am. I want Freddie to see that nothing has changed between us. He's my best friend and he always will be.'

Loveday felt tears sting her eyes as she nodded and hugged her brave, loyal son.

It was October, and the last Lifeboat Day of the season fell on the Friday Freddie and Hal turned twenty-one. There was no more talk of new cars. Instead, Loveday planned a family lunch, to include the Behennas, at Pilot's Cottages.

It was twelve thirty, and Greer squinted her eyes against the pearly autumn sun that highlighted the peeling paint surrounding the bra.s.s Piskey doorknocker and revealed the silvered timbers beneath. She s.h.i.+fted the plastic cake box from her right hand to her left and knocked.

Jesse had parked the car against the low dry-stone wall in front of the cottage's garden, and was walking up the slate path towards her. 'Have you knocked?'

She didn't bother to hide her irritation. 'Of course I have.'

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