Part 22 (1/2)

”Married? h.e.l.lo? She hasn't got a clue what she is doing. You cannot marry Katy. I will not allow you to take advantage of her like this.”

Ben looked exhausted as he considered his next move.

”Permission to stick this right up his a.s.s?” Ben finally asked Katy, picking up the banana.

She let go of the mask and nodded, letting a smile and the tears engulf her before another contraction took over.

”Well I think that says it all doesn't it? You had better leave unless you want me to carry out the lady's wishes,” said Ben, still brandis.h.i.+ng the banana.

Katy screwed up her face in pain and grabbed Ben's hand in a superhuman grip. Matthew was making no move to go anywhere. Ben knew he needed to act quickly.

”I'm really sorry,” he said to Matthew before he pulled back his free hand and gave Matthew a hard hitting jab across the chin. Matthew reeled backwards and fell heavily to the floor, knocked out cold.

Ben looked surprised at his success before looking nervously at Katy. ”Forgive me,” he said. ”He left me with no choice. Does it really hurt? Here, grip my leg,” he said squeezing onto the bed beside her.

As Katy got to grips with his thigh, Ben leaned over to press the emergency call b.u.t.ton.

Almost instantly the door flew open and in fell Nurse Brady, Daniel and Braindead who had been listening from the corridor.

”What's happening, what's happening? Oh my G.o.d I can't bear it,” burst out Daniel. ”Tell me now? Is it all over? Please tell me it's all over?”

”Come on my son. It's a result,” roared Braindead when he saw Matthew out cold on the floor and Ben with his arm around a still contracting Katy.

”Jesus Katy, I didn't recognise you. You look awful,” Braindead continued.

Katy growled loudly making Braindead cower in horror.

”No need for that,” he said. ”You just don't look yourself that's all.”

”Look,” said Ben, looking dazed but happy. ”Thanks for everything guys but I think Katy needs to get on with giving birth now. So if you'll excuse us. Oh, and can you make sure he gets back to Alison,” he said, nodding at Matthew.

Suddenly two men burst in with a bed on wheels.

”Get him out of here will you,” said Nurse Brady pointing at Matthew. ”One of you had better stay with him until he comes round so he knows what's happened,” she said to Daniel and Braindead.

”b.u.g.g.e.r that,” said Braindead straight away. ”Time for a bacon b.u.t.tie and a little chat with my new mate Daniel here. We still have some unfinished business haven't we? Few calls to make, know what I mean.”

”Look you go and get something to eat and I'll deal with Matthew,” said Daniel.

”What for? You don't owe him anything,” replied Braindead.

”Well one of us had better make sure he doesn't try and come back. You leave it to me. I'll come and find you later I promise.”

”Well, if you must. Don't you go forgetting our deal though eh? I don't stay up all night for just anyone you know.”

”I'll be in touch, promise,” shouted Daniel over his shoulder as he raced after Matthew.

”Well I guess my work is done,” said Braindead, taking one last satisfied glance at Ben, now looking very pale as he tried to console Katy through her contraction.

”No need to thank me guys. I'll be off unless I can do anything else.”

Katy growled again and Braindead vanished.

Chapter 24.

Daniel felt like he had trudged down a million miles of corridor looking for Matthew. The multiple shades of standard hospital grey paint he had experienced were starting to unsettle him. However he still had a smug smile on his face. He wondered how Katy was ever going to repay him for such heroic, such ingenious, and such dedicated efforts to secure her happiness. Maybe that watch he had been coveting would be a suitable reward for such a display of friends.h.i.+p. Perhaps he would invite her shopping and he could drop some subtle hints like, ”Katy. See this watch. You owe me.”

Eventually he found Matthew slumped on a chair in a corridor crying his eyes out. Daniel sat down and patiently waited for the sobs to subside.

”f.u.c.k off,” were Matthew's first words when he realised that Daniel was sitting next to him. ”Will you just f.u.c.k off.”

”I'm only here to make sure you're alright.”

”Why the f.u.c.k would I need you to make sure I'm alright. What do you care?” said Matthew.

”What do I care?” said Daniel, now too tired to stay calm. ”I will tell you what I care. I have spent the entire night caring, that's what. No actually that's wrong. I have spent most of the last nine months caring, trying to sort you lot out. Listening, talking, trying to make sense of the whole d.a.m.n mess and now I am tired and I don't need you telling me to f.u.c.k off. Go f.u.c.k off yourself and get on with your b.l.o.o.d.y life.”

To Daniel's horror he watched as Matthew face crumpled again. He turned away from Daniel in embarra.s.sment and started to weep, his shoulders rising and falling with huge heavy sobs.

An elderly couple just down the corridor were either too rude or too old to hide their stares. Daniel heard sc.r.a.ping and watched as the elderly woman moved her chair so she could get a better view.

Matthew's sobs were getting louder by the minute, forcing Daniel to take action.

”Showtime's over,” he said to his audience, but they were not to be deterred, staring innocently straight back at him.

Daniel awkwardly attempted to put his arm around Matthew. Matthew shrugged him off but Daniel persisted.

”Come on lad, you know you'll get over it,” he said quietly. Why he always reverted to talking like his mother when trying to console someone he had no idea. In fact he realised he had just repeated his mother's exact words after he'd told her he was in love with his male tutor at art college. He was so frustrated at his mother's blinkered stance that he had retorted instantly that he had known he was gay since he was fifteen, when he had been seduced by David Sanderson on a scout trip.

”David Sanderson?” she had exclaimed in absolute horror.

”Yes,” he had replied.

”You are a liar. You can't say such a thing about poor David,” she had said.

”No he did mum, honest,” he protested.

”How dare you drag a vicar's son into this? I don't know what is worse, pretending to be gay or blaspheming the church.”

His mother's lack of any understanding reminded him that Matthew did deserve some sympathy even if it was from the man who had been instrumental in plotting his romantic downfall.

Daniel sat patiently patting Matthew's shoulder, waiting for the sobs to subside. Occasionally he heard a shuffle or a cough from the couple reminding him that there was an expectant audience awaiting a performance.

”Tissues?” Daniel turned to ask them.