Chapter 33

On Saturday morning, Furtive Glance met for practice.

"Where's Lee?" asked Joshua.

"No idea," said Amos, " Zak? Do you know?"

"Not seen him," said Zak with obvious lack of interest.

None of the band had seen the news the night before. They never paid much attention to the news, and they had all been out getting very drunk – again.

On Sunday morning, the pretty nurse came in with a bowl of water a towel and a razor.

"You need tidying up for your girlfriend," she said breezily. "Time for a shave."

"Er..." Ged was not sure about being shaved.

"I have done this before," she said. "Come on, you'll feel better."

She lathered him up and than shaved him very efficiently. As she bent close to reach under his chin, and he felt her hot breath and the swell of her breast against his side. It had the inevitable result, and a noticeable tent appeared in the bedclothes. He knew she saw it but was grateful when she affected to ignore it.

On Sunday afternoon, his mother arrived, saw his bandaged hands and looked grim. However, she said nothing but asked him how he was coping with his new situation. She left after kissing him and patting his cheek as she used to do when her was a small child. The meaning of the gesture was not lost on him: he was still her little boy and any hurt to him hurt her as well.

She assured him she would come each day, against his protestations that it was a long way. She just gave him a look. She was his mother, and he was her world.

On Sunday evening, Cassie returned. Ged was out of bed and was looking a little more cheerful and a lot cleaner.

"The police were here this afternoon," he said before she could even say 'Hi!'. "They've arrested Lee Preston. Someone saw him running away from the scene."

"I know," she said. "Viv identified him from someone's mobile phone picture. His mask slipped."

"Well they've got a heap of his clothing for analysis," he went on. "What I don't understand is what Lee had against me. Yes, I had his girlfriend at school, but it's years ago. I remember he took up keyboard to get her interested in him again. We were young then, Cassie, teenagers. Anyway, he's up before the Magistrates on Monday."

"Did he admit it?"

"They said not, but it's early days. Once the forensic evidence is in, he may change his tune."

"Tune. A keyboard player you say?" said Cassie with a quizzical look and half a smile.

They both laughed at the connection which he had not noticed. It reminded each of them of their lives before the tour, always the playing on words.

"Anything on the other assailants?" she asked.

"Apparently he's not talking," Ged said with a resigned air. "He said he wouldn't grass up his mates."

Cassie had brought along a book of crosswords. Ged remembered how they used to puzzle out the cryptic clues together. It seemed so long ago. Cassie pulled up the bedside table and they spent a happy hour doing a crossword. It was a warm feeling for both of them, and they smiled often at each other. Again it was like old times.

"You need to call the nurse," Ged said. "I need to piss."

Cassie looked round and saw a bed bottle with a paper over it. "I can do that," she said, "After all..." she left the rest unsaid, but Ged took her meaning: she had met his penis many times before!

She brought the bed bottle over and undid his pyjamas, carefully fishing his penis out and putting the bottle to it.

"Off you go," she said, and he let fly.

She saw the bruising and let out a gasp of distress.

"Impressive hey?" Ged laughed. "My cock never used to impress you that much!"

"It's the bruising," she said. "They were vicious."

"Yep!" he replied, and she dabbed him and took the bottle back to the side table.

They smiled at each other.

"Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome, and if you must know, I was always impressed by your cock! It's nice to make his acquaintance again!" She giggled then and flushed a little.

Ged felt a sudden warmth towards her and smiled. This was how he remembered them.

On Monday Clare went into work as usual, where she got an appointment with the Human Resources manager, and discussed what had transpired. She asked about working from home.

The manager told her that the only way the publishing house could accept her request was if she were to resign and become free-lance. The woman made a phone call as Cassie sat waiting, and after a brief discussion with the general manager, promised plenty of work as and when she could handle it.

So she resigned with a promise of work in writing from the company.

Before leaving the building she invited Harry for lunch and told him the whole story explaining her decision to help Ged and hopefully reconcile with him. Harry, being the man he was, understood. As he said, it was no big deal; they had only been seeing each other for a few weeks. Neither of them believed what he said but neither said so. They kissed good bye as lovers do.

When she arrived at the hospital, Ged was smiling.

"Look!" he said proudly, waggling the thumb and index finger of his left hand. "They cut some of the strapping away."

He showed how he could, using the finger and thumb of his left hand and the immobile right to support it, pick up a mug and drink from it.

"I've been practising all day," he said gaily.

"That's brilliant!" she agreed, and her face shone. He felt that warmth again.

"And now I've got you to go home to, they reckon I might be able to leave here in a couple of days. They want to be sure about the concussion and check on the job they did on my hands."

"Oh, that's great!" she agreed. "Can you give me a key to the house and I'll get it ready for you."

"In my locker," he said, "I'm really looking forward to having you at home. The housekeeper should have kept the place running."