Chapter 36

The next two weeks were pretty similar. More schoolwork catch-up, after which I reckoned I was about a week behind my classmates so I predicted I’d be caught up within another two weeks. My grades were still good, although slightly lower than they might have been because I had missed out on interacting with the teachers and sessions in the laboratory.

For light reading I alternated between the second Russian doorstop novel and my medical textbook. I decided to start by skimming through the subjects I’d read about in Sandra’s version to check for significant updates. Or was I just delaying read the section on the brain because I was afraid I wouldn’t find anything useful?

I continued to text Ms Edgeway every couple of days to let her know things were still okay, even improving slightly since my parents seemed to be slowly relaxing a little around me. I even sent Sandra a text to let her know I was okay, I was now fifteen, I had an up-to-date edition of her medical textbook, and I was keeping her key safe. I didn’t get a reply.

The weekend after my unsuccessful moors visit, I had a couple more sessions of competitively eviscerating spawn from hell with Dex and Phil. Again I came third but I was catching up. Unbidden, I also did some garden maintenance and other chores to earn brownie points with my parents.

The following weekend I went to the moors again. We still hadn’t had any rain apart from the odd shower so I wasn’t over-enthusiastic about it, but I thought it important to establish a routine. Since there was little point searching for the hummock again, I spent most of the time metal-detecting. I explored a distant area I couldn’t remember visiting before and I found a few old coins. Some I recognised from having had Dr Wells identify similar coins, but a couple were unlike any I’d found before, although nothing resembling the valuable coin currently being scrutinised by Italian experts. They seemed crudely made and from what I could make out, their inscriptions were more likely English than Latin. I deemed them worthy of a visit to Dr Wells. I wondered whether my parents would object if I visited him during the week. I decided it would be better to ask sooner rather than later, before the month’s trial reconciliation ended and we had another meeting with Ms Edgeway.

I showed Mum and Dad the coins when I got home. They agreed with my assessment, that Dr Wells might be interested in seeing the two unusual specimens.

“It’s been a while since I last saw him so I’d better call him in advance,” I pointed out. “Is it okay to take them to the museum during the week?”

Dad thought for a second. “Monday’s a Bank Holiday. If you do schoolwork on Monday, then I’m okay with a midweek visit.”

Mum nodded her agreement. Janey smirked at my discomfort. I’d forgotten about the Bank Holiday. Still, I couldn’t really complain.

Even though it was the weekend, and a Bank Holiday weekend at that, I got a text from Ms Edgeway asking if everything was still fine. I replied in the affirmative.

‘The trial month is almost over. Would you like to talk before we sit down with your parents again? I can fit you in next week.’

I thought for a while. My parents were still taking pains to avoid upsetting me and my Dad still seemed to be avoiding me. ‘Yes please,’ I texted back.

We provisionally arranged for Wednesday. I phoned the museum on Tuesday and Dr Wells agreed Wednesday would be fine for him too, so I could kill two birds with one stone. The museum was quite a way to cycle but Ms Edgeway’s office was relatively close to it as both were in the centre of town.

Because Ms Edgeway had specified a time and Dr Wells had said to turn up any time, I went to Ms Edgeway’s office first. Unlike the museum, there didn’t seem a safe place to secure my bike outside so I used the entryphone system to ask if there was a suitable location for it. The receptionist replied that there was a small car park to the rear of the building. It was intended for staff only but a bike would be no problem. She gave me directions and said she’d wait by the rear door to admit me.