Battles Lost and Won (23 page)

‘I’m sorry, Bob, but I had to find you. I have bad news. There was an accident at the docks and Steve Cooper is badly injured. He might never walk again, and the Coopers are having a rough time. Your father is helping all he can, but medical fees are expensive, and they are in dire trouble. I have offered financial help, but they won’t take it from me. I thought you should know.’

The news hit him hard, and that was plain to see. Bob drew in a deep breath and looked at the woman.

‘You must go, Bob,’ she said gently. ‘The skills you have learnt here could be of help to the man.’

He bowed his head for a moment then straightened to his full height. ‘I might not be able to come back for some time.’

‘I know.’ She smiled again. ‘But I want you to know that there will always be a place here for you. Come and see us when you can, and if there is anything we can do you mustn’t hesitate to contact us.’

‘Thank you, Sister. I’ll see William Jackson before I leave, but would you thank Professor Morgan for his kindness, please?’

‘I will. Now go and see Jack, and tell him that I’ve given you permission to take any lotions and equipment you think you might need.’

‘That is kind of you.’ He looked straight at Ben. ‘I have things to take care of here first, but I’ll be in London some time today.’

His expression was now completely composed; giving no indication of his feelings, though Ben was aware he was making painful decisions.

‘I’ll accompany you back.’ He thanked the Sister and stepped outside the office to allow Bob to take his leave in private.

In only a couple of minutes, Bob strode out of the office and into another room. The captain followed. Bob was talking to a man of medium height and a ready smile. They were loading jars and bottles into a bag.

‘Oh, Captain, this is Jack Beamish,’ Bob said when he saw he had been followed. ‘He’s the physiotherapist here and I have been working with him ever since I arrived.’

‘Delighted to meet you.’

When the bag was packed, they left the building, and their first stop was a fine house on Richmond Green, where Bob shook hands with a man and thanked him, then walked away, giving no hint of his feelings again. Then it was back up the hill to a three-storey house. They climbed to the top floor where Bob packed his belongings. On the way down he caught one of the boys who lived on the next floor down.

After hearing that Bob was leaving, he said, ‘Oh hell, I’m sorry. But if you ever need a place to stay you can move in with us.’

On the ground floor he saw his landlady, paid whatever he owed, and said goodbye.

All the time Bob said nothing to the captain, and he could only watch with deep sadness as the boy systematically dismantled the life he had built up here. He knew he wouldn’t be coming back for some time.

Bob spoke for the first time when they were on the train. ‘How did you find me?’

‘I put two and two together and came up with the correct answer. Who was that man you said goodbye to at the house on Richmond Green?’

‘A teacher. I was improving my education.’

‘I’m almost sorry I found you because you seem to have built up a good life for yourself here, but the Coopers are in terrible trouble, and I didn’t know what else to do. If they had let me help I probably wouldn’t have come for you.’

‘You did the right thing.’

‘I hope so.’

For the rest of the journey they remained silent, each one lost in their own troubled thoughts.

When they reached the street, Bob told him with a wry smile, ‘You had better come in with me and explain what I’m doing here. I might not be welcome, and they can blame you while I find out how bad things are.’

They went straight to Alf’s house and Bob tossed his bag of belongings on a chair, and still holding the other, he vaulted over the fence. Ben followed again.

Daisy was the only one in the scullery, washing up after lunch, and was startled when Bob walked in after a brief knock on the door. She stared at him, hollow eyed. ‘Bob?’

‘Hello, Mrs Cooper, or can I call you Daisy now?’

Suddenly the grim boy had vanished and Ben could hardly believe the transformation. He was smiling, relaxed, and had a teasing tone in his voice as he kissed her cheek.

‘Er . . . yes . . .’ She looked confused.

‘All right, Daisy.’ He had removed his jacket, placed it on the back of a chair, and rolled up his sleeves. ‘Now, where’s this husband of yours?’

‘Upstairs in the bedroom.’ She eyed him with alarm. ‘Bob, what are you going to do?’

‘Hopefully make Steve more comfortable and see if I can help him.’

‘But . . . but . . .’ She looked helplessly at the captain. ‘I don’t understand?’

‘Start heating up plenty of water, Daisy.’ Bob called as he took the stairs three at a time.

Panicking now, Daisy rushed up after him, and Ben followed. They entered the bedroom just in time to hear Steve saying, ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

‘I’m here to help you.’ Bob pulled back the bedcovers. ‘You can curse me all you like. I’m used to it, so let’s have a look at you.’

When Daisy went to stop him, Ben caught her arm. ‘He knows what he’s doing, Mrs Cooper.’

‘I’m going to turn you over, Steve, so I can take a look at your back.’

‘Become a doctor since you left us, have you?’ Steve tried to fend off the strong boy.

‘No, a masseur, and it’s no good you fighting me.’ Bob grinned. ‘You’re not going to win.’

Steve stared at the tall, powerful boy in disbelief. ‘A masseur?’

‘Among other skills. Now, let me have a look at you,’ he said gently, lifting the man with ease and placing him face down.

They watched as Bob went to work, his long-fingered hands moving over Steve’s back, probing, soothing.

‘Oh, that feels good,’ Steve groaned.

After a while, Bob lifted Steve back, sat him up in the bed, and then he pulled over a chair and straddled it. ‘I’m not making any promises; your back is damaged but not broken. If you’ll let me work on you we might be able to get those legs working again. It’s going to be a long job, though.’

For the first time since the accident, hope flared in Steve’s eyes. ‘You think so?’

‘I’ll do my best, but you’ll have to do as I say.’

‘Yes, sir!’ Steve actually smiled when he said it.

‘Right.’ Bob stood up and swung the chair back against the wall. ‘First thing we’re going to do is make you more comfortable. Daisy, get that water going while I bring the tin bath up here, then we’ll change the bed and have clean pyjamas. Captain, I’ll need your help.’

Ben was already rolling up his sleeves, eager to be of some use after following the boy around all day and feeling helpless. An assortment of emotions was rushing through him. Not only did this boy know what he was doing, but also he knew how to deal with Steve and Daisy. He had sensed there was something special about Bob when they had first met, and now that instinct was being confirmed.

The bath was soon in place and they were running up and down the stairs with hot water to fill it. While this was being done Daisy put clean sheets on the bed, then left the men to it.

Steve looked apprehensively at the steaming bath. ‘How are we going to manage this?’

‘Easy.’ Bob removed Steve’s pyjamas, lifted him out of the bed and eased him into the bath.

The captain was drying Steve’s hair when the door burst open, and Alf stood there, unable to believe his eyes. ‘What the hell . . .?’

‘Hello Dad.’ Bob glanced up briefly. ‘You’re just in time. There’s a large sheet in my bag over by the window. Take the pillows off the bed and spread it out for me, please.’

Absolutely shocked to see his son, Alf was too dazed to argue. The bag held all manner of things, bottles containing liquid of some sort, a bedpan and the sheet. He spread it out as ordered, still reeling from the fact that his son was here, and giving the orders.

Bob carried Steve to the bed and laid him face down on the bed. Then he opened one of the bottles, poured some of the liquid into his palms and rubbed them together. Bending over the man on the bed be began to massage his back and legs.

Tearing his gaze away from his son, Alf whispered to the captain. ‘Should he be doing that?’

‘He’s been trained to work on injured men, so don’t worry. Let’s empty the bath and I’ll tell you all about it.’

While they carried buckets of water out to the backyard, the captain told Alf what his son had been doing, and how he had managed to find him. By the time the water had been thrown away, they went back to find that Ruth and her brothers and sister had arrived home.

‘Hello, Captain Russell,’ she frowned when she saw him with his sleeves rolled up and the front of his shirt wet. She opened her mouth to ask what they were doing, when Bob appeared carrying the tin bath.

‘Bob!’ the youngsters squealed.

‘Hello kids. Talk to you later. I’m busy now.’ He walked past Ruth, dropped a quick kiss on her cheek, and said, ‘You look awful.’

She watched him go out to the yard, her expression one of utter disbelief. ‘What’s he doing here?’

He soon returned, and ignoring the expression of hostility on Ruth’s face, said, ‘Daisy, set a place for Steve at the table because he’s going to join you for supper. He needs to feel a part of the family again, not shut away all the time in that room.’

‘But how’s he going to get down here?’ Daisy asked.

‘I’ll carry him.’ He glanced at everyone in the room. ‘And I don’t want to see any long faces at the table. All of you talk about your day, and any funny stories will be good. Let me know when you’re dishing up the food, Daisy, and I’ll bring him down.’

Ruth turned to her mother as soon as Bob had gone upstairs again. ‘He turns up after all this time and starts ordering us around? He’s got no right to do that!’ She glared suspiciously at the captain. ‘Did you find him?’

‘I did, and if anyone can help your dad, then it’s him, Ruth. He knows what to do, and he’s given up a lot to come here.’ The captain explained about Bob’s work. ‘He’d made a good life for himself, but he didn’t hesitate when he heard about the accident. I stayed with him so we could come back together, and it tore me apart to see him dismantle the life he had there. He has received good training, and also had a professor and a top-class teacher interested in him. All that’s gone now, and I haven’t heard one word of complaint from him. He’s done this because he knows it will be a long job, so he’s staying. When we got on the train I was desperately sorry I had found him, but after seeing him in action, I know it was the right thing to do.’

Daisy turned to her daughter, showing the first spark of life since the accident. ‘I know you’ve never forgiven him for not being around when he was needed in the past, but don’t you go giving him a hard time. Your dad needs the kind of help Bob can give him, and I thank God he’s here. Thank you for finding him for us, Captain.’

Upstairs, Bob was sitting beside the bed. Steve was clean and refreshed, and he sighed with relief.

‘I expect you’re feeling tired now.’

‘Just a bit.’ He smiled at the boy – no, a man now – sitting beside him, the worried expression returning to his face. ‘I’ve got to be able to go back to work again, Bob. What are my chances?’

‘I’m not a doctor, but as far as I can see you are healing well, Only time will tell how complete your eventual recovery could be, but if at all possible, I’ll get you walking again. I can’t make any promises though, Steve.’

‘Are you staying then?’

Bob nodded, then grinned. ‘You’re not getting rid of me until you can run up and down the stairs.’

‘Thanks.’ Steve gasped and closed his eyes.

‘Where’s your medication?’

‘In the bedside table drawer, but there’s only a couple of tablets left. I’m keeping them in case the pain gets too bad any time. It’s taken all the money we had, and your dad’s, to pay for the doctor and the medication. I won’t have my family going without just so I can have more pills. I told them I don’t need them any more.’

‘Take these now and I’ll get you some more.’ Bob held out a glass of water, watching while Steve took the tablets. ‘Now rest because I’m taking you down to have supper with the family later.’

Steve was already dozing so Bob slipped the empty bottle into his pocket and went down to the scullery. ‘He’s comfortable and sleeping now, so don’t disturb him.’

The captain put on his jacket. ‘I must be going, but if you need anything, Daisy, you must let me know.’

‘Oh, we’ll be all right now, Captain.’

‘I’ll walk with you to the station.’ Bob picked up his jacket and then they left the house. As they walked along, he said, ‘Thank you for tracking me down, Captain. I shouldn’t have been so secretive about where I was living, and I could have come as soon as this happened. I’m sorry about that and many other things I’ve done.’

‘Don’t be. If you had stayed at home or with me you wouldn’t now be in a position to help Steve.’

Bob chuckled. ‘Fate, was it, Captain?’

‘Seems that way. Who knows?’

Bob nodded, a faint smile on his face.

With a new box of Steve’s pills in his pocket, Bob made his way back to the house. His return had been greeted with disbelief, and he had sensed hostility from Ruth, but he felt fairly confident that his dad was pleased to see him. He hadn’t had much chance to talk to him, but he must find time as soon as he could.

The scullery was bustling with activity when he walked in. Everyone, except Ruth, was pitching in to help prepare the meal and lay the table. There was no sign of her.

Daisy smiled. ‘Steve’s resting peacefully after his bath. We’ll let him sit at the head of the table in his usual position. Is that all right, Bob?’

‘Perfect, but I’ll get one of the chairs with arms on from the front room. He’ll be more comfortable in that.’

‘I’ll get it.’ Eddie hurried to get the chair.

John and Sally were gazing at him in wonder as if he was some stranger, and he supposed he must seem like that to them. ‘How long will supper be, Daisy?’ he asked.

‘Half an hour.’

‘That will give me time to get something from next door.’

Once in his old room he removed the mattress from the bed, slung it on to his shoulder and climbed back over the fence. ‘Make way,’ he called, before entering the scullery.