Never Again - 10

Chapter 10 - he needs me...

“Come to London! You know you want to! You’ve been away ages!”

Erin laughed at Michelle’s pleas, “I’ve been away four weeks, you were here two weeks ago. You make out like we haven’t seen each other for years!”

“I miss you Ms Thomas! What’s wrong with that?” Michelle giggled.

“Did I tell you I’m changing back to Bailey?”

The phone was silent as Michelle digested that swerve in topic, “really?”

“Yup!” Erin answered confidently. “I want no link to that bastard; figure my Dad’s a better man to be named after, even with all his foibles!”

Michelle laughed, “good point. Please come?”

Erin succumbed, “I’m going home Friday to see Barney, then I’ll come to you Saturday...I’m relying on you to organise something special!”

“How does my especial boeuf de Wellington sound?”

Erin groaned, Michelle made the greatest beef Wellington known to man, and that was definitely a deal sealer. “I’m in!”

It had been another hectic day in work, and Erin was grateful to collapse onto the train home on Friday evening. Her car wasn’t trustworthy for the longer journeys so she relied on the public form of transport.  Her mother was in the car park of the station in her Landrover, and hugged her daughter keenly.

Back at the house, an obviously recovering Barney was far more enthusiastic than on her previous trip. He was meandering awkwardly around the lounge, as best he could, and in a rather out of character gesture, her father was hand feeding him cooked chicken.

“He’ll never want to come home now!” Erin exclaimed and her father laughed.

“He isn’t bloody staying here!”

She liked the camaraderie with her grumpy father, understanding mother, and brother when he visited. She’d lost that when she’d been married, Max had never wanted her to go home, she could know see that he was fearful of her family. She was making up for allowing him to rule that decision.

The next morning, the sun was shining as the train pulled into London. Michelle was jumping up and down on the platform of Paddington station as Erin emerged into the chaos of the Big Smoke.

After a hug that was like the grip of death, Erin held Michelle at arm’s length, “what is up with you? Not that I don’t love feeling appreciated! What’s going on?”

Michelle burst into a grin, “I wasn’t going to say anything, not till later...I’m pregnant!”

Erin wasn’t surprised Michelle had been but acting more than a little strangely, and she was ecstatic, “that is...” Words were redundant; the two women whooped, hugged and danced their way down the platform. 

With an arm protectively around her friend, Erin led her out into the bright day, “we can’t even have a drink to celebrate! Damn!”

Michelle beamed, and Erin’s heart surged, her friend deserved this so much, she had wanted it for SO long.

After a coffee, some shopping and a trip to their favourite salon, they ended up back at Michelle’s home, Erin with copper curly hair, Michelle with a radical bob and highlights in her naturally fair hair. Dave was muddy from his football match as he burst in after them.

“Diving in the shower,” he muttered as Erin hugged him enthusiastically in congratulations, “then we can watch the late game, yeah? Nice hair guys, by the way!”

Erin grinned at his awkwardness, “cool and thanks!” She was always amazed at Dave, he noticed even subtle things like haircuts, the amount she’d spent on her appearance trying to re-captivate Max, and he’d never noticed.

In the kitchen Michelle was preparing their dinner, “so have you still not heard from sexy Jack?”

Erin groaned, the topic had been avoided all day, she thought she’d got away with it, “not since I told him to piss off and that was almost two weeks ago!” That hurt more than his comment that morning. He hadn’t wanted her near his home, but once she’d snapped at him by text, he’d disappeared. Would she have changed her response if she’d known he’d run away? Probably not. She was angry with him on lots of levels. And the only reason she thought about him so much was that she hadn’t had a chance to expel that anger at him.

“I didn’t think he’d buckle so easily! He’s not the type to give up is he?”

Shaking her head, Erin accepted the bottle of beer from her friend, “he’s not interested Michelle, you’re mistaken if you think he is!” Swallowing the beer she ignored the pain that the memory of that wonderful Sunday with him brought. 

Raising her eyebrows, Michelle started to brown the piece of beef fillet, “I think you’re wrong...but what do I know? How are you going to cope with seeing him on TV later? You know how much Dave is a fan of his team!”

Erin had pretended to herself that this was just another game, she’d watched so many with Dave over the years, but now that Michelle had spelled it out, that she’d be watching Jack play, the answer was that she really didn’t know.

Jack loved London games, other than the last one where he’d kicked off after almost being knocked out. Sighing he remembered the time he’d spent afterwards in that small basement flat, and then how it had ended.  When in London he’d normally stayed for a night or two, he had an apartment he’d bought years ago when he’d first played for one of the London teams as a teenager. It was one of his favourite places, and he always smiled as he headed into the City. Until today. 

“It was thinking about her!” he chastised himself under his breath, and that caused a laugh from Scott to his right. They were in adjacent seats on the luxury coach that was taking them from the hotel to the ground. 

“First sign of madness - talking to yourself!”

Jack groaned, “Piss off!”

Scott laughed, it was rare he got the chance to wind up Jack; his friend was one of the quickest men he knew, sharp, sarcastic, witty - and almost impossible to catch out. He’d remember this moment for a long time!

“You going to tell me what...or rather who is freaking you out?”

Jack tried to feign nonchalance, but knew he’d failed when Scott’s eyebrows rose. “So it’s a someone, a ‘she’ no doubt...and you haven’t boasted about it to me or the lads...so maybe this is someone holding out on you? Can’t sweet talk her in to your bed? Losing your charm Mr Reilly? I mean it’s not as if you hunt innocent virgins!” He paused for a moment, “or is she ugly, so bad so that you can’t let us see her?”

“Don’t you dare speak of her like that!” As soon as he snapped Scott laughed, and Jack realised he’d been played at his own game. 

“Hmmm, wait until Danni hears all about this!” Despite the grin, the wind up between friends, Scott was both pleased that Jack seemed to care for someone that much - he’d not seen his friend like this before, but also concern, he really was beating himself up. 

Jack groaned and pulled his knitted ski hat down over his eyes, not wanting to see anything.

Dave was sprawled out on the sofa the huge TV showing the build up to the game in high definition. Erin handed him a fresh beer, then sat on the other sofa.

“So what do you think? Easy win I reckon!”

Erin looked at him sceptically, “you never predict anything less than a win for your beloved team! And as it’s the end of season run in, and these two are the only real candidates for the Premiership title, then I predict a draw, maybe two all?”

Dave chuckled, “after hearing about your new friends I imagined you’d be all for my boys winning!”

She sat forward, “oh Dave,” she should have know Michelle would let on that she’d had this new...what friendship? It was temporary whatever it was, with Jack. “You know me! I wouldn’t let some guy trying to sweet talk me cloud my sporting judgement. It’ll be a tie!”

Dave groaned as he knew she was right far more often than she was wrong!

The game was fast paced, as predicted, and exciting. Jack was a machine. After his last few decidedly dodgy games, he seemed to be on fire. He’d scored two goals by half time, but as she’d predicted, his team had conceded the same number. On the point of half time, Jack broke for goal; this was his forte, strong, dominant, and virtually unstoppable. At that very second a defender rather cluelessly hacked at him with an upturned studded boot. It raked Jacks chest as he’d mistakenly ducked to try and scoot past the man, instead he was hit off his feet, flat onto his back.

Instantly the world seemed to know things weren’t good. The referee called on the medical staff, then paramedics with a stretcher. 

Erin felt her head start to spin, she was nauseous, light-headed, reaching for her bottle of beer she clutched it as though it would give her some stability. But it didn’t.

Michelle had joined them, dinner was in the oven and she was relaxing with a fruit tea...she had no intention of breaking any of the pregnancy rules. Leaning over she placed her hand over Erin’s shaking one, “you ok?” She whispered.

In a daze Erin nodded, “fine.”

There was speculation from the commentators as to the extent of his injury. By now oxygen had been brought on, and a mask secured to his face, then finally he was carried off on the stretcher, barely moving. 

“Shit,” Dave offered, “hope he’s ok!”

Erin could only think of the vulnerable man who’d spent time with her two weeks earlier, she liked him a lot despite him annoying her, and the thought of him injured, in pain...it scared her.

As the game progressed there was barely a mention of the man who’d been injured, but then with ten minutes to go, they reported that he’d been taken to hospital, when he’d been knocked over he had been winded, there was a query as to whether he may have broken ribs. He was being taken to the hospital for X-rays. 

Smiling, Erin tried to get involved in the remainder of the game, the conversations with her friends, but she was more than distracted. It was a long shot, the chances of him having his phone in the hospital were slim, but it was all she had.

“You may be a bastard, but that looked nasty. You ok?”

Within five minutes the phone beeped a reply.

“What with you beating me verbally, and everyone after me physically I’m getting a little paranoid! Having a scan on ribs as x-ray was inconclusive. May have to spend the night here:).”

Erin grinned, then looked up to see two sets of expectant eyes on her. Laughing she relayed the message. 

“Go see him!” Michelle offered. “I can see you want to.”

She shook her head, “I’m here with you, and my fave meal of all time is almost ready.”

“Go after food,” Dave suggested. “Even if it’s just to let me know he’ll be fit for next weekend’s game!”

Raising her eyebrows she laughed, “You in hospital?”

They were sat at the table enjoying the Beef Wellington when the response came, “St Mark’s, it’s ok here. Just want to be home now! Thanks for the message...thought you still hated me!”

Smiling, she sighed with relief, of all the hospitals he was in, the one she used to work in was perfect. She knew people there, she could get to him...if she wanted, she was still undecided.

“Don’t hate you, but you are still a bastard, :)”  “Take that” she thought smiley facing him.

After dinner she had another beer, but both Michelle and Dave could tell she wasn’t really with them.

“Go Erin, we don’t mind, honestly. I’m so happy that you came and know our news, now I need you to be happy. Go see the man, ok?”

Michelle was insistent, and in not very long, she was stood at the front door full of doubt.

“How do I look?”

“Beautiful!” Michelle smiled, “and if he doesn’t appreciate you...” She could see the insecurity in her friend’s expression, “then he doesn’t deserve a sniff of you. Ok?”

Erin smiled an emotional smile, then after the biggest supportive hug, headed out.