Northern Spirit (24 page)

He could see the lights in the distance up at Keld Head. He wanted to
fall to the ground and sleep.

Kathy must have heard the click of the yard gate and, as she rushed to
the outside door to meet them, she saw the pitiful sight of her son with the
distraught girl in his arms. ‘Oh, Davey. . . . Thank God you’re safe!’ She
rushed to him and pulled him indoors. Linzi held on to Joanne, as she fell into
her arms and rubbed her wrists, relieved to be free from David’s clutches.

‘Did you call the Mountain Rescue?’ David gasped.

‘I had to love. . . . We were worried. I did as you said. Don’t worry
Davey, at least you’re both safe. Get your wet things off. We’ll look after Jo
and I’ll ring them and apologise. Maybe they won’t have set off yet.’

David struggled to walk up the stairs, pulling his wet pullover and
shirt off him at the same time, not thinking. But as he was about to fall on
his bed he suddenly remembered Tony and, half-naked, almost fell back down the
stairs to the kitchen. ‘Where’s Tony?’

‘He’s not here, love. . . . He must be at home.’

‘He can’t be at home. We arranged to meet here.’

David grabbed another coat and ran from the farm down the lane and
bursting into the bungalow saw it was in darkness. ‘I can’t do this . . . I
can’t do this . . . !’ He was standing desolate in the doorway, when he saw the
blue flashing lights of a rescue Landrover coming up the hill.

The driver spotted David, and as he frantically waved his arms he fell
exhausted onto the gate. ‘Please help. It’s my friend. He’s at Kelbarrow Tarn!’
he struggled to speak.

David felt the warm arms of his mother rest on his shoulders and she
walked him slowly back up the hill, and then up the stairs into his room. ‘Come
on, Davey. Come home, son.’

‘Where is he, Mum…? He should be here!’

‘They’ll find him…don’t worry…he’ll be fine.’

*       
*        *

Joanne was still sobbing as Linzi took her to her bedroom. She helped
her into some dry clothes and as Joanne undressed and rubbed her sodden hair,
Linzi noticed the appalling bruising on her arms that she knew her brother had
done. W
hat’s this all about?
’ she wondered and shuddered.

12

ROCK SOLID TRUTH

Kathy tiptoed up the stairs, not wanting to waken the young children.
She was holding a hot mug of tea in her hand as she crept into David’s bedroom.
He was sitting on the side of his bed with his head in his hands, bare-chested,
and had a large bath towel draped over him. She sat down beside him and put her
arm across his shoulders.

David leant his head on her chest; he couldn’t speak or close his eyes.
Crying wouldn’t help; he’d gone beyond that. He was burdened with guilt and
felt that if anyone should be lost, it should be him. One friend had almost
died because of his foolishness and now he thought he was destined to lose
another. He was so weak, he could barely move. No one needed to stop him from
any more search and rescue; he just couldn’t do it, despite the fact that he
had let his friend down, and badly.

‘You’re safe now, son. Don’t worry about Tony, they’ll soon find him.
He won’t be far away.’ Kathy whispered; her face close to his ear.

David still couldn’t speak - not that he wanted to. But now at least he
was able to close his eyes, if only to help shut out her words; he couldn’t
believe what she was saying was true and he wanted to blame himself. He should
be the one punished, not Tony.

‘Try and drink this tea. You must take in some fluids or you’ll get
dehydrated.’

There was still no reply as he sat motionless.

‘I’ve rung 999. I think you should see a doctor.’

Still no reply.

Kathy tried to lift his head, but he couldn’t look at her. She put the
beaker under his lips, but he pushed it away. ‘Don’t Mum, I can’t. Not until
Tony’s found.’

‘I know you won’t sleep until he’s safe. But please take this drink,
for my sake.’

David took the mug of sweetened tea in his trembling hands and sipped.
And speaking in low tones with a voice that could melt the snow, he said: ‘I’ve
done wrong by Joanne you know, and I’ve done wrong by Tony.’

Kathy didn’t reply and waited for more, but it didn’t come. ‘What do
you mean, done wrong by Joanne?’

‘Don’t you see. . . . It’s all my fault. . . . If I hadn’t . . .’ then
he paused. ‘Oh, this is all just stupid.’

Kathy sat bolt upright. ‘Hadn’t done what, David?’ She pulled his head
up to face her. ‘What have you done? Have you been sleeping with her?’ She
tried and succeeded to keep calm.

David couldn’t answer. He could see his mother looked confused, but for
some time he couldn’t reply.

‘I’ll have to marry her now . . . !’ And in one bitter breath, David
gave up his promise.

All types of crazy thoughts and ideas rushed through Kathy’s mind. She
couldn’t understand what was happening. Linzi had assured her that nothing was
going on between David and Joanne but her intuition told her better. And she
now assumed Joanne must be having his baby. She wanted to scream at him for
being irresponsible, but he looked so pitiful. She started to gently shake him.
‘David . . . David. . . . What have you done? Have you got Joanne pregnant?’

David looked at her and scowled, and thought how absurd her question
was, not realising how ridiculous his answer would sound. ‘Pregnant! Why no, I
only kissed the girl!’

Kathy pulled away and pushed herself off the bed and stood over him.
‘You’re just talking crazy you know that. . . . You don’t have to marry Joanne!
You’ve got everything out of proportion. You’re over-reacting. You’re beginning
to sound just like your father.’

‘Oh, that’s what this is all about is it? I know you’ve all been
watching me for weeks. Talking about me behind my back. . . . Don’t think I
haven’t noticed!’

‘No . . . no . . . David. You’re wrong. That’s not what we’re thinking.
I just can’t believe you feel you have to marry a girl just because you kissed
her. It doesn’t make sense, unless you’re lying to me. So tell me the truth?’

‘I know you don’t understand. But this is the truth.’ David rubbed his
tired eyes. ‘I will have to marry her . . . I led her on and it’s all my fault.
She could have died up there tonight because of me, and between us we may have
killed Tony. The only thing I can do is to try and put things right again.’
David raised his voice in defiance and gasped with sudden panic.

‘You will NOT marry her, David . . . ! And that’s that. I won’t hear
any more of this nonsense.’ She had to insist.

*       
*       *

In the morning when David woke up he wondered where he was. He was
sitting in a plastic chair and leaning slumped over a bed. He could hear women
laughing and some were whispering. Doors were banging and the noise was echoing
around him. He could smell an odour that was neither pleasant nor terrible.

He tried to move, but his body was stiff; his back ached as he raised
himself up from the chair. Wearing only a t-shirt and boxer shorts, he stood up
and flinched as his bare feet touched the cold of the tiled floor.

Looking back at the bed, he saw Tony, lying pale and still. His red
hair was sprawled across the pillows, and endless tubes and contraptions were
hanging from him. Then Tony opened his eyes.

‘You’re a sight for sore eyes, Dave.’

Glimmers of memory melted the permafrost in David’s brain and he said,
‘Man, you had us worried.’

‘Where are we?’ Tony scowled with the brightness of the light.

‘In Lancaster, and you’re alive and that’s all that matters. I’ll get
the nurse.’ And David stood up and walked stiffly down the corridor.

Tony drifted in and out of sleep. He was certain he’d just seen David,
but he was alone again and lying in a plain white room which was brightly lit.
He had a burning pain in his stomach, and he couldn’t tell if it was hunger or
sickness. He also had a thirst so strong that it impelled him to look for
water. He tried to feel around for a glass or a bottle, but was prevented by
the tubes and pipes and a sharp needle thrust into the top of his hand taped up
with Elastoplast.

Then a woman appeared; she was wearing a blue dress and had some kind
of white cap or hair-band on her head. She was the most beautiful woman he had
ever seen. Tony thought she could be an angel. She was tall and had soft,
rose-coloured skin, and warm blue eyes. Her cool hands touched his arm and
comforted him; his body tingled with the gesture.

He saw David again, but this time he was standing behind the woman, and
looking over her shoulder. Tony felt comforted by the sight of his friend, and
yet somehow he felt angry and he couldn’t explain why. He wanted to shout at
David, but didn’t know what for. But this beautiful woman was interested in
him, and she was ignoring David.

The nurse allowed David to stay with Tony. He gave him drops of water
to sip, and held small portions of food for him. David didn’t know how much
memory Tony had of last night’s events, and he hadn’t mentioned Joanne’s
whereabouts in any of his waking moments so, as soon as they were alone, David
wanted to let him know she was safe.

‘Do you know why we’re here?’ David leant across and whispered.

‘I know you’ve messed about with my sister and she’s probably dead on
some mountain.’

The words tore at David’s conscience, because that’s exactly how it
could have been. ‘No . . . Joanne’s safe, mate. She’s in another ward.’

‘Did I find her?’

‘No. . . . You had a good try though. . . . I found her. She was at the
ghyll and in better fettle than you!’

‘What have you done to her, Dave?’ Tony didn’t understand and he
sounded almost childlike in his question.

David paused. He didn’t know what to say. ‘You get some rest now. I’ll
go and telephone your dad and tell him you’re awake.’

Tony couldn’t remember anything about his rescue, just glimmers of
being manhandled. Then the next thing he knew he was looking at a beautiful
blue-eyed girl. The answers to his questions wearied him so he shut his eyes
again; his chest felt heavy and it was a labour for him to breathe. He wanted
to dream again of the blue-eyed girl.

*       
*        *

David rang Tony’s father, who was still in Scotland. Keith Milton was
relieved to hear his son was conscious and reassured by the sound of David’s
voice, prepared to make the long journey back to Cumbria. He partly blamed
himself for Tony’s waywardness and knew that Tony and David had been in a few
skirmishes in their life, but for Joanne to have become involved, troubled him.
Keith also knew she’d been unhappy recently and he would have to make amends.
He decided to take her back to Aberdeen with him, to stay with his sister to
convalesce.

David had also rung his mother. He told her of Tony’s progress and
Kathy was glad to hear him speak rationally again. She regretted shouting at
him last night, but hoped some of what she’d said made sense. She hoped it was
just ramblings from a mild dose of hypothermia that had made David say what he
had.

*       
*        *

‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ Hannah hung on to the receiver as
she listened to Linzi’s sorry tale, and was bewildered like everyone else.

‘Could you drive us to the hospital? Mum’s up to her eyes in it and our
Davey’s to be discharged.’

‘Yes, of course I can, gladly. I can probably borrow Barry’s spare
car.’

Linzi hung up and looked at her mother. ‘Hannah can help, Mum.’

‘Good. Now, you keep Davey well away from Joanne, today.’

Linzi grabbed her Parka. ‘You’re over-reacting again. But don’t worry.’
She zipped up her coat.

‘You don’t know our Davey at the moment, love. He’s unpredictable.’ And
Kathy knew she couldn’t reveal to her daughter the truth.

*       
*       *

David was at Tony’s bedside when Hannah came into the room. She found
him just as she had left him – sleeping, with his dignity completely gone. He
was unshaven, looked unkempt in every way, and was bare-legged and weary. He
was grossly surprised and embarrassed when he woke up and saw her standing
before him; he had expected his mother.

If only he’d known Hannah’s thoughts, David wouldn’t have felt as
uncomfortable. She had only tremendous respect for him, because of his brave
rescue of Joanne and the vigil he had kept at his friend’s bedside.

Hannah didn’t know what to say at first, but she realised that the
foolishness between them must end here. ‘I’ve brought you some clean clothes,’
and she gently rested a small carrier bag down on the bed.

David saw Hannah’s uncomfortable posture and rose from his seat.
‘Please . . . please sit here. I’ll go and get another chair. Thank you for
coming.’ He took the bag and quickly left the room.

Not wanting to disturb Tony, Hannah tried not to move, but sat quietly
looking at the drips, bottles and tubes surrounding him. She was familiar with
this equipment, as she’d seen it all before in the surgery, and it revealed the
serious nature of his condition. It was hard for her to imagine that this was
the same young man that had teased her throughout the previous evening, as he
was so still, but thankfully alive.

David returned, fully dressed, but still unshaven. His hair was brushed
and he appeared to have more vitality and composure.

Hannah stood up.

‘No . . . no. . . . Please stay there!’ David gestured with his hands.
‘Thank you for coming. I’ve been discharged, but I really want to stay with
Tony. I won’t be coming back with you,’ and he shook his head.

‘But your mum insisted!’

‘Yes . . . she would insist, she always does, but I don’t always
listen!’ He raised his eyebrows and Hannah guessed there was a hidden meaning
behind his reply which she couldn’t possibly understand.