Tony sat alone for some time and decided to get an awful coffee from the machine. Standing by the machine were the two policemen. "Still not any news sir?" The taller one said
"No, not yet constable," replied Tony. "Still no change for the time being, nurse Wills doesn't think there will be a lot of difference until about 8am. Oh and by the way, I prefer being called Tony to sir, if that is alright with you both," and with a smile said. "I have never been knighted."
"Fair enough Tony, We do it out of habit mostly. I am Ben and my colleague here is Tom. We have been partners for four years on traffic patrol."
"Well lads, I am going to go for a run to get some exercise. Old habits die hard. Be back in half an hour." And with that Tony went back to the entrance and set off to run down to the promenade. As he ran thoughts ran through his mind about his past life. 22 years service in the Army 16 of those in the SAS. Memories of lost comrades, some of the bitter confrontations he had been involved in, His last one, before coming home to a desk job at Hereford was 'helping' the Americans in Vietnam. He had been recalled before the real fighting had broken out. He hadn't regretted his service career but the Regiment was a hard taskmaster, never settled, always on the move. Before he knew it he was back at the hospital. He opened the front door and made his way to the lift, pressed the up button but there was no response. 'Strange', he thought and took the stairs instead. As he opened the door from the stairs into the corridor all hell was breaking loose. Nurses and doctors were pushing a trolley toward the open door of the lift. The policemen were looking on.
The trolley was in the lift and gone as Tony approached the policemen and said, "Ben, what is going on, an emergency?"
"Oh! Hi Tony, yes, the boy started to bleed inside his head so they are taking him to the operating theatre. I don't know any more than that, sorry."
Tony thought, 'NO! NO! NO! Not again'. Tears filled his eyes as the memory of Indonesia vividly returned. 'Don't let it happen again.'
"You all right Tony." Ben asked.
Tony quickly related the story of the boy in Indonesia, as the tears broke free from his eyes down his face.
"Come with me, Tony. I know where you need to be." And taking his arm led him down the corridor to a door at the end. Ben opened the door and they stepped into the hospital chapel. Tony, although not a particularly religious man walked to the front of the chapel and sat down. Ben sat beside him.
"I have come in here many times since joining traffic, Tony. Mostly to relieve the stress of some of the horrors I have seen from road accidents."
"Thanks Ben. I shall sit quietly in here for a while. I shall be alright in a short while; you get back, as you might be needed."
"Are you sure Tony, I can stay a while if you like".
"No, I will be fine now and thanks for your help."
Ben stood up and left. As the door closed with a slight squeak, Tony closed his eyes to quietly meditate. How long it was, Tony could not tell but suddenly from nowhere there was a breeze round him. It seemed to sound 'Shusssssssssssssssssssssssssssh, shussssssssssssssssssssssh', next a vision came to him of a boy about 13 riding a bike waving to him. Then it was gone as suddenly as it came. Tony looked at his watch. It had been longer than he had thought. Over an hour had passed. 'I must have fallen asleep,' he thought, 'and I feel so much better.' Tony got up out of the seat to the door. Seeing a collection box there he placed 10 pounds into it. He saw Ben and Tom seated in the corridor and walked towards them. He breathed out hard as he walked and then sat next to them.
"Are you feeling any better Tony," Asked Ben.
"For some unexplainable reason I feel wonderful, Ben. Something happened in that chapel that I can't explain. All I sense is that all will be well for the boy."
Tom smiled and said. "He's back you know, they stopped the bleed and he is sleeping safely."
"What?" said Tony. "He is OK?"
"Well, the nurse said he would be fine now. It was just one of those things that can happen with a bad bump on the head. Anyway Tony, we have to get going. We will be back tonight as the nurse said he would be knocked out until tonight. We finish our shift at 8 o'clock and we have to write this up before we finish. There is a chance we will see you this evening."
"It is more than possible guys. I don't have any plans to leave and I feel a bit responsible for his condition and something tells me I need to be here when he wakes. I have no idea why, just a feeling."
"OK then Tony, we may well see you again tonight as we still need to talk to him, find out who the heck he is and find a family. Bye for now and don't worry, none of this is your fault."
Not long after they left, the nurse came out to see Tony. "He is well settled Mr Andrews and nothing will happen until this evening. Why don't you go home and get some sleep. I certainly am."
"Can I get you a coffee nurse Wills? It would be my pleasure."
"That sounds a nice idea Mr Andrews. To be frank I could murder a dose of caffeine."
Within the hour the local coffee shop had two extra customers. A coffee extended to croissants and toast and jam.
It wasn't long before Christian names were introduced into the conversation and it became Tony and Angela. As expected the conversation turned around to the mysterious boy in her care. After much discussion they came to a conclusion. Until he was conscious again it was a waste of a time trying to guess. What was decided was that Tony would be back at the ward that evening. Tony and Angela parted company, both off to their separate homes to sleep.
Meanwhile at the police station, Ben and Tom were writing up their report on the incident and setting in motion a search to find who the boy is, before going home to sleep. Little were they to know at the time the case would take on yet another unexpected twist.
In the Pinocchio Ward, David lay sleeping, unaware of the goings on around him. He was having a dream like no other, almost a nightmare to begin with. A huge animal with a drooling mouth and huge claws was chasing him down this road with no end in sight. The animal was catching him and David was weakening. Suddenly there stood on the road in front of him a big man. "Get behind me David," the man said. David did just that shaking from head to foot. The man stared at the animal and it turned tail and ran away back up the road. The man bent down to David and said quietly in his ear. "You are safe now David," and was gone. David thought he heard a voice saying, "He looks so peaceful laying there. I wonder who he is. A boy so young and so badly hurt. Anyway, hopefully by tonight we'll all know."
In his medicated state David answered the question in his mind, 'I am David Hennessy. I live at number 95, London road, Mouslcombe, Brighton BN2 1XX.' Just as his mum had taught him when he was six years old.
Two nurses looked at one another. "He mumbled something." One nurse said.
"I thought he did also," said the other. "Should we tell the Doctor?"
"Not for the time being, because we didn't hear anything coherent."
......and the nurses continued about their work.
End of part 3