Tears on My Pillow (Dead Reckoning series - Part 28)

Continued from Episode 27 (Bring Him Home)

The story so far:  Josiah's 'on the rebound' romance with the woman he thought was his old flame, Jeanette DeVille, has, by a very convoluted path, led to him and Archibald being left for dead in the rapidly rising waters of the cellar of Evanley Hall.  Heroic action by D.S. Stone has recovered both of them from the watery depths but, at a price:

 

“Where’s he gone now?”  D.I. Wood was holding two plastic cups of tea and looking around for his Sergeant, D.S. Stone.

“I don’t know” The nurse at the nursing station shook her head, “I told him he was ok to leave and I think he went off that way” She pointed down a corridor.

“Typical!  You try and do a nice thing and…” D.I. Wood fumed and stomped off in the last known direction of his colleague.  He found him, shortly after, staring through the window into a small ward.

“Stoney!  Where the hell have you been?  I’ve got this for you”

“Ta” D.S. Stone accepted the luke-warm tea, absent-mindedly.

“What are you doing here?”

“The doctors said I was good to go, so…” D.S. Stone shrugged and continued to stare through the window.

“You could have waited for me!”  D.I. Wood moaned, “I’ve been traipsing all around the hospital, looking for you!”

“Sorry, sir, I just…” D.S. Stone took a deep breath, “I just wanted a few moments to myself”

“Fair enough, Stoney, no problem” D.I. Wood nodded, and raised an eyebrow, “what’s taken your fancy in there then, pretty nurse, is it”

“It’s the ICU, sir” D.S. Stone explained, “it’s where they’ve got him, Mr. Thurble, he’s in an induced coma.”

“Oh, I see” D.I. Wood looked thoughtful, “best thing for him, I suppose”

“You know…I couldn’t even remember his name” D.S. Stone shook his head, sadly.

“Whose name?”

“Mr. Thurble” Through the window could be seen the figure of Archibald Thurble, entwined in pipes and leads trailing from him and with machines beeping at regular intervals.  Two women, one very elderly, were sat at his bedside.

“We meet a lot of people, Stoney, you can’t be expected to remember everyone’s name”

“Yes, but…” D.S. Stone took a sip of his tea, “we’ve had so much to do with him, over the past few months, The least I could have done would have been to remember his proper name”

“I’ve always called him…” D.I. Wood began.

“Lurch!  Yes, I know, and that’s why I couldn’t think of his real name.  Just when I needed to shout out to him, to see if he was alright, all I could think of was ‘Lurch’”

“He was underwater” D.I. Wood patted him on his shoulder, “he wouldn’t have been able to hear you, anyhow”

“Even so” D.S. Stone finished his tea and hurled the cup into a nearby waste bin, viciously, “I should have known!”

* * * *

“It’s good to have you back, Josiah” Samantha said, warmly.

“It’s good…it’s good to be back” Josiah managed, hoarsely, “I’m finding it diff…difficult to speak”

“It’s the water, that and the tubes you’ve had helping you to breathe” Samantha explained, “don’t feel the need to talk!  I’m just glad you’re back with us” She beamed at the frail frame propped up on pillows in the hospital bed.

“Me…too” Josiah nodded, with difficulty.

“They’re going to be keeping you in, just for a day or two” Samantha went on, “they’re concerned about the head injuries you’ve sustained”

“Yes…yes…not sure how I got them” Josiah frowned with the effort of trying to recall, “I’m…I’m not sure what’s been happening at all, if I’m honest”

“Don’t worry about it” Samantha patted his hand, “the important thing, right now, is for you to get better”

“And…and Archibald?  How is he?  I haven’t seen him” Josiah tried to look around the ward but the effort was too much and he slumped back onto his pillows.

“He’s erm…” Samantha began, but was relieved when the ward door opened and Detectives Wood and Stone walked in.

“Ah, Mr. Oakshott, glad to see you’re back in the land of the living!” D.I. Wood grinned.

“Sir!” D.S. Stone admonished.

“What?” D.I. Wood looked put out, “it’s just an expression!”

“It is good… to see you too, officers” Josiah made an effort to pull himself up, in the bed, but found the effort too much.

“We’ll need to be taking statements from you, and from Mrs…Ms. Knight, of course” D.I. Wood corrected himself, taking note of the glare from Samantha, “but I can see that won’t be possible just yet”

“I’m happy to help, however I can, Insp…Inspector” Josiah managed, with difficulty.

“As you can see, Inspector, he’s having a few problems speaking,” Samantha smiled, warmly, at Josiah, “I’m also not too sure that he can remember very much, at least, not at the moment”

“Yes, well, no rush” D.I. Wood fidgeted, awkwardly.

“I’m so glad to see that you’re…you’re doing ok, Mr. Oakshott” D.S. Stone said, quietly.

“Thank you, Sergeant.   I understand, it is in no small part, due to your…your valiant efforts” Josiah coughed and slumped back in his pillows, struggling for breath.

“It was nothing, sir” D.S. Stone shook his head and blushed.

“And…Archibald?” Josiah asked.

“He’s in the ICU” D.I. Wood said, matter-of-factly.

“What?” Josiah tried to sit upright, only to start another violent coughing bout.

“It’s alright, Josiah” Samantha tried to ease him back onto his pillows, “I was going to tell you earlier” She glared at D.I. Wood, who raised his eyebrows and backed away, so that he was now behind his Sergeant, “Archibald was submerged for a while and took on quite a bit of water, they’re keeping him in an induced coma…”

“Don’t know how they can tell the difference” D.I. Wood muttered.

“Inspector!” Samantha snapped.

“Just trying to lighten the mood, that’s all!” D.I. Wood attempted to explain, conscious of the thunderous looks of both Samantha and D.S. Stone.

“As I was saying, Josiah, I haven’t heard much about Archibald because I’m not a relative.  I guess they’ll know more when they bring him round” Samantha went on.

“Poor, poor Archibald” Josiah said, weakly, a tear making its way down his face.

“You’re not to worry” Samantha patted his hand, “he’s in the best place and his mum and his nan are with him”

“He’s…he’s only in there because of me!” Josiah sobbed.

“Well, yes, he wanted to know what had happened to you, of course he did” Samantha nodded, “but he also wanted to see Precious”

“Ha! Precious indeed!” Josiah snorted, “although…now I think about it…water, I remember water”

“Well, you would sir” D.I. Wood chuckled, “you were up to your chin in it!”

“No, not that!” Josiah shook his head, “I mean…she brought us… water”

“Who did?” Samantha asked.

“Precious” Josiah coughed again, “she was doing that when…when…when that man hit me!”

“Man, what man?”  D.I. Wood asked.

“The…the…driver” Josiah managed, before closing his eyes and sighing.

“This would be the man known to us as Hames, sir” D.S. Stone pointed out.

“I think that he’s had more than enough for one day, don’t you, gentlemen?” Samantha said, sharply.

“Yes, of course, ma’am” D.S. Stone nodded, “we’ll catch up with you both, later”

“Ma’am?” D.I. Wood hissed at his Sergeant, “Since when has she been a ‘ma’am’?”

“I think it’s the least she deserves, at the moment, sir, don’t you?” D.S. Stone snapped, before marching out of the ward.

“I’ll erm, I’ll speak with you both in due course!” D.I. Wood muttered to Samantha and Josiah before scampering after his colleague.

“I’m worried, Samantha” Josiah said, after they had gone, “I’m worried about Archibald”

“There’s no need, Josiah, he’s in good hands” Samantha said, hoping against hope that this was the case.

“And…the business” Josiah lurched upright, again, “I have no right to ask this of you, particularly after”  He coughed, violently and struggled to get his breath, for a moment, “after how I’ve been lately, but…”

“That’s enough, Josiah, you need to rest” Samantha eased him back onto his pillows, “there’s no need to worry about the business, Mr. Strine and I have it all under control”

“You need…Archibald!” Josiah said, weakly.

“That’s true, Josiah” Samantha smiled at him, “but, for now, I’m happy to settle for you!”

You can find a lot more from Josiah and Archibald here - The Undertakers Collection(link is external)

Now read Part 29