ALL IN THE HEAD 1

SAME DAY ROUND

Nicole's coughing woke Nigel and Ian. It was half seven in the morning and in a way, it was just as well that the three friends were awake. The owner of the shop doorway they had been sleeping in, would be arriving soon to open shop for about eight and he has a severe dislike of the idea that his premises are being used in the manner that the three waking friends are using it.

The coughing though, this is what was really worrying; Nigel noticed some blood in the handkerchief Nicole coughed into, and it's not the cleanest of handkerchiefs either.

The morning papers had been dropped close by. It's Tuesday 16th February 2010 and quite a cold morning at that too. The three friends pack up their blankets into Ian's sports bag and move on before the shop owner's arrival. Avoiding any and all kinds of distain is definitely the way to go.

So far it was a dry morning, Nigel, being the human weather detector that he is, felt it may rain sometime real soon. Nicole moved out along the street, her coughing once again taking control of her. A street cleaning vehicle was approaching, but Nicole was coughing so hard it was preventing her from getting out of the way. Ian went over, took Nicole by the arm, and helped her move. The disgruntled street cleaning vehicle driver beeped a get outta the way horn and Ian waved an apologetic wave, not wanting to attract any sort of confrontation.

The friends moved to a nearby park where the three shared a sandwich they had gotten the day before.

'I am worried about Nicole', whispered Ian to Nigel.

'I know' replied Nigel, 'I am worried about her as well and it looks like it'll rain soon too.'

There was a rather large tree in the center of the park, so they moved there and sat under it. Ian had long since come to trust Nigel's weather predictions and as it would prove, their timing was excellent for no sooner had they sat under the protection of that rather large tree, a light hazy rain began to fall.

Umbrellas went up and rain jackets went on all around the friends as the morning hustle and bustle began to become a bit livelier. The breeze was a cold one and came right at the friends as the tree they were under, stands in a wide-open space in the park though here is where they stayed for a couple of hours or so.

At twelve noon the friends made their way to a soup kitchen, a place working out of a rather large hall, where they received soup and sandwiches. Nicole's coughing continued and others close by moved away from her in fear that whatever she may have could be or would be contagious.

About half past one Nigel, Ian and Nicole were back outside and not far from the shop from which they began their day. Ian could see the shop owner looking out at them so he thought they should move on before the store owner could come outside to berate them in some manner or other.

The day had brightened up somewhat, there was heat in the sun but that chill in the breeze was still very evident. Every once in a while, the clouds would take away the sun temporally; it felt so nice each time the sun made its return. Minutes were passing by quickly. Nicole seemed to be coming more and more pale as the day indeed went on. Nigel noticed two men coming out of a near-by book maker's shop.

'Can you believe it?' one says to the other, 'a horse called Horace wins the first at forty to one.'

'I know', replies the other man, 'the name alone should have led me to put something on it, ah well, that's the way it goes.'

These two go about their business while Nigel just looks on.

Early evening, a little after half seven and Nicole had become quite weak. Ian went to get some soup to help try to keep her warm. Nicole and Nigel wait close by their usual sleeping place, close enough that they don't have far to go and far enough away so the shop owner can't see them. The shop usually closes most evenings soon after eight.