My Home From Home (ManxMan)

Chapter 35

"There there, Mrs Bates." Emily comforted the hysterical woman as she sat flanked between Emily and Mary in Henry and Thomas' drawing room. "Don't lose hope, he'll be back home safe and sound before you know it."

"She's quite right, Mrs Bates" Chimed Henry, flashing the older woman an empathetic smile. "They've already sent the search party out, they'll find him. It's just a matter of time now."

"I do hope you're right, Doctor." Sniffled Mrs Bates as she dabbed the salty tears off of her cheek with the sleeve over her powder blue dress. "Just knowing my little Timmy is out there in the cold just breaks my heart into a thousand pieces."

"I understand how you feel wholeheartedly, But you mustn't lose hope. The snow has died down so the search parties can scour every inch of the woods to look for him." Henry simply nodded, using every fibre of his being to keep his true feeling from showing on his face; he knew there were grim possibilities in that moment, nonetheless he put on a brave face for the sake of Timmy's family.

Timmy had run away earlier that night, leaving a note for his parents that said it'd become too painful for him to stay in town. He longed for a new life in the city, though he gave no detail as to why and for that Henry was thankful. But what had Henry's heart sinking into the depths of his entrails was the idea of that poor young boy wandering about somewhere completely alone in the middle of a blizzard.

"Fancy a cuppa, Mrs Bates?" Henry asked with a hopeful smile though inside he was utterly gutted. "My Granny always says that nothing calms a distraught heart like a hot cup of tea." Henry pulled a kerchief out of his waistcoat pocket and offered it to the older woman.

"That'll be lovely, thank you." Mrs Bates' voice cracked as took the handkerchief out of Henry's hand and dabbed the tears of her lashes.

"I'll go put the kettle on, then." Henry stood up to take his leave towards the kitchen, though he was stopped as a silent Mrs Bates held onto his wrist to stop him.

"I..." Began Mrs Bates, glancing awkwardly between the two supportive women who flanked her. "Was hoping I might have a moment to speak with the doctor... alone..."

"Not to worry, we'll put the kettle on, right Emily?." Mary said politely, placing a supportive hand on the woman's shoulder as she exchanged a nod with Emily and the two promptly made haste out of the room and shutting the door to the drawing room behind them to give Henry and Mrs Bates the privacy she'd asked for.

"So erm... Was there something you wished to discuss with me." Henry awkwardly stammered as he sat back down onto the sofa, anxiously wringing his hands.

"Timmy is different, isn't he." Muttered Mrs Bates, barely over a whisper; she glanced up with bloodshot red eyes dripping with tears and pain, to see the reassuring smile on Henry's face falter ever so slightly.

"H-how do you mean...?" Henry's eyes fluttered in confusion, though he very well what she meant. "I-I assure you Timmy is a very bright, intelligent, very normal young man with a bright future ahead of him."

"You know exactly what I mean, Doctor." She countered matter-of-factly, her eyes softly yet knowingly fixed upon the handsome raven haired doctor as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "He was a happy child, our Timmy. Always laughing, always playing, always a ball of energy and light whenever he'd enter a room. But as he got older, around thirteen-fourteen years old, he changed. He was still this bright, witty, intelligent boy, but there was a cloud over his head; a cloud of this sadness, source of which we could neither pinpoint nor understand. But then as I observed him, I noticed he was different; the way he'd interact with girls and boys were starkly different, different from the other boys." Henry felt the discomfort within him heighten as the conversation entered into uncharted territory he knew neither how to address nor whether to; regardless of what he did or didn't know, it wasn't his story to tell. "I just want to know, Doctor. Will my Timmy ever be happy? Will it ever truly get better for him."