Mummy's boy

part 23

"What?" Ant asked shocked.

"We've found a body" Officer Vasey repeated "and we think it might fit Declan's description.

There were shocked gasps from around the room,which quickly dissolved into sounds of sobbing.

"No,no,no" Pat wept as Martin pulled her into his arms,while unable to stop his own flow of tears.

"We need someone to come and identify the body" Officer Vasey announced as tactfully as possible.

"I'll do it" Fonsey volunteered "he's my son"

"I'll come with you Dad" Martin announced,as he pulled away from Pat.

"We'll take you in our car" the kindly policeman said sympathetically "and bring you back"

Fonsey nodded silently and he and Martin followed the Officers to their waiting patrol car.

"Call us as soon as you can" Pat pleaded tearfully.

After they left,the shocked occupants of the room sat in silence,too stunned to speak,only the sound of anguished sobs filled the air.

What followed was the worst hour of all of their lives,until Anne's mobile phone ringing startled everyone out of their thoughts.

"H...hello" Anne stuttered.

Everyone hung on to Anne's every word,just waiting to be put out of their misery.

"It's not him?" She questioned her husband on the other end of the phone.

"IT'S NOT HIM" she said loudly to everyone,with tears of relief now cascading down hers and everyone elses cheeks.

"Thank God" Ant whispered and hugged his mother "I need to go home to wait for him"

"Yes,you go" Pat smiled at the young man who she was already incredibly fond of "we'll all be heading back home anyway I guess,once Dad and Martin get back"

"Are you ok to drive now?" Christine frowned.

"Yeah" Ant nodded "I should be,it's been hours since I had a drink"

"Do you still want me to come with you?" Sarha enquired "I don't like the idea of you being on your own"

"It's ok sis" Ant smiled "I'll be ok,I'll call you if I need you"

"You promise?" Sarha asked.

"I promise" Ant replied.

Ant said his goodbyes and made his way home.

Not long after he left,Fonsey and Martin arrived back at Christine's place.

"That was awful" Fonsey said sadly,as he recalled what he and Martin had just witnessed.

"At least it wasn't Declan" Christine pointed out.

"No" Fonsey frowned "but it was still someone's loved one,someone's brother,someone's son,someone's boyfriend...it was a very hard thing to see"

"I'm sorry you had to go through that sweetheart" Anne stood up to comfort her husband,before the two families parted ways,all promising to let the other party know as soon as either one of them heard anything.

"Dec?" Ant called out as he entered his flat once again,immediately saddened at the lack of a response.

He made his way into the living room,without even turning the light on and sat solemnly on the sofa,replaying the events of the day over and over again in his head.

"Hi guys" he smiled,as his beloved cats jumped up onto the sofa to greet him "I know you're hungry,just give me a minute"

He leant back into the sofa and closed his eyes and appreciated the silence.