An unlikely friendship

part 29

Dec stared at Mike for a few moments,trying to process what he'd just heard.

"What?" He managed to mutter.

"I'm really sorry" Mike frowned "I know this must be a terrible shock for you"

"Betty's dead?" Dec asked,with tears now forming in his eyes "she can't be,it must have been someone else"

"No" Mike said firmly "it wasn't,it was definitely Betty,I'd got to know her pretty well leading up to her death"

"Wh...what happened?" Dec stuttered.

"She was found by a bin" Mike stated "over there"

He pointed to the bin,it was right next to the spot where Dec used to sleep.

"No one is sure what happened" Mike continued "heart attack probably,it wouldn't have been hypothermia or anything like that I don't think,as it wasn't particularly cold anymore"

Dec listened on intently,still in disbelief at what he was hearing.

"Didn't anyone try to save her?" Dec asked "do CPR or something?"

"It was too late for that" Mike replied sadly "it was obvious she had been dead for some time,I guess people just thought she was asleep,until someone actually checked on her and by then..."

Mike suddenly trailed off.

"What?" Dec asked.

"By then" Mike repeated "um...you know...apparently rigamortis had already begun to set in,or so I was told"

That statement actually made Dec feel quite sick.

"Where were you?" Dec asked almost accusingly.

"Asleep" Mike shrugged "then went off for a walk early in the morning,then when I got back an ambulance was there and the paramedics were dealing with her...I saw her body,it's not a sight I'll ever be able to forget and it scared the hell out of me,that could be me one day"

"Where did they take her?" Dec asked "where is she buried?"

"No idea" Mike shrugged "but as she was homeless,I assume she had a council burial or cremation,probably in an unmarked grave somewhere"

"Poor Betty" Dec replied sadly "did she ever talk about me?"

"Yeah" Mike smiled "she talked about you a lot,she thought you were great"

"Oh" Dec looked down at Isla,who was still clinging on to his hand.

The guilt was now hitting him like a ton of bricks.

How could he have forgotten about her?

This wonderful,sweet,kind lady,who thought the world of him and would often give him her last crust of bread.

He was so selfish,he thought to himself,all he'd thought about over the last few months was himself and his life and how he had suffered,barely a thought for Betty or all the others like her while he had been living in this amazing house and getting on with his life and that realisation was just too much to bear.

"I've got to go" he suddenly announced and thrust the meal he'd bought for Betty into Mike's hands,walking off as fast as he could manage amongst the crowds,with Isla trying desperately to keep up with his pace.

"Daddy wait" she pleaded.

"Hurry up" he snapped at her.

"No Daddy" Isla yanked her hand out of his "too fast"

Dec stopped and took a deep breath.

"Ok,sweetheart" he smiled sadly "I'm sorry,we just need to get home ok?"