✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

Act V: 123. Coping

Tess would have been prepared to wait for Spike; sitting outside the room for however long it took the doctors to make sure he was safe. But she didn't get the chance, because two police officers wanted to speak to her, looking very serious. It was the first time she'd ever spoken to the police, being from a successful, middle-class family who had always chosen to live in areas with very low crime rates. But she was already so nervous just because they were there, and she was finding it hard to think straight, let alone form her thoughts into coherent words.

"Your friend has some pretty serious injuries," the first cop said. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"He didn't tell me much," she answered as best she could, trying to stop her heart from racing in the hope that she would be able to remember the details. "He said there was a broken vodka bottle, I think. I hope he's going to be okay."

"You didn't see the incident? I understand you were the one who called for medical help."

"Yes," she nodded. "I mean, no. I didn't see it. He tried to bandage it up and walked to school on his own. Everyone was concerned. People gossip about what happened, or get scared, or tell each other they hope he's going to be okay. I think I was the first one to think of taking him to the nurse so they could call an ambulance. He was already injured when I saw him."

"Does he often get into fights at school? Are you aware of a bullying issue or any rivalries?"

"It didn't happen at school," Tess answered, and then thought a little more to see if she could really be sure about that. "He... turned up like that at lunch time. He wasn't in school all morning. The only reason he's late is when there's family trouble to sort out. So something happened at home to make him late. And he'd attempted to bandage himself before coming to school. Probably thought determination would let him ignore those injuries. He does that sometimes. More concerned with protecting other people, always hides his own pain."

"We'll speak to the doctors about that," one of the cops said, and Tess got the impression that he didn't believe her. Probably because she was so upset; but it was hard to hide that.

"If he's bandaged himself," the other one seemed more thoughtful; like he was analysing the situation and trying to make sure he understood all the possibilities, "I would assume that means he's been somewhere with a first aid kit. And if he has one at home, wouldn't there have been family members to call an ambulance?"

"I doubt it. I'd be willing to bet it's his stepfather who hit him. Wouldn't be the first time, but I've never seen him in such bad shape before."

The two policemen made notes, asking Tess a few more questions. But they seemed to be satisfied now they could name a possible suspect. They asked if she had any idea what might have provoked violence between the two men, and she said no without thinking. But she soon realised that wasn't quite the truth, although she couldn't bring herself to say what was really on her mind. Thankfully they didn't probe too deeply, just taking down her name and address in case they needed to speak to her again, and then she was alone.

A few words danced around and around in her head, giving themselves an almost supernatural significance. "Duke says I can't see you again," Spike had said. And the way he said it, he clearly thought that it was important. So from the little she knew of the Torrance family, she had to assume that this was the reason the man had given for assaulting Spike. She didn't know why, but it was always hard for her when she tried to understand the motives of someone like that.

But why would Duke say anything about her? She hadn't been to their house, and had never actually met the man. And she couldn't imagine Spike talking about her, when he usually played his cards so close to his chest. So why would Mr Torrance even know that she existed?