THE TRUTH OF US : Truth Known. (5)

Nice.

Burn The Pictures!

Max gave Nate the small book.....Nate looked at it.    Looked at Max, there was no Jerry......Liz was standing by the door frame of the back door, arms crossed.....Nate couldn't make out the look on her face.

"Open it..."
".....what?.."
"Open it.  Now!.."
"Why?.....Nooo!.."

"Ignatius......Do as you are told...."
"No, it's mine...."         Nate knew this was pointless to say, they knew what was in the book........That's why they were doing it.

"If you don't open it now.......I will for you..."      Max looked at Nate.    He wasn't frowning, he wasn't angry......At the moment.      Max was the "nasty" one of him and Jerry. Jerry, you could talk to........Max just did what he was asked to do, and it ways ended in pain.

Nate opened the small book.

"Now take them out, one at a time.    Put them in here..."             Max pointed to an old tin barrel.

"That's it.......All of them, Ignatius.    That's it.......Was that so hard..."          Max looked in the barrel, and handed Nate a box of matches.

"Light it up!.."

Nate had tears slipping down his cheeks now, he wiped them quickly away, stuck the match.......And, watched as the flames gained life.

Nate didn't speak to any of them for a month. He wasn't asked to do any cooking, or make coffee. Everyone started to feel on edge. Liz spoke to Violet......."Ignatius is a little.....sad, what would you suggest?.."

Violet said she'd have a think.

Nate did talk.......To Bree.

Bree was going to a new school. Bree got talking to Ruby (Ruby seemed pleasant!)

Things did return to normal eventually......If, you could call it that.

Nate never really spoke to his mother again.......Nate did go back to making coffee and toast, but the guys watched him.     Closely.

__________________________

Pain.

"What the hell is wrong with him now?!.."         I looked into the living room.

"It's his arm.....He won't let me take him to the hospital, I'm working on going to the doctors..." Audrey looked at me. "I'd ask you to talk with him..." She shook her head.

"Yes.....I'm angry!.....But, I'm allowed to be!.."        I looked at Audrey. For the last couple of days I'd been wanting to talk to her.....Just chat, that's all.

Audrey looked into the living room, turned to me......"If you could just put the mood aside for a minute or two.....Could you "try" to......Ask him to consider, our doctor?        I don't want him in pain for too much longer, or else.....I'm really going to have to do something...."

"Has he been crying.......Or still crying?       I don't DO crying..."

"He's been that upset?!     Ruby!      Tell Me Now!.."

I looked at the floor......"He was upset at breakfast........I heard something last night.       You know boys, no tolerance for pain!..."

"RUBY!       You should have told me!       I'm calling Dr Hobbs, hopefully he's doing house visits today..." Audrey walked off.

I walked into the living room.

Nate was lying on the couch, scrunched up.    He looked pale....Red rings around the eyes, dark circles under them. Left arm stretched out.......Head and right arm on and holding.......My favourite blanket!