Isobel

Isobel Pt.13

A wind chime blows in the wind. A gate blows opened and closed. The place looks desolate.
Isobel stands at the window. The rain running down the window gives the illusion of tears running down her cheeks. The light in the window goes out. Brendan and Isobel leave the guesthouse. A taxi is waiting to pick them up. They get in as it drives off into the night.
All is quiet in the back of the taxi as they both sit with nothing to say to each other. The lights from the streetlights illuminate their faces at regular intervals.

The taxi stops outside Isobel's, as she gets out. Brendan wants to say something to her but she won't let him. He says goodbye to her as the taxi drives off.
He watches her as she walks towards her flat. They drive off.
He asks the taxi driver to slow down as they approach Raymond's house. He notices that his car isn't in the drive and thinks it very peculiar.

The taxi pulls up outside Brendan's house as he gets out.

He returns to his house. There isn't a sound. He calls out to his mother but she doesn't answer.
He has a feeling that something bad has happened.
A note is pinned to the fridge door. Ripping the note off the door, he anxiously reads it. It is left by his mother; 'Go to the hospital, Raymond needs you.'
He franticly hurries out of the house without thinking twice about it.

He arrives at the hospital and goes straight to the reception. The nurse comes from behind her desk. She asks him to follow her. He walks along as if in a daze. He feels to blame for what has happened and fears the worst. The nurse leads him into a room with a bed all on its own. A curtain is around the bed. The nurse gently pulls the curtain back to reveal, Raymond. He has some cuts on his head but all in all he doesn't look too bad. Brendan sits down by his side. The nurse stays nearby. Raymond turns his head round to face Brendan. We can see that it pains him to do so.
"What happened?" Brendan asked.
"I crashed my Da's car. I'm stupid."
"I'm sorry. I feel I'm to blame. If I hadn't hurt you, none of this would have happened," Brendan said.
Raymond smiles at Brendan.
Brendan looks at the nurse and then back to Raymond. "You don't look too bad. I'll say you'll be out in no time at all."
"They say I've got mostly internal injuries. If I get out soon my Da's going to kill me anyway," Raymond said. "So I'm maybe better staying here for a while. Let him cool down."
Raymond looks at Brendan. Brendan's head is down. He's upset.
"I don't' blame you for what happened. You didn't make me crash my car. But I can't help the way I feel towards her that is the one thing I can't change. I only hope that we can still be friends, and that life can go on like before."
Brendan looks up at Raymond. "I'd like to say that but no matter how we want things to remain the same and not change. But we have got to evolve. We need to grow. We've got to decide and make choices that affect our lives and the people around us, for better or worse. You might think that it's the right decision at the time and it may be hard for other people to understand but we can't go through life trying not to hurt people but sometimes it's the only way, to make the situation move on. We're friends; we'll always be friends, no matter what. But don't make me choose between you and her, because I'm unsure what my answer will be."
"Does she know I'm in the hospital? Raymond asked.
Brendan gets up from his seat. "I'll let her know as soon as possible. She was worried about you."
Raymond looks at his friend and then away again.
Brendan rests a hand on Raymond's arm as he gets up. Raymond smiles although he is in pain.
"You get better soon," Brendan said.

Brendan leaves the room. The nurse follows him like a shadow. He glances back at Raymond one last time before he leaves the room. Raymond isn't looking in his direction but blankly at the wall. The nurse pulls back the curtain and turns out the light, leaving the room in darkness.
Brendan walks down the corridor with his head bowed. One by one the lights start to dim until he is at the end of the corridor.

Brendan walks down the street outside Isobel's flat. He feels she needs to know, at least to take part of the guilt off him. He sees her flat and is struck by fear, for what he sees he can't believe. Smoke is bellowing out of the window. The flat is on fire.

He rushes up the stairs but is stopped from going any further by the intense heat. He is at the bottom of the step as he shouts out her name. But it is to no avail. The smoke is thick, it's too dangerous for him to be here, and he should get out.

He wanders out onto the middle of the street and slumps himself down on a nearby kerb. He is distraught. There can be no possible survivor of this terrible tragedy. The fire brigade and ambulance, finally arrive on the scene.