Perseverance (The Resident FF) by Frances51163

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: Revisiting the Past

After a few minutes of silence Conrad walked over to join his friend and followed him into the building as a sense of foreboding invaded his senses.  Stopping just inside the door he looked at the battered remains of the once magnificent structure in the dull morning light.  The ceiling had given way in parts and the darkening clouds outside could be easily seen as a clap of thunder sounded in the distance.  The winding staircase was still intact despite the debris which now adorned it.

"What happened?" Jude looked around the area in shock for while the outside of the mansion had looked like it had simply given into the elements after being abandoned the inside told another story altogether.
"There was a fire," Conrad answered softly as he took in the charred remnants of the long hallway.
"Were you here?"
"Yeah ....... yeah I was," the fair haired man slowly took careful steps over to the stairs as a flash of lightning momentarily lit up the scene displaying more devastation.
"How old were you?" Jude asked as he made his way over and followed his companion up the stairs, mindful of broken concrete underfoot from the ceiling.
"It's crazy but I can still smell the smoke," Conrad commented without answering the question.
"It must have been bad," the Surgeon probed as they reached the landing, with its' more heavily charred walls, which he saw led to seven rooms.
"Most fires are," Conrad stated distractedly as he looked around.
"Which one is yours?"
'The last one," Conrad replied after a brief hesitation.
"Mind if I take a look?"
"Why?"
"Just want to see it," Jude passed his friend but then looked back, "if you don't want me to I won't."
"I ....... okay.  Just ......," Conrad looked at the ground awkwardly.
"You stay here," Jude guessed what the problem was as he studied the charring pattern of their surrounds, "won't be long."
"Kay."

Upon reaching the slightly ajar door the older man pushed it open after a final glance at his friend who had his back turned as he looked over the landing balcony. Stepping inside his heart sank.  You didn't need to be a Fire Marshall to know that this was where the fire had started.  The four walls were completely blackened.  There was no way to tell what colour paint had once dressed them.  The remains of the misshapen window frames were also completely blackened.  Under the only window a single bed, with its' tattered mattress still in place, was littered with leaves which had found their way in over time. Looking around he saw only devastation and understood why his friend had not wanted to see it.  He turned to head back towards the door when something under the mattress caught his attention. Going over he tugged at the item and shook his head. A reasonably in tact book was revealed, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  He recalled what his friend had told him about hiding books for when he was locked in his room.  As that recollection played in his mind he wondered if he could get the younger man to open up. He'd have to try anyway.  Sighing he went over to the door and paused upon seeing the empty landing.  He panicked momentarily, afraid the other man had taken off, but a sound in the room next door caught his attention.

"Whose room was this?" the Surgeon asked to get a conversation going as he entered the bedroom, guessing from the pink remaining on the damaged walls that it was a girls' room although his friend had no siblings.
"It was a guest room."
"Your mother was alive when you went to Afghanistan wasn't she?" Jude frowned as he looked at the battered small white dressing table his friend was looking at.
"Yeah."
"From the way you spoke about her I know she was special."
"Yeah. She was."
"So this room," Jude prodded watching his friend closely and noting the flicker of pain in his eyes, "I'm thinking someone you cared about stayed here."
"Come on.  Let's get out of here," the tired man suggested hoarsely and went to turn away.
"Conrad tell me whose room this was.  I'd like to know," the Surgeon placed a gentle hand on the nearest arm.
"My ........ cousins!"
"Ah damn," Jude didn't need to ask, he knew she had died in the fire, the truth burned in his friends' anguished eyes, "I'm sorry man.  I really am."
"Need some air," Conrad easily pulled his arm loose and headed out of the room and down the stairs, as fast as he could navigate the obstacles in his path, as the skies overhead finally released their burden sending pelting rain into the house.

Reaching the front door Conrad pulled it open and stepped out onto the porch where he was exposed to the cold torrential rains.

"Conrad let's go back inside until this eases off," Jude looked at his companion taking in the strained features, "we can talk if you want.  And if you don't want to talk you don't have to.  You have my word."
"Hate for you to get a cold," Conrad eventually looked at his friend before turning back to the door, "especially at your age."
"Very funny," Jude made a face as he trailed behind his friend.

Thirty minutes later the downpour showed no sign of abating.  It had become clear within a few minutes that Conrad was lost in his thoughts.  No doubt being back in this house resurrected all types of memories for him.  Jude shifted on the step he was sitting on and looked over at the other man two steps up deciding it was time to get him talking.

"What was her name?"
"Janet."
"How old was she?"
"Eight," Conrad said around a cough as he absently rubbed his left arm.
"How old were you?"
"What's this? Twenty questions?"
"How old?"
"Six.  She was ....... into pink and always playing with teddy bears even if she said she was too old to."
"Did she stay with ye often?"
"That was her first time ....... and her last.  She'd been here about a week.  She told me her parents were in LA at a Medical Conference."
"You knew her well?"
"Only relative I had ever met.  Never saw her parents. Her mother was my Moms' niece which made her my cousin."
"Conrad the fire," Jude looked up at his friend as he shifted to lean back against the wall, "it started in your room didn't it? What happened?"
"Don't know."
"You can trust me you know."
"I don't know!  They said it was faulty electrical wiring.  I was sick ...... my damn eyes!  I went to bed and fell asleep.  When ....... I woke up ........ the whole place was on fire."
"How did you get out?" Jude frowned trying to picture the scene.
"There was a ladder near the window.  It was dumb luck.  Workmen had left it there the day before when they were fitting shutters outside."
"Thank God."
"You think?"
"I know.  I'm real glad you made it out," Jude thought about what his friend had just told him, "you said the ladder was near. How near?"
"About five feet down," Conrad rubbed his arm, again absently.
"So you jumped?"
"Yeah."
"How did that work out?"
"I landed on the first step but then it gave out so I fell," the fair haired man
shrugged.
"What injuries did you sustain?"
"Nothing serious."
"So tell me."
"Broke my arm, some ribs."
"Were your parents here?" Jude checked.
"No. Mom was out of the country.  She'd only left that morning.  My father was at work."
"So who was minding ye?"
"Alicia and Tom, the staff."
"Staff?" the Surgeon frowned, he had not grown up in the lap of luxury.
"Tom and Alicia.  Tom was the Gardener but he also did maintenance.  He was married to Alicia, the Housekeeper/Nanny so they lived on site.  There's a bungalow out back."

Jude looked at his friend almost afraid to ask the inevitable question.  Had Conrad been the only survivor?

tbc