Kaimoana Tales, Riley 11

Doctor Stevens was standing by the reception desk, talking to Alice Kersten and Julia, who were changing over shifts. They all looked around when Riley came running out.

“What is it, Riley? Something wrong?” The doctor stepped towards him, the others both looked at the monitor alarms.

“Oh, Fuck! Doctor, you’ve gotta come quick. There’s another one! He spoke to me; he’s called Colin and he’s got a brother. There’s another one out there and he’s sicker than Colin was. We’ve got to do something. We have to find him!”

“Of course we do. Alice, tell Brian to get the ambulance out. Julia, get Constable Lawry, tell him that we need him – now! He’d better alert the Search and Rescue as well. Riley, come with me.”

Riley was not about to argue with him, but the doctor gave him no choice anyway. He grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back into the ward where Colin was. Tammy was not kidding when she said Doctor would move heaven and earth to help a kid.

The boy lay there, looking as terrified as usual. He fixed those eyes on them and he started panting, like he was hyper-ventilating. He was crying and the sight of him started Riley crying as well. He had to force himself to calm down. Panicking was not going to help anyone. He picked-up Colin’s hand and held it in both of his.

“Sorry, Colin. I’m sorry. It’s all right, everything’s going to be fine, you’re with friends. This is Doctor Stevens, he wants to help. Where is your brother? You have to tell us where to find him so we can help him.”

“Jacob, my Jacob,” Colin whispered.

“Yes, Jacob! Colin, where is he?”

The boy, Colin, shook his head on the pillows. He took a deep breath and held it, and then another. He exhaled, quietly.

“Jacob is there, where I was. There’s a cave, it’s by the creek. You go up the creek, about 50 meters up the hill, it’s on the right. The front is covered in scrub, but it’s there, by the creek. There’s a fire-place just inside it. He’s in there, in the back. He’s just lying there and he hasn’t moved for days.

Please find my brother. Help him!”

Doctor Stevens headed for the door. “I’m on my way.”

He stopped in the doorway and looked back. “Well done, Lad. Thank you. Don’t worry, we’ll find your brother, if I have to get the whole town out there, I will!” He smiled and he was gone.

Riley was ‘at 6’s and 7’s’. He didn’t know what to do. He looked, longingly, at the door. He wanted to be there. He wanted to help find the other boy, but he wanted to be here, with this one.

But, there was nothing that he could do out there and Colin was clinging to him, gripping his hand tightly. He’d stay where he was. He couldn’t leave Colin to wait on his own. He sat down by the bed and forced a smile.

“They’ll find him. Don’t worry, Colin, they’ll find your brother. We just have to wait. I’m staying here and I’ll wait with you.”

Colin nodded. “Thank you, Riley. We’ll wait together.”

“Sweet. Oh, damm! Hold on a minute. I’d better ring my mum and tell her that I’m staying here. She won’t be happy, but – whatever. Someone else can mop the floors for once.”

He got out his cell and called the café. When he told his mother what was happening, she was fine with it.

“Of course you have to stay with him, Riley. You can’t leave him alone. We’ll look after things here. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Thanks, Mum. I love you, Mum.”

“You’re a good kid, Riley. Come home when you can.”

He closed his cell and slipped it back into his pocket. “Great invention, cell-phones. I don’t know how people live without them. Do you know about cells?”

Colin nodded and smiled. “I know about cells, I used to have one. I wasn’t born in a cave you know.”

“Of course you weren’t! Where did you come from, Colin?”

“I can’t tell you that. Sorry, I can’t.”

“Okay, if you can’t, you can’t. Did you run away?”

“We did what we had to do. I can’t tell you.”

“Yeah, well, I think I understand that. You just say what you want to. How long have you been living out there?”

Colin shook his head.

“No? Well, how old are you? Can you tell me that?”

“Fifteen, I think. Yes, I am fifteen.”

“15? So am I! 15 and you’re living alone? Except for your brother, I mean.”

“Yes, just us.”

“You’re not going to spring another one on us tomorrow?”

“No,” he smiled. “Just Jacob and me.”

“How old is Jacob?”

“He’s 15. We’re twins.”

“Twin cave-boys! Very cool. Look, can you hang on a minute? I’m not going anywhere; I’ll just go out and see the ladies and make sure that they tell us when there’s any news. Is there anything that you want?”

“No, I just want my brother.”

“They’re getting him. Doctor Stevens will get the army out if he has to. He’ll be here.

You wait, I’ll be back in a minute.”

He went out to the desk. Mrs. Kersten was there, on her own. She looked up.

“Still here? I thought that I was the only one left.”

“I’m waiting with the boy – with Colin. Is there any news yet?”

“Not yet. Give them a chance; I doubt if anyone’s there yet. I’ve called the night-staff on early, they’ll be here soon. Go back and sit with the boy, Riley. I’ll tell you as soon as I hear anything.”

“Please do. Thanks, Mrs. Kersten.”

“Not a problem. Go away.”

Some minutes are longer than hours. Riley and the quiet boy sat and watched the clock on the wall, for what seemed like ages, but wasn’t really. They didn’t have a lot to say; Colin was not talking again and Riley felt like he was talked out. He did have a hundred questions that he’d like to ask, but knew he’d get nowhere with them.

In a way, it was a welcome distraction when a busy young woman came into the ward. She had an open notebook and a large, expensive-looking camera slung around her neck.

However, in another way, it was not good. As soon as Colin saw her he got very agitated. He moaned, “Oh noo!” and he pulled the sheet up over his head, and lay there shaking like a leaf.

“Colin, what’s wrong?” Riley patted his shoulder through the sheet.

“That’s his name is it? Colin.” She smiled and wrote it in her book. “And you must be Riley. What’s your other name?”

“I, umm, who are you?”

“I’m Terri Rangi, I’m a reporter with the Kaimoana Chronicle, and, boy! Have we got a story here!” She smiled widely.

Riley looked fro her to his new friend, and knew exactly why he was upset. He turned back to the reporter.

“Oh no you haven’t. There’s no story here and we’ve got nothing to say. No comment, thank you.”

“Don’t be silly, Boy. There’s a great story here. This could be my biggest story of the year. Now, are you the one who found the cave-boy here?”

Riley sat and glared daggers at this pushy woman. She was upsetting Colin, they didn’t need this. He thought of asking Mrs. Kersten to kick her out, but, what could she do? She wasn’t a bouncer. Speaking of bouncers – he took out his cell and speed-dialled his mum.

“Hello. Is that you, Riley?”

“It’s me, Mum. Can you come to the hospital? There’s a reporter here, she wants to talk to Colin and he doesn’t want to. She’s upsetting him and she won’t take no for an answer.”

“Oh, won’t she just? We’ll see about that! I’ll be right there, Riley. Sit tight and don’t open your mouth.”

“Thanks, Mum. Hurry, won’t you?”

He closed the phone and patted Colin again. “My mum’s coming. She’ll sort this out.”

“I can’t believe that you rang your mummy. Does she wipe your nose for you?” the reporter sneered.

“No, she doesn’t, but she’ll wipe the floor with you, wait and see.”

“We’ll see. Now, you were the one who found him, what was he doing?”

Riley turned his back on her and joined Colin in clamming up and not saying a word. He waited.

In a very short time, the door opened again and Riley’s mother, Mrs. Kersten and Tammy, the nurse, came in.

“Oh, good.” Riley stood up. “My mum’s here, Colin. This is my mother, Dianne Sullivan. Mum, this is Colin.”

“Hello, Colin. You were our cave-boy? Good Lord! You scrubbed-up nicely.”

Colin smiled.

Tammy said, “There are too many people here. Only two visitors per patient are permitted. Someone is going to have to leave. Colin, it’s up to you. Do you want Riley to stay?”

Colin smiled and nodded.

“Do you want Ms. Rangi here to stay?”

He shook his head, vigorously.

“How about Mrs. Sullivan, should she stay?”

He nodded and Mrs. Kersten said, “I’m sorry, Terri, we’ll have to ask you to leave now.”

“I certainly will not. I was here first.”

“First or last makes no difference,” Riley’s mum said. “The hospital rules are quite clear – 2 visitors only. The boy has indicated who he wants to stay. You can leave now please.”

“I don’t see why I should. I have questions that I want to ask. It seems to me that this is a question of the Freedom of the Press.”

“The Freedom of the Press is a legal fiction and has no standing in the law of this country. Trust me, I do know the law.” Mrs. S. smiled and handed her one of her old business cards which gave her name and credentials as a registered Solicitor.

“I will be representing this boy’s interests. Pro bono, of course. This situation is clearly covered by Health and Safety regulations. Furthermore, you have been asked to leave by Mrs. Kersten, as a representative of the area Health Board, whose property this is. Therefore, you are now trespassing. Unless you want to spend the night in the Police cells, I suggest you leave immediately.”

The reporter looked around the blank faces, and huffed. “This is preposterous! You will be hearing more of this.”

“My address is on the card,” Mrs. S. smiled sweetly. “I suggest that you bring legal representation with you.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like this!” she stormed out and left.

“Awesome, Mum. Thanks,” Riley beamed. “I told you that Mum would sort it out, Colin.”

Colin smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Son. Do you want me to represent you?”

“I do, but I have no money to pay you.”

“You don’t need any. Pro Bono means for free. First thing in the morning, I’ll pull in some favours and I’ll have Privacy Orders issued so you’ll be left in peace. No-one will be allowed to set foot in here without your express permission.”

“Will Riley be allowed to come in?”

“Yes, of course, if you say so.”

“I do say so. Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan.”

“Well done, Riley’s mum,” Tammy smiled. “It’s about time that little tart was taken down a peg or two.”

“And I’m just the one to do it. It’ll do me good to keep in practice. Is there any news on the other boy yet?”

“There is, actually,” Mrs. Kersten said. “They’ve found the cave. The doctor and Brian have gone in there. I’d better get back to the desk. I’ll let you know what develops.”

“Brian?”

“Yes, Brian Kersten. He’s my husband and he’s the ambulance driver.”

“Oh, I see. The hospital is a family affair then?”

“We like to think so. Take it easy, Boys. It won’t be long now.”