Dark Waters(10)

Col didn’t like that one bit. Neither would Mungo. Col could refuse to co-operate, but Dominic, eager to spread the word about his ‘hero’, wouldn’t keep his mouth shut.

He dreaded tomorrow.

And sleep didn’t rest him. Once again, sleep brought more dreams. Down in that deep, dark water, struggling to get to the surface. His way blocked by ice and demons.

He was glad when morning came, though it was dark with a heavy grey sky that threatened more snow.

Cleo was back on duty, smiling brightly with stories of her baby. ‘He is so cute, Col. He just giggles all the time. Do you like babies?’

‘You’ve got to be joking!’ Col said at once.

In spite of his lack of sleep he felt brighter today, especially with Nurse Cleo in the room. Today, he was ready to tackle anything, even reporters.

She laughed and studied his temperature. ‘Of course you don’t. It’s not cool at your age. But I bet if I brought my little darling in here you’d be goo-gooing along with the rest of them.’

‘In your dreams,’ he said, but he smiled. Nurse Cleo was like a breath of air as she busied herself about the room, checking charts, tidying his bed.

‘Your breakfast’s coming. And I’ll try to keep Dominic out as long as I can.’

She managed to do that until after breakfast, by which time Col had had a shower and a change of pyjamas.

Dominic came bouncing in like a rubber ball, beaming a big freckle-faced smile.

‘I think they’re bringing a photographer, so we better look our best.’ Dominic spat on his palms and brushed down his unruly hair. ‘It’s all right for you. You’re dead good-looking, Col. I heard Nurse Cleo say that to Miserella.’

Nurse Cleo thought he was dead good-looking! He was really chuffed, and grinned to himself like an idiot. But only for a second, until he realised how stupid he must look with a big daft grin on his face.

The reporter came at eleven, and sure enough there was a photographer with him. Mrs Sampson was there, too, standing by the window, listening quietly to the whole interview.

‘I’m Bobby Grant,’ the reporter introduced himself, holding out a hand to Col. But Col recognised him. He’d been at their house before, trying to get some dirt on Mungo. If he remembered Col, he didn’t show it. He only opened his notebook and began firing questions right away. Dominic sat cross-legged on the end of the bed, enthusiasm zooming out of him.

‘What happened exactly, Col?’ Bobby Grant asked.

At first, Col was reticent. Should he tell them about missing school? He did. Should he tell them about being about to steal ten pounds from Dominic’s rucksack? He didn’t. But when it came to questions about how it felt in that icy loch, suddenly his mouth was too dry to answer. He felt a panic inside even trying to remember it. Dominic made up for him. He was more than eager to fill in the details. The boy was a reporter’s dream. Colouring the story so that Col hardly recognised it.

‘There I was, thrashing about in the water, my whole life flashing in front of me. Honest. That really happens by the way. I’ve never wanted my mum so much in my whole life.’ He stopped suddenly, and said seriously, ‘Don’t put that bit in the paper. My friends at school will make my life a misery if you put that in.’

Bobby Grant laughed, and making the most of Dominic’s pause asked him, ‘When did you first see Col? When did you realise that someone was actually going to save you?’ As Dominic opened his mouth to speak the reporter leaned across and touched his hand. ‘And slow down, son. I can’t write shorthand as fast as you can talk.’

Dominic hesitated, swallowed, and began, slowly at first, but by two sentences he was firing off as rapidly as ever. ‘I was going under. And I knew I would never be able to get up again … the water was so cold. I knew I was going to die and I was scared and then I saw Col and I don’t know where he came from, ’cause I hadn’t noticed him before but there he was, running at me, pulling off his jacket, and I knew I was going to be OK because Superman was here, that’s just what it was like, as if Superman had come to the rescue and I wasn’t frightened after that, except …’ He paused again, swallowed hard, and stared at Col. ‘Except when you went under the water and I thought you were going to die instead of me and I couldn’t help you. ’Cause I’m not brave like you, Col, or strong, and that’s when I was the scaredest and then—whoosh! Suddenly you came roaring up, I couldn’t believe it.’ Dominic turned back to Bobby Grant. ‘But he’s here. He’s fine … he really is Superman.’