The Debt & the Doormat(72)

‘Yes! You’re the man who saved the granny from those muggers!’ she says, getting all excited.

His expression changes quickly as we both realise what she’s talking about.

‘No! No, he’s not,’ I shout. ‘He gets that all the time, don't you Ryan!’ I laugh nervously.

‘Yes, it is you! Ryan David or something like that?’

Why did I say his name! What an idiot.

‘What are you waiting for? Go up there and help out,’ she says eagerly.

‘What?’ he says, staring back at her as if she’s mad.

‘Everyone,’ she whispers to the others around us. ‘This guy has dealt with this kind of thing before. He’s going to help us.’

‘Oh thank Jesus in heaven,’ the man with the rosary beads says.

‘No! No he’s not! He’s staying here.’ I desperately look from face to face as I hear the men’s raised voices get louder.

‘Poppy. It’s fine,’ he says, his face seeming afraid but determined.

‘No it's not! Don't you fucking DARE!’ I cling onto his arm like a child.

He’s trying to get up! He’s actually trying to stand up! He’s fucking insane.

‘Just promise me you’ll stay here,’ he says, looking at me seriously.

‘No!’ I whisper loudly, holding onto his arm so strongly I’m sure I’m cutting off his circulation. ‘No!’

‘Just stay here!’ he barks, throwing me off him. He walks away, past the shelves, until I can't see him anymore.

‘Stay here. Do what he says,’ the frizzy woman says to me.

‘Are you fucking crazy!? This is your fault! I’m going after him.’ I get up, zoning in my hearing to him attempting to reason with them. He hasn’t got a chance. People that rob shops aren’t normal people you can have a conversation with. You can't just get them a tea and tell them to calm down dear.

‘No! He said to stay here.’ She clutches onto both of my arms, restraining me. ‘He knows what he’s doing.’ She smiles reassuringly. She’s crazy!

‘No he doesn’t! This is all my fault you stupid bitch! He doesn’t have a –‘

But I stop mid-sentence. I stop because I hear a gun shot.





Chapter 27




For a second I’m frozen. My body trembles, my stomach dropping. My throat contracts, my tongue going numb. I look from face to face. First at the frizzy woman, who’s frozen still, then at the man praying. Please no. Please no!

Before I can think I jump on top of the woman, shaking her with all of my force.

‘WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE!?’ I scream, shaking her violently. ‘WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE!?’

I get up slowly, my legs complete jelly, and try with all of my force to walk towards the front of the shop. The thugs have gone, but in their place is a small crowd of people that a second ago were queuing with me, waiting to pay for petrol.

I try to run over to them, but my body’s not working. My eyes begin to sting with tears and I put my hands out in front of me, as if to try and help myself forward, but they’re shaking so violently.

‘R-r-r-yan,’ I stammer.

As soon as I’ve said his name something jolts inside my body. Ryan! I run over to him, pushing the people roughly to one side and find him on the floor, sitting up.

‘Ryan!’ I cry, crouching down to him.

He’s holding onto his shoulder and there’s red blood dripping down from it, through his t-shirt.

‘Oh my God. Oh my God. Someone call a fucking ambulance!’ I shout, my voice not coming out as loud as I want.

‘Ryan, are you OK? OK, stupid question. Are you...are you alive?’

‘Of course I’m alive,’ he says, rolling his eyes. ‘I’ve just been shot.’

‘Just been shot? You’ve been fucking SHOT Ryan!’

‘I’m fine,’ he smiles. The blood is draining from his face, telling me he’s anything but ok.

Oh my God. He’s bleeding to death right in front of me.

‘I can't hear anyone calling that fucking ambulance!’ I shriek at everyone. They just seem to be staring.

‘Someone’s called it. They’re on their way,’ a man with an afro shouts.

‘Great. Don't worry Ryan. I’m here.’ I take off my jacket and put it to his wound. ‘Lie down will you.’

I practically push him down flat on the floor and press the wound with all of my might, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Just like they do on Casualty.

‘Here, let me take over,’ the afro man says.

I let him, as he’s clearly stronger than me. I lie down on the floor next to Ryan and grab hold of his face.

‘Hold on Ryan. They’ll be here in a minute.’ I wipe a tear off my face. ‘Just hold on.’

‘God!’ he says, rolling his eyes. ‘You sound like an actress from one of those action films.’

‘What? Trust you to be an arsehole even when you’ve been shot. I don't know how to act! Normally people don't get shot around me.’

‘I’m surprised,’ he says, smiling weakly, but then seeming to suck in the air from pain.

‘Oh my God,’ I sob. ‘Please just hold my hand.’

I clasp my fingers through his and gaze into his big brown eyes. They seem to be getting weaker, the life being sucked out of them. He’s trying desperately to be strong, but I can tell he’s hurting. He squeezes my hand tighter and starts breathing deeper and slower.

‘Don't worry. They’re almost here,’ I whisper.

‘OK. It...It kind of hurts,’ he says weakly.

‘Of course it hurts, you idiot. You’ve been shot.’ I smile and rub his cheeks with my other free hand.

He doesn’t say anything back. His face is almost pure white.

‘Excuse me miss,’ someone says to me, budging me out of the way.

I turn and see that it's two paramedics. I didn’t even hear them pulling up. Was their siren even going?

‘What's your name son?’ the grey haired one asks.

‘It's Ryan. His name is Ryan.’

‘Yes thank you miss,’ he says, annoyed. ‘But I need to talk to him. We need to find out how coherent he is.’

‘Oh...sorry.’

‘Ryan. How are you feeling?’

‘It hurts,’ he says weakly. Shit, it must be bad. He’s not even being sarcastic or giving a witty response.

‘Don't worry mate. We’ll have you at the hospital in no time.’

‘Why can't we go now!?’ I scream. ‘Why the fuck are we waiting so long?’

‘Please miss, calm down.’

‘Sorry. Just hurry!’ I cry desperately.

They load him in the ambulance and I automatically jump in with him.

‘Would you like your girlfriend to go with you?’ he asks Ryan.

‘She’s not my girlfriend,’ he croaks.

Oh. So he can get shot and be on his death bed, but still he manages to let people know I’m not his girlfriend.

‘You want me to come with you, right?’ I ask, already making myself comfortable on the end of his bed.

‘No. You should drive my car home.’

‘Oh...right. OK.’

I slowly jump out, in total shock, as one of the men slams the door and it drives off, sirens blaring.

I can't believe this. Ryan’s been shot and he wants me to drive his car. What kind of mental person gets shot and is still rational enough to ask someone to drive their car home? Who cares about the car!? If I’d been shot I’d be asking for people to call my love ones and a priest, dramatically confessing all of my sins and telling people I love them. But I mean...a car?

I get in the car and start the engine, but then I realise. I don't know which hospital they’ll have taken him to? I take my phone out and ring home hoping Jazz will be back by now.

‘Hello?’ Jazz answers.

‘Hi,’ I stammer.

‘Hey babe, where are you?’

‘Um...Jazz, I...’

‘What? Where abouts are you?’

‘Something’s....something’s happened,’ I finally manage.

‘What? Are you OK?’ she says sounding panicked. ‘What's happened?’ Izzy says in the background.

‘OK, I don't want you to panic. Promise?’

‘Yeah, of course babe. What's happened?’

‘Ryan’s...he’s been shot.’

‘WHAT?’

‘He’s been – ‘

‘I fucking heard you the first time! He’s been shot! Where the fuck is he?’

‘He’s just gone in an ambulance to the hospital.’

‘Oh my God, which one? And why aren’t you with him?’

‘That's why I was ringing you. He’s gone in an ambulance but I don't know which one.’

‘Oh, OK. Don't panic. They’ve probably taken him to Hammersmith. We’ll meet you there.’

* * *





‘Hi. Ryan Davis. Where is he? He was brought in with a gunshot,’ I say to the sulky looking receptionist.

‘Was he in an ambulance?’ she says through chewing gum.

‘Yes of course he’s in an ambulance!’

‘Please don't use that tone with me madam. What relation do you have to him?’ She eyes me suspiciously.

‘I’m...I’m his fiancée.’

‘Oh, OK then,’ she says, suddenly friendly. Thank god I lied. ‘According to this he’s up on the Elizabeth ward. It's floor 4.’