Jed went to shake his head but thought better of it. The bandages that were wrapped around it hid his injuries mostly, but God only knows what mess his skull was in underneath them. His eyes were dark. They darted around the room far faster than the rest of his body could move.
He leaned back slightly and looked at the ceiling. “I’m sorry about Riz, Si, I really am. But … I don’t know anything else. I was in … I was in the church; I thought I heard Mrs Crocker. Then I woke up here. I can’t remember anything else.”
“It’s alright, mate,” said Simon.
“Don’t sound so happy,” Jed joked. “It’s a miracle I’m alive, you know.”
“There are many things about you that are miraculous, Jed,” Simon said. “But the fact that your skull is so thick that you can’t be killed with a blunt instrument is not one of them. Anyone who’s tried to explain the offside rule to you could have told the doctors that.”
Jed chuckled. But his eyes were wide, and his breathing laboured.
“I think we’ve tired you out, mate,” Simon said. “We’ll let you get your rest.”
We made to leave, but Jed clutched at Simon’s arm as we began to head out. “You know why this happened, don’t you?”
I looked at both men, but Simon’s expression was unreadable.
“What we did. We were always going to pay for it.”
“Okay, okay,” Simon said gently. “I think that’s enough for today. Don’t want to tire you out too much.” Heremoved Jed’s hand and gently tucked him back into bed. “I’ll come back in a few days and see you again, yeah?”
I hovered, hoping for more. What on earth could it mean? Was Jed delirious? Simon made the briefest of eye contact with me before turning to Jed and hunkering down beside him at the bed, their heads centimetres apart. He whispered something that I couldn’t hear.
After he’d finished speaking, Simon stood and ushered me out. In the corridor, I desperately wanted to ask him questions, but the formalities of saying goodbye to Jed’s parents took precedence. Several minutes later, we eventually made our way out of the building, and we were able to talk. “What was that all about? What did he mean?”
Simon stared straight ahead as we walked towards my car.
“Simon?”
“Hmm? What do you mean exactly?”
“Er, about the whole ‘we knew we’d pay for it’.”
“I have no idea.”
“Surely …”
“Do you know how many painkillers Jed’s on? His brain is scrambled eggs. Poor guy. Might never be the same again.”
“Si—”
His phone buzzed. “Let’s get home, Mum’s getting worried again.” I stood in the car park and watched him. What the hell was going on?
He made it to my car and waited at the passenger door. “Well, come on, are we going?” he asked impatiently.
I fumbled for my keys. “Yes, yes, of course.”
We drove home in silence.
When we got to my house, Simon jumped out.
“Do you want to stay for lunch? We could order something and spit ball?”
He shook his head. “This was all a mistake,” he said, not looking at me. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m being crazy.”
“Simon,” I whispered.
He slammed the door – the window was open, and he leaned in. “Listen, forget it, yeah? I think I’ll make myself scarce, Arden. This is stupid.” He tapped the car door in a gesture of finality and then made off across the road to the path through the field. I could see him shaking his head as he walked.
