Chapter 9
Cassandra clicked the car remote control. From the workshop, she could hear an ear-bleeding rendition of something being vocally beaten into submission. Following the din, she walked along the path and opened the door. Being so engrossed in the dissected console on the workbench, Adam was mid chorus before he noticed her standing there, arms folded, with an amused smile on her perfectly made-up face. He clicked the off button on the stereo.
‘There is such a thing as knocking you know,’ he said tersely.
‘Like you would have heard me?’ She said with a sing-song voice.
‘Like you would have knocked in the first place.’ He mimicked her. ‘Is there something I can do for you?’
Cass giggled and flicked back her hair, ‘Now that is a loaded question.’
Adam rolled his eyes.
She eased herself onto a stool and crossed her legs. ‘You are so clever. I don’t know how you put together all those tiny little parts and make them into something that works.’ Cassandra stretched out a leg, allowing the impossibly high heel to sway back and forth.
‘It’s nothing really, just a little patience and a lot of genius.’ Adam said absentmindedly, as he continued to tinker.
‘Does that apply to everything you do?’ She smiled mischievously.
‘Everything… that Will and I do regarding this project.’ He said pointedly.
Cass had the grace to avert her eyes slightly. ‘Where is Will? We’re going to look at our new home today.’
‘He mentioned it. In the house, I think he was testing out one of the role plays.’
‘So, he’s in there unconscious, and you and I are out here all alone. How inappropriate,’ she said, leaning forward.
‘I’m sure he will be awake; he could walk in at any moment.’ Adam said nonchalantly.
‘And what would he see?’
Adam blinked slowly. ‘He’s in the house, go ahead and wake him if the lazy sod isn’t up yet.’ He said, turning back to his work and flicking the switch on the stereo to signal she should leave.
Cassandra slid elegantly from the stool and strolled across to the door. ‘You don’t know what you missed, you know…’ she turned coyly to look over her shoulder, but it was wasted. Adam was already engrossed in his micro world.
It was a matter of minutes before the door burst open again, crashing dramatically into the wall. ‘I said you should knock, not demolish the place!’ Adam shouted, switching off the stereo again. He’d never seen Cassandra looking even remotely ruffled; she seemed to sail through life completely crease-resistant. The woman who currently stood framed in the doorway had definitely been bent out of shape.
‘Quick,’ she gasped, ‘It’s Will.’
‘What is? What’s the matter?’
‘It’s Will.’ She turned and tottered in the direction of the house.
~~
By the time Adam caught up, Cassandra was slapping Will about the face; a red print was building on his cheek.
‘Help me. I can’t wake him!’ Adam moved her forcefully out of the way.
‘Will, Will! It’s Adam, can you hear me? Time to wake up, buddy.’ He was gently shaking his friend’s shoulders when a cold shock of water hit him in the ear and trickled down the side of his neck. Will had taken most of the deluge straight in the face.
~~
Trudging beside Anaya Will suddenly felt a freezing blast from nowhere. He stopped short as the shock took his breath away for a second before the coughing began. Struggling for breath, he lurched sideways, barging into the polymorph.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ she snapped.
~~
‘What the hell are you doing?’ Adam snapped, turning his head on one side to remove the water from his ear canal.
‘Trying to wake him up, I’ve seen it in the movies, you throw cold water over them.’
‘Him possibly, not necessarily me! You could have warned me first!’ He looked back at the patient who, besides being somewhat wet, appeared to be still sleeping peacefully.
‘I’ll get a towel,’ he said, getting up. Cassandra was half crouched next to her husband. Adam couldn’t quite make out what she was doing. As he peered over her shoulder, he saw a safety pin, with the sharp end jabbing into Will’s hand.
~~
‘OW!’ Will screamed, grabbing his hand.
‘What’s the matter now?’ asked Anaya.
‘I don’t know, ow, ow, OW!’ Will clawed desperately at the metal glove. As he removed it, a small bead of blood began to form on the skin.
‘What have you done?’ Anaya took hold of his hand, trying to see the cause of damage.
‘Nothing, nothing at all. It must have been something in the glove.’
~~
‘Stop that! What is wrong with you woman?’ Adam snatched the pin out of Cassandra’s hand.
‘It’s how they tell if people are dead, if there is no reaction, then it’s definite. I saw it on a detective show.’
‘Did you?’ Adam said slowly, ‘And did they also mention anything about the fact that the person is breathing? Did they? Hmmm?
‘I was overcome with panic.’ Cassandra replied, now the picture of calm.
‘Why don’t you go and call an ambulance, that may well be the safest thing for Will before you move on from drowning and bloodletting.’
‘So you do think there is something seriously wrong with him!’ She squeaked, instantly hysterical again. ‘I knew it; I’m going to be a widow!’
‘Just call the ambulance,’ he said wearily, ‘I’m sure everything will be alright, but the sooner we get some medical help, the better, ok?’
‘Ok.’ She sniffed, picking up her mobile phone and walking out the front door.
‘It must be a woman thing,’ he said to the unconscious body on the sofa. ‘They can’t just make a phone call; they have to be all private about it.’ The minutes ticked by. Adam could hear a muffled one-sided conversation outside, but not clearly enough to know what exactly was said. Eventually, the door clicked, and she reappeared smoothing her lipstick.
‘Well? How long?’ She looked confused for a moment. ‘Oh, err, not long at all. How is he? Is he still breathing?’
‘Just the same.’ With a dramatic flourish, she threw herself across her sleeping husband.
‘Oh, my poor darling, my poor baby, why, why, why!’ Adam could hear Will spluttering as he pulled her away.
‘I would give him some air if I were you, we don’t want to confuse the paramedics by giving them cause to think he’d been smothered.’
‘I am a very emotional person. You know I couldn’t bear it if I lost my baby.’ She picked up her handbag and in one easy movement, selected a compact. ‘You don’t think the press will get hold of it, do you? After all, with the V10, Will was going to be the next big thing.’
~~
‘You went a very odd colour just then.’ Anya said frowning at Will who was acting odd, even by human standards.
‘I couldn’t breathe! It was like something was being held over my head. What’s going on here? Are you doing this to me?’ He pointed his finger in accusation.
‘It’s not me.’ She replied, holding her hands up. ‘I told you you’re in danger, although this does all seem a little peculiar. We need to see the bounty hunter, no time to lose!’ Anaya grabbed him roughly by the elbow and dragged him on.
‘It’s how they tell if people are dead, if there is no reaction, then it’s definite. I saw it on a detective show.’
‘Did you?’ Adam said slowly, ‘And did they also mention anything about the fact that the person is breathing? Did they? Hmmm?
‘I was overcome with panic.’ Cassandra replied, now the picture of calm.
‘Why don’t you go and call an ambulance, that may well be the safest thing for Will before you move on from drowning and bloodletting.’
‘So you do think there is something seriously wrong with him!’ She squeaked, instantly hysterical again. ‘I knew it; I’m going to be a widow!’
‘Just call the ambulance,’ he said wearily, ‘I’m sure everything will be alright, but the sooner we get some medical help, the better, ok?’
‘Ok.’ She sniffed, picking up her mobile phone and walking out the front door.
‘It must be a woman thing,’ he said to the unconscious body on the sofa. ‘They can’t just make a phone call; they have to be all private about it.’ The minutes ticked by. Adam could hear a muffled one-sided conversation outside, but not clearly enough to know what exactly was said. Eventually, the door clicked, and she reappeared smoothing her lipstick.
‘Well? How long?’ She looked confused for a moment. ‘Oh, err, not long at all. How is he? Is he still breathing?’
‘Just the same.’ With a dramatic flourish, she threw herself across her sleeping husband.
‘Oh, my poor darling, my poor baby, why, why, why!’ Adam could hear Will spluttering as he pulled her away.
‘I would give him some air if I were you, we don’t want to confuse the paramedics by giving them cause to think he’d been smothered.’
‘I am a very emotional person. You know I couldn’t bear it if I lost my baby.’ She picked up her handbag and in one easy movement, selected a compact. ‘You don’t think the press will get hold of it, do you? After all, with the V10, Will was going to be the next big thing.’
~~
‘You went a very odd colour just then.’ Anya said frowning at Will who was acting odd, even by human standards.
‘I couldn’t breathe! It was like something was being held over my head. What’s going on here? Are you doing this to me?’ He pointed his finger in accusation.
‘It’s not me.’ She replied, holding her hands up. ‘I told you you’re in danger, although this does all seem a little peculiar. We need to see the bounty hunter, no time to lose!’ Anaya grabbed him roughly by the elbow and dragged him on.
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