Star Performance
by Ernest Bywater
All rights reserved © 2010
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events
portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance
to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. All rights
reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or
portions thereof in any form.
Product names, brands, and other trademarks referred
to within this book are the property of their respective
trademark holders. Unless otherwise specified, no
association between the author and any trademark
holder is expressed or implied. Nor does it express any
endorsement by them, or of them. Use of a term in this
book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of
any trademark, service mark, or registered trademark.
Cover Art
The background image is NGC 1999 by NASA & STScI,
and in the public domain - NASA MP Photo Guidelines,
12.05.08. The Athletics pictogram is in the public domain
as a black figure. Manipulation and text by Ernest
Bywater. All rights to the images are reserved by
their owners.
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Table of Contents
Registration
First Week
First Monday
The Mall
Arrangements
Next Day
Some Explanations
The Date
Interlude
Trouble
The Next week
More Trouble
Next Day
Outcomes of the Non-fight
August
School
October
Late October
November
Funny Visitors
December
Shopping Surprise
Later in December
Charity Concert
The Next Few Weeks
Police Activities
Sydney
Chinese Checkers
Hospital
Special Plays
Reliving the Past
At the Hospital
Next Day
The Following Months
Ceremonial Chaos
Murder, Bloody Murder
Back to Today
Chinese New Year
Australian Awards
Headings are centred -
a chapter,
a sub-chapter,
a section.
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“He can't be exempted from all sport and physical education,” the senior clerk exclaims, “It's a requirement of the school curriculum.”
Mrs Smith sighs and says, “My son, Hal, is exempted from all sport and physical activities beyond a slow walk due to a medical condition. I have a medical certificate signed by his doctor, his specialist, and the doctor the Department of Education sent him to last year.” She hands over the certificate, one of several she has, and adds, “Also, here's a signed letter to authorise Hal to leave the grounds for lunch when he wants to and to come home early any day he has no more classes on.” She hands over another document. “Now, can we please look at both his schedule and the list of other classes on at the same time as Physical Education is for his class?” Seeking time to gather herself and check things, the clerk hands over the copy of Hal's class schedule and her copy of the master class schedule. While the mother and son look over the papers the clerk goes to a desk at the back of the room and makes a phone call to get clarification on the situation from the regional office.
It's the Wednesday of the week before the first day of school for the year and a lot of parents are at the school to finalise the registration of their children as new students; especially those who've just moved into the area. As is the case with the Smith family. Mr Smith took up a post as a senior administrator with the city council the Monday of the week before. Today Mrs Smith is registering her son at Central High School. At sixteen years of age Hal is their eldest child and in year ten this year while his eleven year old sister, Joanna, is in year six at the primary school down the road and will be registered when she's finished here.
“Well, Hal, your PE classes are just before lunch on Monday and last period on Wednesday. Thursday afternoon is Sports day, as expected. Let's look at what's available in those two PE periods.” Mrs Smith and Hal look over the master schedule for what classes he can do. They have to be subjects that stand alone and do not require passing lead up classes last year. As expected, most are academic subjects that are ruled out - subjects like Maths and English, etc. “Well, you can come home early on Wednesday, but it looks like the library on Mondays.”
Hal frowns and sighs. Then a moment later smiles and taps a class on the schedule. “Given a choice of that or the library,” he says, “I'll take that, even if it is a year nine class.”
His mother looks at the class he's pointing to, and smiles. “Yes, that would be useful to you in later life, too! Let's hope they let you do it.”
The senior clerk comes back to the counter and it's clear she's not happy with the results of her calls. “Missus Smith, the regional office confirms he can avoid the physical aspects of the curriculum, they have a file on the matter. But he does have to stay in school for the periods, unless he's finished for the day and going home.”
Hal looks up and says, “Yes, Ma'am, we know that as it was pointed out to us at my last school. I've got PE just before lunch on Monday and on last period Wednesday. So on Wednesday and Thursday I can head home as soon as I finish the class before PE and Sport.” The clerk gives a weak smile and nods; she really hates it when someone has a valid reason to do something out of the usual pattern. “We've checked the master schedule and I'd like to do this class here,” as he points to the one he was showing his mother. “It has no prerequisites and shows as having room for a couple more students. There should be no trouble with me doing that year nine elective, I would think!” The clerk looks at the class, and nods as she pulls over some papers to note the class change for Henry John Smith, called Hal Smith.
The school bus pulls up outside Central High School at 8.30 a.m. on the Tuesday morning, the first day of school for the new year, and lets off the students. The last off is a boy of average height and build for his age, 170 cm and 60 kg with collar length light brown hair and grey eyes. With a wry smile Hal Smith makes his slow way up the path to the school. Armed with the map of the school and his class schedule he heads to his first class while most of the students stop to chat with their friends before class starts. On his way to his first class Hal checks the location of his next two classes as he has to pass very close to them on his way to his first period class. At his regular slow walk he gets there with some minutes to spare. He walks in and sits at a front row desk.
A few minutes later some other students start to wander in and stand around at the front of the room, only a few sit down; to the smiles of the standing students. Hal thinks, 'They must know something we don't know. I wonder if only the new students have sat down!'
Just before the bell goes a tall, stern looking man walks in and goes to the teacher's desk. He has a small carry basket with some things in it. Putting the basket down he takes a clipboard out of it and looks up at the students, saying, “OK, you new students sitting down need to get up and stand up the front until told to sit down.” They all stand and join the rest of the students. “The first student to be named will sit at the desk in the front row on the left as you face the front of the room. The next student will take the seat beside the first student. As your names are called you take the next vacant seat, going across the row and then starting the next row. Please note where your seat is, as you will be seated in those seats for all your classes except some of the electives. That's the way things are done here, and you will do it that way; or explain why to the principal.” The teacher starts to read names from the list. As he does that the students start sitting down while Hal looks at the desk arrangement in the class room. He assumes most of the rooms must be set up the same; six desks to a row, with five rows to seat thirty students. Beside the window is a single desk, then a walk space, followed by two desks side by side, another walkway, two more desks, a walkway, and another single desk against the wall.
It doesn't take long to work through the list. The nineteenth name read out is Else Smit, and a nice looking blond walks to the seat beside the window. This is followed by Freda Smit, and Else's duplicate takes the seat across the aisle from her. Hal Smith is next and he sits beside Freda. The class has twenty-five students and all are soon seated.
With that done the man takes a moment to study the class before he takes a pen out of his basket when he puts the clipboard back. Turning to the whiteboard he writes 'Mr Jackson - Year 10 Maths' on the board. He turns to the class, “Many of you know me from previous years, I'm Mister Jackson. I teach Mathematics. You are here to learn Mathematics; you will all pay attention and learn Mathematics.” The class starts in earnest as they all take out their text books and start in on the work.
This school uses five one hour periods per day, starting at nine with a one hour lunch at noon and ending at three in the afternoon. The bell for the end of the period goes at ten o'clock, so everyone packs up and leaves. Hal is last out of the room, moving at his usual slow walk. This room is about as far back amongst the classrooms as you can get in this school, only the gymnasium and the sports fields are behind it. Hal's next class is at the front of the school near the administration office, that's about as far apart as two classrooms can get in this school. He's a long time getting there.
Hal arrives at his history class just as the teacher is writing her name on the whiteboard. She gives him a glare as she watches him make his slow way to his seat. She says, “Get a move on, young man.”
Hal glances over his shoulder, “Sorry, Ma'am,” he says, “I'm going as fast as my doctors say I'm allowed to go. It's a long walk from the top floor of F Block.” The teacher and the students watch as he walks with very slow care to his seat and sits down. The teacher, Mrs James, is watching so close she can see it's more than a normal limp with his left leg, and that his left leg and foot don't move as normal - especially the foot. She nods at him as she wonders what his problem is.
After an hour of history Hal is off to B Block, just back a bit from where he is in A Block. Even with the block so close he's the last to arrive in the classroom. Again all watch as he makes his slow way to his seat. After an hour of English the bell goes and it's time to go to C Block as the school cafeteria is it's ground floor.
Hal makes his way to the cold drinks cabinet and selects two five hundred millilitre fruit juice drinks, both orange and mango juice. He pays for them and heads to the first empty table he can find. Lucky for him the students tend to fill the ones near the back of the room first, to get as far away from the adults on duty as they can. He smiles as he sits down and opens his bag to get his lunch out.
A few people, students and teachers, watch as he takes out a box with two sandwiches, a measuring cup, an apple, a bottle, and a spoon. He takes care as he pours three hundred and fifty millilitres of juice into the measuring cup and adds two spoonfuls of powder from the bottle. He stirs the drink with his left hand as he uses the right hand to open the sandwich box and take out half a salad sandwich. He starts to eat the sandwich, and soon finishes the first half. As he picks the cup of juice and powder up to have a drink a teacher stops in front of the table, and asks, “What's that powder you just put in your drink?”
Hal looks up, “A vitamin and nutrient supplement, Sir,” he replies as he pulls papers out of his bag. “I used to take a drug as a single tablet, but the department rules about administration of drugs by staff made it hard to ensure I had it at the right time each day. So my specialist had me switch to a much tighter diet and a large dose of a natural vitamin supplement which is outside the drugs rules.” He hands the papers over and pushes the bottle towards the teacher so he can read the label while he drinks. “I have to have one and a half sandwiches for lunch, plus two three hundred and fifty millilitres juice with two spoonfuls of nutrients in each one. If you know anyone who wants half a sandwich and the rest of the juice, please call them over to finish this off for me.”
The teacher scans the papers, a complex diet, and reads the label of the bottle. He notes the name and details as he takes a sample to test. Hal smiles, showing he has no concerns and this has happened before. The teacher says, “I'm Mister Barber, the senior science teacher. I'll check this out and get back to you if there's a problem.” He looks up, and waves a young girl over, “Miss Denning usually can't afford a lunch. So if you don't want the rest, I think she'll finish it for you.”
The girl arrives and Mr Barber explains about the tight diet plus the excess half salad sandwich and juice. She smiles at Hal and says, “If you really don't want it, I'll be very glad of the food.” Hal nods, and she reaches for the half sandwich left in the box as he slides the part bottle of remaining juice across the table, having just made his second drink.
“Hi, I'm Hal Smith. I'm on a strict diet for medical reasons. Mother hasn't worked out how to make half a sandwich, so I usually throw the remains away. I hate to see it wasted. So please enjoy it.” He stops for a moment of thought, and adds, “Why don't you talk to the cooking teachers about getting the student cooked food they don't wish to eat themselves. It may not be the best made food, but it's still food.”
“Please call me Jenner. My mother is an alcoholic and nearly all the money goes on booze, so my sister and I are glad of any extra food we can get. We do get some food at home because someone set up for some of the money from the government to be provided as food from the IGA supermarket, but now it's not nearly enough because of price rises. I can usually scrounge a bit here, so I make sure my sister has a lunch and I worry about what I can find for myself.”
Hal looks at her thin frame and wonders how much she does get to eat. “Well, as I said, talk to the cooking teachers. They usually have food to throw out; they'll happily let you take it home.” She smiles and nods as her reply. Both make a note to speak with the cooking teachers about unwanted food from the classes.
The rest of the day goes very similar to the morning and Hal takes the bus home. It's not all that far, only several streets away, but way too far for Hal to walk in any reasonable time frame. The rest of the week goes along similar lines and passes very well.
Hal starts his day at the administration office as he got word on Friday to see them first thing today to return a letter signed by his parents. They have to give special permission for him to do the year nine class and the letter is approving that. The department is concerned about a year ten student later complaining about being in a year nine class, so they want it in writing all agree and it's his decision. When he hands over the letter at the office he's given a note to give the teacher.
The first two periods go without any trouble. By now his regular teachers are aware he sometimes arrives a bit late because he's so slow getting between classrooms. The shift from the second period class to the third period class isn't that far, but he's still the last to arrive.
Everyone else has taken places at the two person work benches and the teacher is calling the roll as Hal enters. The students are murmuring to each other when he arrives. But all noise stops and all eyes turn to him as he makes his slow way to the front desk to hand the note to the teacher. She reads it and her eyebrows go up. She puts her class roll on the bench and writes his name on the end of it before waving for him to find a vacant work spot. There's twelve benches in four rows of three across. All but the back two corner ones are full. The one on his right has a girl that gives him a dirty look as he starts towards the class, so he moves to the vacant spot on the bench nearest the back window. The blond girl there looks a bit familiar to him, but he can't quite place her. He's surprised, as he doesn’t know many people in the city yet.
The teacher goes back to calling the roll. He's almost at the target bench when the teacher calls out 'Greta Smit' and the girl there says, “Here, Missus Wells.” The roll is soon finished and his name is called last; he acknowledges his presence.
The teacher says, “My name is Missus Wells, the correct etiquette for addressing me is to use my full name or Ma'am, not miss, and definitely not miz. I noticed you all have carry bags of gear. So I take it you have the required self-supply items for this class for the next few weeks. Speak up if you don't, or if you have any questions.”
Hal puts up his hand, along with two other students. When pointed at he says, “Missus Wells, I've got a medical condition that has some odd dietary needs. As such, there are things in the class plan we have that I can't consume. I've no intention of trying to have the plan altered, but I do seek permission for someone else to do my tasting for me when we have something I'm not allowed, and I've extra containers so I can take my creations away for others to eat.”
Mrs Wells looks at him for a moment, before asking, “Greta, do you mind helping Hal out with that?” Greta indicates she'll help him. “Hal, you're a year ten student and a boy, mind telling us why you're doing a year nine elective cooking class that usually only has girls?”
He grins and replies, “I'm exempt from all physical education and sports. My usual class is doing physical education this period. Of the other classes at this time slot this is the best choice. I'll be learning something I can use later in life. But more importantly, when faced with a period in the library under the eye of Missus Hall or being in a class with a group of pretty girls, well, I don't see there's any choice to make at all; do you, Ma'am?” The whole class grins at that comment.
“I'm not sure our senior librarian would agree that time with young students would be more productive for you than time with her. But for a teenage boy, I can see your priorities are different and our wonderful librarian isn't of the same grade. Since this is an elective of advanced cooking, I gather you have basic cooking skills from other studies?”
“Yes, Ma'am, my mother made sure I could cook the basics and look after myself. She's a great believer in individual independence.”
“Good. Now let's get started on our first recipe.” The class goes well and all have fun cooking nice sponge cakes. In some cases it's a matter of attempting to cook nice sponge cakes. Mrs Wells is starting off with a recipe that's very close to what they finished with in last year's basic class, to help the students slip back into proper practices and skills.
During the class Hal notices Greta isn't as exact with measurements as she should be, with the predictable results. The cake is edible, just, but looks a real mess. Hal offers to dispose of the evidence for her.
At lunch Hal has five cakes to give Jenner to take home. Not exactly the best food, but better than nothing. She enjoys his half sandwich and extra juice as well. He's also getting to know the fourteen year old girl well and learns all about her family; father whereabouts unknown, mother a drunkard, and an eleven year old sister. Hal wonders if she's at the same school as Joanna and if he can organise some help there. A few questions and he soon learns Jenner's sister, Julie, does go to the same school as Joanna. A text message to Joanna on his mobile phone should have her seeking her out during the afternoon. Hal also learns they live just a couple of streets from Hal, so he gives Jenner an open invitation to come and visit any time, and to bring her sister as well.
While they're talking Greta joins them because she can see her mess of a cake on the table beside Jenner. Seeing Greta at the same table as Hal has Freda and Else stopping by on their way out, to ask them why they're sitting together. They both have a good laugh at him doing a year nine cooking class, and a bigger laugh at the explanation he gave in class. Hal knows they catch the same bus as he does, so he gives them an open offer to drop by his house any day. They say they'll think about it, but they live several streets further away from his house and don't like the idea of the long walk home after a visit.
The rest of the day and week go as well as can be expected, and is a copy of last week's classes.
On the Saturday morning following the fourth week of school Hal and Joanna are at the nearest big mall to their home. They're with Liz, an older cousin, she lives next door and drove them over in a dark blue Subaru WRX STI hatchback. This mall is a few kilometres from their homes, but is much bigger than the small set of half a dozen shops two streets from where they live. The local shops are handy for groceries etc.; but for real shopping the girls have to go to a mall and Hal is with them to get out of the house. They don't mind his slow walking, as it gives them more time to window shop and they like his insights into what looks good on them. There are many other reasons too, including their personal feelings for each other and how well they get on as a group. Liz is twenty-three, but the three fit together really well.
As they move through the mall, with Hal carrying some bags of gear they've already bought - stuff the girls got in teen clothing shops, he spots Jenner and another girl walking around the mall in clothes his mother would throw out as rags. They're standing in front of one of the cheapest teen clothing stores while looking in the window - with an obvious very big longing for the contents.
Pointing to the girls he asks, “Jo, is that Julie Denning?”
“Yes, and that must be her sister, Jenner.”
“It is, I know her from school, but not Julie.”
All three Smiths watch the two girls while Julie and Jenner point at things and discuss them. “Jo, Liz, take them into the store and buy a couple of outfits, get them to give you their thoughts on the outfits and see how good it is. I want the four of you to end up in new outfits that are very similar, please. I'll pay.” Both his sister and cousin give him a quick glance, but go to do as asked. They've seen him in this helping out mode before, and know things will go better if they just do as told.
Hal lets them move ahead of him and watches as Jo greets Julie and the others are introduced. A few more words and they turn to see Hal approaching from several metres away. More words and they enter the store together. Hal is in no hurry and not able to hurry, so it's a few minutes before he reaches the store and makes his slow way through it towards the corner of the store the change rooms are in. He has to go very slowly in the store because the displays are close together and there's a lot of girls in the store moving about.
Jo sees Hal looking the four of them over while they stand there in some nice matching outfits. They all look good. He nods his head. Before the two sisters can react Jo rips the price tags and item labels off the clothes they're wearing, adds Liz' and her tags and says, “Now find some clean underwear to put on as well.” Both Jenner and Julie start to argue. Jo hands the tags to Liz while she responds to Jenner and Julie. Liz takes the tags to the cashier, who's near where Hal is. He diverts and arrives in time to hand over his credit card for the payment.
Smiling, Liz takes the receipt back to the girls and shows them the clothes are paid for, so they have to keep them now. Both girls are not happy about this trick to give them charity. The argument is still going on when Hal arrives. They all turn when he says, “Jenner, Julie, I never give charity, but I do give a hand to those who need it. But that doesn't apply here. I want you two to join us for a few hours and I refuse to walk around with someone in those rags you had on earlier. I paid for the clothes. Now accept the situation and get some clean underwear to wear too.” Both girls are taken aback by his very forceful manner; especially Jenner, because he's so quiet and compliant at school. She looks into his eyes, and sees he's not taking no for an answer. Gulping, she nods and moves over to the underwear racks. Julie follows her.
Half an hour later all four girls are wearing new matching outfits that look good and show off their assets. All dressed from the skin out at Hal's expense. Even down to new socks and shoes, comfortable slip on walking shoes that aren't quite sports shoes.
The next few hours are fun as the five of them explore the various stores with the Smiths buying many things. Jenner and Julie don't realise some are for them, as they didn't spot Liz getting their sizes earlier. The stop for lunch is at Hal's expense, too. He has his usual gear with him in a backpack. He buys two salad sandwiches and the usual two five hundred millilitre fruit juices. Despite being in a mall food court the way he sets up his lunch is so like school Jenner is eating the extra half sandwich before she remembers she has some food of her own. This automatic reaction gets a few smiles from the rest of them.
They're nearing the end of the shopping trip when the group runs into the Smit family out shopping. Freda and Greta introduce Hal to their parents and he introduces his group. They join forces for a couple of shops before going on their separate ways again.
Liz offers Jenner and Julie a lift home, and both girls love the idea of a car ride instead of a long walk. At the car the two girls ooh and ah over the sporty looking car as the gear is placed in the back. Hal holds the rear driver's side door open for Jo, Jenner, and Julie to sit in the back before holding Liz's door open for her, then going around to sit in the front passenger seat. Julie is sitting in the centre in the back with Jenner beside her on her left.
After Hal sits down he uses his left hand to lift his left leg and hold it up while he turns to sit in the car properly. Jenner watches this with a frown, and doesn't see Jo watching her. When Jenner goes to speak Jo reaches over and taps her arm. Jenner turns to look at her, and Jo shakes her head no; indicating she's not to ask about it. Her eyes go wide, but she nods her agreement.
Several minutes later Jenner and Julie are getting out at their home and Jo is handing them a few bags from the back. Jenner goes to argue, then sees Hal giving her an intense stare, and she just accepts the bags.
He smiles, “Some of those outfits are acceptable to wear at school. I'd like to see you in them some days.” She smiles, and nods as she shuts the car door. The car sits there while the two girls walk up the path to their front door and go inside the house. As she shuts the door Jenner sees the car pull out and drive away. She's very thoughtful as she goes inside to put her new clothes away. The first new clothes she can ever remember having; it's always been used stuff before, often free from the welfare shops.
On the drive home the Smiths have a discussion about the two girls and Hal's mother-hen gene kicking in. Nearing their two homes Liz hits the remote garage door opener on the car dash and enters the space nearest the house. She parks the car and they get out. After unloading their plunder the car is locked. Hal helps Jo carry her gear into the house through the door connecting the garage to the house. Liz leaves by the front garage door, hitting the manual garage door button as she walks out on her way to her home next door while carrying her plunder in the other hand.
At lunch the next Monday Hal smiles as Jenner walks up in one of the new outfits he bought her. She sits down and starts on her half sandwich while eyeing the seven plates of spinach quiche sitting on the table. A few of the girls didn't wish to eat their cooking class results. She and Julie will have some nice food for a few days. The extra food from the cooking classes is helping their health, and they don't feel hungry all the time now; even if it i s an odd diet. She gets something from the cooking teachers each day; usually only a couple of items. Except for Mondays when Hal brings from five to nine items from his class.
After a few minutes of eating Hal looks up, asking, “Would you and Julie like to earn some money?” She nods. “Good. Mother is having trouble hiring a full-time person to help clean the house. I said I should be able to get some girls to work part-time after school and on some weekends. She's agreed to let me organise it, but insists we pay proper rates and get all the legal approvals.” He pulls some papers out of his bag and hands them over. “You need to fill these in and get your mother to sign them. We'll get the rest sorted out.” Jenner nods as she takes the papers while thinking on how to get her mother to sign the forms. She smiles when she realises her mother will probably sign completed forms she thinks are from the school; she now has to work out how to give that impression without lying to her.
Later that day, on the bus home, Hal has a similar talk with the Smit girls and hands them a bunch of papers too.
Jenner and Julie arrive home from school together. As per their current system, Julie talks to their mother in the lounge room as Jenner takes the food through to the kitchen and puts it away without their mother seeing it. After doing that Jenner sits down and completes the papers Hal gave her. A couple of hours later she and Julie prepare dinner. When it's ready their mother gets up from her chair to stagger into the kitchen for dinner.
Just after they finish the meal and their mother has sobered up a little, Jenner gets the papers out and places them on the table with a pen. She turns to her mother as she slides them across the table, saying, “I got given these papers at school today and need you to sign them. They're for Julie and I to do some extra stuff after school, so we'll be home a bit later every day, once this starts.”
Their mother drags the papers to her and tries to read them. She stops and looks around for her reading glasses, but she can't see them. A smiling Julie is holding them in her lap where they can't be seen. Both girls know if their mother learns they'll be earning money they'll never get to see any of it. Not seeing the glasses in the room the woman goes back to squinting at the papers. But without her glasses, and being half drunk, she can't read anything apart from the big 'X' put in the four places she needs to sign the papers, and a few other familiar symbols.
She looks up and asks, “How much is this going to cost?” She saw and recognised some figures that looked like prices and doesn't want to spend any more money on the girls than she has to. She's still upset with the social worker who organised for some of the welfare money to go direct to the supermarket for food to be provided, and that was done three years ago.
Jenner smiles and truthfully says, “It'll cost us nothing as someone else has agreed to pay all the costs involved for us.” Mrs Denning smiles, she knows Jenner doesn't lie to her. She nods, picks up the pen, and signs at the four well marked places. Jenner collects the forms and puts them into her school bag for return to Hal tomorrow.
Mrs Denning smiles at the thought she won't have the girls under foot so much, and at someone else's expense too. Jenner and Julie smile at the thought of having got one up on their mother, and at soon having some money of their own to spend how they want to spend it.
At lunch the next day Jenner hands the papers to Hal. He checks to make sure the signatures aren't too shaky. He knows their mother would have been drunk when she signed them, but the signature doesn't look like she was drunk. He smiles at Jenner and tells her to plan on starting next Monday, unless she'd rather start tomorrow. They agree for both girls to start work the next day.
Jenner and Julie have a long and happy talk when the bus stops at the primary school and Julie gets on the bus with Jo.
When he gets home Hal goes next door and gets Liz to drive him to her father's work. Once there Hal goes in and explains everything to his Uncle Roland. Certified copies of the forms are made, other forms are filled in, and Roland promises to organise the proper approvals. There are major issues with employing anyone under the age of fifteen to do anything; but exemption can be organised for some types of work - provided it doesn't interfere with the child's schooling, is limited hours, and at, or above, the approved rate. Roland Smith works for a firm that resolves employment issues for people. There are also similar laws and processes for the fifteen to eighteen year old teens.
Next stop is the bank where the Smiths bank. They get the papers to open several new accounts. This is to have the girls' pay go direct into an account of their own on which they can draw by using a debit card.
During the day Hal gives the papers to open accounts at the bank to Jenner and the Smit girls. He also makes arrangements with Jenner for her and Julie to get off the bus at the Smith house and they'll be driven home after their work is finished for the day. The Smit girls won't be starting work yet because their parents are still considering the deal. Each girl will be working ten to twelve hours a week each; most if it will be for two hours after school Monday to Friday, with a provision for time to work on a Saturday morning, as required.
Today's first task for the girls is to go with Mrs Smith to see Roland and the bank to finalise the paperwork, as they have the identity papers with them, they were told they'd need for today. That takes an hour to sort out. The second hour is a show and tell of what work they'll be doing around the house. Most of it's simple cleaning work. Both girls are surprised to see Hal and Jo doing some of the housework needed to maintain a clean house. In a gender change Hal is doing the vacuum cleaning while Jo does some handyman type tasks you usually associate with boys and men, like standing on a step ladder to change lights, etc. For some tasks she has to call in Hal or their mother for extra muscle.
When it's time to go home Mrs Smith gives them a slice of apple pie with a popper container of juice each, and drives them home when they finish the snack.
Thursday afternoon sees the Smit girls get off the bus at the Smith house with the other kids. They leave with Mrs Smith to finalise their paperwork while the other four kids get on with the housework. While they work Jenner worries if this work is another form of Hal's charity, as the house isn't all that large; it's a four bedroom house with formal dining room, lounge room, family room, kitchen, and a home gym in what was a playroom. Yes, it's bigger than the Denning house, which is a three bedroom housing commission one, but not that much larger.
After a while she turns to Hal, “Why do you hire people to clean the house for you, Hal?”
He replies, “Jenner, I can't get up or down well, neither can Mother because she has a bad back. She works until mid-afternoon most days. Father is busy at work and not interested in cleaning when he gets home. It's unfair to leave it all to Jo. So Mother and Father pay to have people do the work for us. Jo and I do what we can, as it's only right we should help look after the place.”
“Oh. Will there be enough for five of us? And why do you always call your parents mother and father, and not mum and dad?”
He smiles, “Yes, there'll be enough work for the five of you because there's also the outside work to do. You'll all get cross trained at some point. Mother was brought up in a very strict school and has passed a lot of that training onto Jo and I. So it's always mother and father, and a bloody sore bum if we ever say otherwise.” This last get a laugh from both the Denning girls.
A little later Mrs Smith comes back with the Smit girls. Julie and Jenner are busy washing the main bathroom with Jo, having finished the two en suites. There's a schedule of what gets done on which day so the whole house gets done over the course of the week. Hal is told to take the twins outside to show them how to use the ride-on lawn mower while Greta joins Jo and the others in the bathroom.
As they leave the house for the storage area built on the back of the garage Hal asks, “How are you both doing with your driver training?”
Freda replies, “We've already got all the hours up and the instructor thinks we'll pass first go. We just have to wait a few months until we're old enough to sit the test. Why?”
“That's good. Showing you how to use the ride-on mower should be easy, and once you get your licences you can help out with the driving for some shopping etc. later.” Both nod agreement.
It only takes a few minutes to get the mower out of the storage area by the simple process of Hal sitting on it as he shows them how to start it up. He also shows them how there are hand controls to duplicate the left foot controls; this is to allow Hal to use it. He drives it out while they walk beside him. They're soon out past the bushes at the back of the garage and can see the backyard, now they can better understand why there's a ride-on mower to do the lawn.
Both girls look at the huge expanse of lawn before them. They had no idea anyone in the area had such a large lawn. It goes back over fifty metres, most houses only go back another ten metres or so. Also, they can see where the fence between this house and the one next door has been removed and turf put down to cover the gap the fence used to make. The next door backyard is just as big and is now merged with this one. However, the part nearest the house is taken up with a twenty-five metre by ten metre swimming pool.
Hal looks over at the mid-twenties girl lying beside the swimming pool with only a very skimpy bikini bottom on. He smiles and calls out, “Hey, Liz, are you busy this afternoon?” She looks up, and shakes her head no. “Good. These are two of our household help and will have their licences in a month or two. Mother will have them doing some of the driving then, so they need a run through on The Beast. Can you take one for a lesson, please, while I teach the other how to use the mower? We can switch off in about half an hour. And we'll have to try and work out a schedule with you for more lessons later on.”
The girl addressed gets up and goes in the house while Hal explains the mower controls to the girls. A few minutes later she's back out with a top on and a handbag. Freda looks at Else and waves her towards Liz. Those two leave for the garage while Hal and Freda continue with the mower. He has her sit on a part of the mower while he mows a part of the lawn. They change places and she does some. He gets off and leaves her to do more of the lawn while he trims some bushes.
Liz leads Else to the garage, saying, “You'll do better to quickly get a handle on Hal's weird sense of humour, or you're in real trouble. The car's full name is The Big Beast of Blue Beauty. Most of us call her Beauty, but he calls her The Beast. So you can see what I mean about him.” It's at that point they reach the garage and Liz opens the door to point at the dark blue Subaru WRX STI hatchback. Else's eyes go wide. “As you can see by the registration, this lovely is only four months old. If you get asked to run down the shop in the car to get something or to run someone somewhere, this is what you'll be driving. Uncle John and Aunt Mary both have their own cars and no one drives them except them, to save on the insurance rates. This is solely for use to take the kids somewhere or for someone to get something for the house. The deal I have is I get first dibs on borrowing her when she's not otherwise in use. But I've got to act as chauffeur for Hal and Jo. They aren't pushy and will often adjust their schedule to fit mine. I try to limit use to shopping and going out, but I'm allowed to drive her to uni most days, too. To date, Hal and I are the only ones to drive her since she was collected from the dealer. So be gentle with her, please.”
Since entering the garage Else has been walking around the lovely looking sporty four door sedan as she runs her hand along the body. She looks up, “If I ever pull up in front of my parents in this they'll have a fit. She's a real beauty.”
Liz unlocks the car and reaches into the glove box. In a moment she has L plates in the plate holders attached to the number plates; the registration number is HAL 666. She hands the keys to Else and gets in the passenger seat, saying, “Get in and start her up. I also think the number on the number plate is part of why Hal calls her The Beast.”
Else gulps when she sits in the driver's seat and puts the key in the ignition. As she starts the car Liz hits the button to open the garage door. Liz watches like a hawk as Else takes care to check all is clear before backing out onto the driveway. It's a wide driveway, so she uses it to turn around. Thus making it easier to see the street as she enters it. In a moment she's driving down the road while checking out for kids and traffic. Liz has her drive to her place and to the Denning house, to make sure she knows how to get to them. Then to the local shops and back to the Smith house. The rest of the half hour is just driving around the area while getting used to the car and how it handles.
As they're heading back at the end of the lesson Else asks, “The number plate, is this to be Hal's car when he gets a licence?”
Liz sits for a moment, and then says, “That's a question you better ask Hal. I'm not allowed to answer it.” That gets her a strange look.
A little later they've switched jobs, and Else is working hard to hide a smile as she anticipates how Freda will react on seeing The Beast. As she's not what either of them were expecting after the way Hal spoke.
About a third of the lawn is mown and Else sits on the back of the mower as Hal shows her how to use it while explaining each control. A few minutes later they change positions and she's mowing. As she drives the mower she asks, “Hal, is that car going to be yours when you get a licence? I asked Liz that and she said I need to ask you as she's not allowed to answer the question. What's the deal?”
He doesn't answer for a moment, then asks, “Else, are you, Freda, and Greta doing anything on Saturday afternoon and night?”
“I'm not. I know Freda isn't, and I doubt Greta is. Why?”
“I want to take the three of you out to a movie and meals etc. on Saturday. Is that OK?”
“I'd like that. I'm sure the others will agree. But don't let Dad know you want to date Greta until he and Mum get to know you better.” He gives her a hard look. “If you wanted to date just me or Freda or both, you wouldn't be including Greta. But if you ask only her the Olds will naturally say no. And you're smart enough to know that. But an outing of the four of us as a group of school friends, they'll have a hard time saying no and making it stick. I'll have a word with Mum and she'll be onside, but Dad is another matter. Only time and getting to know you will work there.”
“I was told you were smart, and that proves it. OK, I'll take your advice on this. So look forward to a lot of four person outings until this gets sorted. The car. I'm sure Liz told you her full name!” He gets a nod in reply. “I gave her that name and I got the number plate I wanted after finding out HAL nine thousand was already gone. It's already my car as I bought it with my money.” They nearly have an accident as Else turns to look at him and turns the steering wheel at the same time. She's fast to realise her mistake and fixes it quick smart.
“I've seen those on the Internet and know how much they cost. That's a bit rich, isn't it? I even thought it a bit rich for two working parents.”
“Look, I better explain this to you and Freda a little later. That way I only have to say it once, and you can help me with running interference with your parents and Greta. I wish to keep the information secret for as long as possible. OK?” She's puzzled by his reply, but nods her agreement. When she stops to turn a corner in the yard he gets off and goes back to trimming the hedges while she continues to mow the lawn. About two thirds of the lawn is done when Freda and Liz arrive back.
Freda strides up to Hal and Else, “The Beast he says. I expect an old second hand car on its last legs. And what does he have, a brand new top of the range sports sedan.”
Else smiles, “Nice to drive, isn't she?”
“Bloody nice. Much better to ride in and to handle than Mum's or Dad's car. I wish I could take it for the test, I'm sure I'd pass then.”
Hal jumps in, “No reason why you can't. As long as she's not being used for something else at the time. Just work the test schedule in with the other uses and you're OK. I'm sure, over the next couple of years, you'll spend more time driving The Beast than any other car. At least, while you work here that'll be the case.” Both Smit girls smile. He waves at the ground, “Pull up a seat for a moment, please.” All three ladies sit down as he leans on the mower. He thinks for a moment.
After giving his head a hard shake Hal says, “I don't want any of you telling this to anyone without my express prior permission, OK?” All three nod. “A few years ago my left leg got badly hurt,” Liz gurgles and stifles a comment. He glares at her. “I got a compensation payout that was quite good. The majority of that money is in a well-managed trust account and I get a healthy allowance from it. The trust owns a few assets, such as two lovely houses side by side which I rent to family members because they like them, but can't afford to buy them.”
Liz interrupts, “I wondered how we finally got to live in Mum's dream home!” She sees Hal's glare. “Sorry, cuz. But I did wonder how it came about.”
He continues, “When I told the trustee I wanted a good car he told me my options were to buy a cheap car from my own funds or a very expensive one from the trust funds. The Beast is owned by my trust and the trust pays for all the expenses; services, fuel, the lot. I can't drive yet. I've got some troubles with learning to drive, too. So I'm not sure when I'll go for my licence, but I've still some months before that's a worry. However, having my own car I can use it whenever I can get someone to drive it for me. Thus this situation with you as drivers, once we can organise it.”
All three smile because they love the idea of driving such a nice car. Liz speaks up, “I'll get you girls a copy of my schedule so we can work out when you can take driving lessons with me. I know Hal will find a way to cut you loose from Aunt Mary from time to time, but you'll need to do the work she's paying you for and still get more time behind the wheel.” Both girls nod agreement.
Else cuts in, “Freda, we've a date on Saturday afternoon and night. I'll sort it out with Mum, but Dad has to be kept in the dark. Hal wants to date Greta, so we're his cover until Dad gets to know him. OK?” Freda smiles and nods; nice dates with no pressure, sweet.
“Want me to drive you that day?” Liz asks Hal. He nods. She smiles because she knows that means she gets a movie and feed as well. That's just the way he is. She's between boyfriends at the moment, so she has a lot of spare time and she enjoys spending time with her cousins.
Hal glances at his watch, “OK, time we got inside, as it's nearly time to go home. Will you be able to drive them all home, please, Liz?”
She nods. “If it's OK with you, Hal, I'll also take time to clear the girls having driving lessons with me. That way they can bring their log books along.” He nods agreement, and they all walk inside. He'll finish the lawn and put the mower away after the girls go home.
Mrs Smith has some vanilla slices and juices ready for everyone. The girls all have smiles when they leave, after Hal clears Greta's availability for Saturday. As Liz loads the girls up in The Beast, it's a tight fit, Hal sits on the mower and sets about finishing the lawn. Putting the mower away about forty minutes later, after washing it down with the hose.
The Denning girls are dropped home first. They're quick to race in and start dinner, just to keep their mother happy and off their backs. The meal is simple and soon eaten, with Mrs Denning happy to have had some extra time to concentrate on her drinking and TV today.
Liz parks at the Smit house and walks in with the girls. They're just a little worried about this. Inside she's introduced to Mr and Mrs Smit as Hal's cousin and neighbour again. Mrs Smit is wondering what this is about while she shows Liz to a seat in the lounge room.
Liz sits down and smiles at the two parents. “Look, I know we've only recently met, but I've got a big favour to ask of you, if I may?” Both parents glance at each other and their girls before they nod for her to continue. “One of the things I do, at the moment, is to drive Hal and Jo around and to fetch things from down the shops for Aunt Mary. To do this I use the four month old hatchback bought to be Hal's car when he gets a licence. I know Else and Freda are due to go for their licences soon. It'll be helpful to me if they do some of the driving for Aunt Mary when they get their licences. To that end, I'd like your permission for them to have a number of driving lessons in the new Subaru so they'll be familiar with the car when they do. If you have more lessons booked with an instructor I'd like permission to organise with them to have the lessons done in the Subaru as well. Having them very familiar with the car before they have to drive her unsupervised will also make Aunt Mary feel a lot happier about their safety in the car.”
The two adults look at each other when Liz finishes talking. Mrs Smit is the real worrier in this family, and she asks, “Can I see this car?”
“Yes, she's parked outside right now. I just drove the girls home in her. She's a real dream to drive and very easy to drive. I'm sure the girls will find her very easy to learn in. When she was bought safety was the first consideration and ease of use the second. That's because Hal has a problem with his left leg and that had to be catered for.”
Everyone troops outside to look at the car. Mr Smit grunts, “A bit sporty looking, isn't it?”
Liz smiles, “She's intended to be the car of a teenage boy, what else would you expect? But she's not a dangerous race car.” She opens the door and gets the manual out of the glove box. “Here, look at all the safety features. Believe me, since the matter that caused the problem with Hal's leg his whole family are very safety conscious.”
They all look up, waiting for more about his leg, but nothing more is said. Mrs Smit asks, “You think the girls could drive this now, do you?” Liz nods. “I see some L plates in the glove box. Care to put this car's safety where your mouth is?” She has a grin as she says it, so Liz feels all is OK.
Reaching in, she pulls out the L plates and sticks one in each of the holders. She waves Mrs Smit into the front seat, tosses the keys to Else, and climbs into the back seat. Freda and Greta are quick to jump in the car too. Mr Smit is still reading the safety features as they shut the doors and Else starts the car. He looks up in surprise as the car starts and they drive off down the road. Mrs Smit tells Else to drive to her favourite ice cream shop. It takes about five minutes to get there.
After buying everyone a cone and a large tub to take home Mrs Smit tells Freda to drive them home. She smiles when Freda makes them wait a moment while she finishes her ice cream before getting in to drive. On the trip back Mrs Smit says, “While my husband can't hear us, how long did you have the girls out driving today?”
Liz grins, “About half an hour each. After I quizzed them on their experience to date I tossed them the keys and told them to drive. Both showed great care and concern for all safety factors. Which is why I'm happy to recommend them to be allowed to drive my favourite cousins around. My only remaining concern is they get to know the car well before then.”
“OK. He'll hem and haw a bit, but it'll happen. Mostly because this will also allow us more time for other things we want to do instead of sitting in the car supervising the girls as they drive. I'll leave it all up to you lot to organise things. Just make sure they get enough supervised hours in their logbooks.” All three older girls smile and nod.
Else says, “Oh, Mum, before I forget again. Saturday afternoon Liz, Freda, Greta, and I are going to see a movie with Hal and dinner afterwards. Any problems?” Mrs Smit smiles as she nods her approval. This will give them some time alone without the girls around.
The final arrangements for Saturday's date are set out at lunch on Friday. Hal is to buy lunch at the mall then off to the afternoon show at the movie theatre in the mall, followed by a snack, a second movie and dinner, then back to the Smit house by eight p.m. All goes exactly as Hal planned, right up to when his group of four ladies and himself are met by his sister and the Denning girls near the restaurant intended for lunch. Liz and the Smit girls all giggle at the look on Hal's face when Jo says, “Fancy meeting you here, bro!” He sighs and waves towards the restaurant entrance, which is only a couple of paces away.
No one is surprised to find that they have a table for eight available. He sighs and says, “Jo, I love you dearly, but there are times you can be an absolute pain in the arse.”
“If it had been just the two of you I wouldn't have even considered joining you. But heck, you already have a few extras, so why not get a good movie and feed from you!” This is a statement, not a question.
Later Hal isn't surprised to find his reservations for five tickets to the two movies is now eight tickets for both. He just pays and collects the tickets. Greta, Jenner, and Julie wonder about how easily he accepts the extra costs, while the others just smile - they already know the answer.
It's not until late in the afternoon when they're sitting down for the second movie that Greta wakes up to the fact her sisters have been manoeuvring the seating arrangements all day. They have her sitting beside Hal with them outside of the pair. She'd thought he was being nice to invite her along while dating her twin sisters, now she's starting to wonder who's dating who.
Else can see Greta is thinking hard, so she leans over and says, in a very soft voice, “Correct, Freda and I make good camouflage until Dad gets used to him being around you. We're enjoying the nice shows and feeds, so don't get Dad too comfortable too quick.” Greta grins when she realises Hal is slowly, so very slowly, courting her and this is his way of being with her in a way her parents will allow.
Hal sees the sisters talking, but can't hear what's said. However, he gets the idea when Greta leans closer to him, picks up his right hand, and places it over her shoulders. In a moment she's snuggled into his right shoulder and holding his hand to her right breast. She's worried he might be rough or not do anything. But all he does is add a little extra pressure to what she's applied, and she enjoys the way his hand cups her breast. She soon snuggles in closer when she remembers her conversation with him, during cooking class, about wanting to see these two films and not being able to afford it. It's at that point she's sure this whole afternoon is about making her happy; and that thought makes her very happy.
As they leave the theatre Greta decides to confirm her suspicion. Turning to Hal she says, “I know you've got a booking for dinner at a restaurant, but after that movie I really feel like sitting down to a pizza at home with Mum and Dad. Do you mind if we change things?”
She enjoys the huge grin on Jo's face as Hal pulls out his phone and rings Mrs Smit. “Hello, Missus Smit, Hal. We've just left the second movie. I was wondering if it was OK for us to come back now and sit down to watch a DVD while we all have delivery pizza?” A break, “Good. Thank you. Can you order, you know what the girls like. Just add two large pan Hawaiians for Liz and I, with a couple of bottles of cola, please. We'll be home soon. I'll pay for it when it arrives.” His next call is to the restaurant, and he apologises for the change of plans. No problems for them because they've several people waiting for tables.
There's a taxi rank near the theatre entrance so Hal sees Jo, Julie, and Jenner into a cab, handing Jo fifty dollars to pay for the cab fare. It's just on dark and he's not having them walk home. Jo is to see the girls home after getting some drive through takeaway food on the way, and then go home herself.
A few more minutes and Hal is in the back seat of the Subaru with Freda on his left and his right arm around Greta on his right while Else drives them home. Freda drove them to the mall earlier. Both are already very good at handling the Subaru. As they drive along and he fondles Greta's breast he wonders if either of the twins have told their parents Liz has booked them into an advanced driver training course for next weekend. He also thinks about how quick the Smit girls were at working out what the real situation is and adjusting to it while helping him and Greta out.
They're soon at the Smit house and getting out of the Subaru. Once inside they spend a few minutes working out which of the DVDs they bought earlier today they'll watch. Just as they reach an agreement the doorbell rings. Hal gets up and pays for the pizzas, which are soon spread around the room, and everyone takes a seat to watch the DVD while eating.
As everyone gets comfortable Mrs Smit doesn't miss the fact her eldest daughters have pinned Greta and Hal together in the middle of the main sofa. What's comfortable for three is squashing room only for four. But they all seem happy as Hal puts his arms on the back of the chair while Greta leans into his shoulder and feeds them both from the Hawaiian pizza on her lap. Else has a look of glee whenever she lifts a glass of cola up for him to have a drink of. Mrs Smit shakes her head as she smiles at their antics, and wonders if any of them realise how obvious they are. Then she catches Hal's eye on her, he simply raises an eyebrow and she knows he's aware, but also doubts the girls are.
When the movie ends Mr Smit heads off to bed and the twins go to organise a small snack and drink before Hal and Liz have to leave. She can't hold it in any more, Mrs Smit says, “Greta, please be a bit more discrete in front of your father.” She gets a blank look in reply. “You were so obvious about Hal that to get any more blatant you'd have to rape him.” That gets a deep blush. “I know he's a good boy. The fact he organised today to be with your sisters as chaperones shows that. But your father will need time to accept his little girl isn't so little now, OK! Until I say otherwise, I want you lot to continue with the group outings. But no more sitting on the lounge like you just did here, save that for Hal's house or the car. I want to see a lot more discretion around your father, right?” All three girls nod while Liz laughs. “Now give Hal a kiss goodnight on the cheek and get upstairs, I want a word with him.” Greta does as told and vanishes up the stairs.
He looks at Mrs Smit, “I'd planned for things to take a little longer, but certain young ladies of the Smit family decreed otherwise. They're just too damn smart for me to handle.”
Mrs Smit laughs, “I figured that was the case, Hal. Which is why I waited until her father left before speaking. If I'd tried anything before then he'd have become aware of what those girls were up to. I was a bit shocked to see Greta in what I can only describe as full seduction mode and her older sisters not only helping, but encouraging her. She won't be sixteen for another seven months, so watch it until then.” Hal's eyes go very wide at that comment. “Once she's legal her father has less grounds to complain. Neither of us will be happy about certain things, even then, but we'll have to accept them. OK?”
“Yes, Ma'am. Message received loud and clear, and understood. But please understand, I'm out numbered, out gunned, and out thought by the Smit sisters. I'm totally at their mercy.”
She laughs, “I realise that and will be speaking to them, at length, as well. Just make sure when they're over at your house working that's what they're doing.”
“No doubt on that one, Ma'am. Mother will see to that.” Hal and Liz leave while Mrs Smit is still laughing. On their way home Liz has a good laugh as she tells Hal how much she enjoyed watching the show of him getting well gaffed by a fifteen year old girl.
Things go along about as well as you can expect for the next few months. Classes are attended; tests are taken and passed, by most. Jenner and Julie enjoy their work, and they enjoy the extra food they get from the cooking classes and after work snacks. They also enjoy being able to buy a new item of clothing now and then. They let most of their work money build up in the bank as they know anything that catches their mother's eye will only end up in the pawn broker's shop.
Else and Freda pass their Advanced Driver Training Course and, when the date comes around in early May, they pass their tests for a driver's licence. The biggest problem on the day is proving to the two examiners each of them did take a test and not the same person twice. They'd been tricked by a pair of twins once before. The girls do use the Subaru for the test; even the examiners love the car. Hal gets them each a present of a sterling silver keyring with the Subaru symbol and a key to The Beast. He also gives a matching keyring to Liz.
The Smith house and yards are maintained in good condition by the hired workers. Mrs Smith believes in paying a person what they're worth. The girls are doing ten hours a week, two hours a day for five days. They switch to two and a half hours a day when there's four days due to a public holiday. After the compulsory government taxes etc. the girls get an in-hand rate of fifteen dollars an hour, that's one hundred and fifty dollars a week. Much better than what most of their peers get at other jobs, and for less hours work than most of their peers.
Mr and Mrs Smit enjoy not having to make time to take Freda and Else out for driving practice. They also enjoy the extra time at home alone while all their girls are out on a date with Hal.
One funny event in the dating is about three weeks into Hal's dating Greta Mr Smit takes him aside and asks him to take care about not letting Mrs Smit know he's courting Greta. He says, “Hal, I've known for some weeks Greta has her cap set on you and is actively working at landing you. In fact, I think she has. But please be careful around her mother, I'm not sure how she'll react.”
The next weekend Hal discusses the situation with Greta, Liz, Else, Freda, and Jo. The consensus of opinion is both the Smit parents know what's going on and are playing the girls and Hal for more time to be alone themselves. After that the movie visits often become a case of Hal and Greta watching one movie together while the other girls watch another movie of their choice. Both Greta and Hal appreciate the open secret of their relationship, and the ability to snuggle and cuddle while being driven around in the car.
Most Saturday mornings are spent shopping or window shopping in the mall, with Hal often sitting at a coffee shop while the girls do some power shopping faster than he can walk; the Denning girls often join them for these events. The afternoons are usually spent in the movies or back at one of the houses watching DVDs. All the kids involved try to give all the parents plenty of time to themselves by going around as a group and sharing time between the Smith and Smit houses.
Mrs Denning enjoys the extra alone drinking time. Neither daughter notices any change in her attitude or behaviour, despite her increased rate of consumption of alcohol.
All seems to be going along well.
It's about eleven o'clock on a nice Saturday morning in mid May and Hal is standing at the cold drink cabinet of a coffee shop in the mall. The girls have just left him to launch a seven way attack on the new range of tops at the teen clothing store just up the mall walk. They've left Hal at the coffee shop to await their return in an hour or so before they head off for a movie. All of them in the same movie this time, a new release they all want to watch.
Hal is turning away from the cabinet with a can of coke in his hand when he spots a young man with large sunglasses suddenly rise from a seat in the middle of the walk area. It's the rapid movement that gets Hal's attention. The young man looks out of place, but not that much out of place. A well-dressed woman is about three metres this side of the young man and walking towards Hal when the man's movement gets Hal's attention. When he runs by her the man shoves the women in the back as he grabs her large handbag. The woman falls as the man runs down the mall. The mall entrance is just past this coffee shop. The man is about eight metres away and racing Hal's way. The man glances over his shoulder to check for anyone chasing him.
Hal can't run because of his left leg, but he has very strong arms. He developed them soon after the problem with his leg happened and he's kept them strong since, just in case of further need. With a big smile Hal half steps towards the running man while holding his right arm behind him with the can of coke in the palm and his fingers curled around the can. The young man starts to turn forward while still running towards the exit as Hal leans forward and his right arm snaps forward. His arm flies past his head; when it reaches full extension in front of him he lets go of the can of coke, spinning it out of his hand like a ball.
Everything is happening so fast; the woman is still falling, the young man has covered another metre towards Hal, and the can is spinning off his hand like a cannonball. The man takes another pace as his head finishes turning forward again; just in time to take a hard thrown can of coke in the middle of his face. The can splits open and sprays coke everywhere as the damaged can cuts his cheeks. But the real damage is the combined energy of the can projectile plus the runner's forward speed. His head snaps back and all can hear the crack as his neck is broken by the impact. The feet continue on for a half pace and the runner goes down on his back, head slamming into the hard tile floor. A crunch is heard when his head hits the floor hard and a bloody smear develops while his body slides along the tiles. The body slides into a rubbish bin and knocks it over, but is stopped by the impact.
Some people are screaming and a few are trying hard not to throw up. The woman has hit the ground hard and now rolling over nursing her arm. A security guard standing just inside the doorway of a shop on the other side of the walkway is leaving his position while talking on his radio. Hal is surprised at how effective his impromptu missile was, and has a hard time holding on to his last snack himself. He changes his mind about what he wants to drink, and walks towards the counter.
In the short time it takes Hal to walk across to the shop counter the security guard's organised for someone to help the lady pushed over, as her arm's broken, and he has a couple of people roping off the area where the young man went down.
Reaching the counter Hal asks for some very strong black coffee. He pays for both it and the can of coke he threw. He didn't drink it, but he did remove it from their stock, so he feels he owes them for it. The girl at the register is still having trouble with what she just saw, the counter faces the walkway to make it easier for passing trade sales; she takes his money and starts making his coffee. He goes to sit down close by.
By the time he reaches the nearest empty table she's there with his coffees, as he'd ordered two. Hal doesn't like coffee, but one thing he found out a few years back is it helps him to get himself settled in some types of situations. The first cup doesn't last long because he swallows it down in two big gulps. He's just started to sip the second one when the police arrive. They speak to the security guard; he talks to them for a few minutes and points towards Hal.
The senior police officer, she has two stripes and the other has none, asks Hal for his version of events. Hal tells her what he saw and did. It's all noted down. When he's finished they ask him to read what's written down. He does, it matches what he said so he signs it. The police officer asks, “Why didn't you just run out and trip him up?”
Hal gives a weak smile, “Ma'am, I've a medical condition which means I move at about the same speed as a startled snail, about a third of normal walking speed. He'd have been two suburbs away before I could have got far enough into mall to intersect with his flight path. My only way of stopping him was to throw something, so I did. The results are much more than I expected. I thought I'd cut his face and maybe knock him down for someone else to grab, not kill him.”
She sees the pain in his eyes, and reaches out to grab his shoulder in a gentle hold. Giving it a squeeze as she hands over a card, “Don't you worry about what happened to that shit. The woman he hit today has a broken arm. The woman he hit in the next suburb on Thursday night is still unconscious. We've got a string of about twenty people he's put in hospital with that tactic. We'd have liked to have had him in the lock up, but we're happy just to have him off the street, as he's not putting anyone else into hospital now.” He gives her another weak smile as he accepts what she says. It helps him accept he did the right thing, but it still doesn't settle down the queasy feeling in his stomach about killing him. Hal sits there and finishes his coffee while watching the police and associated services do their thing and clean up.
The mess is cleaned up and the mall back to normal before the girls return. Hal is still at the table and on another black coffee. When the girl came to take his empty cup he ordered another. She remembered his odd way of walking and has been bringing his extra coffees to him as he orders and pays for them. The girls are laughing as they walk in the shop. Jo sees him drinking coffee, and stops laughing. Her serious look has the others fall silent and look concerned as well.
They walk up and sit down around the table. He looks up and gives a very weak smile. Jo gulps, “OK, what happened to make you drink coffee? And how many?”
“I haven't counted.”
Jo turns to the girl at the register, “How many coffees has he had, please, Miss?”
“That's his ninth coffee he's on, black, no sugar.”
Jo turns back, “Fuck! What the hell happened?” The others all stare at her. “He hates coffee. The only time he has any is when something has happened to really upset him.” The girl at the register is surprised by this because she was sure he was a coffee fiend, due to the way he'd been drinking them for the last forty minutes or so.
Hal continues to stare into his coffee. The girl walks over and says, “A thief knocked a woman over and broke her arm while stealing her handbag. Your friend here threw a can of coke at the thief and broke his neck. He went down and split his skull on the floor, smearing blood all over. They only finished cleaning it up a few minutes ago.”
Jo sits there staring at her for a moment. Gulping, she says, “Shit, no wonder he's into the coffee.” She stands and takes his wallet out of his coat pocket. She opens it up and pulls out a fifty dollar note. Handing the note to Freda she says, “Grab a taxi, take Jenner and Julie to my place.” She turns to the others, “Else, you drive. Liz, you and Greta help him to the car. He won't be able to walk at all now, not after all that. We need to get him home, a.s.a.p.” With that Liz and Greta help Hal stand. Between them they half carry him and half drag him out of the coffee shop to the car. The others grab up all their shopping bags and follow them. At the car the shopping is shoved in the back while Hal is shoved into the back seat. Greta gets in on his right and Jo on his left. Liz drives off as the rest head to the taxi rank.
Mrs Smith is very surprised to see them all back so soon, and very worried when she sees them almost carry Hal in. She races over. Jo waves her back as she directs the girls to lay him on the larger lounge. She slips a pillow under his head and tells Greta, “You're his blanket, lie on him.” She grins as Greta lies on him, they usually get into trouble if caught like this, a position she really likes to take. He half smiles as his arms go around her. Mrs Smith gives Jo a very concerned look.
Moving away from the lounge Jo says, “Mother, you need to ring the police and find out what happened in the mall today. All I've got is a report someone got hurt being robbed. Hal tried to stop the robber and ended up killing him. He's had nine large black coffees without sugar while waiting for us to return from our shopping.” Mrs Smith's face loses colour with each item listed, and the last makes her gulp.
She calls out, “Jack, call the police and find out what happened at the mall today. Hal was involved.” She hears a reply while she reaches for the phone. She knows he'll make that call on his mobile phone and get more out of the police than she will. She's calling his specialist to find out exactly how badly that much coffee is likely to affect Hal. For some odd reason coffee has always had an odd effect on Hal's system; but it's worse with some of his medication, as some of the components interact in the wrong way. Two years ago they did some tests on how bad and the specialist has that information. It takes a while to reach the doctor and for him to check the files once it's explained to him.
Doctor Davidson tells Mrs Smith, “OK, nine large cups of black coffee, no sugar. That's not too bad, as the sugar with it is the problem for him. You'll be lucky if he goes to sleep before breakfast tomorrow. His bladder should start working overtime about four hours after he started drinking, and continue to do so for about an hour longer than when he was drinking. But he'll be hungry as hell for several hours. I suggest you feed him as much high protein food as you can get him to eat, as that'll help process everything. Nothing major to worry about since we changed some of his medicines last month.” With her worse fears relieved she rings up to organise for a number of hot pizzas to be delivered over the next few hours. That should help them all.
She hangs up, to see Jack standing there with a very concerned look on his face. He explains what he's got from the police. He was able to speak to the senior constable involved and she read Hal's statement as well as giving her opinion of his condition at that time. It's a pair of very worried parents that walk back into the lounge room.
Mrs Smith makes an executive decision and rings Mrs Smit, seeking permission for the girls to stay the night and help with Hal. She agrees, after hearing about what happened at the mall. They don't need to go and get any extra clothes because the shopping has what they'll need.
A very worried group spends the next several hours trying to watch DVDs while watching Hal. He eats a lot more than normal while he tries to regain his mental balance and get over the hard emotional shock he's had, also taking many toilet trips during the day and eveningt. Knowing it's going to be a long watch, Jack and Mary take some naps during the evening and swap off duty during the night. Greta falls asleep on his chest about 2.00 a.m. and he falls asleep about 5.00 a.m.
At 7.00 a.m. Roland makes his quiet way in the back door, Jack had called him yesterday to get his help. Roland smiles on seeing all the teens sprawled out in the lounge room asleep. He waves to Jack and takes over supervising the sleeping teens as Jack drags his tired self upstairs for some much needed sleep. Like Mary, he did get a bit of rest yesterday and last night, but nowhere near enough. He'll see about getting enough to get through the day now the relief watch has arrived.
The adults take turns looking after the teens during the day. At various times the girls wake up around lunchtime, but Hal sleeps on. They follow the doctor's advice of letting him sleep until he wakes.
Dinner is in the middle of being served when Hal wakes up at 5.30 p.m. on Sunday. He opens his eyes, to see a concerned Greta staring into them. He smiles his usual smile at her and she smiles back. He groans as she helps him to his feet. A trip to the toilet and then to the dinner table for a meal. He seems like he's back to normal, but all know it will be a while before that's true. The girls go home after dinner.
The big buzz in the school on Monday is the news about how a local high school boy killed a violent criminal wanted for putting a lot of people in hospital while robbing them. All the kids gossip about who it is, except those that actually know who it is. There's six public high schools and five private high schools in the city, so they have a huge range of suspects to discuss. Some gossips base their choices on the likely size of the boy involved, some on the school itself because a few have reputations for having tough kids, and some on the likely age of the boy involved. A whole lot of discussion, but no facts. His name has been withheld as he's a minor, and Hal is very thankful for that fact.
All in his classes notice Hal isn't his normal self. Oh, he isn't, and never has been, the most vibrant of personalities in class. But they can see he's a lot more subdued than normal and they wonder why. But few care enough to try and find out why. The couple that do are told he's not feeling well today.
In cooking class Hal is just a bit more upset than usual with Greta's cavalier attitude to measurements. He's never been happy with it, but today it's more wearing on him than usual. He doesn't say anything as he knows it's a waste of time, past talks have gotten no changes.
Lunch passes as normal with Jenner helping him consume his as well as an extra sandwich she bought herself. Her lunches are now a bit more filling because she can buy some food for her own lunch from her work income. The table has six servings of lasagne on it for her to take home to supplement her family's evening meals.
That afternoon, while doing some hedge trimming with Freda, Hal asks her to bring certain clothes along as extras for tomorrow's work. He tells her why, and she gives him an evil grin in reply.
The day goes by like a normal Tuesday. Hal is a little closer to his normal self now. But the real fun starts when they get home and they're getting ready to start work.
Hal leads the girls into the house and stops at the dinner table. He holds his hand out and Freda hands him some of her clothes. He holds them out as he says, “Greta, I need to make a very important point clear to you. Over the last few months I've spoken to you about this several times, but you've not listened or acted on it. So I now plan to make it clear to you through a physical demonstration. I can tell you now you will not be comfortable with this, but I need you to do this as this is a lesson you really need to learn.” All the girls except Freda stare at the clothes he's holding out. Greta frowns at him. “I'll explain it all later. But you have to go and put on these clothes of Freda's and wear them while you work today. No ifs, no buts, no objections of any sort will be accepted. Put these clothes on!” This is a clear order and not a request.
Greta gives him a glare as she takes the clothes and goes to Jo's room to change. A little later she has trouble walking down the stairs. Greta is shorter than Freda, but she's the same chest size and a larger bra cup size while having a smaller waist size. The result is the clothes that fit Freda well don't fit Greta at all. Her breasts are pinched in the smaller cups, the top feels tight while the panties and skirt keep trying to fall down. Hal had warned his mother about what he was up to, so she has a list of chores for Greta to give the most emphasis to the project.
For the next two hours Greta is constantly cleaning things high up or low down. In either case she spends a lot of time pulling the panties and skirt back into position while cursing Hal. Reaching up encourages the panties and skirt to fall while bending down puts extra stress onto her breasts and they hurt more as the bra pinches them.
When they finish work she changes back into her own clothes. She joins them for the snack and drink, glaring hard at Hal as she eats her caramel tart, today's snack.
Hal smiles at her. “I know that hurt and I'm sorry I had to hurt you to make this point. But I'm not sorry about having to make the point this way.” She keeps glaring at him. “I think you now fully appreciate a cup is only good when it's filled properly with the correct amount of contents. Too much is wrong and too little is wrong. Correct?” Her glare vanishes as she stares at him while processing his comments. He's said this to her during cooking class, and now he's applying them to her bra cups. She stops to think, so he waits a moment. “Also, I think you're now aware you must have the right size and type of container to accept what's going in it. In short, putting your body into the wrong panties and bra is the same as putting the wrong amounts of ingredients into a recipe - they just don't fit well, not at all. In some cases they'll pinch, in others they don't fill the pan properly, in all you get a mess. I do hope this gets the message across to you. As the next possible way to do it is to take you for a drive with insufficient fuel and have you walk back to get the can of extra fuel.” Greta is back to glaring at him, but she's also thinking hard about what happened today and what he said.
She's still sore and angry when they leave, so he gets no goodbye kiss, despite giving her a kiss on the cheek.
When Hal gets on the bus in the morning Greta greets him with a kiss and a hug. He's surprised because she's usually a great deal less demonstrative in front of other students, due to concerns about gossip. The greeting gets a few whistles and calls from the kids. One of the older boys calls out, “Hey, Hal, I thought you were dating Else and Freda! They make a lovely matched set.”
Hal smiles, “No, that's camouflage to keep the parents happy and confused. If you want to date Freda and or Else, just ask them. But be warned, they're high maintenance girls. They expect proper care and require being looked after right with high quality food and gifts.”
The girls laugh at the wide eyed look on some of the boys. One of the year eleven boys smiles as he moves to the seat in front of the twins and strikes up a conversation with them.
Greta drags Hal down to sit beside her, “I had a long talk with Mum last night. We spoke about what you did to me yesterday.” That line has the two year ten girls in the seat behind them leaning forward to hear more. “I had to wait over twenty minutes for her to finish laughing. I didn't think it was funny. But by the time we finished talking I had to agree that I must have looked funny all afternoon. And then I realised none of you had laughed at me at all during the afternoon, so all of you must have been treating it as something very serious and important.” The extra ears in the next seat have puzzled expressions while they try to work out what he'd done to her. “That had me thinking over what you'd said. Mum emphasised the same points you made. She also made a few other points I'm sure you thought of, but felt were too delicate to make.” That bit has the listeners quivering again. “With Mum's help I applied the concepts you raised to a lot of other things, and saw how accurate your comments were and how important they are. Then Mum applied them to cooking and cooking classes, and showed me how my being slack there could ruin more than just a meal. Now I don't know whether I should thank you or not. You finally beat an important lesson into my head, but you hurt me while you did it.” More quivers in the next seat. “I've decided to keep you, anyway. And mum agrees I need to keep you, too. Although I'm concerned about how she emphasised the word 'need' when she said that.”
Hal smiles and hugs her. “Greta love, I think you need to tell the two girls behind us what happened yesterday and what we're talking about. Otherwise they're likely to die of sheer curiosity before school starts.” She laughs, and turns to talk over the seat as she explains the events under discussion. The girls laugh at how Greta must have looked, but they soon see how important the lesson she learned is, and thus learn it themselves as well.
Things go well for the next few weeks; well, about as well as can be expected for teens at school.
Start of lunch on a Thursday in early June. The day and time is very important in the start of this encounter. Most days the students head to the cafeteria or the grounds beside the cafeteria for lunch, as those are the two designated areas to have lunch in. But Thursdays are different. Sport is right after lunch. The majority of the students have permission slips to allow them to make their own way to the sports fields and get their lunch on the way; so those leaving the school are very quick to depart at the start of lunch because that gives them more time to sit and enjoy their lunch at whatever shop they buy it. The few who don't have permission to leave the school go to the cafeteria to have their lunch before heading to the grounds with the teaching staff. Those staying are quick to get to the cafeteria and have their lunch. The same applies to the staff. Either way, within a couple of minutes of the start of lunch the school is empty, except for the cafeteria. Most days there are students and staff wandering around the halls during the lunch period - seeing people and doing things before lunch or before class starts. But during Thursday lunchtime most of the school is a totally empty zone.
Hal enjoys taking his time to walk through the school to head home on a Thursday. The school sports buses won't leave until after lunch and the normal urban bus service he catches on a Thursday isn't due until half past twelve, so he's in no hurry to get to the bus stop to just stand and wait. Today he detours via the library to drop back a borrowed book because he's finished with it for his history assignment research.
Hal walks real slow and his footsteps are soft because he tries not to put any strain on his left leg - especially the knee. Many people are surprised about how quiet he is as he moves around the school. So it's no shock to him for him to take a left turn around a corner and surprise three students standing just beside the corner in the main corridor. But it's a big surprise for them because they thought they were alone and had the halls to themselves, especially in this block. Two are year eleven students and one is in year eight, all boys. The younger boy is standing between the two older boys and the wall, and he looks scared stiff.
Both older boys jump back as Hal suddenly appears around the corner. The younger boy starts to make a run for it, only to be punched in the chest and flung back against the wall by the boy furthest from Hal. The lad hits at an angle, groans, and slides down the wall, moaning. Hal opens his mouth to speak, but the older boy near him snarls, “Fuck off, gimp,” as he gives Hal a hard shove with his left hand, back and sideways to Hal's left. Having just come around the corner Hal has his right foot in the air and is moving forward when he's pushed. The shove forces Hal to his left and back just a little. The sudden extra weight and sideways strain on his left leg and knee is too much, it gives way and he starts to fall back to his left.
In an automatic reaction Hal reaches out for something to hold him up and stabilise him. He grabs the shirt front of the boy who pushed him. The boy is off balance and falls towards Hal. Realising the last thing he needs is to have this boy fall on him, Hal pulls with all his strength. This pulls the boy across in front of Hal and throws him against the wall face first. He groans as he hits the wall and slides down it while leaving a bloody smear from his broken nose. The action pulls Hal a little upright and to his right. This relieves some of the strain and pressure on his knee, but not enough to stop him from falling over backwards. The best Hal can hope for now is to control the fall and minimise the damage to his left leg. With that in mind he moves his upper body to place the weight to his right and have him fall to the right instead of left. That way the main impact will be on the good leg.
The other older boy turns, to see his mate sliding down the wall and Hal still standing. He decides to punish Hal for his interference.
Hal watches with concern as the other year eleven boy turns and takes a step towards him. The boy raises a clenched fist and pulls it back towards his shoulder. It's clear to Hal this boy doesn't mean to help him. He knows he's off balance, falling, and another blow will only make things worse, so he takes action to go down faster in a sort of controlled fall. He hasn't been able to move enough weight over his right leg and transfer control there, so Hal decides to throw away all upright control and go for a controlled fall straight down. He moves his right foot back to hook behind his left ankle and uses the right leg muscles to pull both feet forward while moving his upper body weight backwards and both arms behind him to soften the fall. This move has the advantage of moving his upper body further away from the second attacker while his legs are pulled out in front of him.
Seeing Hal falling backwards and away from him, the boy advances another pace. He's off balance with his weight moving to his forward foot when Hal's right foot slides out from behind his left foot and straightens up as part of his last command to the leg. The moving foot strikes the attacking boy's ankle on the side and knocks the foot out from under him. The strain twists the ankle just as his main weight comes onto the foot. The leg goes down with the foot on its side and not ready to take the weight. He screams as an outer ligament in his ankle tears and he falls towards the wall on his right. Because his right fist is up near his shoulder and moving forward to punch Hal he's not able to reach out with his right hand to catch himself against the wall. The end result is he hits the wall with the side of his head before he realises he has a problem other than his sore ankle. He grunts as he hits the wall, and passes out before he slides down the wall.
Hitting the other boy's ankle with his foot hurts Hal's ankle, but he doesn't worry about that yet; he's much more concerned about how he's about to hit the floor on his arse, hard. His thighs, arse, and hands hit the floor together. He was right, it's hard and it hurts. He's just starting to think he has time to get organised when he realises he has some sideways momentum still and his body is sliding in front of his right hand. A fair bit of his weight is now on each arm and hand, so it's not an easy matter to move his right hand more to the right. The matter becomes irrelevant when his sideways movement reaches the point his shoulder twists and dislocates, causing him to scream in pain. The left arm is still supporting that part of his upper body while his right arm is no longer providing any support. So it's no wonder the weight and momentum twists his body to the right and he goes down on his right arm, breaking it. He screams again, with the pain of the breaking arm.
Hal is in great pain; his arm, shoulder, ankle, knee, and arse are all hurting real bad. But he also knows they all need medical help and it's unlikely anyone will find them in this corridor at this time. As best as he can tell the other three aren't in a condition to provide any help. Gritting his teeth with the pain he reaches across his body with his left arm to get his mobile phone out of it's holder on his pants belt near the right pocket. It's a strain, but he does get it out. He smiles as he opens it, and then wonders what he has to smile about at the moment.
With the phone active, due to being slid up and opened, he hits the button to speed dial his personal emergency medical service. He knows he needs ambulances, but he also knows a boy ringing to say they need them at a high school on sports day will not get an immediate response because they'll think it's only a prank call. So he's calling the special emergency medical alert service he's registered with. The phone rings, and a woman answers it, “Good day, Nightingale Alert Services, service code please?”
Hal manages to speak through his pain as, in a clear voice, he says, “Smith, Henry, code Foxtrot, November, Seven, Eight, Two, Baker. Location, Central High School, B Block, main corridor on ground floor. Building empty due to sports afternoon. Four down, including me. Need ICU and spinal care units. My problems include broken bones, dislocated shoulder, and blown knee. You're first notification.”
“Acknowledged. Client, Smith, Henry. Confirmed by code and listed phone identification. Location ground floor main corridor of B Block at Central High School. Four down, need ICU and spinal units. Own injuries include broken bones, dislocated shoulder, blown knee. We will advise regular emergency services and get them rolling while we also advise those on your alert list. Do you need me to stay on the line and keep you alert, Sir?”
He grimaces, “No, thank you, I think the pain will manage that.”
“Right, we're on it now, Sir. Take care until the help arrives.” The phone call ends and he closes the phone. He slips it into his shirt pocket because that's the easiest to get it to.
Back at Nightingale Alert Services the duty staff are working like the well-oiled machine they are. The service is nationwide, but the number includes a trigger to give the operator the exact location of the exchange or mobile tower the call is coming from. That information is cross checked with their database to tell them which city or town the client is in when they call. Armed with that they use a direct line number for the supervisor of the local emergency services to get the ambulances going. As the call is from an alert service the local emergency services respond without question because they know the call is valid due to the service having verified the caller. Another member of staff is making a conference call to Hal's regular doctor in the city, his specialist in the city, his mother, and his father. They soon have all four on line and apprise them of the situation. Both doctors agree to head to the nearest major hospital, as that's where they're likely to take Hal. His father is unable to leave work, but his mother will also head to the hospital to be on hand to authorise treatment.
Lunchtime is almost over. The staff and students are dispersing from the cafeteria to head to the on-campus sports facilities and some are heading to the sports buses waiting in front of the school. They all stop and turn towards the sounds of a number of sirens coming their way. They stop what they're doing and go to see what the emergency is, and get a very big surprise when ambulances enter the street the school is in from both ends. In a moment five ambulances come to a halt in front of the school and ten paramedics jump out. They throw the backs of the ambulances open while shouting to each other, and grab an assortment of equipment before turning and running into the school as a pack; like a group of hounds hot on the scent of the quarry and racing to catch it.
The principal and office staff had come out to see what the sirens are about, and they follow the paramedics into the school. They're all worried. They made no call and they need to know what's happening.
Finally, Hal has a reason to smile when he sees the paramedics open the door to the building and pour into the corridor. They soon reach the boys and split up to attend to them. Knowing they need information to work with Hal calls out, “Wait a moment, please!”
They all stop talking and turn to him. He points at the young boy who went down first, “He was punched and thrown against the wall. Due to the way he hit and slid down I suspect a possible spinal injury as well as concussion.” The paramedics stare at him for a moment, “I've an advanced certificate in first aid and I saw what happened.” A couple of the older paramedics nod. Two men move to that boy and start working on him on the basis of Hal's report. “The boy at the wall near my feet. He was throwing a punch when his foot was knocked out from under him and his head hit the wall after turning his ankle. Concussion and stuffed right ankle, and who knows what else.” Two paramedics move over and start on him while the principal stares at the mess in the hallway. “The other boy here. He got slammed into the wall face first, knocked unconscious, and slid down it. Concussion, broken nose, and possible skull fracture.” Two more move around Hal to deal with him. “I've got a dislocated right shoulder, a broken right arm, and my left knee's been blown again. The best thing you can do with that is to immobilise with foam and transport as is. Leave it for Mister Davidson to deal with at the hospital.”
“Why shouldn't we cut the trousers away and have a look at it right now?” Asks the oldest paramedic.
“It's a reconstruction and I'm sure Mister Davidson would rather look at the damage in its raw state. The specialist did last time someone messed up the work.”
The man smiles and nods, “Yeah, knowing how it went may help him with putting it back together. OK. We'll do it your way.” One man starts to immobilise Hal's arm with an inflatable splint while another slips a sheet of plastic under his knee and places a frame to hold it in place. In a moment Hal's right arm and shoulder are immobilised and foam is being sprayed around his knee to immobilise the left leg from mid-thigh to mid-calf when it sets properly a few minutes later.
Principal Jensen makes a list of the boys with a note of the condition and probable injuries beside their names. Each year he makes an effort to learn the names of all the students in his care. He hands the list to one of the administrative staff and tells her to call the parents to let them know what the situation is. He has no idea what these boys were doing here or how this happened, but he intends to find out. However, that'll have to wait until after they get the proper treatment.
Fifteen minutes after they arrived the paramedics are wheeling four patients out to their ambulances to take them to hospital. Ten minutes after that all four are entering the Emergency Room.
Mr Davidson is a doctor, but he's such an important and senior specialist they call him mister, and Dr Chan are waiting for Hal to be brought in. All four boys are taken to treatment rooms and seen by different doctors. Dr Chan is very familiar with the way this hospital works, so the first thing he does is take Hal up to radiology to get x-rays and an MRI of his arm, shoulder, knee, and lower back. He figures all the patients will be up there soon and he can go through the usual talk stuff after being booked into radiology; thus stealing a march on the other doctors and their patients.
His plan works, because Hal is given a fast walk through radiology. The other three are being taken into radiology when they're taking Hal back to the ER. It doesn't take them long to reset his shoulder and set his arm. Hal is upset they put his whole arm in a cast because they found a fracture in the upper arm as well as the break in the lower arm. So his right arm is in a cast from the wrist to the neck, as it incorporates his right shoulder. Only after they've that organised do they start to remove the foam from his knee. As they examine the knee and the images taken Hal is given some pain killers. He starts to feel tired. Dr Chan looks at Hal, so he pokes his tongue at the doctor; and that's the last thing Hal remembers of that day. The sedative they gave him puts him to sleep so they can work on his knee.
He wakes up in a hospital bed the next day with a bandaged left leg as well as his super-sized cast on his right arm.
In the morning Hal wakes up in time to have breakfast before his family arrives to see him. The visit is short because they all need to get on to what they have to do. All are concerned for him, but he's spent so long in hospital over the last few years it's sort of routine to them now. Mainly because they're catering to his concern about not interfering in their lives with his problems. They reassure themselves he's awake and aware of the situation, and leave to make work and school on time.
A little later the doctors turn up to check him out; they're happy with his current condition. Mr Davidson says, “Hal, when I opened your knee we couldn't find much wrong, so I checked the readings from your live monitor; I couldn't understand why the knee was gone. There was nothing to indicate a problem at all. I know you said it was blown, so it must have felt and acted like it was. Based on that I replaced the main wear parts. However, the only spares I had on hand in your size were titanium ones and not the polymer you had. So you now have a titanium set up in your knee.” Hal nods at this news. He prefers the plastic, but accepts only the metal was available. “After we put you back together I went over the removed parts with great care. I did find a slight distortion of the socket that shouldn't be there. So the parts have been sent back to the manufacturer for a full analysis. I suspect you were right that it popped, but it also popped back when the strain was relieved. How does that sound in regards to what you felt at the time it happened?”
Hal thinks back over the encounter, “I think you're right,” he replies. “When I was pushed back and sideways so my weight wasn't directly over the joint I felt the strain and pain as the knee gave way. But a little later when I'd moved so my weight was back above the knee it felt like it was taking the strain OK. Having felt it give way I wasn't going to let it have all the weight in case it went again. So it may have popped out and then popped back. But that's not a good thing to have going on, as I'd never know when it may happen again.”
“I agree. But if that's what happened to you it could happen to others. So we need to check why this can happen at all, and fix it.”
They talk about the replacement knee for several minutes. Hal explains how he finds the plastic version easier to live with than the metal one, but if it means the metal one is safer he has no choice. Both doctors agree with him. They leave and Hal has several minutes to himself in which he thinks over the whole of the incident yesterday, and shakes his head at what happened - what a crazy mess that was.
About 8.30 a.m. his nurse shows in the solicitor his mother sent over for him. Hal doesn't have a local legal representative yet, but this woman is the one recommended by Hal's regular solicitor. His mother called her yesterday. After the introductions and Hal gives a summary of what happened he gets on with his legal needs.
“Miss Barnes, I'll need to give full statements to the school and the police, but I can't sign anything. So I was thinking to have a statement prepared, I read it out on a video and they take that as a legal record of my statement. Can you organise that, please?” She nods, and takes out a recorder. She turns it on and sets it up on the side of the bed as she sits down. Hal tells his version while she takes notes. He's soon finished and she pulls out her laptop computer. Starting up the computer she plugs some small earphones into the recorder and checks her notes as she types a statement. When it's completed she turns the computer around for Hal to read. A few changes are made and she transmits it back to the office with instructions to have ten copies made and for an assistant to bring them to the hospital with a video camera as well.
While waiting, Miss Barnes makes calls to the school and the police to explain about the statement Hal is about to make. They promise to attend. About half an hour later the assistant turns up with the camera and the statements. Ten minutes more for the police, a few minutes later the school principal is also on hand, plus a person from the regional office of the Department of Education.
The camera is started and Hal reads out his statement of the events. The police have no questions, but the principal does. “Mister Smith, from your statement it sounds like only one blow was made by Mister Paine, you were pushed by Mister Wayne, and Mister Paine tried to punch you, but did not connect. Is that correct?”
“That's correct, Mister Jensen. Most of the incident was a case of a long series of accidents while people were off balance. Those were the only intentional acts to hurt someone.”
“I find that hard to believe, in light of the damage to Mister Wayne and you admitting to having pulled him towards you.”
“I didn't intend to hurt him or do any damage. Nor do I think he intended to do any real damage to me. He pushed me away. But my weight was all above my left knee as I was in mid-step. That change of weight and motion from the push overstrained my knee and caused it to give way. I instinctively reached for anything to stop the fall. I got Mister Wayne's shirt front. He was off balance and started to fall towards me. I didn't want him to fall on me and do further damage. So I applied some science and used my knowledge of Newton's Laws of Motion.” This gets a few smiles from those gathered around the bed. “I pulled harder on Mister Wayne's shirt. I figured he'd put his hands up and stop himself after staggering to the wall. But it meant I could use his weight to set up the centre of gravity for our linked system between us and to my right. As his weight went to my left my weight went to my right. This relieved the strain and weight on the damaged left knee and brought me back towards being upright. He never put his hands up, with the result of him hitting the wall hard and breaking his nose. That was unexpected and an accident. When Mister Paine went to strike me I decided to move out of his line of attack by going down, as I was not in control at this point and unable to move to the side. The quickest way to do that was to kick my feet out from underneath me. This I did. In the process I accidentally hit his right foot just before he put his weight on it. His ankle gave way and he fell against the wall, hard, and was knocked unconscious. I realise a lot of damage was done, but most of it was the results of actions not meant to hurt anyone.”
“Hmm. It all sounds logical and plausible, but we'll have to wait until we can get statements from the others before we can say what we'll do. If things are as you say, then Mister Paine is the only one who will be suspended for fighting. But both Mister Paine and Mister Wayne will have to be dealt with for bullying Mister Lawson.” Hal nods, as that's all obvious to him.
A few minutes later Miss Barnes hands all present copies of the video recording of the statement plus the question and answer period. They're about to leave when the police sergeant says, “At this time no one's lodged a complaint for any crimes. I'm glad to have a statement in case they do. But we won't be taking any action at all, unless a formal complaint is lodged or the Department of Education asks us to do the investigation for them. I'll get back to you if we need to ask you any questions.” Both Hal and Miss Barnes nod at this statement, as it's just about what they expect of the situation.
Everyone leaves and Hal takes a nap. He's woken for his lunch and takes another nap.
After school lets out the girls arrive at the hospital to visit Hal. Else and Freda smile and say, “We were thinking of you all day. And got you all these lovely presents,” as they hand over all his schoolbooks, papers, notes, and assignments from today's classes. The others laugh at him and his expression. He would have liked to have missed all that, but knows, from experience, it'll help fill in time while in the hospital.
He gives a small smile as he says, “Gee, thanks, how sweet of you!”
Hal can't help laughing when Greta complains about not being able to get comfortable on the bed with him. His right side is a no go due to the cast on his arm and shoulder and the left side is a no go due to the knee cast. Their visit is short because they still have their work to do, but they promise to be back later during the night time visiting period.
Hal ends up spending six weeks in Hospital before his arm is fully healed. Then he's let out and sent on his way with a pair of crutches to help him get about for a few weeks because the knee needs more time. His family and friends visit often while he's in hospital. Then it's some recovery time at home. It's August when he first walks back into school.
He also has the help of a study aide to write notes and test answers for him until his lower right arm is released from the plaster cast. This started while he was in the hospital keeping up with his studies.
There are several outcomes from the non-fight that occurred in B Block that Thursday. The school investigation runs into snags with the statements from Paine and Wayne. They aren't consistent with any of the others for the few parts where they cover the same actions, nor are they internally consistent. Mr Jensen dismisses them as being examples of creative writing. When he later asks for new statements they don't match the originals in key areas, either; even if they're now a bit more consistent with each other. There's little to add to the matter in the report from Lawson, apart from what happened before Hal walked around the corner. On the balance of probability, Mr Jensen and the investigator who reviews the incident for the department accept Hal's statement as the most truthful, and use that as the basis for action.
Paine and Wayne each get a week's suspension for bullying. Also, Paine gets a five weeks suspension for fighting and causing harm. All suspensions to start when they return to school after they recover from their injuries. The police receive no complaints and take no action at all.
The school gets funding to install more security cameras and a better monitoring program that can be set to alert for any activity in an area at certain times on any day of the week. The Department of Education picks up the out of pocket medical expenses for Lawson and Hal, but not for Paine or Wayne. They figured the whole problem was started by the bullying, so they can pay their own costs.
Tests show Hal's knee did pop out and pop back, something it isn't supposed to be able to do. A review of the manufacturer's test system shows they never expected that sort of side pressure, even though it's a common occurrence in real life. They change the test process and also redesign the knee to stop such actions from happening. They make an offer of free replacement parts to those who have the existing parts. Because Hal's operation is deemed to have been required due to the knee failure the manufacturer pays for the emergency knee surgery and the one a couple of weeks later to give him the new design polymer knee with the strengthened joint.
While in hospital, and also while at home for the first couple of weeks of recovery, the girls keep Hal up to date with his school work by providing notes and getting teacher recommended books for him to use for self-study. He's given extra time to lodge assignments, but gets them all in on time; even though one is amended to allow for him to do the physical model while in bed. The teachers even bring him some exams to do as an oral exam. He returns to school in time to be part of the major review for the important end of year exams fast approaching.
During his recovery he spends a lot of time doing rehabilitation therapy for his leg and knee, to recover and rebuild from the surgery. This involves exercises to help build the strength and flexibility of all the ligaments and the muscles remaining in his left leg. During this process he notices the new knee feels stronger and much more able to take weight than the previous one. Mr Davidson is happy to hear that, and the manufacturer is also happy to hear the report.
The only problem is when he's approved to return to school. He wants to use just a cane while the doctors insist he uses crutches there. He uses a cane at home and during rehabilitation therapy. Due to the longer amount of time he'll spend on his feet and moving around at school, and when shopping, the doctors insist he use the crutches until they say otherwise. Despite hating it, he does as they tell him.
Hal leans on his crutches as he waits for the bus to school. There are a few other students waiting for the bus too. When the bus arrives it pulls up a bit before the group of students and creeps forward until the door is right in front of Hal. The driver smiles at him as he gets on. He gives her a half frown because she's never been known to smile at any students before, often yelling at them about behaviour. She sees his look, and says, “My nephew is a lot happier without those bullies after him. Thank you.” He smiles and nods, because it's good to know why someone's behaviour to you is different.
The first seat at the front of the bus is being held for him by Greta, so he sits there. Usually other kids who get on at the start of the run sit there, but they're sitting a bit further back so he can have the front seat. He spots them a few rows back and gives them a wave to thank them for the consideration because he's sure they were in this seat last Friday.
The bus load of kids is it's normal raucous self, but he does notice there seems to be a heavy infection of smiles amongst the passengers, much more than one would expect for a Monday morning. He still doesn't understand why when the bus stops in front of the school and he starts to get off the bus.
Hal is looking down because he's taking care while getting down the steps and off the bus. Once on the ground and moving away from the bus he looks up, and is surprised by the very large number of students hanging around the front of the school and the entrance. The total number of kids at school is about what you'd expect at this time, maybe just a little more than normal. But by now they're spread throughout the whole campus and not hanging around the front of the school. Even while he's glancing around at all the students his head is angled down, due to him leaning over the crutches and watching where he puts his feet. Out of the corner of his eye he catches a large colourful group on the top of the school steps. He stops and looks up at them. Across the front of the school, filling the top step, is a row of teachers - his teachers, all his teachers. They're standing there holding a banner; it reads: 'Welcome back, Hal.'
He has a hard time not crying, at seeing this support for him. He was never one who did much to get recognition within the school; but this time the whole school seems to know him and recognise he's someone they should be happy to have as part of their little community. As he walks in the gate the students start clapping. He smiles and nods at everyone, turning his head in every direction while trying to make eye contact with them all as he makes his slow way forward and up the steps. When he reaches the line of teachers they part and make way for him to precede them into the school. He walks through the doors, to see an empty corridor. As he does the memory of what happened the last time he was in a school corridor that was this empty returns to him. He stops, gulps hard, and hobbles on. The teachers move in behind him, then around him, and go off down the hallway on their way to classes. The students flow around him as they do the same. He gets a distinct impression this was all set up to allow him to confront that fear of the empty corridor while knowing he has a lot of support behind him. He wonders who thought of this and set it up, and says a short prayer of thanks for whoever it was.
Standing in the doorway of his office looking out on the scene as Hal arrives and walks into the school, Principal Jensen wonders if he's done the right thing in setting up the empty hallway. Seeing how Hal stops and then moves on he decides he did the right thing. He felt there would be a problem the first time that happened, and thought it would be best to get it over with straight away. But even he's surprised by the actions of the teachers in organising the banner and standing at the top of the steps. Also the gathering of the students and their clapping surprised him. He'd simply told the students not to enter the school when they arrived today, not to enter until after Hal had done so. The way the staff and students have organised this support as their own idea has him feeling that there's more hope for this generation than he'd thought there was. With that event over he turns to his office and gets back to his paperwork.
During the rest of the morning the teachers and students treat Hal exactly the same as they did before he went to hospital, and he really appreciates how very normal things are. The only special attention he gets is at lunch. As he enters the cafeteria Jenner walks up and asks for the money to buy his juices, then gets them for him.
Overall, his return to school is like a normal school day, except he takes a little longer to get his backpack on and the crutches in place when he goes to leave a room. And the cooking classroom storage has been changed around a bit. The schedule is still as it was to start with, but all the ingredients and gear needed for the lessons for the rest of the year are at waist and chest height. When he went into hospital many of them were stored in cupboards that were lower or higher than they are now. He smiles and appreciates the effort that's been made to allow him to do his work as normal without any special help being obvious. He also smiles when two students who don't often talk to him help carry the food for Jenner to the cafeteria for him, ten vegetable soups today.
The trip home is like like normal and he has housework to do when he gets home. He had been exempt from work, due to illness, until today. His mother's reasoning is: being able to return to school and go shopping means he's able to do his share of the housework. He smiles on seeing the daily task roster. His tasks for today and tomorrow are to mow the front, back, and side lawns; all up, that's just under two days' work for one person. Wednesday is polishing the dining room and kitchen tables; they're very large and will take most of the time set aside. Thursday is cleaning all the mirrors in the house. Friday is cleaning the ground floor outside windows. All tasks he can do while seated or standing up for the whole task, but no bending or getting up or down. Yes, his mother has him back on the housework, but has designated his tasks to make them easy for him to do while he's still recovering.
Early evenings include his therapy sessions, followed by his studies. In other words, everything in the way of his activities is back to normal. The next few weeks pass in blessed normalcy for all concerned.
It's just after school on a Thursday in early October and Hal is helping Jenner with a task at Centrelink; the government agency that's the interface between the public and the government departments who manage the welfare and assistance programs the government has. For the last few weeks her mother hasn't been home most of the time, which is an oddity; her normal routine is to stay at home, except when buying alcohol or the odd night down the pub or club. Some days ago, on Hal's advice, Jenner got the Centrelink forms to have the special allowance for Jenner and Julie paid direct into their own bank accounts so they can use the money. Mrs Denning signed them and didn't ask what they were for. Today Jenner is handing the papers in, she asked Hal to come along to support her because the staff aren't used to having young girls Jenner's age doing this sort of paperwork, and they often ask for the papers to be lodged by the parents. Being a short trip he has his cane.
Hal is leaning on his cane as he stands beside Jenner at the counter while she hands the papers over. The young woman behind the counter looks the papers over and looks up at Jenner and Hal, she notices how young the girl is and that the boy is a few years older. She has concerns about the validity of the paperwork and what the girls' situation is. So she asks, “Miss Denning, why isn't your mother lodging these papers?”
Jenner gives a very weak smile, “Because she's sprawled out on the lounge at home dead drunk, her usual position at this time.”
The young woman looks up at the tone and words in Jenner's reply; she glances at Hal and starts checking her computer records. After a few minutes of checking files she says, “I really should have your mother here making or giving approval of these changes. But it's almost time for another home visit from a case worker. I've scheduled her to visit week after next, Wednesday at four p.m. I'll process these forms and put a hold on them for now. When the case worker's report comes in we'll make a final decision then.”
Jenner isn't happy with this, “Can't you approve it before then. The quicker this is done the sooner I've access to money to ensure I can buy food for Julie and I.” The young woman's eyes go a bit wider, this sure does sound like a bad case, but she's not sure she's getting the truth.
All during this there's been a bit of noise coming from the late twenties man a pace or so along the counter where another young woman is serving other clients. The noise goes up quite a bit as the man yells, “I don't care what your fucking rules are! I need that fucking money. So approve it now.” All turn to the shouting. The man is very agitated and is almost hopping about as he moves his weight from one foot to the other and back again. His right hand darts down to his trouser pocket and he pulls out a pistol. Hal sees this because he's right beside the man, but doubts anyone else can see the weapon due to their vision being blocked by the counter, Hal, and the man's body. It's clear major trouble is on hand.
Hal releases his hold on his cane as he moves a half pace towards the man and reaches across to grab the man's right wrist with his left hand. The gun is still pointed down as Hal grabs the wrist and pushes down, keeping his left arm straight. He reaches across with his right hand and grabs the man's throat. Hal says, “Be quiet and drop it.” The man struggles and keeps trying to raise his right hand with the gun. The staff member only sees Hal attacking this man; she responds by hitting the alarm button and telling Hal to let him go. Hal doesn't look at her; he keeps his eyes on the man as he says, “Call the police. This man has a pistol in his right hand and I'm stopping him from raising it.” This causes the burly male member of staff approaching Hal to stop and have a close look at their hands. He gulps, and backs away; as per the set procedures for these situations - always keep away from guns.
Jenner reaches across and takes Hal's mobile phone from his belt. She uses it to call the emergency services while everyone else just stands around watching or ducks for cover. By the time the call is over the office is almost empty of clients and most of the staff have also left the area; as per the departmental procedures. Hal and the man stand there staring at each other. The man tries to lift his right arm and can't, and tries to pry Hal's right hand from his throat with no success.
A minute or so after Jenner hangs up a siren approaches the area. Car tyres squeal, car doors slam. The automatic doors open, and two police officers race in. They stop just short of the pair. They approach with care while they assess the situation before them. On orders by the senior constable the policeman gets out his handcuffs and grabs the man's left hand. He places the cuffs on the wrist as he pulls it away from Hal's hand on his throat. He twists the arm behind the man's back as the policewoman drops to her knees and grabs the pistol. The hammer is already pulled back. She puts her thumb between the hammer and the body of the gun and twists the gun towards her and upwards. The pressure hurts the man's fingers and he finally lets go of the pistol. She moves back and away, holding the pistol as her partner reaches for the man's right wrist. Feeling the policeman take a good hold of the wrist Hal lets go and moves back too. The constable moves the hand behind the man's back and finishes handcuffing the prisoner.
The policewoman turns and smiles at Hal, “I see you've taken my advice this time, Hal. Thank you. I do so much prefer to be taking the bad guys to the station to lock them up instead of to the morgue.” This gets them both odd looks from those within hearing, which is about half of the office because it's dead quite. One of those who hears this is the young woman who'd been serving Jenner.
Hal smiles back, “Senior Constable Barnard, it was easy to take this one prisoner. He was close enough I could grab him. So he's alive.”
“That's good. He won't be a problem for a while. I know him, and he's in big trouble for having this on him,” she says while waving the pistol. Being reminded of it she takes care to lower the hammer and put the safety on, to make it safe to carry around.
“Hal, you should take more care in situations like this, since you seem to have an affinity for them. That gun was ready to fire and was pointed at your left foot. If it had gone off you could've got badly hurt.”
He laughs, “No, I couldn't. Yes, it would have been expensive. But there's nothing he could have done to hurt my left foot.” She gives him an odd look. “I've a prosthetic foot, I lost the original a few years back.”
“Oh. I knew you had a walking problem, but thought that was your knee, not the foot.”
“My walking issue is mostly the knee. If it was just the foot I could probably run a bit. The movement problem is the knee. In the incident where I lost the foot my knee was badly damaged too. Since the bits in between were still good they gave me a replacement knee and a fake foot. A few years of no trouble while using the knee and I should get about reasonably well. Since I got the replacement knee I've been in constant rehabilitation. I was just about OK when something happened to blow the first replacement. I was just up and about from that rebuild when we moved here. A little while ago I had to have it replaced again. I've been in rehab therapy for the knee since I lost the original just over three years back. With luck, I should be walking well just in time for Christmas.” She nods and takes out her notebook to get statements. Jenner's eyes go wider all through this. This is the first she's heard about his foot, and the most she's heard about his knee.
The woman serving Jenner gives him a very thorough look over as Jenner bends down and picks up his cane for him. She turns back to her computer and enters some codes. “Jenner, I've just approved those changes to happen now. I think the case worker will approve it after she visits you.”
Jenner smiles at her, “Thank you. With the next payment due next week I can be sure we'll have money for meals from now on.”
The young woman who'd been serving the man looks at the papers he gave her, and she puts them aside with a note while saying, “I don't thinks he'll be needing or qualifying for this loan now.”
The office staff start to go back into their normal routines. The police take several minutes to get statements from all involved and those close by, then leave - taking the man with them. Hal and Jenner leave as well.
A couple of blocks away, and around the corner on the main street, they meet up with Else returning from doing some shopping. She'd driven them down and got some things Mrs Smith wanted from a store near here, which is why they put the papers in today.
They return home and finish their work for the day. As they have their post work snack Hal tells them all about the events at Centrelink. Which requires some discussion and comments, especially when Jenner lets the cat out of the bag about the foot. Not even Greta knew his foot was a fake. They ask about it, and soon learn he doesn't like to talk about how he lost his foot and knee; and his family doesn't like talking about it without his approval, either. Liz takes them home soon after that.
All the kids are busy studying for exams due to start in a few weeks, especially the students in year ten. Mrs Smith smiles while she watches them go about their work in pairs or groups. While working they're always talking because they're checking each other on the material they expect to be examined on in the coming weeks.
The Monday of the last week of October Jenner sits down to have lunch with Hal and reaches for her half sandwich while saying, “Hal, I'm getting worried about Mum. I know she must be coming home for a while when we're at school, but I've not seen her for some weeks. We cleaned up the house, simply to be able to tell when she's around. I can tell when she's been because there are dirty clothes on the floor in her room she's left there. But she's not been around since sometime last week. What can I do?”
He gives her a long look before replying. “First, I need to know; do you wish advice on what the law says you should do, on what I think you should do, or on what I think you should do that's best for you and Julie? I ask, as they are not the same answers.”
“What's best for Julie and I?”
“OK, that's simple. This afternoon we'll get permission for you to put all your new stuff in the spare bedroom at our place. Also put most of your gear there so you can live there if you have to.” Her eyes go very wide. “Do you still have that new automatic teller machine card for your mother's bank account?” He gets a nod. “Checked the balance on it lately?”
“Yes. It's very good, a few thousand dollars. It's normally empty, but she's not taken anything out for some weeks. I can't understand that.”
“Hmm. OK. Starting today you'll get four hundred dollars out each day and put it into your bank account. Do that until you have the account down to only a few hundred dollars. Also put some into Julie's account. That way each of you will have some money of your own to call on if you need it. How are the bills paid?”
“No problem there. Money is taken out for the rent, the phone, the power, and the groceries before it goes into Mum's bank account. She only gets what's left. A social worker set that up some years back. She got a court order to do it and Mum has hated her since. I like it, as it means I don't have to worry about the bills. Why do you want us to get hold of the money?”
“I've no idea what your mother has been up to or where she is, but if she ends up in prison or the morgue you'll need some money while things get sorted. If the welfare people get involved at any point don't tell them about your own accounts. The records will show they exist, but they may miss them. You need to be ready to protect yourselves or to run, depending upon what the situation is.” She nods agreement and they move onto other subjects.
That afternoon the majority of Jenner's and Julie's things are moved into the spare bedroom at the Smith house with the approval and help of Mrs Smith.
Days move along as they always do; school, work, study, time with friends, and shopping. Most nights the two girls don't go home, but stay at the Smith house, going out, or to school, from there the next day.
The social worker did visit the house and speak to the girls. She was upset when the girls told her their mother had gone out drinking instead of staying to talk to her. She approves the requested changes and makes file notes about the mother's behaviour. Because there's no evidence of physical abuse, and the current departmental worries about adverse media reactions, she does nothing beyond noting Jenner is the one running the house and the girls are properly fed, clothed, and going to school while also looking after the house well.
The exams are held. Tempers are a bit short during this time, due to lack of sleep and other tension creators. Students stay up late to study and are busy studying when they can, fitting it in around their work and other set activities. Voluntary activities like dates and fun times are few during this period, and that adds to the troubles with tension and tempers. This is all much more so for the year ten students. The year twelve students have sat their exams and are finished for the year, the students in the other years are sitting their exams, but even those aren't as tension creating as the important end of year ones for the year ten students. Poor Greta can't understand the stress Hal is going through, but accepts it because she can see her sisters under the same stress.
All the exams are over by mid November and tensions are being released with fun times and parties. Jenner and Julie haven't seen their mother for nearly two months now, but have seen evidence of her visiting the house every now and then. They keep up with moving the money to their accounts. The only change to their living they make is to have all of the food supplied by the local supermarket delivered to the Smith residence, where they use it to cook their own meals. They now live there most of the time because they don't like being at their home without any adults around the house.
About this time the local service clubs announce a talent show. Hal and the girls decide to enter it, and put an act together for the show.
Life moves on with Jenner and Julie living with the Smiths and just checking their old house of an evening every few days.
Jenner and Julie are de facto members of the Smith family, but still won't take any obvious charity. Hal wants them to have mobile phones, something they've not had before and haven't missed, but he's missed not being able to contact them. He buys Jo and himself new top of the line mobile phones and they give the girls their two old ones. Julie and Jenner don't see this as charity because none of the companies give you a refund for your old phones; so you just throw them away or give them away. In this case they're given away with a small amount of prepaid hours and it's up to the girls to recharge the phones as needed. They don't mind that they have old phones, as they're just glad to have some mobile phones at all. Life is much easier by being in quick contact with each other and friends.
By the last week of November Jenner and Julie have nothing they want in their old house. There are things and clothes still there, but nothing of value, no clothes that fit any more because they've grown, and nothing they care about or want. The last evidence of their mother having visited was in the first week of November, and they still have no idea of where she is or what she's doing the rest of the time.
Hal no longer needs his cane to get about, thanks to lots of good therapy, but he still takes it with him because he finds it's good to stop him falling over if he stumbles on anything. He can walk at almost normal speed now, but not while carrying anything more than a couple of kilograms. He no longer has to sit and wait when they go shopping, they slow a bit and he walks as fast as he can, so all are much happier. The new polymer knee and the surgery seems to have responded to therapy better than the last one.
The last Thursday of November Hal is asked to check on something at the house Mrs Denning rents. Liz picks him up from school and takes him over in The Beast, as she has the afternoon off. When they reach the house they see a car is parked in front of it and another car is parked down the road. Both are unusual items because the cars don't fit in. This area is all Housing Commission homes and few of the residents have cars; those who do have either old family cars or new sports cars. Two year old family sedans with black windows don't fit any of the types common to the area, but The Beast does. At Hal's request Liz pulls over and parks a couple of doors down the street from the Denning house.
Hal gets out and walks up the path to the house two down from where he wishes to go. There's no answer when he knocks; it appears no one is at home, typical for this area. Hal gets out the mini-tool he carries with him, this is like a pocket knife but has no sharp edges. He opens up the screwdriver blade and slips it between the door and the jamb. A little pressure while he levers the two apart and the door pops open. He walks in, shutting the door behind him. He's surprised to see a man lying on the lounge. A quick check shows he's OK, just dead drunk and asleep. Hal walks through the house and out the back door.
He crosses the yard to the fence; well, what's left of it. Few houses in this block have any fences between the houses, none allowed in the front yards by the council rules and the wooden backyard fences have gone to fires many years ago. The Housing Commission has given up on replacing them because they vanish faster than they can have them built, the stacks of wood are stolen overnight. It takes only a moment or so for Hal to be in the backyard of the Denning house.
He walks up to the back door and lets himself in because he has the key to both doors from Jenner. He takes care while he sneaks through the kitchen, the door is open and he can hear talking in the lounge room. One man says, “You got the gear the bitch wants?”
“Yeah, it was just where she said it was. The place looks very tidy for two girls to live in by themselves, are you sure they still live here?”
Hal can just see the outlines of the two men on the lounge chairs as they talk, but he can't see their faces. He doesn't like the sound of what they're saying. He smiles at it though. He takes out his phone and points it at the men. This phone has facility for extra memory cards and he put a 128 GB card in, that's the largest it takes, so he doesn't have to think about checking storage for a long time. It records images as still pictures, video, or acts as a sound recorder. He records their talk.
“The boss is. The official address is still here. Mail coming here still reaches them. The case worker has recently interviewed them here. There are clothes and gear in the rooms the bitch recognises as theirs when she's been here. So they must live here.”
“Then how come no one who watches the house sees them come or go. Hell, I was here before dawn the other day and they never came out to go to school. But they were at school later, as I saw them getting on the bus to come back. But they never got off at the stop near here.”
“They probably walked over after getting off at another stop and visiting with another kid they know and came in the back.”
“According to the bitch they don't know anyone at all. How long do you think the boss will wait to try and get them from here?”
“Do I look like a mind reader? I've no idea how long he's prepared to wait to grab the girls here. But he sure doesn't want to grab them at school and he can't grab them on the bus. So what other options does he have? If you don't like the job, go complain to him.”
“No, I think I'll just continue to do as told just so I can continue to go on breathing. Anyway, we're sure getting a lot of extra info from what we're learning about the other kids in the area. So he may give up on these two and gets some of the others as merchandise.”
“That I doubt. A lot in the business are now inside, but the boss ain't. And the one thing he does they didn't do is to make sure there's no one who'll complain when the merchandise is taken for training and sale. If they aren't back by dark we'll leave, as usual.”
Hal has their talk recorded, he hopes. He's got no way of knowing how well the recording went, at the moment. He waits several more minutes, but learns nothing useful. Thinking he won't learn anything more he makes his way back outside, locks the door, and goes back through the yards to the house he entered earlier. He walks up the side of the house to The Beast and gets into the car.
When they drive off down the road he gets out his wallet and looks at a business card he has in it. Smiling, he calls the number on it. The number is answered and he speaks to the person while he organises to meet them at his home in about thirty or forty minutes.
On arriving back at home Hal gets a tray of biscuits and tarts ready, as well as putting the kettle on to boil. His mother asks what he's up to and he promises to explain soon. About twenty minutes after he gets home the doorbell rings. His mother answers the door and brings Hal's two guests through to the kitchen, he chose that as the place for the meeting because it's so informal and non-threatening.
Turning to face his mother he says, “Mother, please have everyone gather here as there's something important they all need to know.” She gives the two guests a quick glance, and nods. A few minutes later the whole gang is gathered around the table with a drink and something to eat; Mrs Smith, Jo, Liz, Greta, Freda, Else, Jenner, Julie, Senior Constable Barnard, Constable Crowe (Barnard's work partner), and Hal.
He gives them all a weak smile, “You all need to know that it isn't safe for any of you girls to go near the Denning house and the police need to organise an investigation at the house. This afternoon, when I went to collect some things from the house for Jenner, I found some men watching the house with more inside waiting for Jenner and Julie.” He glances at the shocked look on the girls' faces. “From what they said it was clear they'd been trying to kidnap you girls for some time.” He pulls out his phone and sets the recording to play. It isn't a real great recording as such things go, but the words said are clear enough to be understood by all the listeners with the voices fairly clear. Many faces go pale as the conversation goes on.
After the recording finishes Hal says, “From what's said it's clear they're part of an organisation to kidnap children and they've some sort of control or hold on Missus Denning. They also have the resources to check official records with Centrelink and the school. This is what worries me about a police investigation. I trust these two officers, due to previous contacts, but don't know any others. I'd like to have Senior Constable Barnard contact someone she knows and trusts who's high enough up to investigate this with safety, or to contact someone who can contact someone. However this is done, it has to be a clear chain of trust and not authority or responsibility. I'll give you a copy of the recording, but I don't want anyone to know where you got it or where the girls are, OK?” The policewoman nods agreement because she can tell his concern is for the safety of the others present. She thinks on how she can have this put before a suitable officer without saying anything about the source. She does know who to speak to first, but getting to him; well, that's another issue and may be a bit hard to arrange.
They discuss the matter at length, and the two police officers leave. Hal hands over a set of the house keys and some papers when they go. The rest of them talk about how they're going to deal with security of the two girls to see they remain safe while the investigation happens.
While driving away from the house Senior Constable Barnard has a talk with her partner to ensure he says nothing about this to anyone as she has an avenue of approach to use to initiate an investigation. He nods his agreement because he knows this is way out of his depth and he doesn't want to drown in it.
When they break for an early evening meal Barnard has them stop at a takeaway restaurant with some public phones nearby. Crowe orders and collects the food for them both, her shout. He understands she wants some privacy for a phone call, so he keeps well back when he returns with the food. Barnard has some difficulty in getting through to the person she wishes to contact because she has no official reason to call him and isn't giving her name. She has no reason to know him that's known by others. But after some trouble and delays she does make contact and sets up a time for him to meet with her later tonight after her shift finishes, it'll take him that long to travel to the city.
Senior Constable Barnard's shift finishes at 11.00 p.m., she has to do some paperwork, sign off, shower, change, and sign out. It's just on midnight by the time she leaves the police station and gets in her car. She goes home and borrows the motorcycle of her friend who lives in the flat next to hers. They've an arrangement about this and have keys to each other's flats. She just goes in to swap her car keys for the bike keys and grabs the helmet. A quick change to clothes more suited to riding a motorbike and back downstairs. She starts up the motorcycle and heads out, keeping an eye out for anyone who may be following her. About half an hour later she pulls up at a very busy truck stop on the edge of town; it's half way to the regional airport just out of town.
She parks the bike to the side and goes into the eatery attached to the truck stop. When she orders her meal she looks around the place, and spots the man she's come to see sitting in a corner where he can watch all who enter the place. Her toasted sandwiches and salad are soon ready, so she takes her food and drink over to the man's table.
He looks up at her, officially they never met and never had a reason to meet; but he knows her because they met twice, and neither meeting ever happened; they couldn't happen. With a smile, he waves the young policewoman who saved his daughter's life in an unofficial action to sit down. “OK, now what's so important you need to immediately speak with me in private at a meeting that can never happen?”
She smiles back, “This can never happen because we can't have any record of how this information came to us and it needs to get to you. So I have to give it to you and let you find a source for it. But I think you'll just love to have it.” His eyes go wide while he waves for her to go on. “I've got a voice recording that was made by a citizen. It's making is of doubtful legality, but we can get around that by using it to start an investigation and go with what we legally find. I think I know one of the voices on the recording; and if I'm right, I'm about to make you very happy. This was recorded this afternoon about three thirty in a house here in the city, I have the address.” She hands him a MP3 player with a copy of the conversation Hal recorded earlier. He plugs in the ear buds and turns the recording on. His eyes go wide, and so does his smile as the conversation plays out to his ears.
The recording ends, he puts the ear buds and player down. “Yes, I think I know one of those voices, and I don't like the subject material of their discussion.”
“Neither do I, nor does the person who recorded it.” She hands over a slip of paper, “This is the address and the names of the woman and girls the two men are talking about. The woman hasn't been seen by her family for many days and the two girls are residing elsewhere for the moment. There's no one at the house who should be there and the girls have no plans to go near it until after I tell them they can. So you can do what you like there because they don't care. They've nothing of value there, either.” She hands over the keys to the front and back door she got from Hal when she asked him for them. She also hands over another slip of paper. “This is a written approval from a resident for the police to enter the house to check it out and use it as the police sees fit, and a request to look after it for them.”
He smiles, “So we don't even have to get a court order to enter or set up in the house!” She nods. “Sweet, you've really covered all the bases for us, thank you.”
“Be very careful with this. From what's said we know these people have links into the local or national Centrelink system. I strongly suspect they have someone in the local police service too. No one here knows about this except my partner and I. I've come direct to you. If that's who I think it is, one or more of your squads will have to deal with it, and if we get lucky we can clean up a large nest of very bad two legged snakes. The source is a good type who's helped us out a few times in the past and I trust them. But they do not want their name or family to be linked with this while there's any chance of any danger to anyone. So I'm not going to tell you the source, and I want you to promise to keep away from the girls involved until you need them in court to justify access to the house. OK?”
He nods. “You've got it. Now I have to see about getting people into the house without being seen, which will be hard because they have it under a close watch already.”
“I'm told that there are no fences in that neighbourhood. All torn down. Just be careful as you walk through from the next street and in the back door. That's how the source got in to get the recording today. Although, from what's said, they may start to watch the back soon; so a night entry may be better. You need to look into it and work that out.”
“OK, we can handle that side, somehow. After all, we should do some of our own homework. Thank you for this, if this pans out I'll owe you and the source big time, very big time. This is the best chance we'll have to get this lot because we're getting in without their spies amongst the locals or the courts knowing anything until we're near the end, if all works well. If, no; when this goes down properly a lot of us at State Crime Command will be very happy. I hope you've done everything you need to do to be ready for a promotion because you'll probably get one as part of the fall out.”
She grins, “That's not what I was after, and I think you know it. But I won't say no. Especially if I can stay in this area afterwards.”
He nods while he stands up to leave. He pulls out and hands her a few of his business cards with his direct line on it. She smiles as he goes out by a side entrance few know exists. He took a very big risk to come down to see her without his security detail. He's one of the most senior police offices in the force and has a large bounty on him from several major crime figures who'd like to see him dead before he gets what's needed to put them behind bars, and she may have just given him the key to get one of the worst of the lot. She finishes her meal and leaves, heading home. She knows it'll be weeks, or months, before she learns the outcomes of this meeting because nothing will be made public until he's ready to make all the arrests. But she knows the matter will be followed through with all the resources he has available to see it properly investigated and dealt with.
Senior Constable Barnard goes home and goes to bed with a sense of having really accomplished something worthwhile today. A feeling she doesn't always have after a day's work, but well worth it when she can.
The month opens as usual with all the teens studying, working, and having their usual fun; with swimming and other summer activities on the agenda as well. The school work is now aimed at next year's studies with a change of text books and emphasis, as per the curriculum. Hal is still with Greta in the elective cooking class, but how that goes next year will depend on the new class schedules. Those are being worked on by the staff and won't be available until just before they break up for the year; even then they'll only be tentative schedules to be confirmed in late January when the school is more sure of staff and student numbers.
Everyone connected with the Smith family is careful about who they speak to about Jenner and Julie, and the girls are very careful when they leave or return to the house. A few times they notice some people in cars near the school watching the students come and go. They also see a few men watching them when out shopping, so they make a point of always staying in a group - often one with an adult in it.
An interesting aspect is when the school reports suspicious looking men hanging out around the school there are times the men leave soon after the report is made. Even the school administration staff see this odd correlation after the first few times it happens, and it has them wondering what's going on. Hal isn't always aware of it, but he does make a note of the dates and times of when he's aware of it happening.
All the teens are out shopping in the mall on the second Saturday of the month. They arrive in two groups because they can't all fit in the car at one time. Liz drops Hal, Greta, Jenner, and Julie off and goes back for Freda, Else, and Jo. All of them had been having a morning swim at the Smith residence before going shopping, and Liz sets off with the first four that are ready to go. They decide to do a bit of shopping in two groups, at first, so they can buy presents for the others and they'll meet in the food hall at twelve thirty for lunch. Hal still walks with a slight limp, and always carries his cane just in case he slips on something.
Hal's cane is an alloy one that clips together in sections so the cane length is very easy to adjust to suit people. The handle is one unit like an odd 'T' and the rest of it's interlocking 40 mm wide by 150 mm units and the last one has a rubber tip capable of micro adjustment, as the tip unit screws in and out by small amounts then locks. Adjustments are made by units being put in or taken out, and there are part size units too. The locking system for the connecting parts is two spring loaded knobs that pop out into the frame of the unit below. For strength and stability each unit is solid metal, except for the top where the angle shaped section of the unit above slides in and locks into place. This way the weight is transferred through the metal body and not the locking clips. To ensure the locked units don't turn in place the join section is a narrowing triangle shape. This design is to provide maximum stability. It has the unintended result of having the joiner unit being a 50 mm triangle shaped spike with a flat end of 10 mm on each side and spring loaded pop outs on two of the sides near the base - they're on opposite sides. The connections are solid and safe, but quick to open.
Soon after the first team enters the mall they head down one of the short side sections where a few small speciality stores are, these shops are good for finding novelty items and other oddities. They do find a few items for presents in two of the five shops in this little mall side alley. As they leave the last shop two men in suits approach the group, and Hal doesn't like the look of them. He can't put his finger on why he doesn't like them, but there's just something about them that sets off his alarm bells. He grips his cane tighter when they approach the group.
One man flashes a wallet when he points at Jenner and Julie while he says, “Child Welfare Service. You two are coming with us.” The girls step back in surprise and fright.
Hal is thinking fast while he steps forward, “Let's have a good slow look at that ID, and I have to see your friend's as well.”
The man makes no attempt to show the ID again while he moves towards the girls. “This is none of your affair. Out of my way.”
“You're wrong there. These girls are in my care as per a federal court order from the Family Court. That overrides anything from the state welfare authorities. So show those IDs for me to note who I have to get arrested for contempt of court.” He has no expression as he lies to them.
Both men look shocked when they stop and stand still for a moment. The girls are also shocked by what Hal is saying, but they hide it better. Now that they're closer Hal makes a very thorough examination of the men, and notices a bulge under their left arms. He figures they have handguns in shoulder holsters under their coats, so they can't be legal.
The front man had dropped his ID wallet in his left side coat pocket when he flashed it before. Now he uses his right hand to reach inside his coat while he says, “OK, I'll show you my ID.”
Hal doesn't like the way he says it, nor the way his partner moves to the side. Hal is holding tight to his cane with both hands. The handle is in his right hand and his left hand is just below it. Almost of their own volition, without any real thought by him, Hal's hands unlock the 'T' handle from the top of the cane and he pulls it free. He's holding it with his hand around the handle and the downward section is sticking out between the middle fingers of his right hand when he pulls the cane apart. He calls out, “Girls, run, they've got guns.”
The men are blocking the way back to the main part of the mall, but the way to an emergency exit at the end of this alley is open. The girls turn and sprint for the exit while Hal moves towards the men with the intent of delaying their chase of the girls. As he moves towards the men their hands stop moving inside the coats and start to come back out. Hal's right hand moves to his side and is starting to move forwards in a punching motion towards the nearest man's chest. At this point Hal's left leg is a little forward and he's side on to the man
Just when Hal's right hand flashes across the front of his chest and he turns to put his weight behind the blow while pivoting on his left leg he hears one of the girls scream while the alarm attached to the door goes off. He's very concerned about what's happening there, but has to deal with these two first, so he concentrates on putting them out of action and being very fast while he does that.
The triangular metal rod sticking out between Hal's fingers isn't long enough to penetrate more than about 30 mm or 40 mm into the man's chest. But it's long enough to break his ribs when it hits just above his heart. The force of Hal's strike is hard enough to force that section of the man's ribcage to collapse and close back into the chest. The rib broken by the cane handle is pushed back and into the man's heart. His eyes go very wide and his body shivers with pain when the broken bone tears his heart apart. It'll be a few minutes before full death overtakes him, but he's dead. There's no way he can survive the damage done. He starts to collapse in great agony while Hal pulls his hand back.
Seeing his first target grimace in pain when he starts to fall Hal thinks what he felt when he struck is the man's ribs breaking, but he has no idea of the further extent of his injuries. He's now very concerned about the second man because he has his gun out and is swinging it around to point it at Hal. With the adrenalin filling his blood stream, due to his fear for the girls and himself, he has no idea of his strength when he swings his left hand around as hard and fast as he can.
His arms and upper body are much stronger than normal for a boy his size and build, due to the constant need to use his arms to replace or supplement his legs during his therapy for his left leg. So, when the extra strength of the adrenalin is added, Hal's arm strength is several times more than what one would expect from someone his size and build. The result is the cane hits the man on the side of the head hard enough to smash the side of his skull in while the cane bends. Broken bone pierces the man's brain and he drops down dead.
Hal just shrugs as he glances at the blood on the side of his cane while he turns to see what the problem is with the girls. He sees two more men struggling with Jenner and Julie while being kicked by Greta and a third is sitting on his arse on the ground nursing a sore arm and a bloody nose. They're several paces away and the men with the girls are already turning to leave with them. Hal realises he can't deal with three men at once, and he thinks hard on how to get the girls free.
His subconscious mind is working much faster than his conscious mind. Before he even realises he's made a decision the two parts of the cane are falling to the floor as Hal drops to the floor and grabs the pistol lying on the floor beside the first man he hit. He's never handled a real pistol before, but has held and used toy ones and the ones they have at some of the fair sideshows to fire pellets. From the films he knows to look for and recognise a safety, so he pushes that to the position with the red dot. He raises the pistol and aims the way he was taught to fire the guns at the funfairs. He uses both hands to hold the gun steady as he aims at the top of the man's head; he has no wish to accidentally hit Jenner. He says a quick silent prayer while he squeezes the trigger.
The sound of the gunshot echoes through the hall and gets the full attention of everyone except the man holding onto Jenner. He's not interested because the centre of his face folds in on itself and is now very red with blood. He lets Jenner go and falls backwards. The sound also covers the noise made by mall security staff running to the fight.
The man holding Julie looks up at Hal just as he finishes lining up on his face. The man gulps, lets Julie go, and raises his hands above his head. Julie steps back and kicks him in the balls very hard. He grunts, and collapses while his hands go to his very sore groin. Within a few seconds he's lying on the ground beside the man with the bloody nose.
Four mall security staff race down the hall and around the curve to where the trouble is near the emergency entrance. This is not a normal exit door and they're responding to someone opening the door without approval. It's fitted with an alarm and it went off, the nearest guards heard it and came running, as did two more sent by the security control centre supervisor because they were close to the door too.
They take in the scene and the senior member approaches Hal. Greta can see the concern on Hal's face because he hears footsteps behind him while he has two known problems in front. “Mall security are coming up behind you, Hal,” she says to reassure him. “Things are OK now.”
“No, they aren't. Not until the police get here, they handcuff these two, and take them away under arrest. Then things will be better, but they won't be OK.” He stops to take a breath. “Whoever is in charge of the security, please be aware I took this gun off one of the kidnappers. I have very good reason to believe they're all armed. So I've no intention of handing this over to anyone except the police when they arrive. You do what you feel you have to do to meet your obligations while I meet my obligations to my friends. I also think I'll need a bucket to throw up in when the adrenalin wears off. But I don't think that'll be until after the police arrive.”
One of the guards gives a few quiet commands to the others, and says, “OK. We're not armed and I'd rather not get any further involved than we have to. I'll put a call in for the police.” He speaks into his radio to the control centre.
“Girls, please keep close to the wall and out of my line of fire to the men while you walk back here in single file. Greta, get out my wallet. In the notes area is a business card for the police. Get that out and call the number on it, please. Ask the woman who answers to come here now. Explain about the kidnapping if you have to.” The girls move back to beside Hal and Greta makes the call after getting his wallet out.
Hanging up from the call Greta says, “Senior Constable Barnard is on her way here. She said another car got the original call, but she won't be far behind it.”
“Thank you. Now we just sit and wait for the police to arrive.”
Some mall security men approach the area from outside and seal the area off from casual spectators while those who already responded to the trouble have done the same thing inside the mall. All sit and wait or stand and wait, depending on their position.
Two police officers arrive and are brought to the scene by one of the mall security staff. They go back and bring their car up to the outside entrance. One gulps and one smiles while they take in the scene.
The police look at a ring of mall security keeping the scene clear, two injured men sitting on the ground, one dead man on the ground, and a teenager with a gun pointed at the two men on the ground while sitting beside two dead men and a group of girls who look very scared and worried. The teen with the gun looks like he's just barely hanging onto control of himself and his last meal.
On seeing the police Hal says, “As soon as you handcuff and disarm those two armed kidnappers I'll put the safety on and drop this in an evidence bag for you. I've seen enough police shows to know you want to minimise who handles it.” The older officer smiles and nods. The cops approach one of the men each, coming from behind and the side. In a moment both the men are secured and their guns removed from the shoulder holsters they have. Seeing they're under control Hal lowers the pistol and puts the safety back on.
The moment Hal puts the gun down one of the men says, “You lot are in deep shit. You killed an armed security guard doing his duty. Now let us go.” The younger policeman looks worried while the older looks concerned while he speaks on his radio.
Hal glares at the man, “You better hope they don't let you go while I'm around. You grabbed and tried to kidnap my friends without any reason or warning. You're armed. In my book that makes you armed kidnappers. If the police go to release you here I'll simply blow you away as soon as they remove the cuffs.” One of the men thinks he's bluffing, and laughs; while the other is sure he's not bluffing.
“Officer, in my coat pocket is my identification and weapons licence. Take it out and check it, then let me go.” The older officer approaches the man and finds an identity wallet in his inside coat pocket. He opens it and reads it, then turns to his radio, reading out the details over the radio. He gets an answer and gives Hal a very concerned look.
The officer is looking at Hal while he says, “This says he's an armed security guard and licensed to carry a hand gun. I can't keep him.”
Hal raises the pistol again, “He may be licensed to carry a gun, and he may be listed as a security guard, but he grabbed my friend without any reason and tried to make off with her. That's kidnapping. It doesn't matter what else he is, at this moment he's an armed kidnapper. You release him I'll blow him away and we can then argue this out in the Coroner's Court.”
The policeman is about to speak again when another police car drives up and stops. He smiles when Senior Constable Barnard opens the door of the car, he can now hand this over to someone senior to him. He walks over and speaks to Barnard while she gets out of the car. He shows her the wallet and explains the situation. She looks at the wallet and has very close look at the ID. She walks over and examines the man the ID belongs to.
With a huge smile she says, “Is your name Alfred Roberts?” The man nods. “Is that your legal name?” Another nod, with a strange look to her added. “You're sure and you have other papers to prove this?” The man nods again. “Then, Mister Alfred Roberts, you're under arrest for attempted murder, breach of bail, and for giving false information to the police in the investigation of a felony. Other charges may be added after the matter here is investigated.” All present give her strange looks while she proceeds to read him his rights.
The man splutters and asks, “What's that all about?”
“You may not remember me, Mister Alfred Roberts, but I remember you. I arrested you and questioned you about the attempted murder of a couple of young men in Sydney three years ago. Then you gave your name as Albert Reid. So either you lied then or you're lying now or you lied both times. Either way, you're under arrest for the old charges, so you aren't going anywhere. I'll also be having a very close check of all your friends here too.” He gulps when she smiles at him. She soon has everything under control and she calls for the scene of crime team to go over the scene while she takes statements from all those involved.
By the time she has everything she needs the two live attackers are off to the station with orders to keep them locked up until a positive identification has been made and all other police forces have responded about wanting either man based on a fingerprint check. The dead are on their way to the morgue with the fingerprints and DNA samples of all the men on their way for a thorough check as well.
During the discussion of events Hal mentions something about the men didn't seem right. Barnard laughs, saying, “Nothing was right. For a start, no one on the Child Welfare Services staff can afford clothes of that quality. Over ninety percent of their staff are female and all their field teams have a minimum of one female on them. Anyway, the Child Welfare Services staff almost never work on a weekend, and then it's only in an extreme case where the police or hospital staff have called them in. So it was bogus from the start.”
“I wish I'd known all that at the start. Then they wouldn't have got so close,” Hal laments. “Oh well, we know now. But won't the people they work for be concerned now?”
“Yes, and that's good. They'll have to stop to reassess the situation. But a lot will depend on egos now. A smart man will see it as too much trouble and forget them. But I think a few powerful people now have their reputations tied too close to getting these girls. We can only wait and see what happens. But the action is now theirs and not ours.”
Once the police are finished no one feels like shopping again, so they head off home after making some special arrangements with Hal and Barnard. The other two police officers take Jenner and Julie home, walking them to their front door and seeing them inside. But only after Hal has left and taken a taxi to their house, entering via the next street and the back door. He checks, but there's no one in the house when he arrives. He calls Jenner and they leave the mall, arriving home soon afterwards. Just as the police are climbing back into their car Hal and the girls are locking the back door behind them and headed to the next street where Hal's taxi is waiting for them. They get in and the teens slide down the seats so they won't be seen. The driver is the father of a friend of Hal's and understands he has to make it look like he's empty.
A few minutes later he drops them off at Hal's place and gets a big tip for his trouble. That makes him very happy. Hal and the girls go inside, change, and go to rest in the pool, as they feel the need to relax.
In a house near the Denning residence a group of police officers watch the monitors of the many security cameras they've set around the house. They get ready to take action when Hal enters and are about to move when the girls enter, but what they hear the teens say has them settling down again. They smile while they watch the police car leave. A moment later a mini-van pulls up and four men get out. Cameras are zoomed in to get good close up photos of these men because three are new faces to the team of watchers. The men enter the house using a key. They're very puzzled when they can't find the girls there, and their conversation shows how puzzled, confused, and worried they are.
One of the invaders says, “What sort of fucking mess is this? One moment were told we can get ready to pull out as another team is about to take them at the mall! Next they arrive here in a police car. Now they've done a disappearing act again. Joe, have you been able to talk to anyone on the mall team again?” He gets a negative answer. “Pete, call in what we've seen and see what they want us to do.” They soon get orders to stay and watch the house, so they leave the house for the van.
While the teens are getting safely organised Barnard and a couple of detectives are giving the two men a very thorough questioning. The routine checks on all the men shows them to be licensed armed security guards for the same company. Neither of the living men can explain why they were at the mall, nor can they say what they were up to there. Also, to add to their worries, checks of their fingerprints are starting to come back in and all show records under other names. None of them should be working for a security company, let alone as armed guards. The fingerprints of the five from the mall don't match those in the database as filed with the security guard applications, although the photos do. This starts a detailed check into the records of all the guards employed by that company, and all their guards are being visited by police to have them brought in and their fingerprints checked against the ones in the database from those lodged with their applications. That may have some interesting results by the time they're finished.
About three hours after leaving the mall the police really start investigating the security company Roberts and his friends work for. The police have done a physical check of the fingerprints of the guards against their applications. Because the company is active in six cities this takes some effort to organise state-wide. Thirteen of the first eighteen guards checked in this city are arrested for false applications and are awaiting more checks and interviews, as are another fifty-three across the state. Moves are being started to cancel all the licences of all the guards for that company, pending a confirmation and reprocessing of their applications. An investigation into who did process the original applications is also being started at the police headquarters in Sydney.
Over the next two weeks a total of one hundred and forty-seven wanted criminals are found working as armed guards for that security company. Another sixty-three people who've been to prison and aren't allowed to work in that industry are identified as well. The company loses all its licenses and accreditations. Also five office people who process the guard applications are suspended pending the results of further investigations into the processing of the applications from that company. Other police teams start to investigate the activities of some of the companies the security company provides services for because a close check of them caused by looking into the guards makes the police very suspicious of them. A lot of senior police officers who are involved in dealing with organised crime groups are very happy with the results, so far, from the mall incident. A few not so senior police officers are looking very worried; that sparks concerns by others and starts more investigations. The ripples go wider as results come back, and many more investigations are started.
The man behind the attempt to kidnap the girls isn't happy when he learns of what happened, but not until the day after the event. There's a delay because the two people he has contact with inside the local police force were both off on Saturday, so they don't find out about it until it's mentioned in lunchtime gossip on the Sunday when one hears of it. The other's back on duty on Monday, and they confirm what's known when they delve into the police computer system to find out about the people involved in the incident at the mall.
Unknown to the people looking into the incident Senior Constable Barnard doesn't enter the correct names of the teens involved into the police database. The real names are in her notebook, but not in the report handed in or the computer copy. She makes a phone call to her non-friend in Sydney and has some fake names given her. False files are put in the system in Sydney and they have special tags attached to track whoever accesses those files. The file on the report is also tagged to record whoever accesses it. There are windfalls all over the place as a result of the botched kidnapping attempt, thanks to Hal stopping them.
When Hal decided to keep using the cane he went to the company he rented it from and bought it. So he goes back to purchase two cane units to replace the two that got bent in the incident. They're surprised they got bent, as they hadn't been able to bend them except by using mechanical means. While they install the two replacement units, a quick and simple process, they ask about how he damaged it. Hal replies, “An armed man was attacking me. So I hit him on the side of the head with it. I was very frightened at the time and hit harder than I intended. I busted his skull open and killed him. It was a bit messy.” The attendant gulps, and is careful to put on gloves before picking up the bent items. They're sending them back to the manufacturer to see if they can be straightened. If they can, Hal will keep them as replacements for any future needs. If not repairable, they can be melted down and recycled.
Hal spends a lot of Sunday hanging out with the girls and getting plenty of rest and comfort cuddles while he regains his mental balance. He accepts the deaths had to occur to save the girls, but they still have an effect on him, and he needs their love and comfort to help him get through the emotional shock involved with the deaths.
The story of the attack in the mall and Hal's actions gets around the school very fast on the following Monday. When added to the events in B Block it makes him very much the most sought after celebrity in the school for the rest of the year, because he's their local real life hero now.
Soon after this Hal goes out and buys a seven seater Toyota Tarago Ultima V6 van in Ebony to carry seven of them in comfort, any others can use the Subaru. He calls the Toyota The Big Beast of Black Beauty.
About a week after the attempt in the mall Mrs Smith notices people are watching her house. She knows not being aware of such things can be dangerous, so she lets residents and those who regularly visit know about it. Hal calls Barnard and tells her about it, and she passes it on to her friend from Sydney. The next day the Smiths notice another group of watchers further up the street watching the first watchers. None are happy with the situation, but accept there's little they can do about it.
Hal does wonder why these people are watching his house because his name isn't known to anyone. No one can come up with a reason for this. Later they find out one of the bad guys watching the mall heard a couple of the other kids from school talking about the fight in the mall and how Hal had taken the bad guys down. So they started checking him out on general principle because they can't find the girls.
One Tuesday evening Hal is thinking about the watchers when he realises one of his regular habits must be making it hard for the people after Jenner and Julie to know where they are, despite watching the house. The windows of The Beasts are as heavily tinted as is allowed by law. That was done to reduce heat in the vehicles and it adds to the look of the cars, too. It also has the extra benefit of making it very hard for anyone to identify who is in the vehicle when it's driving around town. For his own convenience Hal has the cars parked in the garage in the spots closest to the door to the house so he can get in and out with ease. The usual process is to get in the car before opening the garage door, simply because the remote door openers are kept in the cars. So the car usually just backs out, spins around in the wide driveway, goes down the drive, and off along the street. Hal is usually in the front passenger seat with Liz, Freda, or Else driving; sometime Hal drives because he's turned seventeen and has his license. He doesn't like driving, so he often has one of the others do the driving. The results of this is when one of The Beasts goes out with Jenner or Julie in the car the girls are sitting in the back seat and are hard to see as anything more than an unrecognisable blob of a head. This is an unplanned security measure, and Hal now realises how useful it is at keeping the bad guys guessing.
The first Saturday night after the end of school for the year is the fund raiser talent show hosted by the local service clubs for several local cancer charities. Some shopping vouchers are donated for gifts to be given out for awards in several categories and some special prizes. The funds raised come from the ten dollars entry fees and tickets sales for the show. Entry is limited to kids at school, as a way of encouraging young talent to continue with their education.
The original show was intended to run for about three or four hours with a short break in the middle, but there aren't enough entries to justify the ticket prices needed to make the show worth while. After a few requests for new category for group performances they add the 'Concert' category and end up with a nearly five hour show. In this new category the entrant person or group performs an act that last between twenty to sixty minutes. Prior to this being added the acts were all for between three to eight minutes each.
The preliminary performances only see a couple of acts knocked out for very poor quality performance, but they're encouraged and given useful advice on how to improve their acts; also half their entry fee is refunded. One unexpected outcome is all the single performance acts are younger children under fourteen years of age while the concert acts are nearly all students from fifteen years old and up because the few school seniors who enter are all entered in the concert category.
The night of the concert is well attended, starting at six thirty and not expected to finish before eleven thirty that night. It's not standing room only, simply because the organisers won't have people standing around that long. The hall is booked out with all seats sold. The single number acts finish just after eight thirty. The Master of Ceremonies walks out on stage and announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, we will now have a break for about twenty minutes while the judges take time to decide the winners from the single performer acts. While they do that, please get up and walk around. Drinks and snacks are available in the foyer if you're a bit thirsty or hungry. The show will restart in twenty minutes, we'll give you a few minutes warning before it does.”
Everyone starts to stand up so they can move around a bit. The MC is walking off the stage when a young female voice comes over the public address system, “Why don't you tell them the truth, George. We want you to go out and guzzle down those drinks and gorge yourselves on the snacks because we got them free and we'll make a mint as extra donations for the charities. But more importantly, if you eat and drink them all we don't get stuck with having to pack them up later.” Many people laugh while they head out the several exits to visit the rest rooms and the foyer or just step out for fresh air or a cigarette.
Nearly twenty minutes later a warning chime is played to let people know it's time they should be heading back to their seats. When the people move back to the main part of the hall the woman in charge of the food and drinks turns to the main organiser, “Harry, I've done fund raiser shows here to a crowd like this a dozen or so times before, most with more people than today because the council removed the front row of seats earlier this year. We catered tonight based on previous sales and had our usual twenty percent overstock, but we sold out of everything. That's never happened before, do you know why?”
Harry smiles, “Joyce, just as they broke George did his usual bit about the food and drink. A girl then said something about the food and drink sales going to the charities as well and they don't want to have to pack it up later as being the real reason for the break. I think many people bought more food and drink than before, due to them knowing this was all charity income and not someone's private profit. They should have known it was, but we've never told them in the past, so I guess they just assumed it was a private operation for profit.”
“Well, I don't care what the reason is, I'm glad we sold out and we've got more money to distribute to the charities, because they need it.” Both smile while they go on tidying up the area so they can pack up and leave it as clean as when they arrived.
It takes a few minutes for everyone to get back into the hall and return to their seats. The hall lights are on, but the stage curtains are closed and the lights for the stage area are off.
George, the MC, comes back on the stage as the last of the audience take their seats and the hall lights dim. They don't go off, but they're turned down low. It's still possible to see around the hall. A spotlight hits George and he says, “The first act in the concert group asked I tell you not to complain about the music because that's being provided to us by our local music expert 'The Karaoke Krazy Man.' There will be one exception where a single guitar will be the support music. This act will provide the vocals and other human activities. I give you Hal and the Poor Girls.” He starts to walk off stage while the curtains open up on a totally black stage. He stops at the side, “Hey, before you get started, why are you the Poor Girls?”
A young female voice, the same one that spoke up earlier, replies, “We spend a lot of time going about with Hal and helping him get about. Whenever we tell anyone at school about how much time we spend hanging out with Hal they all look down, shake their heads, and say 'You poor girls.' So we decided to go with that.”
The audience starts to laugh, but the laughter really takes off when Hal's voice cuts in, “Hey, I resemble that remark.”
George leaves the stage and a spotlight turns on to light up Greta standing about a third of the way across the stage from the right in a flowing black dress and black eye make-up. She turns around, looking for something while waving her hands as if frustrated about something. All the teens have clip on microphones and radio packs to make things easier for their act. After casting about a couple of times Greta loudly says, “Halgor, where are you? Come here, you lazy fool!”
A spotlight hits Hal when he walks onto the stage dressed as a lackey from a Frankenstein movie; he has a hunchback and is wearing ragged clothes. He limps on from the left and stops a little way onto the stage. “Yes, Mistress, what do you want NOW.” He emphasises the now as if he's upset about being picked on again.
“Those fools left all the doors open. Go and shut them so we can get started on our show.” All look around, and see the eight doors to the hall are still open.
“But Mistress, if I walk around to shut those doors our time will be up before I get the job done. May I use another way?”
“What other way? Oh, never mind. If it'll close the doors quickly, do it!” He smiles at the audience and limps to the middle of the stage.
A spotlight comes on to light up a table with an old type carry bag on it. Hal reaches the bag and opens it. He takes out a cape and swings it around himself. Taking a few more things out of the bag he places some on the table. He pulls out a mirror and does something to his left forehead. Closing the bag he slips some glasses on, picks up something from the table with his right hand, and turns around to face the audience. He looks a like a hunchback version of Harry Potter and his cape has a big Hogwarts H logo on the left chest.
When he raises his right arm all can see a magic wand in it. Hal says “Portus shutus,” while he pushes a button in the wand. A red laser beam leaves the end of the wand while a timer starts on the automatic door closer temporarily fitted to each of the doors. A moment after the beam hits the door it starts to close, as do all the rest when he waves the wand about. All the doors are soon shut. Smiling, he takes the gear off and packs it away again. “There, Mistress, all done.”
“What was all that? Where did you learn about that?”
“Ah, Mistress. While wandering about the high school the other day I found this marvellous place full of ancient and arcane knowledge. It even has a special name. It's called a library.” The audience had been laughing along with the joke, but this has them really laughing loud. “In this wondrous building they have these funny things called books. You have to pick them up and read them, not look at them on the computer. I found much new knowledge in the books. That skill comes from a set of special knowledge books called Harry Potter.”
“Halgor, you stupid fool. Libraries have been around for centuries, although many today don't know they exist. The Harry Potter books are fiction for entertainment of children, you idiot.”
Hal looks towards Greta in shock, “But, but, Mistress, I believe ...”
The lights on Hal and Greta fade out while a white spotlight comes up on Jo wearing a bright white ankle length dress and standing on the left of the stage as she starts to sing:
“I believe for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows
I believe that somewhere in the darkest night a candle glows ...”
The heavy laughter at Hal and Greta stops on hearing the clear bell like tones of Jo's soprano singing with only the sound of a Spanish guitar as backing. At the end of the first line another white spotlight comes up to show Freda, also in a white dress, sitting on a stool on the stage's far right. She has her eyes shut and a smile on her face while she plays 'I Believe' on her guitar; it's her favourite Frankie Laine song.
“... Every time I hear a newborn baby cry or touch a leaf or see the sky
Then I know why I believe.
Why I believe.”
The audience is silent while the last notes fade off into the walls. Then they break out with applause at the lovely rendition of the song. The spotlights fade out and the stage is black again.
A bright blue spotlight comes up on Greta standing in the middle of the stage at a bench with some laboratory equipment on it, music starts and she starts to sing in a clear alto:
“I was working in the lab, late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight ...”
At the end of the second line of 'Monster Mash' a second blue spotlight comes up to show Liz dressed up as Frankenstein's monster while she does the dance known as the Mash. When she reaches the chorus more voices join in while more lights come on to show Else, Jenner, and Julie dressed as monsters and dancing as well:
“... He did the mash, he did the monster mash
The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash ...”
The scene and the song carries on until it reaches the middle of the song
and another spotlight comes up on a coffin to the left of the stage.
The lid opens and Hal, dressed as a vampire, sits up to shake his
fist and sing with a heavy accent, "Whatever happened to my
Transylvania Twist?” He lies back and closes the coffin while the
song goes on and the spotlight on him dies out. It soon reaches its
end with:
“... Get down with the monster mash
Get down with the monster mash.”
The spotlights fade out on the girls still dancing. A moment's silence,
followed by applause. After a short break Greta starts in with,
“Halgor, what are you doing, NOW?” Two spotlights come up, one on
Greta standing there staring at Hal. The second on Hal standing at a
bench as he uses a hammer to hit something on the table; he's very
vigorous in his hitting, but the audience can't see what he's
hitting. Greta leans in, stands up, and sings:
“They Told Him Don't You Ever Come Around Here
Don't Wanna See Your Face, You Better Disappear ...”
When they reach the chorus the other girls join in to sing it:
“... Just Beat It, Beat It, Beat It, Beat It
No One Wants To Be Defeated ...”
A little later 'Beat It' ends with the final chorus by all the girls:
“... Just Beat It, Beat It
Beat It, Beat It, Beat It”
They break for a moment for the applause. When the clapping dies Hal holds up a large piece of steak, saying, “Mistress, I think dinner is tender enough for you now!” The audience breaks into laughter.
A moment passes as those spotlights go down and another comes up on
Else and Freda on stage left dressed as mid-fifties rockers. They're
identical twins, but they do have one difference; Freda is a
mezzo-soprano and Else is an alto. Their voices harmonise very well
while they start singing 'Drift Away.'
“Give me the beat boys
Give me the beat boys
Day after day I'm more confused ...”
“... I wanna get lost in the rock and roll
And drift away.”
The audience goes wild as the girls finish the song and the spotlight on
them fades out. Another spotlight comes up on stage right showing Hal
dressed as a mid-fifties teenager. He starts to sing in a nice tenor,
with the girls joining in for the chorus, 'Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha.'
“Goodbye Sam hello Samantha,
Goodbye Sam hello Samantha,
Sam,
I'm leavin' the gang,
so don't come around for me on Sunday. ...”
When he sings the final lines of it all the girls walk into the widening spotlight around him, dressed as mid-fifties girls ready to go dancing.
“... girls are waitin' in line,
and now has come the time,
I'm goin' out and I'm gonna get me some.”
Hal waits until the applause dies down, “This next number is from all of us to all the mothers and fathers out there this applies to. I won't name them, but you all know who you are. Don't you, Dad?”
He starts singing Mrs Smith's favourite Dolly Parton song.
“Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen;
pour myself a cup of ambition,
and yawn, and stretch, and try to come to life ...”
All the girls join in for the chorus of 'Nine to Five.'
“... Nine to five, what a way to make a living;
barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving.
They just use your mind, and they never give you credit;
it's enough to drive you crazy, if you let it ...”
Hal soon reaches the end of the song.
“... It's a rich man's game, no matter what they call it;
And you spend your life putting money in his pocket.”
They wait a moment for the audience to stop clapping. Jo says, “I know what you're up to, you want a raise in pocket money, you crawler. When you do something like that you should show just a little more credence, you know!”
Hal comes back with, “Well, if it's more credence you want, try this.” He starts singing again.
“Early in the evenin' just about supper time,
Over by the courthouse they're startin' to unwind ...”
The whole group joins in with the chorus and they sing the rest of 'Down on the Corner' by the Credence Clearwater Revival. With the end of the song the group breaks up and moves out of the spotlight while it fades. A moment later a spotlight opens up on Jo when she sings.
“I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you ...”
“... What a wonderful world
Oh yeah.”
Jo finishes singing 'What a Wonderful World.' When the spot on her fades another opens up on Hal while he sings 'Lean on Me.'
“Sometimes in our live, we all have pain
We all have sorrows, but if we are wise ...”
The spotlight on him fades just before he finishes the song. Another opens up across the stage on Jenner singing 'Stand by Me' in her clear alto.
“When the night has come,
And the land is dark ...”
“... I won't cry, I won't cry
No I won't she'd a tear
Just as long as you stand,
Stand by me.”
She finishes the final chorus and the spotlight fades out to leave the
stage black. A moment for the applause, and Hal's voice starts in with.
“When I walk down the street,
See the people who stop and stare and say,
Haven't I seen that face somewhere a long time ago ...”
At various points during the song spotlights come up to show the girls
talking or waving to someone just out of the light and then fade out
again. As he finishes 'Yesterday's Hero' a spotlight comes up
to show Hal standing in the middle of the group of girls while they
all stand around talking as if he's not there.
The teens have been on stage for nearly an hour and sung a dozen songs,
none of which were performed in the key or vocal range of the
original versions. But all were well sung and enjoyed by the
audience, as was the humour of their presentation. One would have
thought such a mix of styles and genres would have been terrible, but
they melded well, to the delight of the audience and judges.
The lights go down again. A single spotlight comes up on the left of the
stage while George walks back on. “Well, that was Hal and the
Poor Girls. Let's give them a big hand.” The audience applauds
as the stage lighting comes up to show the group standing in a line
in the middle of the stage with the equipment for the band that's
performing next set up to one side and the last band's gear is on the
other side of them. They bow, turn, and walk off in a line with Hal last.
George goes on to introduce the next group, a band that plays a nice mix of rock and roll songs from the last ten years. They play for just over half an hour. The final group plays a mix of jazz and blues for half an hour. Both are well received by the audience. Between the first half and this half of the acts tonight there's no doubt the audience got their money's worth of entertainment.
It's just on eleven thirty when George starts giving out the prizes the judges have awarded. The majority of the awards go to the various single performers because the three concert acts were not in those categories. Each category has an award for the best in that category, but the winner of the Best of the Night can't also receive the award for the best of their category, so those who receive awards know they didn't get the big one. A special prize of a shopping voucher of fifty dollars at one of the major mall networks, it can be redeemed at any of three of the malls in the city, is for the Funniest Act which isn't an award category; this goes to Hal and the Poor Girls. The second last award is Best Concert and that goes to the Jazz Band. The last award is a twenty-five hundred dollar shopping voucher for the Best of the Night category.
George spins this out for as long as he thinks he can get away with, then says, “When we've done talent shows in the past this award has caused the most trouble in the judges' decision room, often resulting in medical attention for some. But tonight, for the first time ever, we have a unanimous decision. Best of the Night is Hal and the Poor Girls, who aren't quite so poor now.”
Jo collected the earlier award and gave it to Hal to hold on to. This time Hal walks out. George hands the voucher and the small trophy over while asking for a speech. Hal takes the microphone from George because he'd handed back the other microphone when their act was over. He looks at the audience, and smiles, “On behalf of my team mates, and we are a team, I wish to thank all our parents for putting up with us while we rehearsed. I also wish to thank the organisers for allowing us to have the fun of being up here tonight. The girls told me to come out here and accept this award as this may be the only chance I'll have to see the voucher or touch it. They could be right, think about it! Twenty-five hundred dollars to be spent at any one of three malls that have a number of speciality shops that sell clothes for teen girls. There may be a dollar or two left after the first shop, but not much.” That gets laughs from the audience. “What concerns me most is how the girls will fight over how the last few dollars are spent. Will it go on this dress for that one or that top for this one. I hate the idea of how trying to split this up will affect the harmony of our group. So I've got an idea.” The hall goes quiet while they wonder what he's up to. “Missus Porter, I know you're out there tonight. Please come up to the stage.” A woman stands up about five chairs in on the left hand side of the centre aisle and about half way back. While she makes her way to the stage Hal pulls another piece of paper out of his pocket. Mrs Porter reaches the stage and he kneels down. Reaching out Hal hands over two pieces of paper, “Here's two shopping vouchers totalling twenty-five hundred and fifty dollars. Please go out and spend it buying things for the entertainment of the kids in the children's ward at the hospital.” As she thanks him the audience goes wild. This isn't one of the charities benefiting from tonight, but many of those who use the other charities end up in the children's ward on a regular basis, so they'll receive some benefit from it. The laughter of the audience goes up in volume when the girls rush onto the stage and start beating Hal up. But they can see it's only a mock fight, so the girls can't be too angry with him.
On that happy note George is very quick to end the night and send everyone home at eleven forty-five.
The teens had not discussed what to do with any prize money they may win, so they can't really get too upset with Hal making a decision on what to do with it. Especially when it was for the kids in hospital. But they still would have liked to go shopping with it. The following morning they all go out with Else driving the Black Beast and Liz in the Blue Beast by herself because she wants to go elsewhere later.
At the mall Hal sets them loose to window shop with the promise of four hundred dollars expenditure each at his expense, as he gave away their vouchers. Seven very happy young ladies head out on a scouting mission while he sits and has a hot chocolate. By mid-afternoon all seven have spent their allocation and they're heading away very happy.
The remaining days to Christmas are the usual end of year fun events for the teens. Shopping for presents, outings to go swimming, going to fêtes and funfairs, movies, even just going for a drive out of the city for a picnic in the surrounding countryside. Christmas comes and goes as a fun time for most of them. Jenner and Julie are a bit concerned with no contact from their mother, not even a note left at the house for them. Hal is concerned the Child Welfare Service may get involved, and does what he can to keep them from finding out about Mrs Denning being missing. They do what they can to make things look like the family still lives at their usual residence by careful night visits to collect mail and move things about; watched by the police. They sometimes find cards from various organisations with a right to contact the girls, and make return calls to visit the people at their offices. A few turn out not to have left the cards. Those ones are passed to Barnard and she passes the information along to Sydney. At one point Senior Constable Barnard hands Hal a business card of her Sydney contact, just in case he ever needs to make urgent or direct contact with him.
The days flow on; the New Year comes along and is greeted. Julie and Jenner are still worried because their mother is missing, but are already moving on while they prepare to live their life without her, just as they have been for a few months. For all real purposes she may as well be dead because she's not part of their life at all now.
Those going to school start some preparations for the new school year due to start in the first week of February. They're getting lots of things ready ahead of time because Hal has offered to pay the costs of those who join him on a visit to Sydney towards the end of January.
He'll be visiting friends in an area in Sydney's west known as Little China for the Chinese New Year. On the 23rd of January the Year of the Dragon starts and he feels he must be there with his Chinese friends in Sydney. He wishes to arrive in Sydney on the 20th of January so he's got a few days with them before the New Year celebrations start. He has a special reason for being there, but he isn't telling the girls why.
The second week of January starts with a media frenzy about police activities across the state. Over a hundred people are arrested locally and hundreds more are arrested across the state in a large coordinated operation. Most are charged with multiple crimes with everything from Break and Enter through weapons offences to Kidnapping. About one third of those arrested are charged with child sex crimes. Mrs Denning isn't seen with them and no information on where she is learned.
Many well-known figures are involved as well as people from the courts, police, and other government departments. The majority of the well-known people are allowed out on large amounts of bail after they surrender their passports. About half of those on bail commit suicide, as do a number of others under investigation, but not yet arrested. Several are murdered by professional killers. In most cases the killers are dealt with by police following their targets; it seems they didn't expect the police to be on hand when they made their kills.
In one very secure police meeting room in Sydney a group of police officers are sitting around a table briefing their boss on several current cases. One looks up, and smiles when she says, “It seems someone has put an incorrect duty roster for my teams in the computer, Sir. Can you please see it gets corrected soon, because my people do need to get the correct pay for their extra duty hours.”
Her boss smiles, “Yes, it seems I entered an old roster two weeks ago. I'll get that fixed today. I do find it interesting about the number of contract killers who attacked people you had under surveillance when the roster said you'd stopped. A good thing your people were there, as we now have a number of contract killers off the streets.”
“Yes, Sir. That was rather fortuitous. It's also very interesting that the ones listed as not covered and who were murdered are the prominent people we'd have had the hardest time getting convicted of their worst crimes. A terrible tragedy they were murdered, but I doubt many will be too upset by their deaths.” The two give each other wry grins. A lot of good has come from that false roster entry, in many ways.
The trip to Sydney from the rural city they now live in is about half a day's drive, but Hal wishes to arrive refreshed early on January 20th. So they leave home just after lunch the day before and stay at a nice hotel in the Blue Mountains, just short of Sydney, with the intent of finishing their trip in the morning. They all go, so they take both cars. Hal prefers this because it gives them some transport back-up for any potential problems with the vehicles on the way there and on the way back. It also gives them some flexibility of private transport around Sydney. The initial distribution in the vehicles has Liz, Else, and Freda in The Blue Beast, with Jo, Jenner, Julie, Greta, and Hal in The Black Beast; Hal and Freda are driving. When they stop in mid-afternoon Liz switches places with Jo. Liz and Else drive the rest of the way to the hotel. All enjoy the five star luxury of the hotel they stay in for the night.
The next morning they get up and have a good breakfast before they leave just in time to follow the tail end of the morning work peak hour traffic into Sydney. Jo, Else, and Freda are in The Blue Beast. When they near Parramatta Jo rings Hal to tell him the three in The Blue Beast wish to go visit some other places while Hal and company go to Little China. They're checking if anyone wishes to swap vehicles and go with them. There's no passenger changes. They agree to meet at their booked hotel in Parramatta later in the afternoon because Hal expects to be tied up until late in the afternoon.
When they enter the local area known as Little China the girls in The Black Beast are very interested in the way the signs and streets change character. The name Little China isn't an official name or title, just what the locals started calling it some years ago. A lot of Chinese migrants started to settle in and around the small shopping centre in this suburb. As time went on more Chinese settlers bought the houses nearest this centre of shopping catering to the Chinese. There's an area in the inner Sydney area known locally as China Town, but the area around Dixon Street is almost all commercial and it's more of a Chinese commercial and entertainment area. Little China is a set of shops in the middle of a residential area, so it's got less of the contrived commercial look to it and has a more natural feel. Even so, the traffic in the shopping section is heavy, as all local shopping centres are, and parking is at a premium.
Hal spots a parking spot just a few shops past his first destination so he directs Liz to the spot. While she parks he has a better look around the street, and isn't happy with some of the things he sees. They have to walk about one hundred metres back to their destination.
Not liking the look of some of the people on the street, Hal turns to the girls, “Look, there's a few people out on the street I don't like the look of. Stay here in The Black Beast with the doors locked, until I come back and say you can get out. I'll just go and check things out.”
“Hal, will you be OK doing that?” Liz asks, “If the trouble is racial or ethnic based you may be more vulnerable than I am.”
He smiles and surprises them, “If it's a racial, ethnic, or cultural based problem I'll be a lot safer than you. I'm known and well liked here.” As their eyes go wide he gets out of the van and shuts the door behind him. While he waits to hear the door lock, which it does, he slips a ring onto the ring finger of his left hand. The ring is a sapphire with a white Chinese dragon holding a child inset into it. This was presented to him by a prominent member of the local Chinese community some years earlier and helps identify him as someone the local community members see as special.
When Hal limps down the street he nears several young men who look hard and tough. They're giving a very hard time to an old Chinese lady outside a shop about halfway to his destination. His approach is noted by the young men. A few of the other shopkeepers and locals see him too, and many start to whisper amongst themselves.
Using a friendly voice Hal asks, “What's the trouble, Granny Mă?”
The old woman turns to Hal with very wide eyes. The young man nearest her pushes her back down on her seat, “You go nowhere, old woman, until you pay up the rent you owe.” Hal is still moving closer to the woman and is almost beside her.
Song Mă looks up at the young man, “I've told you before. I rent nothing from you or the jackal you serve. You'll get no rent from me.”
The young man snarls while he draws a knife from his pocket, “I told you last time, pay up for renting the street access to the shop or we cut you. You've not paid, so we'll see how you like being cut.”
The young man talking has his back to Hal, as he's sure his many friends will stop Hal doing much. They'd all seen Hal limping down the street and figure he's no trouble to them; he left his cane in the van. On reaching the pair as the young man swings his arm back with the knife, Hal reaches out and grabs him by the back of the shirt collar and his belt. He heaves the young man up and backwards while he spins on his right foot. Hal lets go of him after turning to face the street as he heaves the man through almost two hundred and seventy degrees. The young man's friends draw their own knives when they see Hal reach out, and they move faster towards him. The one Hal is holding has his feet about a hand's width above ground and facing towards the street when Hal lets go of him. He's travelling fast when he passes through the circle of his approaching friends, and comes to a sudden stop when he slams face first into the steel light pole on the edge of the footpath. All hear a crunch when he hits the metal pole and his body wraps around it.
The first of the other five men reaches Hal when a van pulls up in the street and six more hard looking young men get out, drawing knives while they charge across the road. In his own van the girls are scared for Hal, so Liz calls the police on her mobile phone, telling them about the many men with knives attacking her cousin in the street. She gives the rough location in South Street by giving the street number of a shop opposite. The police promise to send cars and ambulances to help him and warns the girls to stay in the van for their own safety.
Liz turns back to watch the fight, and gets the biggest surprise of her life. All the girls are very shocked while they watch the short fight.
Hal doesn't try to punch his way out of the fight because he figures he needs to clear a space around him. So when the first attacker reaches him he knocks the arm with the knife to the side, grabs the man by the front of his shirt and his belt, and heaves him up and away as hard as he can. The man is lifted up to head height and thrown into the side of the brick shop front. Hal smiles on hearing bones snap when he hits.
The next two arrive together. Hal knocks a knife arm away while he hits the man hard in the centre of the chest; he hears bones break just as the man is knocked backwards away from him. Hal feels a sharp pain in his left side and turns more to his left. He sees a smiling Chinese man holding a knife he stuck in Hal's side. Hal reaches down and grabs a tight hold of the hand on the knife with his left hand because he doesn't want the man to move the knife about. His right hand comes around and grabs the man's arm just above the elbow. A little more pressure and there's a loud crunch when he breaks the man's elbow. The man screams as Hal pries the fingers off the knife before punching the man in the face. However, the man moves and takes the punch to his throat. Hal looks up to see who's next. He smiles on seeing one of the attackers trying to move back and throw up at the same time. Granny Mă is holding her broom with the bristles to her and the end is shoved into the man's stomach, he's doubled up over it and not looking well.
Hal's smile widens when he takes in the wider picture. He can now see what surprised the girls a moment ago. When the extra young men come from the van the locals come out of their shops and swarm over them. One on one the locals are no match for any of the young men. But there are so many of them, and all wielding brooms or anything they can grab. Like a swarm of locust they descend on the young men, bashing them as hard as they can. As the men go down they get kicked.
Police sirens can be heard approaching the scene. Hal gives out an unusual loud screech. It has an odd singsong pattern to it, but it can be heard above the noise of the melee. When the noise level goes down he calls out in English and then in Mandarin, “It's over, run away, get out of sight before the police arrive and arrest you. Go.” They all stop and look at him for a moment. All of a sudden the street is empty, except for the downed thugs, Granny Mă, and Hal.
Four police cars arrive from four directions, each racing in from a side street. They come to a halt. A moment later three ambulances turn into the street. All the emergency vehicles drive to the combat area and stop. When the police get out and look at the many downed thugs they shake their heads in wonder while they try to work out what happened.
Hal calls out, “This woman and I need medical attention, please!” Two paramedics race to them while a few more start checking the thugs in the street. One looks up and speaks to a policeman before moving onto the next. Looking at one of the cops Hal calls out, “Can you please go up to that black Tarago van and tell my friends in the van I'll be going to hospital and they should go there now?”
“They'll need to be interviewed about what happened!”
“So will I, but I'm sure we can all be interviewed while the doctors treat me at the hospital.” The cop nods, and goes to the van. He gets the names of the girls and offers to lead them to the hospital when he goes there in a few minutes. Liz accepts the offer of a guide.
In a few more minutes Hal and Granny Mă are in an ambulance and are being taken to hospital. There's not much they can do for Hal until they get an x-ray and know what internal damage has been done. But they do monitor him all the way, because they're worried about internal bleeding. Granny Mă's cut isn't that bad, but it needs some stitches, so she's going to the hospital to get that done. When their ambulance pulls out Hal can see only two of the thugs being loaded on an ambulance and the rest are being covered with blankets where they lie.
On the way to the hospital Hal calls Greta, and tells her, “Tell the others not to give any statements until I say they can, please.” She tells them and they agree to keep quiet until then. When they arrive at Westmead Hospital Emergency Room Granny Mă and Hal are taken to treatment rooms. The team dealing with Granny's cut soon have it cleaned, stitched, and bandaged. Meanwhile, Hal is taken for x-rays and returned to the ER. They need to operate and because Hal is not in immediate danger of dying and still under eighteen the hospital needs some forms signed by his parents before they can operate.
Hal asks, “Does Doctor Mason still work here?” The nurse admits he still does. “Good, get him to come down and sign the papers.” She gives him a strange look. “A few years ago I was here for some work on my knee. At the time Doctor Mason was given a power of attorney to authorise medical treatment for me. It wasn't time limited and hasn't been withdrawn. So he's still authorised to approve anything I need in the way of medical treatment.” The nurse goes to her desk and makes a phone call.
A few minutes later a very short and dumpy man in a doctor's white coat walks in, “Well, Hal, what have you done now? I suppose we have to rebuild your knee again!”
“No, Stoney, this time it's a knife wound and they need approval to operate.” He pulls out his wallet and extracts a list of medications. He shows it to Dr Mason, “This is my current list of drugs.”
Dr Mason reads the list, shakes his head, looks up, and says, “You're not going to like this.”
“I know already, because I was warned when they made the last set of changes a few months back. No general anaesthetic at short notice. The cutter will have to go in while I'm awake with only a local.” The girls had arrived soon after Hal and are standing around in the room listening. They all go a bit pale and wide eyed, Hal is casually talking about having his side cut up while he watches and is wide awake, ouch! Mega ouch!
Dr Mason and a couple of other doctors have a short discussion before he's happy and he signs off on the papers. He gets Hal to sign beside his name as proof Hal knows what's happening and agrees.
One of the doctors starts to give Hal a number of local anaesthetic shots around the site of the wound. It's not easy because they haven't removed the knife yet. It's being left in the wound until the operating theatre because it's blocking some of the damaged areas from causing any more infection or internal bleeding. As they ready him for surgery Hal asks, “Can Greta scrub up and come in as well. I think I'll need some moral support for this one, and having my girlfriend hold my hand will help.” The doctors smile and nod agreement. She smiles too.
Ten minutes later Hal is lying on the table in the operating theatre as the doctors start to operate. He has a strong hold on Greta's hand while he looks at her and she's squeezing his hand while she watches the doctors at work. She wants to be a doctor when she's older and she's fascinated with the operation. It's funny in a way, Hal doesn't want to watch and she does. But holding her hand and looking at her helps him to deal with the situation. The local anaesthetics deaden the area a lot, but he can still feel them at work; it's just not all that painful to him.
Outside the operating theatre the policeman is having a hard time getting the girls to tell him anything. He puts it down to them being worried about what's going on in the theatre, so he tells them he'll be back and heads off to deal with some other aspects of the case.
It's just over an hour after entering the operating theatre when Hal is wheeled out. The doctors have sewn everything back up. No serious damage, but a few things were nicked and needed repair work; which they did do. Dr Mason says, “Not like new, but almost as good as, and will be like new in about seven weeks when it's all healed, Hal. See your local doctor when you get back home, and have him decide when to take the stitches out. In the meantime, no major exercise or you'll destroy our work. Try and take things easy for a while. In an odd way, this damage was more serious than your first visit, even if it's a lot less. Take care, my young friend. We'll keep you until lunchtime tomorrow.” Hal nods, and he's taken to the recovery ward.
Once Hal is in a bed in the recovery ward and set up with monitors the girls come in to see him. Song Mă is with them and she's first to speak, “Well, Bailong, I see your visits are still as dramatic as before! How long are you here for?”
“Granny, it's not my fault you attract vermin to your shop. I came to be on hand for the start of the New Year celebrations. I felt I should be here because it's the start of the Year of the Dragon.” She gives a slow nod in reply. “What were those vermin up to, Granny?”
“About six months ago some evil men moved into the area. They do some sort of odd business from a table in the White Dragon. Those men force people to pay them money so they won't be harassed by them. That started up only last month. The young men work for the evil men. There's three evil ones and about twenty of the young men.”
“Hmm, I must speak with Jun Bao Wáng, Zhu Wáng, Ji Wáng, and the senior members of the local committee about this. When you get back to your shop please arrange for them to visit me today.”
She smiles and nods, “Yes, Bailong. I'll do as you ask. They'll be here to see you later today or early tonight. Knowing Jun, she and her father will be here as soon as they know where you are. By now they must know you've returned to us, even if it's just a short visit.” The girls give him an odd look as this talk takes place. She turns and leaves the room to go home. Like most of the shop owners she lives above her shop.
The girls spend the next few minutes reassuring themselves Hal is OK and will be released tomorrow. They're concerned about the short stay in hospital. He takes time to tell them the damage is minor and the doctors just need to be reassured there are no repercussions from the operation before he can leave. The girls laugh when he gets to one part of his instructions from the chief surgeon; he says, “Doctor Hall said I wasn't allowed to run for four months and to walk slowly for the next month or so,” Hal reports, “I laughed and said if I could run in four months I'd be very surprised. He gave me an odd look until Doctor Mason told him about my knee. Then we all laughed at the old joke.”
A few minutes later the policeman returns and asks about getting statements now. All the girls turn to Hal and he says, “Constable, before we get to that I need to speak with your Divisional Commander.” The cop is very surprised and he's about to speak when Hal adds, “If he's not readily available, can I speak to your shift supervisor or a sergeant. I think we need to come to some special agreement on how to deal with this first. By the way, how did things go with those thugs?”
“Just a moment while I call in and ask for a sergeant. I already feel out of my depth on this one. Of the twelve young men in the street ten were dead at the scene and the other two died while you were in the theatre. I've now got two stabbings and a dozen homicides to deal with, and the local detectives don't want to know about them.” He leaves the room to use his radio and ask for a visit from one of the supervising sergeants.
The policeman returns and they all chat about safer matters while they wait. About fifteen minutes later an older policeman with three stripes on his sleeves walks into the room. He looks at Hal, and groans while Hal smiles.
Police Sergeant Ingham shakes his head, “Hal Smith, I should have known it when they mentioned the location and the trouble.” The girls and the constable all give him an odd look. “The last two times you were in my life it took me months to clear up all the paperwork.”
“Sure, and the last time resulted in your promotion to sergeant. I'm sure your wife, Paula, was happy with that.” Ingham nods. “You can't blame me for the scum that wanders around the place. It's not my fault if it crawls under my shoes and gets stepped on.” This has the listeners wondering just what they're going on about.
“Well, what are you in hospital for this time? Been playing tag with the trains again? No, it can't be that, I've not heard of a station closure today. OK, what do you want?” The girls all wonder what caused the remarks about trains and stations, and how they relate to Hal. He's not told them much about his life in Sydney before moving west.
“I got stabbed in South Street.” Ingham's eyes go very wide and he groans again. “I urgently need to talk to your Divisional Commander about how we're going to handle this to minimise the friction.”
“Hal, many things have happened while you've been away. We've a new Commander and he's not happy with that place at the moment. There's no way he'll agree to any of your special deals or actions, no way. What sort of trouble do you see occurring?”
“If you go in and push everyone to get statements and reports of what happened there this morning you'll only cause trouble. It needs to be glossed over and all but forgotten. The thugs need to go through the Coroner's Court fast, with a simple ruling of Death by Misadventure while committing a crime. We don't want any locals involved.”
“It's not going to happen that way. I know that would be best, but the Commander is after a promotion and won't wash this away. Not when he has a chance to get into the troubles there hard.”
“You're sure I won't be able to convince him otherwise?” Ingham nods his head. “Damn. Greta, please pass me my wallet. Liz, can you see if you can get a landline in here for a telephone call. This one has to go on wire because too many people can listen to a mobile phone call.” Both police look surprised while the girls hustle to do as he wants.
A few minutes later Liz walks in with a phone on the end of a very long extension lead. She places it on the table over Hal's bed. He picks up the receiver and dials a number, he gets a recorded message giving him the phone number he's calling from, and it's a landline number.
He looks at the card that was well hidden in his wallet and dials a number on it. Ingham is very interested in this because all he can see on the card is the New South Wales Police Crest and a printed name with other details. Personalised cards are issued only to the most senior of officers like Divisional Commanders and up. The girls are surprised about the business card as well, because it's not Barnard's and they didn't know he had another. He had it well hidden, almost as if he didn't want anyone to know he had it.
The phone rings a few times and all can hear a man's voice when it's answered, “Yes. Who is this?”
“Hello, Sir. My name is Hal Smith. I know you won't recognise my voice as we've never met or spoken before, but we have a mutual friend in common. A certain person who I never spoke to a few months ago and they never spoke to you. As none of us ever spoke or met any of the others we were never able to pass along a certain recording that doesn't exist because I never made it. I still feel the safest approach is from the next street through the fences that aren't there, too.” Hal stops talking and there's a long pause while the person on the other end thinks about this and puts the clues together. He soon works out this is the one Barnard got the recording from. There's just too many things mentioned that only those three know. He wonders what this is all about now.
The silence is broken, “I see, Mister Smith. To what do I owe this call to, and how can I help you?”
“I would think, considering your position, you're already aware of an incident that occurred in Little China this morning in South Street. I wish to speak with you about that. I need to have the police make an active decision not to investigate it any further. I also need to speak with someone in regards to what special concerns they have about any matters in Little China right now. Can you assist with this, please?”
“Why should we not investigate the deaths of a dozen people?”
“They were thugs who've made the world better by leaving it. Any in depth investigation will only increase the tensions between the police and the locals and may lead to a riot. With a little help on this from the police I can get those tensions lowered and probably help with some other problems there.” All in the room give him odd looks.
“That sounds very good. But you don't sound Chinese, so how can you help with things there?”
“Do you have a liaison specialist advisor who grew up in, or lives in, Little China?”
“Yes, I do. We were discussing this morning's incident when this phone started to ring. Why?”
“Ask him if he thinks it good to have the Bailong helping you?”
“Oh, I've heard of him. He has a lot of influence for a myth.”
“Ah, but the myth has a living form in Little China. A live person who was seen as the embodiment of the mythical Bailong and has been named so.” The girls remember what the old woman called Hal, and they stare at him. This isn't lost on Ingham and he wonders what links they've just made and he's missed out on.
“I see. How does this apply to what you want?”
“Do you remember a gentleman by the name of Chéng Wáng?”
“Yes, I think we all remember and miss him, he was known down there as Emperor Wang until he was murdered by some bigots from the White Right group. Then we thought we'd have a major race riot when the news came in, but the two who killed him were killed by a local in self-defence at the time. What's that got to do with you?”
“I suggest you get out the paper file from the police archives and read the sealed section. You'll need the password Carnage Khan to get access to it, that's Khan as in the Mongol leader Kublai Khan.”
“Hmm, and I should take your word you have the correct password and have a right to know it?”
“It's stored in the same building you're in,” this lets the other police know the man he's talking to is in the Police Headquarters Building, “and the last I heard it was in a special vault on the fifth floor. It won't take you long to go down and ask for the file. Once you've read it much will be clear to you. I don't want anything we say being heard on a mobile phone. I'll call you back in about forty-five minutes. That should be long enough for you to read the file and check things.”
“OK, I can live with that. I wouldn't even consider this, except for how much good came out of the last contact we didn't have with you.” They both laugh at that, and hang up.
The girls and Ingham all speak over each other, and it's quite a racket. The noise stops when they're all surprised by an early teenage Chinese girl racing in and diving on the bed to hug Hal's right side. When she raced in she cried out, “Bailong, are you really all right?” A serious looking Chinese gentleman follows her in.
Hal smiles, “Yes, Jun, I'm OK.” He looks around the group and introduces everyone to everyone while he introduces Jun Bao Wáng and her father Zhu Wáng to the others. He looks at the man, “Zhu, what's this about some evil men setting up in the White Dragon?”
Zhu glances at the police. Ingham smiles, and says, “We'll duck out for now, but I'll be back for that phone call. OK?” Hal nods, and both police officers leave the room.
“Bailong, some months back three men came in and started sitting in a corner. They order drinks and snacks, so we can't eject them. They do nothing wrong within the restaurant, so we can't kick them out. I believe they deal in drugs at the table, but can't prove it. They also give orders to the young thugs you had trouble with this morning. They are most upset about that. Twelve of their twenty thugs are now dead. In the short time since that incident three more of the thugs have been seriously hurt. No one saw anything, not even the other thugs with them. They are now down to five young men who are active and three are here in the hospital. Their injuries are such they will not be of any use as thugs later. They are trying to recruit more young thugs, and are even in discussions with some of the gangs in China Town. We civic leaders are doing what we can to discourage those from Dixon Street moving out our way. How good this will be is unknown.”
“Let those in Dixon Street know the Bailong moves against these people and he will have the New South Wales Police support him while he moves against them. They won't like that sort of interest.” Zhu smiles when he nods agreement to pass the message on.
The girls are very surprised about all this. Just then Jo and the twins arrive in the room. Jo smiles on seeing where Jun is. She smiles, “Well, Jun, still marking your territory, I see!”
The young Chinese girl smiles, “Yes, Bailong is mine! I will bear his heir. I will be his wife. Being a good wife, I'll allow him to have a few concubines if he wishes. But I will bear his first born.” She turns back to Hal. “Am I clear enough on this for you, Bailong?” Hal shakes his head real slow at her vehement final comment. He thought she might be over this by now, but it's now worse than when he left. He looks up at her father for support.
“Don't look at me. This is way beyond us both. Her grandmother and mother agree with her, so I don't have a chance to interfere. I'm not stupid enough to cross three generations of women in the one family! Anyway, it's all your fault and responsibility!” Hal frowns at him. “I believe the term you Westerners use is: 'a Chinese Obligation.' This meets all the set terms of such, and more so than most.” Hal sighs and relaxes back into the bed while the rest laugh at the situation, even though most don't get the full joke because they don't know the full story.
“OK, Zhu, business first. Please call and get both your solicitor and my solicitor to come out here now. Ask them to bring an expert on criminal law rules of evidence with them.” He nods; this should be easy as both solicitors work for the same firm. When Zhu leaves Hal turns to Jun, “Jun, you have to stand up and have a serious talk with Greta; she's my girlfriend.” He laughs out loud when the thirteen year old Chinese girl gets up and drags Greta off for a serious talk about Hal. Jun only just comes up to Greta's chest and would weigh about half her weight. Jun is a small and thin Chinese girl typical of her ancestral province.
The rest of them bring Jo and company up to date while the two girls have a serious talk. They return about the same time as Zhu does. Hal looks over at the two smiling girls, and gives a mild groan. It seems they've come to some sort of an agreement on his future. He sighs and surrenders to his fate. He decides to leave it all up to the ladies now, because it's clear they've got it all worked out for him.
The office of the solicitors isn't that far away, and when their best clients call they're quick to respond. They arrive about fifteen minutes after being called. That gives Zhu and Hal just long enough to discuss what they want done and how they'd like it done. On their arrival the solicitors are told what the two men want and are asked if it can be done. Some discussion occurs, and a legal way to do what they want done is worked out. The solicitors then borrow Hal's table to set up two laptop computers while they prepare documents for signature.
While the legal eagles work away on the paperwork Hal spots the cops waiting just outside the doorway. Hal smiles, picks up the phone, and uses the redial facility to call the number he called earlier. The phone rings and is answered on the first ring. Hal is surprised to hear a woman's voice when she asks, “Who's calling, please?”
“This is Mister Smith.”
“Oh good,” it's clear she thinks it's a false name, but is doing what she's been told. “Now I can be done with watching this phone and get some work done. He's left here in a great hurry. He said to tell you he'll see you as soon as he can get there. That's all I know and all I'm allowed to say. Have a nice day, Mister Smith.”
Hal half giggles when he says, “Thank you. Have a good day, Miss.” He hangs up and looks at Ingham. “I'll let you decide if you want to hang around. The State Crime Division's Commander is on his way here as we speak.” Ingham is stunned to learn who Hal had called earlier. He knew the recipient was senior, but this man is one of the busiest and most powerful, as well as the most hard worked, officers in the force. Technically, the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners are more powerful because they're senior, but this man has the most political pull and the most effect on the real crime fighting in the state. Ingham just nods while he thinks about waiting around. If his presence isn't wanted he could end up at the remotest station in the force. If they don't mind him being on hand he could be involved in some of the most important police work he'll ever have a chance to do. After a few minutes thought he decides to hang around, in case he can get a chance at some real police work of the type he joined the force to carry out. A chance to do something about some of the worst criminals in the area.
The solicitors have finished their paperwork, so they hand them to Zhu and Hal to sign; six copies of each one with an original signature while they sign several other papers. Soon after they finish signing the papers the Commander of the NSW State Crime Division walks into the room. He stops to take in the people in the room. The policeman of Chinese descent with him stops and stares at Hal and the men beside his bed, as he recognises Mr Wáng and the top solicitors in the area.
Both policemen also smile at Hal's situation. When Greta and Jun returned to the bed they took up positions on Hal's bed. One on each side with Jun on his left side because she has less weight to disturb the injury. They're both snuggled up to him with an arm across his chest. Hal is not sure what to make of it, but just goes with the flow.
Hal smiles and waves his left hand to a clear space on his left while he says, “Afternoon, Sir. Welcome to my madhouse. Please pull up some vacant space and join the discussions.” Both men give the ring on Hal's hand a good look. The Chinese advisor nods to his boss while Hal lowers his hand to rest it on Jun's thigh. “The reason I wish to speak with you is I want the police to not question anyone except myself, and a few other witnesses present here, about this morning's incident in South Street. I want that matter quickly swept under the carpet. If you go in and ask too many questions we may have a riot to deal with.”
“Give me something to convince the local Divisional Commander to agree, please.”
“The police want to get into the area to shut down the heavies that were involved in that melee this morning. But an investigation won't get you anything except trouble. All the heavies there stayed there and are now dead. So you can't get any more out of them. All you'll do is upset the many locals who came to my assistance. I want them left alone. Also, my understanding is the real reason the police want into the area is they believe some drug dealing is going on there.” He looks at the police, and gets some small nods of agreement. “Good. My friend here, Zhu, the father of the young lady keeping my left side warm, runs the White Dragon Restaurant and Club. He believes three men who spend a lot of time in the White Dragon may be dealing. But he has no reason to eject them and no evidence. So we've come up with an idea.”
At this point Déshí Zhào, the lead solicitor, steps forward and says, “The owners of the White Dragon Restaurant and Club have concerns some men may be dealing in drugs on their property. They do not wish to have their clients disturbed or troubled. But they also recognise a need to work with the police against such an evil activity. To this end, they've given us instructions and asked us to prepare and serve you with these documents.” He holds out the papers the solicitors signed. “They ask you to have police search dogs examine the White Dragon. If they show a drug reaction to a person or area they wish you to conduct a further search of that immediate area or person involved. They do not wish you to disturb their other customers in any way. You are not to touch or further search anyone unless the dogs give a drug reaction to them. You are to ignore anything else you may become aware of, except where it relates to a person the dogs show a drug reaction to. In short, they want you to have the dogs clear the place and show you anyone handling drugs and you'll ignore everything except those involved with drugs. The reason for wanting you to ignore other matters is they know some of their patrons gamble amongst themselves for small amounts of money on traditional Chinese games like Go and Mah-jong, they do not want these people disturbed because of this personal recreation game that is a minor breach of the laws. Do you understand this request, and will you abide by it?”
The Commander smiles as he nods, “Yes. I understand, and will see my men adhere to what you want. Provided we can go full out with any we find with drugs above a personal use amount.”
“Yes, if they have more than is allowed for personal use we expect you to arrest them and use that as the justification to search their belongings in the White Dragon, the area within a metre of where they are, and as evidence to get search warrants to search their personal property elsewhere. But the limits I just mentioned are all you can search in the White Dragon.” He gets a nod in response as the official requests are taken. The Commander looks at Ingham and the policeman from this morning, he nods towards the door and leads them out.
As the police leave they hear the Commander say, “Sergeant, how many men can you get to the White Dragon in a few minutes?”
Hal smiles when the police leave faster than the rush they arrived in. He nods at Zhu, who makes a call to his staff to have them warn the other regular patrons about the police visit about to happen. When the solicitors start to pack up Jun takes one off to a corner to speak with him. After a moment he calls over the other two. The four of them have a rather intense discussion for a few minutes before the solicitors leave.
Jun walks back to the bed and leans over to have a quiet talk with Greta. Both girls smile and nod. Hal has a very bad feeling about this. The two main females in his private life, apart from close family, have been talking together and smiling after talking to solicitors - that can't be good for him or his peace of mind. His mood seems to be picked up by the others because all are watching and waiting to see what happens.
Jun returns to her place on the bed. She smiles at her father and at Hal, “Bailong, Greta and I have spoken at length. We both want to be a major part of the rest of your life. So you may as well surrender now and accept your fate.” Hal gulps while the rest in the room laugh. “We both wish to marry you, but we recognise the government marriage laws will only recognise and allow one wife. However, I've confirmed legal opinion we can do what we want to do, and do it legally.” All in the room are now very quiet to hear how they can legally get around the laws on bigamy. “The Marriage Act is a federal law and it limits legal wives to only one wife at a time, under the act. It does allow for divorces and remarriage. However, it does not recognise a marriage as lawful under the Marriage Act unless the marriage ceremony is done by a person approved of and recognised by the act as a registered marriage celebrant. There are many people within all the religious organisations who are approved by their hierarchy to conduct marriages, but not all are also government registered celebrants. When someone wants to be married by such a person two ceremonies occur, a religious one and a civil one, with different people doing each service. Do you understand this?” Hal and everyone else nods, and he's starting to get ahead of them now. “Good. Another piece of state law is the laws on what they call de facto marriages or of fact marriages. Under this law, when a man and a woman live together as man and wife for a period stated in the act they are legally recognised by the law as man and wife, even though they aren't married under the Commonwealth Marriage Act. The time frame used to be seven years, but it's now one year in some states and six months in some others. So, if Greta and I marry you in religious ceremonies conducted by persons not approved of as civil marriage celebrants we can be your wives before God, and after we've lived together for the correct amount of time we'll be man and wife as far as the state laws are concerned. All that remains is for Greta and I to speak with our mothers and to organise suitable dates for our marriages by the relevant religious persons.” She stops and gives Hal a penetrating look. He's not dumb, slow at times, but not dumb, he just nods his agreement because he knows when he's beaten.
He says, “Greta and I are Christians. Many people believe Christians may have only one wife. But that isn't supported in any of the quotes said by Jesus in the Bible.” This gets Hal a few shocked looks from all them. “The Old Testament has rules on how a man may marry more than one wife and how he must care for them. None of those laws are altered in the New Testament. The Christian rules on monogamous marriage were introduced by the Pope of the Holy Catholic Church in the distant past as part of the church actions to have tight control of the general population. It's a ruling not supported in the Bible scriptures.” He looks at the many stunned expressions of his listeners. “The closest mention to marriage in the New Testament are a bit where Jesus speaks of leaving your parents for your spouse, and also spoke about divorce for the wrong reasons. Jesus said that at a time when women were seen more as chattel than a person, and Jesus elevate married women to the status of a person. There's references in the epistles for Bishops to marry a wife, and for the early church to send single men out on missions and they should not marry until after they completed their mission work. This last was due to practical reasons of movement and caring for the missionaries while out and about. It took a lot less in the way of resources to look after a couple of single men than it did to look after two married men, their wives, children, and servants. There are many references in the Bible of important people having multiple wives and also concubines - slave wives. Solomon and David are two significant ones that come to mind.” They all nod at this.
Zhu smiles, “Well, it seems you've accepted your fate!”
“My friend, I can tell when I'm in a fight I don't stand a chance of winning, even if I was disposed to fight it. I've two lovely young ladies who wish to be part of my life and care for me, only an idiot would fight that. Nor am I an idiot.” They all laugh.
Both girls snuggle in closer to him. Hal reaches out and pulls them in tighter. He takes a deep breath and says, “I think it's time I mention a few things in my past to Greta and her sisters. That way they may better understand your attitude to me, Jun.” He looks around, and sees he has the full attention of the other girls, not even Liz has heard Hal tell this tale, she just knows the bare bones from her aunt and uncle.
Hal takes a deep breath and casts his mind back in time to nearly four years ago, and starts to talk. While he recounts all the events he relives them in his mind.
Twelve year old Hal Smith is walking along the side of the platform at the Parramatta Railway Station, walking towards his mother. He's returning from getting three drinks at the machine in the middle of the platform. His mother is standing towards one end, she wishes to get in a carriage at that end of the train. Hal has three drinks in his shoulder bag; one each for his mother, his sister, and himself and he knows not to start his before he hands the others their drinks. He can hear a train approaching along the rails from behind him, but this is such a busy station he's not sure if it's a train on this platform or one of the others.
A little way in front of him, about three metres away, is a group of a dozen or so Chinese also waiting for the train. He recognises one of the men from his picture in one of the local papers, but can't think of what it was about. There's a little girl about half Hal's height on the far edge of the group. She's standing there looking about at the people while she waits. Her body is facing the tracks and her head is turned to look down the track past Hal. She smiles at him and he smiles back.
Just as he hears the sounds of train wheels breaking on the steel rails behind him he sees a man in his mid-twenties put both hands on the girl's back just below the shoulders and shove hard. She hasn't a chance to stop as she staggers forward due to the push. She screams while she falls off the platform. Hal doesn't even think when he reacts, he drops his bag as he runs two paces and leaps off the platform onto the track.
The girl staggers another step on the track, but is starting to fall over onto the rails when Hal lands on the track. He hears a train horn right behind him while he takes another running pace and grabs the girl under her arms. He pulls her up to his chest while he continues to run at an angle across the track. He knows he has to get off the track and he'll do that faster by maintaining his speed at this angle than by trying to stop and turn aside. His ears are filled with the sounds of people screaming, the train horn, and the shriek of metal on metal while the driver uses the emergency brake for all he's worth.
He gets the girl to his chest just as his left foot lands inside the far rail, a split second and his right foot is just past the rail and his body is moving beyond the rails for this track. He's about to put his left foot down almost in the middle of the area between the tracks when he's hit hard on the back of his right shoulder, very hard. Even as he's thrown forward at an angle and spun around by the impact he starts to laugh at the absurdity of the thoughts going through his mind.
His first thought is it feels like he's been hit by a train, as it matches the expression exactly. That's followed by the reality that it should feel like that because he has been hit by a train. The hit to his shoulder spins him around and tosses his upper body away from the track. However, instead of spinning like a top or being tossed away while upright the contact knocks his upper body forward while he spins on his right foot with his left leg stuck out as if walking. This means he's leaning over away from the track and the train at an angle of about fifty degrees from upright when the spin starts. In a fraction of a second he's turned around by the impact and now has his back to the ground when his left leg flies out back towards the train. He goes over backwards while his body is still spinning. At that point his thoughts become a lot more vague when he screams in response to the latest contact with the train.
The spinning brings Hal's left foot up into contact with the train carriage and it smashes his foot as it rips the shoe off. He spins faster and his first contact with the ground is hard and violent. He screams again when his left knee shatters with the impact. The one good point of this is it causes his body to turn some more, so he lands on his right shoulder instead of on the girl he went to save. All goes dark.
As is the usual routine at this station a conductor walks out onto the platform to watch the train pull in and to check all is safe before it pulls out again. He's standing a bit towards one end when he sees the girl stagger towards the track. He's too far away to get to her so he does the only thing he can, the one he's required to do. He grabs his radio and hits the emergency button. Before the controller can answer he shouts into it, “Shut the lines, person down on the tracks.”
Thecontroller asks no questions, he hits the button to send out the emergency signal that shows all tracks through the station as being red and closed to all traffic. Drivers up and down the line, for the next several kilometres, swear when the clear lines they had are suddenly closed and aren't available. They hit their brakes and start to bring their trains to a stop. They take time to stop, so it's a few minutes before they're all stopped. By then the report of someone being down in front of train at Parramatta Station is coming through on the transport radio network. When they stop the drivers make an announcement about the trouble to their passengers, to explain the sudden stop and the delay.
As the ripples of the stopped trains spreads throughout the network (Parramatta is a nexus where several lines join) the controller is calling for an ambulance, the police, and letting the higher level controllers know what's happening. There's not much that can be done about the situation until after it's over and the station is opened again, but they can organise to inform the delays to the other stations and get buses to take people around Parramatta by road to the next station beyond it.
The conductor is sure both the girl and boy are dead because he can't see how they can survive being hit by the train. He orders the people back from the train and tells them to clear the path to the ramp down because the ambulance staff will need to come up it. The girl's family is shocked by what happened, and can't think what possessed the girl to race in front of the train. Hal's mother and sister are very pale because they saw what happened and watched when Hal jumped down to the track. But are too far back from the edge to see what happened after that. They have to stand and wait, and worry about him until the authorities deal with it and let them know the outcome.
As soon as he saw the girl go off the platform onto the rails the train driver switched from the normal brake to the emergency brake. It won't stop the train much sooner, but it does help a little bit. When he sees the boy jump down and grab the girl he realises the use of the emergency brake may make the difference in their lives because it'll give them a part second or more extra to get clear and will slow the impact down a bit when it happens. He doesn't think the train will hit them, he's sure it will, there's just no way the boy can get totally clear fast enough.
He sighs when he sees them get to the side of the track, then swears when he feels the slight jerk of contact with them. The very light shiver is only noticeable because he's expecting it to happen. He can't move from his position until the train stops because he's doing the procedures to bring the train to the fastest possible stop. A moment later the train stops and he goes to the side door on the track side.
Opening the door the driver looks out back along the track. He can see the boy on the ground. It's clear he's hurt bad because there's blood at his shoulder and his foot, but the girl is on his chest and looks like she's OK - apart from her screaming and crying. It's understandable she's a bit hysterical at the moment. The driver gets on his radio, “Persons down between the tracks. One seems OK; the other is badly hurt and bleeding a lot. I felt a contact as I passed them, so we need an investigation team too.” Control acknowledges all his information.
All the station staff can hear what's said on the radio. When the first call goes out the conductor on the platform opposite leaves his room to see if he can help. He sees Hal get hit and go down. He turns back and grabs the two first aid kits in his room because he has no idea of what he'll need. As he crosses the platform he hears the alert closing the station. One of the waiting passengers grabs his arm when he passes her, “I'm a registered nurse, can I go with you to help?” He nods.
At the edge of the platform he looks up the line, and can see the next train for this platform stopped well down the line. It's safe to go, so he puts the kits down and hops down. The nurse sits on the edge of the platform and he helps her down. They grab a kit each and he helps her across the tracks to where the injured are. As the nurse examines the damaged foot he opens both kits and tells control where he is and he has a nurse with him. They acknowledge the call because they can't do much else at the moment.
The woman recognises the most significant damage is the bleeding foot. She applies a pressure bandage to the foot, ankle, and lower leg to stop the bleeding. As she does this she notices the knee is broken, but not bleeding much. She places some splints on each side and bandages from well below the knee to well above the knee. With the help of the conductor she lifts him up to examine his shoulder. She washes the torn skin. Noise on the tracks has her looking up as two paramedics arrive on the scene. She tells them what she's seen and done. They note it all down and thank her for the help.
With them taking over the care of the injured boy she does the only thing she can still do to be of help. She lifts the hysterical girl off the unconscious boy and cuddles her. She notices the girl's eyes stay riveted on the boy. Ten minutes later the ambulance is moving off to Westmead Hospital with both the boy and girl. The conductor on the original platform announces both are alive and on the way to the hospital, and asks for the families to come to his office.
As the conductor takes contact details for the families the police are interviewing the waiting passengers to see if anyone saw anything worth noting. One police officer offers the families a lift to the hospital and they all accept it. While they wait for one of the police buses to arrive to take them over the police ask if they saw anything. The girl's family only saw her movement to the tracks. However, Mrs Smith and Jo tell how they saw a pair of arms propel the girl towards the edge, but couldn't see the pusher due to other passengers being in the way. The policeman is shocked and passes that along on his radio, this is now an attempted murder investigation not a transport accident; that changes the whole approach and the investigation is now much more intense.
Thirty minutes later both families are dropped off at the hospital. While in transit they exchange contact details so they can contact each other later.
The ambulance pulls into the hospital and both the kids are taken into the Emergency Room. The staff start to take details and run into their first problem, the girl identifies herself as being nearly nine years of age, name of Jun Bao Wáng, and not prepared to leave the side of her saviour for any reason. The one attempt to drag her off results in one senior nurse being severely beaten about the upper body by the girl while she screams her lungs out. The Registrar responds to the noise, and tells them to leave the girl with the boy until the parents arrive and decide otherwise. She stays by his side through all his examination and treatment.
The boy is under age and unconscious. By law the doctors can do what they need in non-intrusive procedures and what's needed in the way of intrusive procedures to save his life, but no more than that. From the identity documents he has on him, including his Medicare card, they can get most of the information they need to register him as himself and get his assessment started. They organise full body x-rays and MRI scans so they can assess the damage to the bones and the soft tissue. Armed with the details of the damage the doctors set about the job of cleaning him up and setting out a treatment plan.
Mrs Smith arrives about then and they tell her what the situation is. She gives her permission for their plan; she doesn't like it, but can see she has no option. Jack is no better at these decisions than she is and Hal is unconscious. At the moment the doctors are glad he is because it makes their current job easier. They administer a general anaesthetic and get on with the job of cleaning up his shoulder and foot first. They'll leave the knee until an expert arrives, he's already on his way.
The shoulder blade is cracked, but not a full break; the doctors think the hit there must have been at an angle. There's a large section of skin torn and lots of badly bruised muscle, which adds to their thoughts on a glancing blow. The whole area is cleaned up and hit with every type of germ killer they can think of. They immobilised the shoulder and the skin is sewn back into place. A bandage covers the whole shoulder area, so it also covers the few grazes on the other shoulder.
About the time the surgeons are taking Hal into the theatre for the surgery to his foot the police are wrapping up their investigation at the station and clearing the last of the tracks to run. Soon after they arrived they gave approval to open the other platforms and tracks again, but kept the two at the scene closed. Now the train is being sent on its way, the passengers are long gone, and all is returning to as close to normal as it can get at the moment. All should be back to normal running for the evening peak hour traffic.
Based on the x-rays and MRI scans the doctors have a plan ready to deal with Hal's foot. However, a visual inspection when they open the remains of his foot up shows things are much worse than they thought. A quick consultation with Mrs Smith and she gives them instructions to cut away. They offered two options with expected outcomes, but she tells them to use the one that's the most extensive surgery. She knows her son and knows which he'll be more able to live with.
The doctors remove all of the foot forward of the ankle. They leave just enough bone to give Hal something to walk and balance on. They also leave just enough muscle, ligament, and skin to work the remains of the joint and make a good pad around the remaining bone. The result looks like a club foot with a working ankle, due to the way the surgery was done. This will be easier for Hal to use than a half foot or an ankle prosthetic.
While they have him in the theatre they take the time to sew up some of the large cuts on his legs and set things ready for the knee specialist who's due to arrive about the time they finish with the foot.
The knee specialist, Dr Wells, arrives and looks over the scans. He talks with Mrs Smith and confirms what the doctors warned her the case may be. She gives him approval to operate to have a visual of the situation first. He opens up the knee, and again the situation is worse than expected in some ways, but better than expected in others. The bones in the joint are gone and he'll need a full knee replacement, but the ligaments are still good. His biggest concern is Hal's age and growth cycles because they'll affect how they do the replacement surgery. So he goes back out to speak with Mrs Smith.
After a long talk with Dr Wells and Hal's regular doctor Mrs Smith tells him to go ahead with the knee replacement. Hal is already big for his age and about the maximum height his regular doctor expects him to hit, based on some old measurements that are indicative of final height. The worst case scenario will mean another operation in a few years' time when he reaches his full adult height. The doctor goes back to do the operation. The whole knee is replaced with a titanium one and he's sewn back up. They bandage the knee with a stiff bandage, but not a cast. The knee is immobilised, but they can't put a cast on because of the need to examine the knee each day.
Jun sits beside Hal holding his hand all through the operations. They move him to the recovery ward and she walks alongside. When they set him up in the bed with monitors she climbs up on the side of the bed and lays her head on his chest. She's soon asleep.
Both sets of parents smile when they see her, and organise for the situation to remain that way. They recognise she needs time with her saviour and talisman before she can reach a new mental balance. The girl's grandfather, Chéng Wáng, organises for some security guards to keep an eye on them both.
Hal wakes up about mid-morning the next day, feeling very hungry. Looking around the room he can tell he's in hospital. It takes a moment for the memory of yesterday to catch up with him, and he jerks a little. He feels a weight on his chest and looks down. He smiles at the girl asleep on his chest, but she's stirring and he thinks his jerking about must have disturbed her sleep.
A nurse, alerted by the monitors, comes in to check up on him. He conveys his hunger while she takes some readings and makes some notes. She leaves, and a little later a nurse's aide walks in with some soup and tablets for him. He's surprised it's a top quality chicken and corn soup, his favourite. He eats it and asks for more. She smiles and leaves. She soon returns with more. It's then he learns they have several servings in the fridge; it just needs to be heated up in the microwave and served to him. He knows this isn't normal, but is too busy enjoying the food to care. After three servings he goes back to sleep.
In the early afternoon Hal wakes again, and finds his chest warmer is sitting on the side of the bed while she eats a bowl of soup. She smiles while she hands him hers and calls out for another serving. A nurse's aide comes in to check on things, and goes for another serving while the two share the soup. The girl introduces herself to him as Jun Bao Wáng. She already knows his name. They finish off two more shared soups before the nurse's aide has to help Hal with a bed pan. The nurse brings him some tablets to take for the pain.
In mid-afternoon two detectives arrive and ask his version of the events. He describes what he saw, and even gives a detailed description of the man who shoved the girl. Hal is the first person who can give a clear description of the attacker, so they're very excited about it. Jun smiles at him while he gives his statement. One of the detectives makes a call on his mobile phone. About twenty minutes later a computer expert is on hand with his computer, a wide screen flat monitor, and copies of the video records from the railway station that day. The videos of the platform aren't clear on who did what. They go through them and Hal points out the man just before the shove, and again just after it.
Hal asks if they have any good shots of the people entering or leaving the station. They do, so he goes through them. The images are played at normal speed, but Hal has no trouble pointing out two sets of images where the man involved is shown as he walks about the station. Hal also picks him out in the footage of where he leaves just after the incident. All three shots are from slightly different angles, but Hal makes a clear identification of him each time. The lead detective has the computer expert send copies of those shots back to the main forensics lab so they can run them against known villains. About fifteen minutes later he's sent a file with about sixty pictures of people who look a lot like the man in the images they sent in.
They show the set of images to Hal four at a time, with a new set coming up on the screen every five seconds. About a third of the way through he stops the show and points to one, saying, “That's him.” They restart the images and he stops them again a little later, and says, “There's another shot of him from another angle.” The detective smiles, as in both cases Hal has pointed out the same man. The police leave.
They arrest the man Hal identified, but he claims to know nothing and has witnesses to say he was elsewhere when it happened. But he made one mistake and they get him with it. By sheer luck the only people to make contact with the back of Jun's clothes on the day were the person who pushed her, Hal, and the nurse who held her. The man Hal identified signs statements he doesn't know the girl, never met her, and wasn't there or at the hospital. So the DNA evidence of some skin cells left behind when he pushed her back with his bare hands is good evidence he's lying, and the only reason he would lie is if he did it.
Faced with the forensic evidence he pleads guilty to attempted murder before the magistrate. He does this just to reduce his sentence, because pleading guilty means the magistrate has to deliver a sentence then and there; if he pleads not guilty it goes to judge and jury. Under the laws of New South Wales the maximum penalty a magistrate can give as a sentence is much lower than that from a judge and jury. So if you're sure you're going down pleading guilty before a magistrate puts a much lower limit on the potential sentence. He knows this and uses it to his advantage because he figures he'll cop the maximum - he does.
About an hour after the detectives leave Hal's room is full of visitors; his parents, sister, Jun's parents, her grandfather, and four doctors. His mother starts the talk, “Hal, you need to be told the extent of your injuries. The doctors can give you the full details if you want them, or would you rather know the effects?” Jun sits up and looks at all their faces. She notices the careful expression on her grandfather's face and wonders what he knows to put on what she calls 'his hiding mask.'
“How long before I can get back to training, Mother?”
She's very worried, “Oh, you'll have a lot of training as part of your therapy. But your athletics training is over.” He stares at her. “Your foot in front of the ankle had to be removed. I realise that wouldn't be a big issue, but you've a titanium knee now. The doctor says you'll never be able to run worth a damn in the future.” Hal's face goes white.
Jun turns to look at him. He has no expression, none at all, his face is very stiff. She snuggles up his chest and lays her head on his left shoulder while she hugs him harder. She has no idea why, but that information has hurt him a lot. His mother notices the look as well. She waves everyone out of the room, and they leave. She goes last, leaving Hal with only Jun hugging him. She closes the door behind her. Jo has a sad expression, as do both Hal's parents. The rest look puzzled, except for Chéng Wáng.
Jun's father, Zhu Wáng, asks, “What have I missed?”
His father, Chéng, explains, “My son, if anyone except that boy had been trying to save Jun we would be burying her.” All turn to look at him. “Once I had his name and address I had some people check up on him. One assistant recognised the details and told me about him. Henry John Smith has been involved with Little Athletics since he was eight years old. He's won every race he's ever entered. Even timed events against older runners, races based on time groups in earlier events not age. For the last three years one of the local organisers has been asking all the other Little Athletics groups for the times of their fastest runners, all in Hal's age group or size are several percent longer. Some members of the Australian Athletics Olympic Committee are already interested in what they call the fastest boy alive. They already have plans to get him in the squad for the first Olympics after he turns fifteen. They won't risk him before that age. He has, I should say, had great speed, but his take off and great acceleration had them all mesmerised. They just couldn't believe how fast he goes from dead stop to full speed in only a few paces. If anyone else had been trying to save Jun they both would have been still in the middle of the tracks when the train arrived. One of this country's best future Olympic champions has just given up all his dreams and his career for Jun.” They all stare, not even Hal's parents knew about the top athletics people watching their son. He turns to Mrs Smith, “Please, I need to publicise the main details of Hal and what he did yesterday. I'll keep his name out of the papers. But we need to make known a young man of Western descent risked all for a young girl of Chinese descent he'd never met. This will lower a lot of the racial tensions many are working at bringing to a boiling pitch.”
She looks at Jack, he nods, and she nods. “Yes, go ahead, and please don't have any photos where he's can be easily recognised.”
“I intend to use some of the photos from the railway station. Their security cameras aren't that good for identification at the distances involved, but they show him to be Caucasian and what he did. They'll be a lot better than any of just him.”
Mrs Smith looks around the group, “For the moment, I think it best we leave those two alone. All his dreams, plans, and the only career he wanted just got ripped to shreds on him. I'm sure he's crying right now. Jun is with him and will give him the support and unconditional love he needs at the moment. He's her hero, so there's nothing he can do to lower his esteem in her eyes, but his crying will make him seem more human and not a God or superhuman to her.” They all nod.
Soon after that many of them have to leave for various reasons. Only both mothers are left outside the door. About an hour later Jun opens the door and asks for a cousin to come visit her at the hospital. Her mother hands her a change of clothes and she goes for a shower in the attached en suite the room has. They'd put Hal in a private room. The women walk in and look down at the sleeping Hal, tear streaks mark his face. Both are saddened by the sight of him like that.
A showered and changed Jun returns to the bed and goes back to her position at Hal's side. An hour later the cousin Jun asked for arrives with the sketch pad and pencils she was asked to bring. She and Jun have a long quiet conversation before she draws something. She shows it to Jun who points at parts and makes some comments. A new version is drawn up and Jun agrees to it. The cousin agrees to show it to her father and to make a full painting of the drawing. The mothers watch with interest. But every time they go to see what the two are up to the drawing is hidden from them. Realising they aren't to know yet, they leave them be.
Hal's injuries heal and he commences therapy, first in the bed then in the hospital's pool when the doctors approve it. He has to learn how to walk again. The knee works just a little different to the original and that changes the motions. Also, the ligaments have been damaged and need to be worked in again. He makes slow progress and Jun doesn't leave his side. Her grandfather hires a tutor for them both, and they do their class lessons together in the hospital room.
The publicity around the attempted murder both raises the racial tensions due to it being a murder attempt, and then lowers them a lot more due to who saved the girl and how he saved her. The full extent of the damage and how the rescue has destroyed his future also helps to lower the tensions all round.
The time comes when Hal can leave the hospital and go home for care. Mrs Smith smiles when she finds the transfer to her home includes a nurse, a tutor, and Jun. The Smiths recognise Jun is a force of nature and accept her staying with Hal full-time until he is well enough to suit her.
One day during the second week of Hal's home care Jun addresses the whole Smith family. She looks around the faces watching her while they sit in Hal's bedroom. She says, “I'm very much a traditionalist and my culture is full of tradition. We have many myths and magical items. One of the most recognised is the Chinese Dragon. Unlike the European Dragon the Chinese Dragons are seen as being helpful beings of primal natural forces and very powerful totems.” They nod while they wonder where she's going. “One of them is the White Dragon that's the spirit of virtuous and pure kings, the Bailong. This is a very powerful Dragon and very good. One other aspect of our myths and spirits is we often see them at work in people who've the qualities of the spirit involved. In those cases we call the people concerned by the name of the spirit.” She looks over her audience and they nod their understand of what she's said, but don't see where she's heading. “I've spoken with my family and others of the Chinese community. We agree Hal has the spirit of the Bailong and that is his name within the community now.”
While her stunned audience goes very wide eyed her father walks in with two men carrying a large painting one and a half metres long and a metre tall. The background is a blue sky. The bulk of the painting is taken up by a large white dragon holding a child to its chest in a tight embrace while hissing defiance at an unseen enemy. The two feet holding the child can't be seen, while the lower right foot has four toes and the lower left foot ends in a ball. They all stare at it as Jun speaks, “Four toes on a Dragon's foot designates a royal dragon, a king of dragons. This is how I see my Bailong.” She looks at Hal when she says the Dragon's name.
Mr Zhu Wáng speaks up, “Just before the incident at the railway I'd started the construction of a major restaurant. I'd not thought of a name I liked. When Jun told me of the painting she commissioned and asked me to pay for it for her I knew then what the name of the restaurant had to be. The White Dragon Restaurant and Club opens for business on Friday and this picture will be the main feature of the restaurant. As the place is named after the Bailong we need him to be present for the opening. Also, to commemorate this and to show who Hal is, we have this for him.” He waves at Jun and she slips a ring on Hal's finger, it's a sapphire with a white dragon matching the painting inset into it.
The whole Smith family are stunned by this. Zhu continues, “I also have some papers for Hal and his parents to sign. It's bad luck to have a business named after someone and not have them as a part owner. So I've established a trust for Hal and he's a part owner of the restaurant. These papers are to finalise the legal aspects of that.” The Smiths look like they're about to argue. “No one in the Chinese Community would dare go near the place unless he was a part owner, even if I changed the name. The Bailong Hal is now one of the most respected members of our community.” The Smiths nod while they accept the situation and sign the papers without giving them a thorough examination. It's another few weeks before Zhu lets Hal know he's the senior partner with fifty-five percent ownership. After he has a hard time convincing Hal to accept that they both decide to not tell his parents and have the same fight with them.
The Smith family arrives at the restaurant in the mid-afternoon so they can give it a good look over before the evening grand opening. The main eating area has the theme of a royal dining room with a raised throne for the king and family at one end with the other tables set out before the throne.
When it's time to open up Hal is seated on the throne wearing his western dress clothes and a sapphire blue Chinese robe over them. Everyone arrives at the times on their invitations, which have three time slots. The first are the most important members of the local Chinese community. Next are the top members of other Chinese communities in Sydney and some prominent Westerners from the Sydney and New South Wales political and business scenes. Last are the many locals who are friends of the family plus the families of those who helped get the place built and ready. When they arrive all of them are presented to Hal. He sits there, as the king of the restaurant, accepting their homage to his royal self. His family are very surprised and happy with the way Hal accepts it all as his due and carries the role off well, despite the circumstances. The Chinese are very glad he acts as they expect their new local lord to act. He has just the right mix of regal authority and real friendliness with all the people.
The grand opening is a great success. The restaurant is packed every lunch and dinner for many months. Since Hal is being tutored he doesn't have to go back to school, so he does his studies at the White Dragon alongside Jun. This helps with its popularity because it's also a club for the locals to meet in and play games like cards, Mah-jong and Go; so it's open outside of just meal times. They sit at tables and play or eat while their Bailong sits on his throne and studies.
Hal's therapy goes at a fast pace because he throws himself into getting independent as soon as possible. His body heals, his mind heals, but his heart still needs a lot of work to get over the loss of all his dreams.
Late in the year Mrs Smith receives a letter which she discusses with her husband before replying. As a result of the letter arrangements are made for the Smiths to be in Canberra for Australia Day. They don't tell the children about the special plans for the day because they think it'll be a good surprise for them. They travel down two days beforehand to do some sightseeing around Canberra. In the course of this they happen to run into Jun and her family at the first place they visit: The Australian War Memorial. Hal thinks the trip smells a little fishy, but thinks it's the parents' way of giving them a short holiday before school starts in about a week's time. He's to return to normal classes then.
On Australia Day they go to Parliament House to watch the giving of the Australia Day Awards. Many of the major ones have been in the media over the last few days, but not all of them. Jo starts to see things aren't right when they end up being given seats very near the front of the seated crowd. Both she and Hal thought it odd both families had tickets, but assumed they were bought some time back.
Hal is very surprised when they reach a part of the ceremony and he's called up on stage to be presented with an award for his actions on the day he lost his foot. All he wants to do is forget the pain and horror of the day, but can see the look of pride and pleasure on the faces of both families, so he puts on his 'glad' face and accepts the award before leaving the stage. After all the awards are made the crowd starts to break up. Hal and his family are making their way out of the area when some of the television media crews congregate around them to get more of the story because this is a good human interest story. They get in the way of the families leaving.
Mr Smith shouts out, “Please move back and give us room to leave. Hal still has trouble walking and needs plenty of room. Get back.” The crews from the local ABC and SBS networks do just that, but the crews from the commercial networks don't. In fact, they make things worse by jostling to take over the space just vacated by the other two crews who had been first to reach the Smiths. The results of this are predictable, and are caught on the cameras of the two retreating crews.
The news people are more interested in Hal, so they move to get closest to him. His family and the Wáng family try to provide a buffer space and protect him. In the process Mr Wáng gets pushed aside and falls over, when he falls he knocks into Mr Smith who falls against Hal. He screams when he goes over sideways. The police and paramedics on hand respond to the scream of pain. Hal is whisked off to hospital and Dr Wells is called. That afternoon the holiday is cut short when Hal is flown back to Westmead Hospital to have his knee replaced again.
When he hit the ground Hal's knee landed on something to cause part of the replacement knee to be damaged in such a way they need to replace the whole affair. This time Dr Wells has a new polymer unit available for Hal to try. One complaint Hal had, from the start, was the weight, but this new unit overcomes that problem.
While that's going on Mr Chéng Wáng has his solicitors start legal action against the commercial networks for damages and compensation of several million dollars each. He also gets a court order forbidding them to use any footage of Hal in any broadcast because he's a minor.
Hal has to restart his therapy and do it all again, part because of the new knee and part because this fall did more damage to the ligaments and muscles. This required some surgery on them and is also part of the reason for the new equipment. Having several months' therapy go down the drain does not make Hal happy.
The media groups get legal advice they are likely to be held partially responsible as they were told to back off and didn't, and the confined space is what caused the injury. The advice includes a rider they may reduce the payout if they contest it fully. But top management figures the negative publicity of hurting a minor just given a bravery award is not a good idea. They reach an out of court settlement to meet the medical costs of this injury, Hal's legal costs, the taxes on the payouts, plus one and a half million dollars each to Hal's trust account.
Hal isn't told he's four and a half million dollars richer until after he's out of hospital and back at home. It doesn't help his attitude.
After six months therapy with the new knee Hal is at the White Dragon, his favourite place to be when not at home, and getting ready for the evening mealtime. He holds court at the evening meals. He's talking with Jun and her mother while her father is in the kitchen and her grandfather is across the room talking to some Westerners about a few political matters.
During the time since the restaurant opened the décor has gone through a few changes; some subtle, some not so subtle. A smaller throne sits beside Hal's, he asked for it and Jun sits in it when with him or she holds court in his absence. The wall behind the thrones has replicas of traditional Chinese weapons of war on display along it. They include armour, shields, swords, pikes, and spears. Most of the armour and shields are bamboo or wood, as was the case in real life. They're all displayed as if ready to be taken and used for war; not mounted on the wall, but on stands in front of it. In the middle of each section between the thrones and the end of the wall is a set of six spears sitting in a rack. No weapon has a sharp edge for true combat, but the swords do have an edge and the spears do have a point, even if they're blunted.
Hal is looking down at Jun while she talks when the door chimes sound. The usual sound is a nice set of rhythmic jingles when someone opens the door they're attached to and walks in. This time they make a very harsh jangle, which they only do when someone shoves the door open hard while in a hurry. He looks up, to see two young Caucasian men in long coats rush in. Something about them frightens him.
He pushes Jun down to the floor while he spins and takes a step to the wall display. Stopping beside the nearest rack of spears he grabs two from the rack and turns back to face the room. He steps forward to give himself room if he has to throw them, and gets set to throw one.
All in the room had turned at the harsh sound of the door chimes. They watch in horror when the two men move towards Chéng Wáng while bringing sawn off shotguns out from under their long coats. The men stop a few paces from Chéng and raise the shotguns. He pushes those near him away and turns to run. At the same time as this Hal raises his right arm with a spear in it. He throws it at the gunman furthest from him. Hal used to be good with the javelin at school, and a javelin is little more than a combat spear to begin with. His therapy has given him much stronger arms and the distance is a lot less than what he had to throw the javelin for at school before the therapy made them stronger. He releases the spear as the two men fire their shotguns.
Chéng is caught in the blasts and is thrown against the wall just before the spear slams into the chest of the man furthest from Hal. The man is turned a bit towards Hal before the spear penetrates his upper chest on one side. The impact turns him around more while it punches through his lungs. The pain and shock of being speared makes him contract his hand again. The finger on the shotgun trigger pulls the trigger back and the second barrel discharges into his partner who's standing to his left. The turn to follow Chéng and the extra turn from the spear impact has his second shotgun blast slamming into the rear right chest of his partner in crime. He collapses in pain, he doesn't scream because his left lung collapses when his right lung ceases to exist due to the shotgun blast destroying it.
Staff rush to see to Mr Chéng Wáng, but it's too late, he's dead. The attackers are severely hurt, but still alive; no one even tries to give them first aid and they're left to die in great pain. Meanwhile Jun and two staff have Hal in the back of the kitchen they're holding him up over a sink while he throws up at the thought of having killed a man.
When Hal stops heaving Jun's father gives him a cup of black coffee with no sugar. Hal hates the taste of coffee, but he takes a big drink before he realises what it is. Just as the taste hits him he realises it's settling his stomach. He needs a settled stomach, so he grimaces at the taste and finishes the cup of coffee. He feels a bit better when he's finished it, and better still after another cup of coffee.
The police are called and they soon arrive, to find three dead people. The police conduct their investigation. Later the Coroner's Court rules Chéng was murdered and the other two died by misadventure when someone else defended themselves.
“After that the local Chinese community here has seen me as one who does good and works to protect their community,” Hal says while he looks around the faces of his family and the Smit girls. “I'm their good dragon, so I have to be here for the start of the New Year celebrations for the start of the Year of the Dragon.” He gives a small smile when Jun wipes away the tears he cried while recounting his tale of the past. All are saddened by the tale he recounted.
Greta asks, “What was the award they gave you?”
“I don't know. I didn't want it. I didn't listen to them. I recognised the cues I needed to and just accepted the award, then used my bung knee as an excuse to get away. At the time I was still upset all my plans for winning Olympic gold medals as a top star performer for running were dead.”
Zhu says, “To me, the greatest award you could ever have is the one you held that day at the railway when you held Jun to your chest and safety. You dreamed of being a star performer at the top level. That day you were the greatest star to ever perform athletic feats in the world. No one else has come as close to outrunning a train as you did that day.” There's not much Hal can say to that, so he simply nods his head.
Hal and the girls travel to the White Dragon early in the day because their final preparations for the day will be made there. While they get ready for the New Year celebrations Jun gets out Hal's royal robe and puts it on him. Then she surprises him by getting a small box from the drawer of a side table at the end of the display wall behind the thrones. He hasn't seen this box since he gave it to his mother some years ago.
Jun walks over and has him sit down while she opens the box and removes the contents. She places it over his head so the award he received sits in the middle of his chest, saying, “It is fitting that Bailong wears his award today. I feel you should always wear it when you hold court. You are my star. You are a shining star to many who live here. It's very fitting you show the people the government recognises you as a star, as they did with this award.” He sighs and lets her put it on him.
As he stands up Liz and the Smit girls all stare, because they'd never been told what the award was; but they can now see it for themselves.
Greta smiles while she walks over to him and places her hand on the award. She recognises what it is and thinks its name fits them both. “Come, my husband to be. You are a star performer and have to now give another star performance to your people. You must give them hope for the future.”
Hal smiles at her and stands straight while he limps to the front door to meet the crowd gathering for the starting celebrations of the Year of the Dragon which will be started by Hal. He has on a nice conservative suit, his sapphire blue robe, and it's all just a light counter point to the award. When he walks out the sun shines on his award and it sparkles like a brilliant star in the heavens. All eyes are drawn to the shining star on the chest of Bailong. His parents are on hand in the crowd, and they, too, smile at his final acceptance of the award of the
Star of Courage
The Star of Courage is the second highest Australian Bravery Award and is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in situations of great danger or peril. The award itself is a seven pointed star made of a silver metal. It ranks with the United Kingdom's King George Medal.