Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 04:32:51 EST
From: Djedoric58@aol.com
Subject: The Only Way To Fly chapter 9

Several of you have emailed me regarding the end of chapter eight, so I
have made a small change to it. Here is the corrected finish to chapter
eight.

DJ


	Daley chuckled. "You're not very observant are you? He's been
watching you very carefully these past few days. I suggest you make up your
mind what you want to do by the time the snowplough gets through because
that boy is getting ready to trap someone in his net."

	"Nah! I don't believe that."

	"Oh well," Daley said as he got to his feet, "Time will prove one
of us right."

	"But, hey! I'm not gay."

	Daley stared down at me, his hand on the doorknob. "What's that got
to do with anything?" He left the study, chuckling to himself, and I sat
there, staring into space with my thoughts in a shambles. Did I like the
kid? Of course I did but... I wiped my hands over my face and realised they
were shaking.


		       The Only Way To fly Chapter 9

				  Buy DJ


	The next morning, during a rather subdued breakfast minus Ken, and
Billy who wasn't feeling too well, we heard the first sounds of a heavy
engine. The sound grew louder and I realised what it was. I gulped the last
of my coffee and followed the rest of the boys into the front lounge where
we drew back the curtains. The sound was loud now but we still couldn't see
anything despite the fact that the snowdrift outside the window was only
half its original height. Someone knocked on the front door, or rather
banged something heavy against it, and I ran to open it. The snowdrift was
still there but on top of it was a pair of feet in heavy boots. I screwed
my head to look up between the open door and the drift and saw Mr Watson
smiling down at me. He shoved a spade down at me and said, "You start at
your side and me and my boys will attack it from out here."

	"Right, I know just the man for the job." I ran upstairs to find
Ken. He was lounging on his bed, eating some scrounged food. I dragged him
off the bed and said," you want to get going?"

	"I can't wait," he replied. "This is a loser outfit anyway."

	"Right. Come with me." I dragged him downstairs. We were on the
first floor landing when Billy staggered out of his bedroom in his shorts,
with his hand to his head. He stared at us with his eyebrows raised.

	Before I could stop him, Ken lunged at him and snarled, "One of
these days someone is going to shove those drums sticks of yours right up
your arse, you little Bitch."
	As I dragged him away Ken said, "Watch that kid, he's trouble."
Billy stared at us, shocked at Ken outburst and he looked so vulnerable and
childlike, I wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be
okay, but I had to get rid of this nerd first.  I almost threw Ken down the
last flight of stairs; I was so ready to do him an injury he would never
forget. We reached the hall where the others were waiting and shoved the
spade at him. He stared at the spade then at me." And just what am I
supposed to with this?"

	"I pointed to the wall of snow. "You want to leave? Get digging."
We didn't bother telling him about Mr Watson and his sons doing the bulk of
the work, and let him think he was doing the job on his own. We had great
satisfaction watching the nerd attack the drift till he was sweating. All
that was needed was for the snow to be loosened so Mr Watson's boys could
scrape it away to where they had forced a narrow path to our door.  After a
few minutes, Daley brought us more spades and four of us worked with Ken to
clear a good two feet off the top of the drift. Then I called a halt to the
digging and sent Ken up for his gear with Rob as his guard in case he tried
to get to Billy again. While he was away, I told Mr Watson of my plan to
give Ken one more shock before sending him on his way. Mr Watson was happy
to co-operate.

	On Ken's return, the boys grabbed his gear and threw it up over the
drift before he could anything to stop them. Then Rob and Indian grabbed
him and pushed him up through the gap as well. We heard him yell as he
landed on the other side, then his angry protests as Mr Watson offered him
a lift down to town to catch a train, if there were any trains still
running. What made his departure so funny was that Mr Watson's own
makeshift snowplough was attached to the front of his slurry spreader, the
most powerful engine on his farm, and you know how they can stink. And
there was nowhere for Ken to sit except... yes you've guessed it. Well, we
couldn't give him a lift could we, our own precious chariots being trapped
at the back of the house by further snowdrifts?

	As soon as I could, I went upstairs to see Billy. He had gone back
to bed and looked quite pale, and I felt quite disappointed that I had
missed the chance to give him a hug. "Hey, sport. What's up?" Billy shook
his head and made a shaking motion with his hands. "Bad?" Billy nodded,
tapped his forehead and closed his eyes. "Sick?" Billy nodded. "Have you
got anything for the pain?" He pointed to the bedside cabinet. There was
nothing on the top so I opened the drawer and saw a packet of tablets. I
tapped Billy's right hand with it, and he opened his eyes long enough to
look at it and nod his head. I went to the bathroom and filled a glass with
water, and took it back to him.  I helped him sit up and handed him the
glass; he had to hold it with both hands, they shook that much. I read the
dose and gave him two tablets. He washed them down with the water and
handed me the glass then lay down again. I reached over to pull the duvet
further over him and he caught hold of my hand. The surge of affection,
just from that simple touch sent a sock wave through me. I let him hold my
hand till he dropped off to sleep then went downstairs to find Daley. As
luck would have it, he was in the study, on the phone to the doctor. He put
his hand over the mouthpiece and whispered, "How is he?"

	"Not good." I replied, and told him how Billy was feeling.

	Daley listened to what the doctor was saying then relayed my
message to him. "Yes, I understand, Doctor.... Yes, I'll be here... as soon
as you can, please. Thanks." Daley put the phone down and looked up at
me. "It's more serious than we thought, Mags. That last appointment was for
a CT scan. The doctor's going to try and contact the consultant's secretary
to see if he can get him another appointment for tomorrow. I said I'd stay
by the phone. Can you tell Trilby to get the band together to work on those
new arrangements for me?"

	"What about Billy?"

	"Oh, he'll be all right in a bit. According to Bill's journal these
bouts of sickness and headaches happen mostly in the mornings. That's what
the tablets are for. I think he missed taking them yesterday morning. I'll
go and give him one in a minute if he's awake."

	"I already did. He's gone back to sleep." I stood for a moment,
gazing into space and wondering if I was the right one to stay with the
kid, but then Daley wasn't saying anything but he wasn't taking this at all
well. It was in the tone of his voice and in the faraway look in his
eyes. He was the one that wouldn't be able to cope, not me. So, as much as
I loved the idea of going n tour with these guys, if Billy wanted me to
stay, I'd stay.

	Trilby got us all together and I told the band the news about
Billy. They were concerned and very supportive when Billy made an
appearance. And wow, didn't he look different! Gone were the baggy jeans
and sweatshirt in favour of a sleeveless black T-shirt over tight black
jeans, with a heavy studded belt round his hips. He wore some find gold
chains round his neck, a chunky chrome and black wristwatch on his left
wrist and a black sports sweatband on his right. Boy did he look confident,
and sexy. Trilby was standing next to me as Billy settled himself behind
the drums. "Somebody's back to normal already!" he said softly. "Now you
see the kid he used to be."

	"But why the change all of a sudden?"

	Trilby smiled and shook his head at me, and left me to figure it
out for myself. Then I remembered Daley's words and it hit me. The cat was
on the hunt, and I was its prey. I didn't do too well during that
rehearsal; all of a sudden I had ten thumbs.

	During an extended lunch break, with Mr Watson's help we cleared
the path from the back yard to the front of the house, and got my car out
in case we had a call from the hospital. After that, we tried to get a
second rehearsal going but nobody was in a mood to make good music. We were
about to go through "Juke Joint" a third time when Daley hurried
in. "Billy, we've got to move. The consultant's just phoned me. He had a
cancellation and he can see you in an hour. Are you ready Mags? We'll just
about make it."

	"Which hospital?"

	"Christies."  I knew where that was, right in the middle of
Manchester.

				* * *

	I couldn't believe the speed in which the hospital staff took
charge of Billy the minute we arrived at the appropriate unit. They hardly
gave us a chance to give his name at the desk before telling us to wait in
the visitors' room and whisking him away from us. That made us even more
worried than we were but we just had to sit tight and wait for someone to
come and tell us what was happening. There was a large electric clock on
the wall opposite where I sat with Daley and I couldn't help watching the
long red hand tap out the seconds as if they were hours. Tick, tick,
tick. It was such an annoying thing to watch but I couldn't tear my eyes
from it.

	"Gets to you, doesn't it?" Daley said. He had been watching it too.
He got to his feet and walked the other side of the room, and took a chair
under the clock. I followed him over and sat down beside him. At least the
clock didn't act like a Svengali now. But I still couldn't settle. At
least, before, I had something to fix my attention on, to keep me from
thinking about what someone was doing to Billy. Now I had nothing, and my
mind chewed over all the medical stories and documentaries I had watched on
TV, showing every gory detail.

	Daley nudged me. "He'll be all right, it's only a scan he's
having. You lie on a bed thing and they move you through a tube while they
photograph your brain. It's not as if he's having surgery. It takes roughly
forty five minutes."

	"As long as that?" I gazed at my watch. Another thirty-five minutes
to go. "I need some fresh air." Anything rather than sit here, I
thought. Daley decided to stay where he was in case he was called. I found
my way out to the main entrance of the hospital and carried on walking, out
of the gate and down the street, putting one foot in front of the other
trying to sort out the turmoil in my heart. I wondered if this was how I
would feel if it were a kid brother of mine, or my own son in there. No, I
decided, it wasn't like that, even though I never had a brother or a
son. So what was this strange feeling I was experiencing?

	Ahead of me, a man and a woman were walking with their arms round
each other's waists. The woman was obviously crying, I could see her
shoulders shaking. Then the man stopped and turned to embrace the woman and
she melted into his arms to sob on his shoulder. "It doesn't matter,
darling," the man said as I passed them. "I'll be with you till the end, I
promise." So that was it, she was dying of cancer and he was declaring his
unending support for her. Now that was love. And I realised that was how I
felt about Billy. My head suddenly clear of any doubts, I turned round and
walked back into the hospital.


	Billy's scan took a bit longer than the usual forty-five minutes
and when a nurse came for us, we found him in a small office with a tall
grey haired doctor.  He asked us to sit down and while he studied some
pages in Billy's file I studied Billy. He looked tired and peaky but he
tried to give me a smile, which didn't quite work I took hold of his hand
and gave it a squeeze, he squeezed me back. The doctor looked up at last
and said, "Well now, we've done the scan and we have to wait for the
photographs. They will tell us exactly where the tumour is."

	"Tumour?" I asked, looking from the doctor to Billy and back to the
doctor.

	"Oh." The doctor frowned at Billy. "I see you haven't been told
everything. You're his new guardian?"

	"Yes."

	"And the other gentleman?"

	"He's a very good friend," Billy signed quickly, then hung his
head.

	"Oh. I see." The doctor's face indicated he had guessed what Billy
meant, and I felt a burning in my cheeks. The doctor looked down at his
notes for a moment, and then said, "We diagnosed a tumour a month ago when
Billy started having mild seizures. He should have had this scan last week,
but no matter. It's been done now, and we'll be able to see more clearly
where and how big it is. I'll make an appointment for him to come back in
four days time; that's the earliest I can see him."

	"And what will the next step be?" Daley asked.

	"A biopsy, to see what type of tumour it is; I won't bother you
with all the different fancy names there are. I'd much prefer to give you
the one name we're concerned with. Meanwhile, Billy, I suggest you get back
to your schoolwork. Your headmaster is an old friend of mine and he was
saying the other day it would be a shame for you to miss taking your GCSEs
this June. He was saying you are one of his star pupils with a lot going
for you. And no matter what treatment you need, we'll make sure you can
carry on with your studies as well. We have an excellent education team at
this hospital for patients just like you, should you have to stay with us
for any length of time. Meanwhile, live your life as normal as you can, and
enjoy yourself as well. Best treatment I can offer."  He smiled cheerfully
as he shook Billy's hand then ours, and he winked at me. Damn!  Was it so
obvious? "Just make sure he takes his tablets every morning, and no missing
them, Billy. Do you understand me young man?"


	Back at the house, the guys wanted to know how things went, and I
left Daley to tell them while I followed Billy upstairs, as I had noticed
his signal that he wanted to talk. Once in his bedroom, he locked the door
and turned to me. We were standing close, and I saw the fear in his eyes as
he looked up at me. "I'm scared," he signed to me, and his chin started to
quiver.

	I took him in my arms and held him close, and remembering the
couple at the hospital, I said, "I know you are, kid. But I'm going to be
with you all the way. I promise." I felt his arms go round waist and I
tightened my embrace, feeling his bury his face against my shoulder. I
kissed the top of his head and felt him give me an answering squeeze. Then
he pulled back a little to look up at me again, his eyes moist. He was only
four inches shorter than me, and it was so easy for him to lift his lips to
mine in a gentle kiss, and I met him halfway.

	I couldn't believe this was happening to me, that another male
wanted to kiss me; that I wanted to respond so willingly. Was this was what
I wanted? We both wanted it. I broke the kiss and stared down at him,
amazed that this was actually happening. He smiled at me and pulled away to
remove his coat and the studded belt. He went to the bed and, slipping off
his boots, he lay down on it, patting the place beside him. My hear beat
faster as I took off my padded anorak and my shoes, and joined him on the
bed. He held out his arms to me and I gathered him in a warm embrace and he
seemed content just to lay against me with his head on my chest and one arm
across my waist. We lay there for a few minutes, in peaceful contentment,
then I felt his hand move, working slowly to the hem of my T-shirt.  Then I
felt the tips of his fingers against the skin of my waist, and I felt the
urge to do the same. I was once told that the first touch is the most
precious. And it was. The skin I touched was as smooth as silk, and I
wanted more. I rolled over till he was almost under me and I could gaze
down at his beautiful face. Both he hands were under my shirt, caressing my
back. His eyes sparkled with tears as he smiled and mouthed, "I love you".

	Too soon! How could he know what love was? He was just a kid. But
the invitation was there and I accepted. I lowered my mouth to his in a
long kiss, and I felt his mouth press up to mine.  His arms tightened about
my waist as he pulled me down to crush him seeming to love my weight
pressing down on him. For a moment I worried that what I now wanted to
happen would be illegal, but then I remembered, the laws had been
changed. Billy was sixteen, and old enough, by British Law to do what he
wanted. We were safe. We were free. We were...we were in love!

	I felt Billy's lips part and I explored his flicking tongue and his
mouth while he explored mine. But suddenly he went limp, and I raised my
head to look at him. His eyes were closed, he wasn't breathing. "Billy?" I
freed my right arm and patted his cheek. "Billy?" I placed my hand flat on
his chest and felt a slow heart beat. I shook him gently and his head
rolled to one side.

	In a panic I dived off the bed and unlocked the door. Running to
the top of the stairs I bellowed for Daley. I kept up the racket till I
heard Rob shout from somewhere down below. I yelled for him to get Daley
and ran back into the bedroom. What was I to do? I knew nothing about
fits. I was kneeling on the bed, rubbing Billy's hands when Daley ran into
the room followed by Rob.


				* * *