The Watch – Part 105:

Tom was shaking uncontrollably. I’m surprised he hasn’t lost balance and fallen over. I helped him inside and into the living room where his legs gave way and he fell onto the sofa.

‘Oh my God,’ Amy expressed, shocked that someone like Tom could be in this state.

‘I’m so-sorry to ruin your p-plans,’ he said through gulps of air. ‘But I didn’t know where else to go.’

‘Don’t be sorry,’ I said, sitting down beside him. I’ve never seen Tom in this state before. Sure, I’ve seen him cry before, but this is something else. Whatever has happened must have been beyond terrible. ‘What’s wrong,’ I said sympathetically.

‘My m-mum and d-dad,’ he struggled to say. ‘They’re. They’re dead.’

‘What?’ I couldn’t believe it. How could that be possible? That can’t be the truth, yet why would Tom be crying his eyes out if it weren’t. A shockwave of incomprehensibleness hit me like a freight train. I’ve known Tom’s parents for as long as I’ve known my own. They were like my step parents to me. They looked after me when my mum and dad were away and my nana and grandad couldn’t make it. They let us have sleepovers from time to time where we would spend the entire night trying to outperform one another at certain games. They even took us out for day trips. It is impossible to try and imagine a world without them in it. And now, Tom’s here, giving me the news that, from now on, I’ll have to.

‘How did that happen?’ I said, feeling my eyes water up. I wanted to stay strong for Tom’s sake as I knew that would only make things worse. Besides, my disbelief of the matter pushed back the tears as well.

‘I w-was getting my dinner ready when there was a kn-knock at the d-door,’ Tom said struggling to say his words.

‘Take your time,’ Amy said soothingly, grabbing his hand for comfort.

‘I thought who would be calling me,’ he said, picking up the pace as if he wanted to get this story over and done with as soon as possible so that he doesn’t have to relive it anymore, ‘and I wasn’t expecting anyone. So when I opened the door, to my surprise, there were a couple of police officers standing there, with grim faces. Naturally, you think about what you’ve done, but then they explained that there had been an accident involving my parents. They d-didn’t m-make it out,’ he said.

‘OK,’ I said, hugging him. ‘OK.’ I didn’t know what to say. I was just as shocked as he was.

‘The P-Police officers said that there was an explosion at their work place.’ This added to the confusion.

‘But I thought they worked at an office block?’ I said. Surely an explosion can only happen at some laboratory when an experiment goes hideously wrong. How can an explosion happen in a place that has nothing that connects them to anything that could go up at any minute? They only have computers and printers that don’t work and all that stuff.

‘Does that matter?’ Tom asked angrily. I asked the wrong question. How could I be so inconsiderate? There was an explosion at Tom’s parent’s work place and that’s all that matters.

‘OK,’ I said again, trying to redeem myself with another comforting hug that told Tom that I was going to help him get through this.

‘They’re gone, Sebastian. They’re gone and I’m never going to see them again. What am I supposed to do with that?’ He’s asking me impossible questions. How can I answer questions relating to a situation that I don’t believe has happened? I looked towards Amy for support. She was just as surprised as I was, but she pulled herself together and sat on the opposite side of Tom, squeezed his hand even tighter and said calmly.

‘Whatever you need, whenever you need it, we’ll be there. Even if it’s just being there.’

‘You don’t have to put yourself out for me,’ Tom said.

‘Just trust us when we say that we’ll be there for you,’ I said. Tom was exhausted. He was tired and drained of all energy. He couldn’t cry any more. He was still shaking, but not as violently as before. His entire life has turned upside down in a matter of seconds. I’m not going to say that I know what is going through his head, but I do know that it wasn’t nice. There has to be something that I can do other than comfort Tom through this dark period, there has to be.

‘I don’t feel too well,’ Tom said.

‘Then, as much as you may not want to, but you’re going to have a lie down,’ Amy said.

‘I don’t want to sleep,’ Tom said. ‘I can’t sleep,’ but he was nearing falling asleep naturally. His body couldn’t handle the amount of emotions going through his body that it has decided to shut down to try and get rid of as much as it could. He went quiet for a good while before I realised that he had actually gone to sleep on my shoulder. I gently lifted his head, trying not to wake him up and place his head onto the sofa’s arm. I grabbed the blanket that Amy used earlier and wrapped it around Tom.

‘We have to do something?’ Amy whispered once I had finished making sure that the blanket wouldn’t fall to the floor.

‘I know, but I’m not sure what at the moment. I’m just as shocked and confused as he is.’ My emotions were trying to burst out of my body, but I forced to channel them through focusing on doing something to make Tom better. ‘I can’t think properly at the moment,’ I admitted.

‘There is only one thing you can do,’ Amy said getting a brainwave.

‘What’s that?’ I asked.

‘You’re going to save Tom’s parents,’ she said.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)