Kind Hearts And Martinets Collection

Chapter 16-2

Jack tried to offer as many comforting words as he could, ‘It’s alright, you’re safe now, I’m a policeman. I’m here to help you, sweet’art.’ She understood. Feck, he had automatically thought they’d stumbled upon people transporting foreigners, Caucasian, European, maybe Romanian, but no, this girl understood him. Shifting more boxes, calling more comfort to the girl, he cleared a space, and on his knees, he approached at her eye level. She had pissed and s**t in the corner, was covered in it, how long had she been here? He tried to show no revulsion.

‘Please, mister, don’t hurt me.’ Faint but clear, and definitely English. Jack hummed a tune and intermittently gave more reassuring words. He opened his arms; he saw the strength drain from her emaciated frame as she fell into his embrace. Jack’s mind buzzed, I’m going to cry, what’s happening to me? Was this his midlife crisis? He cuddled the girl, denying his thoughts, a rancid smell, heart in front of his other senses. Little pats and tiny kisses, he continued to hum his tune, gazed back at Alice, dry racking breaths at first, but inevitably his tears came in floods. Slowly he stood, sobbing, crushing the girl in his arms. ‘Are you moy dad?’ whispering in his ear, shallow, moist breath. ‘Dad, I wants to go.’

Alice whispered, ‘Pompey accent.’

Jack nodded, hugged the girl covered in her own waste, opened his jacket and wrapped it around her, tight. She responded to the comfort and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. He was unsure whether to press his head to her, to offer additional reassurance; he’d not shaved that morning and was cautious of her delicate skin. He chose to go for comfort, and Alice nodded, understood his dilemma and approved his decision. There was a commotion behind, ‘Close your eyes, darlin’. I’m taking you somewhere safe.’

She screwed her eyes, nose, and her mouth at the same time, like they were joined, clutched tight, and Jack’s breathy sobs convulsed his body as he backed out of the room, his left hand over the back of the child’s head so she could not turn and see what lay around her. Jack saw past Alice; paramedics triaging, calling, working, asking, and praying? Shocked but professional, ‘Thank God for those guys, paid a pittance, taken advantage of by the government and even abused by some people, but who do we call in our hour of need, not Big Society volunteers, that’s for feckin’ sure.’

Alice touched his arm, ‘No time for politics, Jack,’ and he walked the landing, carefully watched his feet down the stairs, whispered, ‘Nearly outside, sweet’art. I’m taking you to an ambulance and hospital.’

Faint again, ‘I wants to be wiv you.’

‘You will, darlin’, you will.’ Christ I must stop crying, he said to himself, as he thought, what to do? He started to hum a tune, a beautifully lyrical piece of music, and it was calming the girl. A uniform held the latch of the street door, and placing his lips to the ear of the girl, ‘We’re going outside now, there’s a lot of police, ambulances and noise, but you’re with me, and you’re safe, okay?’ She managed a nod of her head as she packed down against his chest. He responded, wrapping his jacket tighter, and she sighed; incongruously, she had sweet breath. He exchanged a glance with the constable, the door opened, and they were hit by a cacophony of shouts, blue lights flashing bright in what was now a gathering gloom. He looked to the leaden clouds; rain, any minute. Keep calm, if only for this girl’s sake; God love her. The press and TV observed and recorded him talking to himself and crying as he traversed the path and up the steps.

A robust lady ambulance officer, Australian accent, green fatigues, approached and tried to take the girl who let out a piercing scream: ‘Nooooooooo!’ Jack’s girding of loins and stifling of sobs was lost, get a grip, but he failed. He sobbed into the flashing cameras. The Aussie shielded them as best she could, softness in her face for Jack, wasted on the girl, snuggled into Jack’s chest.

‘Let her stay with me,’ Jack said, then talking to the girl, ‘Shall we get into the ambulance and let the nice lady take a look at you?’

Mew, ‘No.’

Jack looked to the sky; he had to think practically, the girl is the most important thing, and climbed into the ambulance and sat. Gail’s smothering presence dominated his emotions and the cramped ambulance; how on earth did she slip through the cordon, but this wondrous woman will likely amaze right up to her last breath.

‘It’s okay, little one, let me see your face, oh you are such a pretty girl aren’t you.’ Maybe it was Gail’s Pompey accent working the miracle, or maybe the earth mother, but there were signs. ‘What lovely hair you have.’ Jack thought it was mousey, but supposed mousey could be lovely. The ambulance woman draped a bright red blanket on what remained of the distance between the distended, pregnant belly of Gail and her knees. ‘My name’s Gail, sweet’art,’ she said, close in on the child’s face, smelling her and planting little kisses on the cheeks. Tiny tears appeared, and Gail picked them up with the end of her finger and put them to her own mouth. This continued for some time before the spindly arms left Jack and reached out, Gail gathered the girl to her lap and wrapped the blanket around her.

Jack blubbed. Gail put her hand on his, how do mothers do this, they’re like octopuses. ‘We’re going to the hospital together, love, I will not leave you, but we’ve got to let Jack go so he can catch the bad men, okay?’ A mew, a nod.

Gail flicked her head, Jack kissed the girl on her forehead and whispered, ‘You’re a beautiful girl, and I love you,’ backed out of the ambulance, stumbled down the steps, grabbed the side rails just containing his cussing, and then he melted. His supposed tomfoolery caused Gail to laugh, and after a moment, so did the girl; nothing like a clown, why do women always laugh at me, Jack thought, but it was worth it to see a sparkle in the girl’s green eyes.

The ambulance doors closed and it drove away.