p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"It's the day after Helen died. A devastated Rob has been moved to the Aidensfield arms and is sitting, lost, in a private living room. His sisters have arrived to be with him and Helens parents are on their way./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Sergeant Miller entered the bar and removed his hat. His face was wearing a sombre expression and it was clear for everyone to see that even he was greatly saddened by the previous day's events. In all his days of policing, he had never faced unique situation like this before and for once in his career his training was utterly failing him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Sergeant," Oscar greeted him, from behind the bar/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Oscar. I've just come from the magistrates hearing on the boy," Miller replied gravely, "And he's going to be held in a psychiatric ward in Leeds so that it's off our patch. He will undergo an evaluation as to whether he can be held accountable for his actions and stand trial or whether he should be sectioned and committed to an institution. Whatever happens of him it's unlikely he'll ever see the light of day again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""I hope he rots in hell," Gina exclaimed vehemently. Oscar and Miller were far from disagreeing with her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Miller sat down at the bar with a heavy sigh and Oscar plonked a large whiskey down in front of him, which he downed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""What do we do Oscar? How can we possibly go on from here?" For once, Miller was relying on Oscars experience to offer words of wisdom./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""All we can do is try and be there for Rob best as we can, if he's going to make it through this he's going to need everyone in his corner."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Speaking of which, how is the lad? I'd like to see him please."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Oscar showed Miller to the room where Rob was sitting. His eyes, which the night before had been red and puffy were now surrounded by blue/black circles and he looked like he had aged 10 years in the space of the night. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"He sat down gently on the couch next to Rob and if the latter had even noticed his presence he made no indication of it, so Miller leaned in and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, reassured that he didn't shake him off. Rob still gave no indication of Millers presence and it occurred to him that this was maybe the lad's method of dealing with things./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""First of all, it goes without saying; don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. The force stands 100% in times of trouble, whatever the situation may be." Miller spoke in a quiet gentle voice, which was very rarely displayed in his usually rough demeanour. "Also, I would like to apologise to you, for the way I spoke to you when you first started seeing the lass, when I told you she was out of your league. She was a grand girl and it was cruel that you had such a short time together, and not the long happy marriage you both deserved."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"This seemed to stir some sign of life within Rob, as a tear trickled out the corner of his eye. Miller took his handkerchief and offered it to him. He wasn't uncomfortable with men crying but it was odd to see it from Rob, who was usually stoic and strong. However, this wasn't a normal situation so Miller decided to just take Oscar's advice to be there as much as possible./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""I hope I wasn't out of line, but I contacted the warden at Strangeways to inform your father of the tragedy and it was decided appropriate that he could be given leave to attend the funeral. He will be driven here on the day, accompanied by prison guards for the funeral and wake then escorted back to Strangeways in the evening. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""But Oscar hates him, he won't let him in the pub," Rob finally spoke, but it was more of a hoarse croak as his throat was raw./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Don't you worry lad, I'll see to that, I'm sure under the circumstances it won't be a problem." Miller mentally noted that it would be a pretty cold person who wouldn't feel obliged to allow his father to attend the wake in the pub, and his respect for Oscar increased tenfold./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"He squeezed Robs shoulder and left the room. His sisters were outside, and although no words passed between them, there was a communication between the sergeant and themselves./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Miller walked back down the stairs and into the bar, where Gina was now weeping onto Oscars shoulder. It was all too easy to forget that friends of Helen, such as Gina, would be equally as devastated by her untimely demise./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Oscar, I completely understand your feelings towards the matter, as I usually take the same position myself but Lenny Walker has been given temporary leave for the funeral, and I was wondering if you could please be as accommodating as possible, for Rob's sake more than anything?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Aye, I thought this might happen, so for the sake of Rob I'm willing to let bygones be bygones and have him in the pub for the wake" Oscar replied gravely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Thank you Oscar, it's no less than I expected of you. If there's anything I can do for either of yourselves don't hesitate to ask. Oscar, Miss Ward." He touched his cap to both of them and left. Upon his departure, Gina burst into floods of tears and had to be led to a chair by Oscar where he rocked her back and forward in his arms while a single tear escaped and trickled down his cheek./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Sergeant Miller entered the bar and removed his hat. His face was wearing a sombre expression and it was clear for everyone to see that even he was greatly saddened by the previous day's events. In all his days of policing, he had never faced unique situation like this before and for once in his career his training was utterly failing him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Sergeant," Oscar greeted him, from behind the bar/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Oscar. I've just come from the magistrates hearing on the boy," Miller replied gravely, "And he's going to be held in a psychiatric ward in Leeds so that it's off our patch. He will undergo an evaluation as to whether he can be held accountable for his actions and stand trial or whether he should be sectioned and committed to an institution. Whatever happens of him it's unlikely he'll ever see the light of day again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""I hope he rots in hell," Gina exclaimed vehemently. Oscar and Miller were far from disagreeing with her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Miller sat down at the bar with a heavy sigh and Oscar plonked a large whiskey down in front of him, which he downed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""What do we do Oscar? How can we possibly go on from here?" For once, Miller was relying on Oscars experience to offer words of wisdom./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""All we can do is try and be there for Rob best as we can, if he's going to make it through this he's going to need everyone in his corner."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Speaking of which, how is the lad? I'd like to see him please."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Oscar showed Miller to the room where Rob was sitting. His eyes, which the night before had been red and puffy were now surrounded by blue/black circles and he looked like he had aged 10 years in the space of the night. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"He sat down gently on the couch next to Rob and if the latter had even noticed his presence he made no indication of it, so Miller leaned in and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, reassured that he didn't shake him off. Rob still gave no indication of Millers presence and it occurred to him that this was maybe the lad's method of dealing with things./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""First of all, it goes without saying; don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. The force stands 100% in times of trouble, whatever the situation may be." Miller spoke in a quiet gentle voice, which was very rarely displayed in his usually rough demeanour. "Also, I would like to apologise to you, for the way I spoke to you when you first started seeing the lass, when I told you she was out of your league. She was a grand girl and it was cruel that you had such a short time together, and not the long happy marriage you both deserved."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"This seemed to stir some sign of life within Rob, as a tear trickled out the corner of his eye. Miller took his handkerchief and offered it to him. He wasn't uncomfortable with men crying but it was odd to see it from Rob, who was usually stoic and strong. However, this wasn't a normal situation so Miller decided to just take Oscar's advice to be there as much as possible./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""I hope I wasn't out of line, but I contacted the warden at Strangeways to inform your father of the tragedy and it was decided appropriate that he could be given leave to attend the funeral. He will be driven here on the day, accompanied by prison guards for the funeral and wake then escorted back to Strangeways in the evening. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""But Oscar hates him, he won't let him in the pub," Rob finally spoke, but it was more of a hoarse croak as his throat was raw./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Don't you worry lad, I'll see to that, I'm sure under the circumstances it won't be a problem." Miller mentally noted that it would be a pretty cold person who wouldn't feel obliged to allow his father to attend the wake in the pub, and his respect for Oscar increased tenfold./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"He squeezed Robs shoulder and left the room. His sisters were outside, and although no words passed between them, there was a communication between the sergeant and themselves./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"Miller walked back down the stairs and into the bar, where Gina was now weeping onto Oscars shoulder. It was all too easy to forget that friends of Helen, such as Gina, would be equally as devastated by her untimely demise./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Oscar, I completely understand your feelings towards the matter, as I usually take the same position myself but Lenny Walker has been given temporary leave for the funeral, and I was wondering if you could please be as accommodating as possible, for Rob's sake more than anything?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Aye, I thought this might happen, so for the sake of Rob I'm willing to let bygones be bygones and have him in the pub for the wake" Oscar replied gravely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;""Thank you Oscar, it's no less than I expected of you. If there's anything I can do for either of yourselves don't hesitate to ask. Oscar, Miss Ward." He touched his cap to both of them and left. Upon his departure, Gina burst into floods of tears and had to be led to a chair by Oscar where he rocked her back and forward in his arms while a single tear escaped and trickled down his cheek./span/p