Zero Tolerance:15 Predators and Prey

Predators and Prey

The taxi ride to the hospital was short and uneventful. I left Lucy’s flat maybe fifteen minutes ago to come down and see Gary. I need to put my mind at ease; I need to know that this wasn’t because of me. I suppose I am hoping that the completely innocent lad is actually a renowned gangster in his spare time and that is why he has ended up like this. Maybe I am hoping for too much. I almost dread seeing him; it won’t be a nice picture. Stepping out of the taxi at the main entrance to the hospital I scan the area looking for some kind of direction. I know he is in intensive care but that could be in any one of the many buildings that now surrounds me. I decided to do the not very “guy” thing and ask directions at the reception desk.

The main entrance was large and foreboding. The large glass sliding doors between blue pillars shuddered along as they opened and closed. The people entering and exiting had mixed emotions. I found myself guessing in my head what they were thinking. A middle-aged man slowly walked past me in a nice suit and knee length coat. The look on his face was shock; he was pale with blue cheeks. His eyes were bulging from his head and mouth permanently open. He was walking with no urgency what so ever. He seemed to just point himself in the right direction and plod on until he had to stop to change direction again. What could be the matter with a man like that? Has he just found out he has cancer? Has a loved one just passed away? Maybe he has good news and cannot believe it, I would never know but in my mind I wished him luck in the future.

Walking through the door the building opened out in to a large reception area. This was marked Accident and emergency, not what I was looking for but someone must be able to point me in the right direction. To the left was the reception desk. A large circular shaped desk made from light woods varnished to a shine. The waiting area was to the right, maybe thirty to forty white and blue seats bolted to the walls and floor for extra security. The seat had maybe ten to fifteen occupants all with varying things wrong with them. A big lady sat behind the reception desk chatting to a security guard. It’s nice to see not many changes in my profession. The security guard was a large cap with dark hair, he stood up from his leaning position and walked away as he saw me approach. The large lady on the desk had multiple files open on her desk all at once and looked a bit snowed under. Never the less as I reached the desk her head shot up and she gave me a wide smile full of teeth and shiny red lips.
“Hello sir. What seems to be the problem today?”
“Oh sorry no I’m not sick I am looking for some directions to the intensive care unit.”
“No problem sir.” She had a chirpy tone almost like she was pretending she wasn’t surrounded by the sick, injured and dying. “If you leave this building, take a left then a right you will see it on your right hand side.”
“Thank you.” I said with a nod and a smile.

Walk back out of the door and turn left just as she told me. This was a strange hospital. Instead of being made up of one very large building it seems to be many smaller ones. I can only assume that a maze of underground tunnels lie beneath my feet for ease of access in an emergency. At the next intersection I take a right, crossing over the street as I do. The receptionist said it would be on my right hand side. No more than ten feet down the road I saw the sign saying “intensive care unit” in big white letters on a blue backdrop. The building looked identical to the last one even down to the blue pillars and shuddering doors. I walk through and up to the reception desk. This time there was no seating area, it had been walled up and what looked like offices or conference rooms lay inside. Another large this time older lady was behind the desk snowed under with files and paperwork.
“Excuse me.” I say. Her head shoots up but this time I was not greeted with a smile but instead an un-amused and fed up face looking at me through thick glasses.
“Yes!” She hissed.
“I’m here to see Gary Broadbent.” She removed her glasses and looked at me like I was an idiot.
“You do realise visiting hours are about to finish.” I check my watch; it is twenty to four, so I guess I have till four o’clock.
“Ok that’s fine I won’t be long.” The look she gave me felt like my entire existence was a burden on hers. She looked down to her computer screen and used the mouse to scroll through the listings.
“Room C7.” She said and immediately acted like I didn’t exist any longer.

I walked past the desk without any word of thanks and proceeded down the halls. It was a twisting maze of rooms, office and examination theatres. A couple of times I hit a dead end when I got to a door stating “Staff only”. The corridors were mesmerizing lengths of white walls with blue lines painted down the middle. The letter and number system did not seem to have any solution or system to it. That murky hospital smell filled the air. A mixture of rubber and chemicals clings to my nasal hair and won’t let go. The smell fills me with dread. I have spent too much of my life in places like this, I never want to come back. Over the years I have broken many bones and sustained many injuries. I once spent three months in hospital but that’s a story for another time.

Finally I see the letter “C” on a sign hanging over my head. I follow the signs as the numbers after the letter rise all the way up to seven. I stop outside the door, take a deep breath and push it open. The room was dark, lit only by artificial light coming from the energy saving bulbs on the ceiling. Four beds, two on each wall filled the crowed room. The first bed on the left was an old man and on the right was an old woman. The far left hand bed I was unable to see because the baby blue curtain had been pulled around for privacy. The far right bed however was the one I was looking for. Gary was there with a middle aged man and woman sitting next to him. I walk up to him and wait behind who I assume is his parents. They are talking to him about family business probably a sister or brother somewhere; I chose not to listen too hard. The dad spotted me out the corner of his eye and turned around to see who it was. He looked upset and stood there waiting for me to reveal who I was and my purpose there.
“Hi I’m Luke, I work with Gary.” He snarled at me and turned away.
“Not anymore. There is no way he is going back to that dangerous place.” He turned his head quickly back to me.
“I understand. I just wanted to come and see him, make sure he is ok.” I said.
“Well he is NOT ok, look at him.” Said the dad pointing at his son.

I looked down to see a mess of a boy. Not an inch of his face was the colour it should have been. Instead it was every shade of black, blue and purple you could imagine. His eyes were so swollen I would be surprised if he can see anything at all. I can see the metal on his teeth were they have wired his broken jaw shut. He has without a shadow of doubt been broken in to pieces. I can only just make out that he is awake under all the swelling. I said nothing in response to him. His mom who had not said a word yet stood up and turned around.
“So where were you?” She asked in a soft and delicate voice.
“I’m sorry what do you mean?” I said.
“Where were you when our son was being attacked by those animals?” I was stunned. Maybe I was the first person to come and visit in the week since it has happened. All their anger and grief as built up inside until they had someone to aim it at. It just so happened to be me. I guess Don got an ear full when he came with him, if he stuck around long enough for his parents to turn up that is.
“I was on the level below, I came to help” I said hoping it would appease their moods.
“HELP! YOU CALL THIS HELP?” His mother was now getting hysterical and started crying. She was comforted by her husband who looked equally upset.
“I am very sorry. I got there as fast as I could”

This rather scrawny middle aged couple had made a six foot five security guard feel like a dwarf. Guilt washed over me like a relentless sea of disappointment. What if I had gone to help when I first heard a commotion instead of waiting to see what it was first? If I had my head on what was going on around me and not on that guy threatening me could I have noticed it sooner? I don’t know. The questions continued to roll in, spreading through my mind like the plague through London. Gary’s arm reaches up and touches his mothers.
“It’s ok.” he murmurs through his clamped teeth.
They immediately calm down and kiss him on the forehead each. They leave giving me a look of disgust as they do. I begin to wonder if this had been a mistake, I didn’t want to cause any further pain. I decide to stay. It would look odd for me to leave without even talking to the kid.

“Sorry” Gary said.
“Don’t worry mate. How are you feeling?”
“Been better” His words were short. It was obviously causing him pain to speak. I would have to make this quick.
“Do you know why it happened? Who they were?” I held my breath waiting for the answer.
“No.” He said trying to shake his head but only managing a slight movement from left to right. I let the air out of my lungs in disappointment.
“Did they say anything?”
“Ed Hardy or something like that.” My stomach turned. It was them, it had to be. I felt the disappointment turn to anger and took a couple of deep breaths to try and calm myself.
“What did the police say?” I said.
“It’s some street gang been doing it all over” He replied.
“But why you?” He just shrugged. “I want you to know that I had a run in with this gang the week before. I saw some of them, minutes before you were attacked. They were on the lower level threatening me. They said they were the Ed Hardy crew. They left it though it must have been a different group that come to you.” His eyes closed in a long blink.
“So why did they come for me? What did I do to them? I didn’t do anything.” I could see he was welling up. A tear left his swollen eye and rolled down his cheek on to his pillow.

Gary was a good kid. He has only just turned eighteen. He joined The Centre about two months ago after getting his security licence. He goes to university studding business and hopes to open his own chain of electronic stores one day. He wouldn’t hurt a bee if it came up and stung him on the arse. All this I know because he walked with me on his first day. At that point I had little interest in the dreams of what I thought was just another university student who would only last a couple of months. As it turns out I was right but if I had known it would be like this maybe I would have paid more attention.

“I don’t know mate. But I’m going to do my best to find out”
“You don’t have to; I don’t want any more trouble.” He starts to turn on the bed so his back is facing me. I only needed him to answer one more question.
“Gary I need to know. Did you see anything? Anything at all? I just need something to go on; I need a way of recognising them.” He stops his turn.
“Birthmark.” He said
“Birthmark? Where?”
“One of the guys, his mask fell down. I saw a birthmark on his face. It was black and on his right cheek just next to his mouth. Big thing you can’t miss it.” That’s enough for me.
“Thank you Gary. Get well soon and come and us ok?.” He said nothing and completed his turn so his back was towards me and he was facing the wall.

The bell sounded that marked the end of visiting hours. Taking my cue to leave I walked out of the door and followed another group of visitors as they made their way to the exit. I passed the grumpy old bag on the front desk giving her a sarcastic smile which she reciprocated. I stepped outside and stopped to breath in the fresh air, trying to get the hospital smell out of my nostrils.

So the Ed Hardy’s were responsible for Gary, there was no doubt about it. Why is another matter entirely however. I would need to speak to them directly to get answers. I was starting to build up a portfolio in my mind, adding information where ever I could get it. I knew the faces of a couple of them. The boss in particular, I will never forget that face. Now thanks to Gary I had the begging’s of another face, one with a large black birthmark on his right cheek. How many people have that kind of mark in this town, not many I hope. Either way I would need to be careful I don’t take it out on the wrong person.

I felt broken with guilt about Gary, meeting his parents today has only made it worse. I understand where they are coming from; if that was my son I would probably feel the same. Just like me I bet they never believed so much trouble could come from a shopping centre. I expected this job to be a boring one, not this. I love it though and I almost hate myself for doing so.

The rush of adrenalin is as strong as any drug and trying to come off it is just as difficult. Anyone can go on to the street and fight; it’s not the fighting I am talking about. It’s the sense that you’re doing something good. I believe some people have something called the hero complex. You want to act; you want to be the force of good. Today’s society is terrified of the modern youth. Hoodies patrolling the streets in wild packs waiting to pounce on the weak. That’s what they do, and that is what constitutes strength to them. You can see it in nature; the predator will always go for the weak member of the herd, the one that is trailing behind alone, the young and the injured. Never will they attack the strongest, too much risk involved. But every now and then the strong will protect the weak, and fend off the predator. I consider myself one of the strong, one of the good guys. It may be my job to help but the fact is I want to help. Many will disagree with my methods; I would be shocked if they didn’t. If you being displeased with me means that your that little bit safer on the way home tonight because I sent some punk running with a bloody nose and his tail between his legs, then I can handle that. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”.

Gary knew the risks when he took the job but this time I and the other strong members failed to protect the weaker member. I know I did everything I could at the time but guilt still weighs on me. I should have been there; I should have taken their threat more seriously. Inadvertently they have found my weakness. I care little about the welfare of myself but those good, honest and decent people around me, I do care. I care greatly.
I order a taxi and head back to Lucy’s flat. I press the buzzer marked number 2A and she answers.
“Hello.” said the electronic voice.
“It’s only me.”

The magnetic lock holding the door released and I went inside. Climbing the stairs I see her waiting for me at the top with the door wide open. She has had a day off today and is standing there in a tight vest top, cotton jogging bottoms and UGG boots. She has her hair up and is wearing her glasses, holding her book in her hand. She offered to come with me but I didn’t want her there. I needed to talk to Gary without distractions, I needed my mind on the reason I was there in the first place.
“Hey you.”
“Hey yourself.”
“How did it go?”
“It’s them.” She knew who I was talking about; we had discussed it at length.
“Does he know why at least?” I shook my head. I can only guess at the miserable look on my face.
She hugged me and kissed me and we went inside. We spent the night mostly in silence, I was deep in thought. We had our dinner and watched a film on the television then when to bed.
“Have I done something?” She asked as we got in to bed.
“No sorry darling, I just been thinking a lot”
“Don’t let it worry you any more” She smiled and for that second I felt ok.
She was asleep within minutes but I remained awake, unable to close my eyes and sleep. Thinking. Where do I go now? What should I do? Not much I could do. I had to wait in torment until they showed themselves. Then I would pounce, and then I would show them. I will show them the true meaning of strength. I kissed the sleeping angel on the forehead and closed my eyes. I will show them.