Page 3 of He's the One

“Mr Hammond?”

“Yes.”

“This is Dr Morris from Oakhurst Prison.”

“Is Dominic all right? He sounded like our father. I’m not due to visit him until next weekend but should I come sooner?” Had Col sounded concerned enough? He had to play the role Dominic needed him to play.

“Well, that would be…nice but he’d like to speak to you now. You can say no, but I’m of the opinion that it would help him when he’s spiralling.”

“Okay.” Dominic was pretending, not spiralling.

“Hold for a few moments.”

Col waited so long he wondered if the line was still open. Then there was a click, and Col said, “Dominic?”

“Hello, Billy.”

His brother’s voice this time. Dominic calling him Billy was a warning that others were listening. What was Col supposed to say? How are things? How are you feeling? What’s going on with you?

“How are things?” Dominic asked. “How are you feeling? Done anything fun recently?”

Col swallowed hard.

“Talk to me, Billy. Talk, talk, talk…”

Col heard the desperation in his brother’s tone.

“Things are…” Col couldn’t get anything else to come from his mouth.Oh God.

“Not good.” Dominic answered for him. “Oh.”

“Please,” Col whispered.

“I feel so sorry for you.” His brother’s voice had changed again. “Out in the world, breathing fresh air whenever you feel like it, choosing what you want to eat when you want to eat it, having intellectual conversations with people who aren’t dressed like riot police. No one threatening to rape you. No one shoving medication you don’t want down your throat.…”

There was a muffled voice in the background.

“Yes, you do!” Dominic snapped. “I say no and you don’t listen.”

Col squeezed his eyes shut.

“Whatever’s the matter, brother? What on earth do you have to moan about? Dad didn’t choose you. He chose me. I was his special one. And our mother’s. I saved you. You got to have a life.”

Col was tempted to tell him about Robert.

“Talk to me,” Dominic whispered. “You haven’t been to see me. I need to see you.”

“I’ll come soon.”

Col heard Dominic whining and the doctor’s soothing voice.

“What’s wrong?” Col wanted the words back the moment he’d said them. He braced himself for Dominic yelling that he should know what was wrong.

“I saw you!” Dominic mimicked their mother now, his voice pitched higher. “You and your brother with your hands down each other’s shorts. Disgusting little boys. Come inside, the pair of you. I’m going to wash your worms with bleach.”

“Stop it,” Col choked out.

“Come and see me.” Dominic’s voice again. Different. Pleading.

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