The vigil was still on at the hospital as Elizabeth and Jean arrived, people were how sorry they were that the child had been injured in a cowardly attack and how Brave James had been getting the youngsters to safety. Elizabeth after thanking everyone told them that they should go home and look after their families and that she would them informed on James's progress.

The two women entered the ward and saw the small heavily bandaged body lying on the bed looking so broken and forlorn that it took all their efforts not to break down themselves. The cold light of day along with all the monitors bleeping away told their own story of the child fighting for life despite the horrofic injuries. Elizabeth knew that the human could only stand so much trauma and after seeing her youngest son wondered how he was managing to fight so hard.

The older siblings would have to be told soon but she wanted to wait till James either won or lost his fight with the Grim Reaper, as the children were in Boarding School they were safe and she didn`t want to worry them. One way or another they would survive the outcome of this tragedy
and if James lived would be there to help him through life.

It was several days before James showed any significant improvement but as yet he was still in a coma, the tiny body's wounds were starting to show some signs of infection, a clear sign that foreign bodies were still held within the body's tissues, Mild doses of antibiotics were administered and eventually the infection was controlable. The surgeons needed to get him down into the operating room and soon, they hadn`t probed too deeply when they first operated as the priority was to save the childs life above all else, everything could be dealt with when James got stronger, at least strong enough to withstand futher probing and surgery.

At last after two weeks off care my doctors and nurses it was deemed that James was strong enough to undergo another bout surgery, one of many the child would have to suffer. He was Xrayed and scanned before being wheeled into surgery and the doctors and surgeons were pouring over the pictures to decide what the priority was this this time.

The doctors decided that a microscopic examination of the wounds and cut would be carried out and any foreign material removed, and his legs and pelvis would be wired and set, from what they tell the internal organs hadn`t been damaged but an internal examination would be required later as an anomaly was showing on the scans, this they put down to possible internal swelling but didn`t want James to spend too long under the knife.

Elizabeth was informed of the decision and the surgeons assured her that everthing possible would be done for the child but that the process would be a long journey with much surgery to be carried out. While James was in surgery the case doctor talked to Elizabeth about James childhood medical history, Elizabeth had been to the Family doctor and managed to get a copy of his medical file which contained almost nothing. He had had one cold and a bout of measles, it seemed he was impervious the usually illnesses that all children get, and the doctor phoned the family doctor to get conformation that they had all James's medical records.

It seemed unusual that a child of 9 years of age didn`t have a file containing the usual maladies that most children get, but blood test had shown the usual levels of blood components and no added extra`s.

After surgery the senior surgeon spoke to Elizabeth and informed her that the surgery went well a few pieces of detritis had been removed from the wounds, James legs and pelvic girdle had been wired together. A short while later James was returned to his room and hooked up to various machines and drips, God thought Elizabeth his lower body look like a Porcupine when she saw all the wire sticking through the skin.

Gently the nurses positioned the small body and started to clean the areas around the wounds were stains had been used to identify foreign bodies, once they were finished and everything rechecked all but one nurse left the room, it was her job to monitor James's condition.

Elizabeth knew all the hospital staff and was sure that her son was getting treatment available, the nurses all looked on James as a son or a younger brother and some were working without pay to help the poor child, giving up days off were needed. James was never left alone at any time and all the staff were astonished at the fight this little boy was giving to stay alive an were willing him on. No James would want for nothing in a short time Donations to a fund now totalled several hundred thousand Pounds with more coming in daily.

The walls of his room were covered in get well cards and just about every possible surface had soft cuddy toys covering in, the local press for once had done a good job reporting the bombing and it had been taken up by the National Press, which gave daily updates on the childs condition. The Hospital switchboard in the beginning had been working overtime with the calls offering condolances,gifts, and inquiries into the childs condition and after a press release from the hospital this was now down to a trickle.

Some reporters had tried to interview the mother until the local judge issued a restraining order against them, one reporter had somehow managed to get into the childs room and had taken photographs which newspapers refused to publish, not out horror but of fear that they might have to defend their actions in courts, no they would give the family some privacy and the child a time to heal.

Over the weeks James remained in a coma, although there was no brain damage and the skull fracture had healed well, in the mean time operations were carried out at intervals to repair the damage to his small body. As yet the anomaly in the abdomen had shown no signs of disappearing and the surgeons were getting worried in case they had missed something.