Wheels and Wings 10

Character List.

Jack Thomas Later AKA Ellie ... Transvestite/intersexual and keen cyclist.
Amanda Thomas AKA Amie ... Jack's sister.
Charlotte Dawson ... Keen girl cyclist and Jack’s soon-to-be girlfriend.
Bob ... Cycling club captain.
Mr Thomas Weston ... School games master and keen rugby player.
Billy Davies.... Rugby ‘jock’, kind to Jack, he fancies Charlotte.
Marjorie Spencer.... Holder of unofficial ‘Prettiest-girl-in-the-school’ title.
Miss Elizabeth Postlethwaite.... The English Mistress.
Aunty Olwen.... Where Jack changes for school and leaves his bike.
Mandy.... Olwen’s daughter, Jack’s older cousin.
Mr Griffiths.... The County solicitor.

Chapter 10

For the Sunday morning club ride, Jack chose to wear Capri shorts to hide the thigh bruises. Before breakfast he gave himself the first painkilling injection and sighed with relief as the pain from the bruising slowly eased. Jack could now move his leg fairly freely and he sighed with relief. Bob noticed nothing when he picked him up and took him to the club rendezvous. There Jack met Charlotte, her dad and the national selection coach along with the other club members. On the pretext of going to the lavatory, he slipped away and injected the second painkilling dose into his thigh. Then he threw the needle into the lavatory cistern. Within minutes the pain had gone and he felt slightly euphoric as he joined the other club members. He was showing no sign of injury as he clipped his pedals and joined the pack.

A couple of miles out of town Bob settled alongside Jack and Charlotte and invited them to go with the coach to the start of the club’s ten mile TT circuit course.

“He’ll explain what he wants of you and the club will return in an hour. A couple of lady club members will stay with you and your dad will be there as well Charlotte. There will also be an official timekeeper but the coach will be riding with you. Good luck both of you.”

The pair smiled at each other, today was their big chance.

The coach started them off then accompanied them on the course while Charlotte’s dad accompanied the official time-keeper and the ladies to the finish line where they waited expectantly as the young pair embarked upon the circuitous ten-mile course.

They were surprised to see Jack only about half a mile ahead of Charlotte and grimacing painfully as he wobbled across the finishing line. When he unclipped, he slumped against the gate and sat gasping for breath as the sweat poured off him and his face turned pale. Charlotte’s father looked at him and became concerned.

“Good God lad, what’s wrong. That wasn’t a particularly good time and you look ill. Go and sit in my car.”

“Did I make the qualifying time?” Jack asked.

“Yes — just! Not your best by a long shot, but you’ve qualified. Charlotte’s looking okay as well.”

As Jack stood to go to the car he swayed then stumbled and fell. Doctor Dawson immediately handed the timesheet to one of the ladies and stepped across to the unconscious Jack. He cursed as he felt Jack’s racing, reedy pulse.

“This boy’s in a bad way, I’m taking him to casualty!”

As he bundled Jack into the car, the coach arrived with Charlotte and immediately asked what was wrong.

“I’m not sure but the boy’s not right. I’m off to casualty. The time-keeper and Jennifer, that lady with the red hair have both got the same official times. Ask Bob to fetch Jack’s bike.”

Doctor Dawson sped off to casualty and because it was a Sunday afternoon, Jack was seen quickly. Doctor Dawson attended the consultation and both doctors expressed concern at the extent of the bruising to Jack’s thigh. They studied the scans.

“And you say he went racing for a national squad selection with this!?”

“We none of us knew. By rights he should have been hobbling.”

“You’re telling me. I only hope he hasn’t done any permanent damage. The tissue damage even shows up on the scan.”

The casualty houseman looked concernedly at Doctor Dawson.

“This bruising’s deep. The scan shows some deep tissue damage. He couldn’t possibly have cycled with that injury without some sort of powerful analgesic.”

“Well I can assure you he did. I officiated. There was an official timekeeper attending and the national coach accompanied him or kept him in sight all the way around the circuit.”

“Well I’m keeping him in overnight. Has he taken any painkillers do you know?”

“Not to my knowledge. He might have taken some paracetamol or something but nothing else that I can think of.”

“The blood tests will tell us if he has. Have you informed his parents?”

“Yes. I’ve spoken to his mother and sister; there’s no father. They’re on their way.”

The houseman sucked thoughtfully as he considered his next question.

“I noticed his ... his uuuhm underwear. Any thoughts?”

Doctor Dawson nodded and shrugged.”

“Yes I’ve known about if for a while now. He skidded off his bike a few weeks ago and tore his shorts. There’s no need to mention the underwear. The boy’s told me he’s a transvestite; I only discovered it when I treated the abrasions from his skid. His mother knows but that’s all. No doubt she’ll be bringing a change of underwear so keep shtumm.”

The houseman nodded and invited the porters into the consulting station to take Jack up to the ward. Within the hour, Jack’s mum, Amanda, Charlotte and Bob were visiting him. His mother insisted on seeing her son privately and she quickly changed his underwear before Bob and Charlotte were allowed in. Bob was trying not to show his anger and concern as he asked Jack to let him see the bruised thigh. When he saw it he cursed and went to explain to the houseman.

“We are a reputable, responsible cycling club. We would never have allowed him to ride or do a time trial for a national squad place with those injuries. We just didn’t know! Has he said where he got them?”

“Playing rugby apparently, yesterday; interschool final or something. He took a hammering and no mistake.” The houseman replied.

Bob cursed softly.

“Dammit, I warned him about getting injured, but how the hell did he work through the pain? He might have done himself serious harm!”

“He quite possibly has. That’s why we’re keeping him in. There’s also the matter of what painkillers he might have used.

Paracetamol would not have blanked out the sort of pain that injury was causing. He must have been taking something stronger.”

“Has he got any other problems, you know joints or bone injuries?” Bob pressed.

“No, none, the blood tests will be back in the morning. They’ll show what drugs if any, he took; then he’ll have some serious questions to face. Doctor Dawson said he wasn’t showing any sign of pain when your club started the ride.”

“No, he wasn’t.” Bob confirmed. “He wasn’t even limping even when he lifted his bike into the back of my van. Why the hell did he play rugby yesterday? He was told quite clearly to save himself for the trial today.”

“Only the lad can answer that. He’s got a few questions to answer.”

“You bet he has. Not least how he got around the pain! This is all I need, a drug scandal in the club. Though I hope to God he’s not permanently damaged.” Bob muttered as he rejoined Jack’s mother at Jack’s bedside. Jack had been given a sedative and was sleeping heavily. Having confirmed his life was in no danger and the fainting was purely from the massive bruise they left his bedside and returned home. Jack’s mother would return on the Monday morning.

~~ooo000ooo~~