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“Every time it happens I try to persuade them to cut down. They can’t! I tell them to stop Poteen, and then they argue with me instead of each other.”
“I see.”
“Dad doesn’t really hit mum. They fight, but they don’t throw punches … it’s only me … dad hits me.”
“How have you coped with this?”
“I cope by keeping quiet, keeping out of it. But I can’t keep out of it. I can’t always let mum suffer like that. I have to help. That’s when I argue with him. When he hits you hard, you just don’t argue anymore.”
“What about moving home?”
“I’d like to! Of course! But how can I move? I’m eighteen, I’m an apprentice watch maker! I can’t afford to move.”
AuntSylvie takes HayWire on a short walk to see NurseCathy again.
“Cathy, meet our new night warden, please show HayWire to his quarters. HayWire, the night warden just has to be here, he can sleep throughout the night, although officially he’s on call if he’s ever needed. A night warden really doesn’t do much at all. You can work your day job as normal, and tomorrow we’ll sort out a flexible rota for you. Peter’s been doing it on his own for weeks now, and he’ll be delighted to have a new coworker!”
“Welcome to your new home.”
“I need to catch up with Mike for a moment, and then I’ll come along to Baden Powell House, the junior staff block, to answer all your questions. We’ll probably be able to chat with one or two of the others if you want to make some new friends. Cathy will make sure you have everything you need right now, and I’ll be with you again in a few minutes.”
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