The Unlikely Daddy

• 28 •

As Mr Bentley pulled up outside Alfie's house, Alfie's mum was doing the same.

Mr Bentley had phoned her while she was out of town at a work meeting, so she had immediately got into her car to drive home.

As soon as she saw Alfie sat in Mr Bentley's passenger seat, his nose covered in bandages and his eyes already darkening as the bruises were starting to form. Of course she knew he had been hurt, but she wasn't expecting him to look so broken when she first saw him.

"Oh, sweetheart" Alfie's mum aimed to keep herself composed so she didn't make Alfie anymore stressed than he already was.

Mr Bentley opened the car door to let Alfie out, stepping back to give him and his mum some space.

"How are you feeling?" Alfie's mum asked, running her finger lightly over Alfie's face as she examined him closely.

"Better" Alfie grimaced slightly at the pain in his face as his mum touched it.

Alfie's mum then look to Mr Bentley, wanting a deeper explanation to what actually happened at school.

"I can assure you that the boy that did this to Alfie will be punished" Mr Bentley started, wanting Alfie's mum to know the situation was already being taken care of.

"The doctors have said his nose should be fully healed within three weeks, but it's likely he will get black eyes. And Alfie's lucky that the damage to his tummy was not so deep that it penetrated his bladder beyond bruising" Mr Bentley continued.

As Alfie's mum listened, she lifted Alfie's t-shirt up, revealing his extensively bruised tummy.

"My goodness" Alfie's mum was shocked.

"I know that it looks bad, but it is mostly surface level and within two weeks it should be gone" Mr Bentley added.

Mr Bentley then handed over Alfie's pain relief medication prescription to his mum.

"He's got a two week prescription to control the pain while the bruising heals. But, he has been told by the doctor that is important to push past the pain with regard to having wees. It's going to hurt him for a little while, but it's essential that he doesn't avoid having a wee because that will make things a lot worse" Mr Bentley explained.

"I see" Alfie's mum said as she read the prescription carefully.

"He's had two wees while at the hospital which is great, but if we find he's not having a wee every two hours he will have to go back to be given some more muscle relaxers" Mr Bentley went on to say.

"And has it been hurting when you've had those wees?" Alfie's mum asked Alfie.

"Not really" Alfie answered.

"He was given morphine at the hospital, so he probably can't feel much pain at all at the moment. It's once that's worn off that we need to keep a closely eye on things" Mr Bentley told Alfie's mum.

"Absolutely. I'll keep an eye on it for sure" Alfie's mum confirmed.

"So, what is going to happen to this boy then?" She asked, more keen now to know how Blake was going to be finished.

"I came with Alfie straight to the hospital, so I haven't had a chance to speak to the headmaster or our head of behaviour management, Mr Lopez, yet. I do know that he will be kept in isolation for a long while until his behaviour and his own mindset improves. But, as soon as I know what is happening for definite I will give you a call" Mr Bentley told Alfie's mum as much as he knew.

"Why would he do something like this? Does he know about Alfie's accidents?" Alfie's mum questioned, fearful that the events of Alfie's previous school were going to repeat themselves.