He sat on the hospital trolley feeling more than sorry for himself. He moaned and clutched ice cubes to his face. The nurse came and offered him pain relief and he moaned again, eyes pleading with the nurse to make it quick and make sure there was a good dose of whatever she would administer. Said they would wire up his jaw. The guy who broke it had promised this would be the case. “Ye’ll be feeding through a straw if you go near ma wife again. Ah swear.” What the fuck had he gone back for. It was over weeks ago. He just had to have one more night. It wasn’t so much a night as a drunken fumble up the lane by the taxi office. Why had he bothered? Was it plain and simple just because he could. He knew her marriage was on the rocks, she was vulnerable, she’d do anything for a bit attention, poor wee slag he thought. No that was unfair, she wasn’t a slag, not like the rest of them. He had the reputation as being a player, the minor celebrity he gained through all his conquests cast a cosy glow in his now drug induced fog. Memory lane became hazy as he swam along in the gutter of what had been his life so far. Johnnies’s wife was just another casualty. He hadn’t bargained on them being caught. Hadn’t bargained for the ferocity of Johnnie’s jealousy. Johnny had walked out the pub, crossed the street and dealt Charlie one solid blow on his jaw and calmly walked away. Charlie was on the ground, trying to work out how he had got there. Bloody hell.
The nurse aroused him from his thoughts with another syringe and said the doctor would be along soon. The local injection hurt like hell although it kicked in quick. The doctor was just out of his pram thought Charlie, but that was as good as he was going to get on a Saturday night on the NHS. He had his jaw manipulated into place without much consideration, his face bruised and blue and phoned his Dad to come for him. He wasn’t very coherent but luckily he’d heard about it on the town grapevine. He’d told Charlie months ago to stay away from Johnnie’s wife. He’d told his son that he would end up in A&E one night. Johnnie Mac was one hard man. The thing about having a broken jaw thought Charlie as he sat at the bar of the Crown was he had lots of free time, he could drink beer. It’s quiet in here he thought but he knew it was too soon to show his face in the Brigg. Besides, that’s a lovely wee barmaid they’ve got working here. I haven’t seen her before. He raised his empty glass in her direction and she smiled as another pint settled in front of him. Ah, life still had its good points he thought, taking out his straw. She might be the distraction he’s been looking for to help him recuperate.