part 2
As they had only two hours left before they were to meet Dore, Garrison planned to head straight for the rendezvous point so as to be there early. He didn't intend to be taken by surprise if the Frenchman brought friends.
~'~
Standing at the edge of the woods once more, Garrison watched as the baker's van came to a halt with a jerk. His men, and Billy, were out of sight and Garrison made no effort to move as the door slid open and the driver peered out nervously.
"Garrison?" The man sounded nervous too. He peered through the window at the American officer wondering why he did not approach. The driver swallowed nervously, his weak mouth hanging open slightly. Was it a trap?
A sound caught his attention and he realised that someone was wrenching open the back of van. With a strangled yelp, he threw himself out of his seat and into the road, only to be brought up short by a dark looking man, holding a knife.
"Easy, friend."
With his eyes fixed on Chief's knife, the man nodded slightly, then tried to smile. The knife holder was obviously American. An "All clear" from Casino caught both their attentions, and Chief slipped his knife back into its sheath with a grin. The driver sighed, then stiffened in alarm as Actor stepped out of the bushes his gun in his hand.
"Dore." Garrison nodded at his contact by way of greeting as he reached the van.
"Garrison." Dore frowned as he saw Goniff, towing a reluctant Billy, emerge from the woods. How many of them were there?
"Guess we won't 'ave to walk after all!" Goniff grinned.
"We won't hafta go hungry either," Casino told him. "Our baker here brought food."
"Grub!" Goniff peered into the back of the van, his eyes wide. "Look at that, Billy, we get to ride in comfort and eat."
Billy shrugged.
"Okay, everyone in." Garrison looked at Dore. "You ride in the back."
"Very well, very well, I do not mind." The Frenchman hastily climbed into the back of the van and settled himself down, glad to be out of sight.
Actor looked at Garrison with a frown in his eyes. Their contact seemed rather anxious to be leaving. The American officer nodded slightly. "Chief, you drive. I'll be up front with you."
Billy stood sullenly by as Goniff climbed into the van. Although he appeared to be staring morosely at the ground, he was actually taking stock of where everyone was and how good his chances were of escaping. Three of them were up at the front, the blond one and the Frenchman were already in the van, all Billy had to worry about was Casino. His glance flickered up and then dropped again; the safecracker, not being one to give his trust lightly, was watching Billy openly and waiting for him to either get in the van or make a break for it.
Billy scowled. If there was one person he wished they'd leave behind (apart from himself, of course), it was the wise-cracking American. He got into the van and sat down on the low shelf with a thud. Goniff looked up as Casino got in and sat down next to the kid. There was a glint in Casino's eye that suggested he'd just won a battle of some kind but the Cockney shrugged the thought away. Casino was always fighting battles and rarely lost, well, except when he went up against the Warden. Goniff personally believed that no one could beat the Warden. He just wished someone would tell the Jerries that.
~'~
Typically, it was Goniff who started talking first. "So, er...Dore. You got family in England?"
Dore looked up when he realised the Englishman was talking to him. "Me? No! I had a brother but he was killed by the Germans."
"What you plannin' on doin' then?" Goniff asked.
"I have not really made any plans. I...I did not intend to leave France, but as the Germans are after me...." Dore finished with a noble sigh.
"Yeah, well...the war ain't gonna last forever, 'ey?" Goniff nodded encouragingly at the Frenchman, even though it was too dark for him to be seen.
"We better hope not!" Casino commented.
"It won't," Goniff replied. Suddenly he realised that no one had thought to ask the kid if he had any family in England. They'd all assumed he was alone. "'Ey, Billy. You got family anywhere?"
"No." The answer was short and did not sound sweet.
"Would you tell us if you had?" Casino demanded.
Billy scowled at the safecracker in the dark. "No."
Casino snorted slightly. "Didn't think so. Talkative, ain't ya?"
Billy scowled again. He found this particular American to be the most annoying of all of them, and he suspected that it was Casino who was the most irritated by him and his presence.
"Do you not know if he has family?" Dore's voice was slightly tentative. Surely they'd brought the boy with them? Although Dore could not think why they would have brought a boy to occupied France.
"Nah," Goniff responded. "We found 'im on the streets an' -"
"Goniff." Actor's quiet voice stopped the Cockney from telling anything more. "We are taking him back to England," he told the Frenchman, his tone suggesting that it was a dull topic and one best left alone. The Italian didn't know why, but he felt uneasy at the thought of giving Dore any information...about anything.
Dore took the hint and fell silent while Goniff shrugged off his surprise at Actor's interruption. Casino frowned to himself. Why was Actor interfering? It wasn't like him to try and stop Goniff babbling - like the rest of them, Actor usually accepted that the Limey was one of life's talkers.
~'~
Billy was bored. It felt like they'd been in that van forever, although it had only been a couple of hours, and the conversation had dwindled into nothingness. He sighed and went back to his favourite pastime of fidgeting in an attempt to ward off the sleepy boredom that was creeping over him. Casino, meanwhile, might not have been able to see Billy fidget, but he felt the vibration in the shelf they were sharing as Billy moved around. He bore with it as best he could, but he was a man with finite patience who believed in speaking up when someone annoyed him.
"What the hell are you up to now?" Casino demanded, nudging Billy's arm as he spoke.
Dore stiffened in alarm, then relaxed as he heard Billy's sullen answer.
"Nothing."
"Then stop fidgetin'!"
Billy sat still for a second, glaring through the darkness at his bete noir, then he fidgeted with a venom. He began to dance in his seat knowing that it would drive Casino nuts.
It did.
"Listen, you little rat, stop it!"
"Make me!" Billy sneered.
There was second's silence then Casino exploded with fury. "You little punk! I oughta dump you back in the road where we found you!"
"Casino, that's what he wants!" Actor interposed, trying to calm the safecracker down.
"What, you scared of goin' to England?" Casino demanded, a jeering tone in his voice.
"I'm not scared of anything!" Billy retorted hotly.
Actor tried to interrupt but Casino's loud voice drowned him out.
"You wouldn't last ten minutes on those streets," Casino continued, totally blind to the fact that Billy had obviously survived for a lot longer than ten minutes. "Those German patrols'd pick you up and shoot you. Is that what you want?"
"I was doing fine until you jokers came along!" Billy claimed. "The Jerries never picked me up at all and I've been there for years!"
Dore stiffened. The boy had been living in Pithiviers all this time?
"Oh yeah? How many?" The note of disbelief in Casino's voice infuriated Billy.
"Casino!" Once again, Actor was ignored.
"Two, wiseguy!" Billy sneered at Casino. He could survive. He could survive just fine and he'd proved it.
"Yeah?" Casino gave a snort of derision. "And look how well you're doin'!"
In all the furore, only Actor had realised that the van had come to halt, and consequently, he was the only one who didn't start when the door was wrenched open and Garrison's voice, quiet but deadly, got their attention.
"What the hell is going on?"
Billy, who'd jumped to his feet in order to try and land one on Casino, stopped and stared at the silhouette at the door. He was gasping for breath in his fury, but realised that there was no point in trying anything with Garrison standing there; he recognised an immovable object when he met one.
Goniff sat back. The Warden sure knew how to give a guy a fright. "It was nothin', Warden."
"Me and the kid had a disagreement, that's all!" Casino snapped. He couldn't see Garrison's face, but he knew the officer well enough to know which exasperated look was there.
"Well, knock it off! We don't want to get picked up by a German patrol because you can't keep your mouth shut!"
Casino's quick temper rose again at that, but Garrison shut the door and returned to the front of the van. Actor could tell from Casino's breathing that he was furious, but the safecracker, for once, kept silent. With his eyes unable to penetrate the darkness, Actor wished that there was enough light for him to observe the others. He knew that Casino would be glowering at Billy, while Billy would be returning that angry glare with one just as furious, and Goniff would be trying to pretend that he never noticed any kind of ruckus going on at all. He knew all those things: just as he always knew how to play the game to make his chosen victim walk willingly into the trap laid out for him. But the one whose face Actor would have loved to have seen was the one belonging to their French contact, Maurice Dore. Actor didn't know what it was, but something about Dore struck him as out of place. He just didn't ring true. Actor shook his head. He was imagining things. Maybe it was the fact that Dore was all too eager to put a lot of distance between himself and his country that gave him an uneasy feeling.
Meanwhile, the subject of Actor's thoughts was doing some thinking himself. The boy...how long had the boy been in Pithiviers? Dore cast his mind back to when he saw Goniff pulling Billy towards the van but he couldn't recall what the boy looked like.
Actor was not the only one longing for some light.
~'~
Casino fidgeted in his seat trying to get comfortable, while glaring in Dore's direction. It was pitch black inside the van but he could tell from the snoring that Dore was asleep. The safecracker rested his shoulders against the side of the van and tried to snooze. He didn't know how long they'd have to stay in the van, but the closer to the coast they could get the better. In the meantime the boredom was bearable and infinitely preferable to having some Krauts shooting at them. Suddenly, his head jerked up. They'd stopped. There was a murmur of voices, and a door opened then shut quietly.
Garrison opened the back of the van to find Actor ready and alert. The conman might have been asleep when the vehicle stopped, but he was awake now. Garrison smiled to himself. Sometimes he wondered exactly how Actor had been caught; the conman was a consummate professional, his quick mind leaping ahead to calculate each and every move in the games he played. Perhaps his love of women had led to his downfall - l'amour would always be Actor's Achilles heel. No matter. The American officer was grateful for whatever mischance had taken Actor from the heights of his profession to conning Germans for a pardon.
"What is it?" Actor kept his voice quiet to avoid disturbing Goniff, Billy and Dore.
"We're out of gas," Garrison replied, his voice just as quiet as the Italian's. "We'll have to walk from here."
Goniff stirred. "We're out of gas?" he echoed sleepily. He sat up yawning as Casino shook Billy's arm to wake him. The boy awoke in a panic thinking the Jerries had finally caught up with him, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes flew open.
"Relax, it's me," Casino told him. "C'mon, we gotta walk from here."
To Casino's relief, Dore's snores finally stopped as Actor tapped him on the shoulder briskly. "Uh? We...we are here?" the baker asked, looking around.
Garrison shook his head. "We're out of gas," he repeated.
"Didn't Dore fill up on petrol?" Billy demanded, the return of his sarcastic attitude hiding his embarrassment at waking up in a fright.
"Uh, it is Monsieur Dore to you!" the man cried, indignant at the lack of respect evident in Billy's tone. The lad shrugged in a 'don't-care' way, and Dore was left to climb out of the van muttering about the attitude of youngsters today. He stood to one side, stiff with indignation as Garrison, instead of insisting the child apologise, helped his men push the van off the road, into the woods and out of sight.
As they left the van behind, Billy flashed a cheeky smirk at the baker before turning to follow Goniff, and no one was left watching to catch the hastily hidden look of horror that covered Dore's face for one brief second.
~'~
The sun was up by the time Garrison called a halt to their march through the woods. They had only a few miles to go before they reached the outskirts of Dieppe, so they paused by a stream, Chief on lookout once more, and finished off the remains of Dore's pastries.
Goniff rubbed his stomach appreciatively. He hated going hungry, and it had been happening all too frequently of late. "Now that's better," he declared. "Them pies were loverly."
"You oughta know," Casino cracked, "you ate most of them!"
"I just appreciate good food, mate, that's all," Goniff retorted, stretching out on the grassy bank. "'Now all I need is forty winks and I'd be ready to take on the 'ole German Army."
Casino snorted with disbelief then looked up quickly as a snap of Chief's fingers got their attention. Within seconds the group disappeared behind bushes and trees, and were out of sight by the time a German patrol decided to take their break in the exact same spot Garrison had chosen only twenty minutes before.
All four of the cons looked towards Garrison. Whether he chose to creep away unheard and unseen, or wipe out the dozen or so Germans now sitting so peacefully by the stream, the cons would follow his lead. The officer glanced around and jerked his head slightly. Obediently, his men began to withdraw, softly, quietly, drawing no attention from the soldiers nearby.
Billy, his arm held firmly in Actor's grasp, followed the Italian quietly. No matter what he thought of the cons and Garrison, he had no intention of ending up at the mercy of the Third Reich.
Dore, however, was different. Although he approved wholeheartedly of sneaking away to fight another day, his skills in doing so left something to be desired. One unseen tree root later, Dore was sprawled on his face with all the silence of a stampeding elephant. Naturally, the soldiers heard him. Naturally, it was a mistake on their part.
Before Dore was fully down, Garrison had turned. Ruthlessly, he began shooting into the group of soldiers, aided and abetted by his cons. Five of the Germans were dead before they were fully aware of the danger while the rest grabbed for their guns and tried to find as much shelter as possible.
Lying on the ground beside Actor, Billy realised what was happening. He also realised that he might not get another chance so, to use Garrison's favourite phrase, he took off. Dore saw him go but made no move to stop him, or to pursue him, choosing instead to remain behind his tree with the hint of a smile on his face.
A few short moments later, Garrison slowly lowered his gun while watching for any sign of life from the German soldiers now lying in grotesque positions on the ground. The only movement about them came their hair ruffling in the breeze; the Germans lay still and quiet, their eyes staring sightlessly up at the blue sky that neither knew nor cared that they had died.
Slowly, the men who had never sought, but nonetheless caused, their deaths, stood up, their breathing noisy in the quiet glade. Garrison took a deep breath and put his revolver back in its holster. "Let's get out of here," was all he said.
"Where's the kid?" Chief's demand was sudden and sounded louder than normal in the silence that had fallen.
Actor turned, surprised. "He was here." Looked directly at Dore, he added, "Where did he go?"
Dore shrugged, "I uh...I do not know."
"You didn't see him leave." Casino made it into more of a statement than a question.
Dore shrugged again, shaking his head and making vague noises. Actor frowned. Unless Dore had hidden inside the tree, he couldn't possibly have failed to notice Billy's departure, so why was the Frenchman insisting otherwise?
Garrison checked his watch. Fortunately, they still had plenty of time to make it to Dieppe. "All right, split up and find him. But make it fast."
Dore was the only one who lingered to hear Garrison's next order, and it was addressed to him.
"Dore, you're with me." Garrison didn't trust the Frenchman any more than Actor did, and he wouldn't leave Billy to be found by him.
~'~
It was Chief's sharp eyes that noticed the threads from Billy's shirt caught on the edge of a broken twig. And it was Chief alone who caught up with Billy just as he was attempting to cross the stream. Billy, naturally, didn't realise anyone was there until Chief spoke.
"Where you gonna go?" the Indian asked calmly, taking a seat on a nearby fallen tree as though he had all the time in the world.
Billy stopped in his tracks and turned, the usual cocky look on his face. "I can take care of myself."
"I didn't say you couldn't. I asked where you gonna go."
The boy shrugged. "Anywhere."
"Then why not go to England? You wouldn't have to worry about German patrols," Chief pointed out calmly.
He got a scowl in response. "I'm not scared of the Jerries!"
There was a quick half smile, then, "I never said you were. You afraid of goin' to England?"
"I'm not afraid of anything!"
"Then go. At the very least you'll have a new set of pockets to pick." He watched Billy swing back to face the stream then added softly, "Or is it 'cause your parents died out here? You figure you've gotta prove that you can make it."
Billy's chin went up in defiance of the tears that threatened. "I've got nothing to prove."
"Yeah," Chief nodded slowly, reflectively, "I thought that too." He saw the glance that Billy threw him and continued, willing himself to find the words that would stop this boy from making his mistakes, no matter what the cost. "When my parents were killed I didn't have anything to prove. I just...wanted to show that I was okay. That I didn't need anyone." Even though he wasn't looking at Billy, he could tell that the boy wasn't moving. He continued, slowly, "They were killed in a car accident. By a drunk driver. I was twelve."
"What...happened to you?" The question was soft and hesitant, but Chief rejoiced. He had Billy's attention.
"I went to live with my Grandfather." Chief smiled and shook his head regretfully. "I hated him. He'd disapproved of my mother marryin' my father. I wasn't prepared to give him a chance. He couldn't understand me and I didn't want him to."
"What did you do?" Billy was looking openly at Chief now, intent on hearing more.
"I got into trouble." Chief shrugged. "Refused to listen 'cause he was old and didn't know anything. He died while I was in jail, an' once I was out I just wandered from place to place." He pushed the regrets away and asked quietly, "So, what happened to your parents?"
"An air raid got them," the boy answered slowly, then turned his attention back to Chief's life. "Do you...wish your Grandfather was still alive?" Billy was hesitant about asking, but curious.
"Yeah. I think maybe he'd be proud of what I'm doin' now."
"My..." Billy stopped for a second and fidgeted, then sat down on the grass near Chief's tree. "My grandparents are...were...I think, still alive."
"The Warden could probably find them for you," Chief said softly. "If you wanted him to."
"They might not want...they had a row with..." Billy sighed. He had no idea how to explain, no idea why he wanted to explain. Taking a breath, he tried again. "It was before the war. They...they said it was a bad idea to...to come out here, but Dad..." Billy stumbled over the word, but carried on, "was a journalist." His voice was softer now, as though saying the word had been the hardest part for him. "He wanted to report on the things that were happening. He didn't know how bad it was going to be, and when...well, it was too late. He stole identification papers and pretended to be French. M-Mum too. Then the air raid happened and it didn't matter any more."
His head was down, his voice muted, but Chief heard enough to understand. "I think they'd just want you to be all right." He leaned forward to speak again but straightened up quickly as Goniff called out to them.
The Cockney hurried forward, pleased to see Billy in one piece. "'Ere, we've been lookin' everywhere for yer."
Chief stood up. "Yeah, we were just on our way back." He looked at Billy and waited.
The boy stood up slowly and made a show of dusting off his ragged trousers. "Yeah, I guess," he murmured, his voice quiet.
"Oh, right." Goniff looked from one to the other with a puzzled look on his face. He wasn't sure, but he thought he'd interrupted something.
Billy screwed up his face slightly and said, in an off hand manner, "C'mon then."
Only Dore looked disappointed when Chief and Goniff returned with Billy, and only Actor saw the chagrin that flashed across Dore's face. However, no one but Dore himself knew what he was thinking.
~'~
Garrison had rarely felt more pleased to see a town in his life. Now that they had reached Dieppe, all he had to do was get them onto the fishing boat at dusk, and trust the submarine captain's ability to dodge U-boats. Once in England, the information Dore had finally given him could be sent to the Air Force, and the munitions factory near Pithiviers would be put out of business.
As they made their way through the town the air grew colder and a rumble of thunder was heard in the distance. Fortunately for them, they didn't have far to go. The side road they were on led to the main road the lorries used to reach the port. They all hoped they'd make it before the storm broke, but their luck was out where the weather was concerned and the storm hit them with two long miles of straight road between them and the docks.
Keeping their heads down, the group hurried along. With Billy in the middle of them, Garrison thought any drivers passing by would take them for six sailors who were hurrying back to their ship. With a flash of humour, he wondered if they could pass Billy off as a cabin boy if any soldier stopped to question them, but hoped that they wouldn't have to put that to the test.
The rain made it hard to see further than a few feet, but during a lull in the thunder, Actor, at the back of the group, heard a lorry approaching. He shook his head to clear some of the rain and glanced towards the sound hoping to be able to make out whether it was an ordinary supply truck, or one staffed with German soldiers, but a blow to his side made him turn back quickly enough to see Billy fall in front of him and topple into the path of the vehicle.
The boy cried out incoherently but before the wheels could reach him one long arm shot out and yanked him back from the muddy road. There was a blare of the horn, the shouts of an angry driver as he berated the fools who were playing with danger, and the lorry trundled on its way towards the port.
Billy sat where Actor had dumped him, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath after breath. The rain, mingling with tears of shock, ran down his face, but he ignored it. His confused gaze was fixed on the dark shape of Dore as he tried to make himself heard. Naturally, Casino was shouting and Goniff was questioning, but a loud "Knock it off!" from Garrison brought silence at last, and in the midst of that silence Billy's voice was heard, shaking with shock but clear enough for everyone to understand his words.
"He pushed me." The disbelief that was written all over Billy's face echoed in his voice.
Casino's face tightened with his anger. "He what?" He pulled Billy to his feet, then turned to face Dore.
Dore took a step back, shaking his head in denial. "I...I -"
"He pushed me," Billy repeated, unable to understand why a man he'd met only a few days ago would seek his death.
"He is lying," Dore declared as stoutly as he could.
"Why would he lie?" Garrison asked, his tone showing that he was as furious as the rest of them.
"I do not know," Dore blustered, "but what do you expect of a beggar and a thief?"
"And how do you know what he is?" Actor demanded.
The Frenchman's mouth flapped for a second as he tried to think his way past that one. "Uh...uh...it is obvious what he is! Look at him!" Dore stared around like a rat caught in a trap, but anything else he was going to say was forestalled by Garrison.
"Chief."
"Yeah?"
"Walk with Dore. Make sure he doesn't wander off. The sooner we get to the boat the better." Garrison laid one hand on Billy's shoulder and steered him forward. "Let's go."
~'~
The boat 'Little Mermaid' was soon found, and the password exchanged. In far too short a time for Dore's liking, the seven of them were in the captain's cabin keeping out of sight as the orders were given to cast off.
"Well?"
Dore stared at Garrison, his tongue licking at his too dry lips. "The boy is mistaken, that is all." His glance flickered from one unfriendly face to the next. "Why would I push him into the road?" he demanded, his voice rising with his anxiety.
Billy stared at the Frenchman. He hadn't bothered with him much before, he'd been too busy hoping to escape, but now that his attention had been drawn to Dore, he was sure he knew that rat like face from somewhere.
"Billy." Actor waited until the boy was looking at him, then asked gently, "Do you know him?"
The boy stared at the nervous Dore, his gaze focussed but confused. He was sure now that he did know the man, but from where? He watched as the sweat formed on Dore's brow and ran down the side of his face, and fickle memory responded at the sight. As though it was yesterday, he saw the man, hot and sweaty from digging a grave, chasing him from the churchyard with a loud curse and a swinging shovel.
"The gravedigger. He's the gravedigger!"
Dore shook his head quickly. "He...he -" but Chief's knife an inch from his face stopped his denial.
"The gravedigger," Goniff echoed, blankly. "I thought 'e was supposed to be a baker?!"
Garrison pulled his revolver from its holster and turned to face the Frenchman squarely. "Who are you?" he demanded, the hard tone in his voice making Billy quail.
The man shook his head again, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.
The sound of the gun being cocked broke him. He sank down onto the captain's bed, his hands covering his face as he quavered, "Norbert, my name is Norbert."
"And you're the gravedigger," Actor repeated.
Norbert nodded, quickly.
"What happened to Dore?"
The gravedigger stared into Garrison's face, unsure of how much truth to include in his bid for sympathy. A twitch of Garrison's gun persuaded him to continue. "Uh...h-he was arrested...executed. He uh...a-asked me to t-tell you where the f-factory w-was -"
"And you used it to get a ticket outta here," Casino finished, disdain in his voice.
"Th-they were going to arrest me next! I had to do something!" Norbert protested.
"Were they?" There was no belief in Garrison's voice.
Actor's eyes were as hard as gemstones as he looked at the quivering coward in front of them. "What are we going to do with him?"
Garrison shoved his revolver back into its holster with distaste written on his face. "Leave him with the captain; he can turn him over to the Resistance. They'll know whether he's telling the truth or not."
There was terror in Norbert's eyes as he pushed Chief to one side and burst through their ranks. He knew that the Resistance had little patience with collaborators, and he preferred to take his chances with the stormy sea. The door slammed behind him before Chief had gained his feet again, and before any of them were on the deck a splash and a cry of "Man overboard" told them where Norbert had gone.
~'~
Garrison glanced at his watch. "Time to go, Billy." They'd been back in England for three days, and tracing Billy's grandparents hadn't presented much of a challenge for a determined Army officer. Naturally, they had been thrilled to find out that their grandson was still alive.
Billy nodded nervously as Garrison picked up his suitcase. He might have returned to England with nothing but the clothes on his back, but he was leaving the Mansion with a suitcase full of them. Garrison had been careful not to ask the cons exactly where they'd acquired them; he was sure he wouldn't like the answer.
"You ready?" Casino grinned at the kid as he spoke.
"You'll be okay," Goniff assured him. "Yer grandparents sound really nice."
"Th-they are," Billy stammered. "Well, I'll see you."
Actor smiled down at him. "Take care of yourself."
"And uh...stay out of trouble," Chief added, leaning against the door frame.
"I will. Bye." Billy smiled at them all, a very different smile from any of the ones they'd seen in France, then headed towards the door. He paused as he passed Chief, looked up and murmured, "Thanks."
Chief smiled, that full smile that lit up his face but was too rarely seen. "Any time." The Indian watched as Billy and Garrison made their way down the hall, then shut the door quietly.
"Yer think 'e'll be okay?" Goniff asked of no one in particular.
Chief answered him quietly, that smile still on his face. "He'll be fine."
THE END
