Come on. We’re all going.
Nah. What for?
It’ll be fun won’t it?
It’s more than that, Tinker.
Yeah, yeah I know.
What’s it going to mean?
We have to show them.
Show them how?
By being there. They think we’re all apathetic morons.
Raise the fees, take away the pensions, up goes the housing market they won’t care they’re all too busy playing PS3s and facebooking each other!
Exactly Greggles, exactly.
Nah you’re alright. I would rather play PS3 and anyway I’m not going to Uni.
Well that’s alright then.
You still in, Tinks?
Mr Tailor? Time to get into bed now.
What for?
To sleep my love. It’s time to go to sleep.
What difference will it make?
Philosophical tonight aren’t you?
No. I just have to show them.
You don’t have to show no-one anything. Come on now, Ralph’s here to give us a hand.
Hands were right Doug thought; hands all over him supporting him, holding him up. He felt his weight wedged between the squashy chest of the nurse and the flat pressure of the orderly called Ralph. Bodies pressed up against him. He could let himself fall and he would remain upright, it felt good. He was safe with these people, they knew, they were all in it together. He was moving forward, lurching in a way that didn’t feel natural. He tried to walk more normally but found his feet weren’t really fully on the floor. He was being borne forward by the people pressing in on him. He couldn’t move by himself. He chanted with the others his voice carried away and lost to his own ears.
There was no space at all between him and anyone now. Not just the people next to him but those in front and behind pressed into him. He felt like he was being pressed by one of those automatic s feet measurers in Clarks.
Stop it. Get off me.
Now Mr Tailor we’re nearly there. I’m sorry if it’s hurting you.
Fuck off. I can’t breathe.
He wanted to wave his arms to push them away but he couldn’t, they were pinned to his body as uncontrollable as his feet. He wanted to get out to feel air around him. There wasn’t enough here. He could see the blue sky above him but he couldn’t feel it only the hot, stale air of within the crowd. His breathing was skipping around and the euphoria of before was weighted down with the edges of panic.
I can’t breathe. Let me out.
You can’t get out mate, they’re kettling us. We’re staying put for now.
I just need to get out.
Yeah let him out. Let us all out.
There was shouting all around and the crowd juddered as those shouting pushed forward to the police line. His shoulders slumped forward and he sank further down away from the sky.
Don’t do that. Stop.
Mr Tailor come on now calm down.
He pushed down and felt a firm piece of concrete under his feet it gave him relief and he could breathe for a moment. He concentrated on the in out movement and calmed himself gently. There was a punch in his back and he was launched forward temporarily airborne. He called out, swore, he couldn’t hear himself. He kicked out his legs desperate for firm ground. There were bodies pressing all around and when he looked up he saw the fluorescent flash of police jackets. The squashed square of people roared around him and through the bass hum he heard the whiney of a horse. The high pitched noise was the first of the day and it shook him. He found himself standing again but for only a few seconds before the wave caught him up again and he was fighting, kicking and shouting for his own power to be returned to him. The next time he found himself standing the ground felt wrong, it was squashy, he looked down and show his trainers pressed into the chest of a boy younger than him. He screamed.
Get the doctor Ralph.
Mr Tailor. You’re okay. You’re in bed at the home. You’re okay. It’s Maddie. I’m here with you.
He reached out and clutched her arm.
I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to.
The tears in the old mans eyes made her want to cry.
Course you didn’t love.
I couldn’t get out. I couldn’t breathe. They don’t know who’s feet killed him. Never know. Never know.
He sank back down and muttered on to himself. Maddie relaxed a little. He appeared to be back in the room now at least. Ralph returned with the doctor. She filled him in and stood back so he could examine his patient.
We had to show them. They wouldn’t listen to us. We had to show them.
