I Can Help You

Chapter 7

Trying to look inconspicuous, Joey sidled up to the librarian's desk. It had been two years since he'd set foot in the school library, and he had no idea where to begin his search. He had made it his new goal in life to help Jakob, and the library seemed like as good a place as any to start.
"Do you have any information about cloning please?" he asked nervously.
He knew there was no reason to be nervous, but he felt that way all the same. However, he needn't have worried.
"For a biology project I take it?" Mrs Harris said, surveying him from behind thick, owl-like spectacles, "Just go to the science section dear. Cloning should be there somewhere, have a good ferret about and you'll soon find something"
Quickly gabbling his thanks, Joey stepped smartly to the side, before she could ask any questions. He couldn't understand why some people seemed to enjoy spending time here, all the secrecy was far too much like hard work. Then Joey remembered that no one else had deep, dark secrets, and that nobody could possibly know his. He was just being paranoid. Lifting a book named - 'Guide to Genetics' from the shelf, Joey whipped out a pen. He wasn't going to take the book home, imagining the chaos if it was discovered. Instead, he planned to make notes. Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"We've to write about the effects of smoking for biology" the boy said, "So I don't know why you're looking at that. Unless it's a personal interest. Like me, I've come to read about the rainforest because I hope to visit it at some point."
He said all this very fast, and Joey had to think for a moment to remember who this peculiar boy was. Then it came to him, it was Toby Duncan. Toby was the school geek. He was doing five more subjects than anybody else, was captain of the chess team, and was generally most teacher's pet. It was strange though, that although they had several classes together, Joey had never spoken to him before.
"Where's your friend Summer?" Toby asked
He seemed to know everything about everyone. Joey wouldn't have been surprised if he kept a log of everyone's friends, enemies and acquaintances. That was the sort of weird thing Toby Duncan did.
"Summer's at the dentist" Joey said, pretending that he was having a perfectly ordinary conversation, "Lucky her, she gets the afternoon off. Mind you, I don't fancy being her; she's getting three teeth out. It's all the cakes she eats at my house, my little brother pretends he's on a cooking show and gets everyone to taste his recipes. Summer's too nice to say no thanks."
Toby didn't laugh, but the corners of his mouth twitched. It was the closest thing to a smile Joey had ever seen on his serious face.
"If you're interested in genetics, I can show you some interesting websites" Toby offered, "My brother's doing work for a research place in London, I'm thinking about doing something similar when I leave school"
He scribbled down the addresses as the bell rang.
"Want to meet here tomorrow" he asked, "I've got a book about cloning you might like"
For a moment, Joey wondered what people would say if he was seen coming out of the library with 'Dorky Toby'. Then he decided he didn't care.
"Alright" he said, "I'll see you tomorrow"
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"It didn't half hurt" Summer moaned, "That dentist's satanic"
Joey couldn't help laughing, even though Dr Hill was due to visit, and was probably sitting in his living room at that moment. Jakob had been disappearing even more frequently, and the previous night had been the final straw.

They'd found him sitting quietly in the middle of a main road, miles beyond the fields. He'd been rocking backwards and forwards, a huge crowd surrounding him. Apparently three different vehicles, including a removal van, had hit him. But there wasn't a scratch to be found on his grubby, shivering little body. Adrienne had cried for hours, clinging to Jakob as if he might disappear any minute. Billie Joe had done his best to reassure her, saying that Jakob was just tough like his Dad. But he wasn't kidding anyone. Terrified, Adrienne had wanted to take Jakob to hospital, but Billie had stopped her, explaining what Dr Hill had told them from the beginning. That no other doctor could ever examine Jakob, or they would be discovered and put in prison. So they'd called Dr Hill, who'd agreed to come over the next day. Joey would have bet any amount of money that a heated argument would be taking place in his house at that moment. He was trying to walk home very slowly, hoping it would all be over by the time he got back. Other things, such as 'Harry', were becoming much harder to avoid.
The other constant worry was that Jakob was due to start school in a few weeks. There was no alternative, he would have to go. Billie Joe had tried to comfort Adrienne by saying that school would do him good, and that even if he did act a bit strangely, with twenty-something other children to control, the teacher probably wouldn't notice. This made sense, but Joey could see that, if Jakob insisted that he wanted to be cold all the time, someone was bound to say something.
"What's up with you?" Summer asked, bringing him back to earth, "You're dead quiet"
Joey said nothing, fearing that if he opened his mouth, he would either blurt out four years worth of worries, or cry. Summer touched his arm gently.
"It's Jakob isn't it?" she whispered, "Something's happened to him"
Clenching his fists, to stop himself screaming, Joey nodded.
"You can tell me Joey" Summer said, "I swear you an trust me, I wouldn't tell anyone else"
Joey breathed heavily, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. Deep down, he knew she wanted to help, but he was past caring. He didn't want to stand around talking about Jakob, he wanted to DO something. Suddenly he understood why Adrienne clung to him the ways she did. That was all he wanted to do at that moment, scoop Jakob up and protect him from what was going on around them. They had almost reached the cottage now, and things were becoming increasingly awkward between him and Summer.
"You'll need to go now" Joey said, "My Dad's friend's coming over for dinner, and there isn't enough for anyone else"
He didn't care how rude he was being; somehow he had to get rid of her. He had to speak to Jakob alone; he had to find out more about Harry. He had to find out what was happening to his brother. Dr Hill had left by the time he got home, thank goodness, but Joey knew exactly what sight was going to meet him. There was going to be a row.
"For God's sake Adie" he heard his Dad shout the moment he opened the door, "You know we can't take him anywhere, we just have to trust Dr Hill"
Then he heard his mum, in a voice sounding nothing like her own, say-
"I don't care if people ask questions, I want a second opinion"
Even from the hallway, Joey heard his Dad sigh heavily.
"Adie" he said, "If anyone found out, we'd never see Jakob again. They'd take Joey away too, you can't love them if you'd risk that happening"
Then came the slap, with a noise like the crack of a whip, which made Joeys stomach turn. Flinching, although he was the one who'd been slapped, Joey stepped into the lounge. One side of Billie Joe's face was bright red where Adrienne had slapped him, the other side was chalk white. Adrienne was curled up tight on the sofa, sobbing noisily into a cushion. And Jakob was sitting on the rug, watching the scene in horror, his mouth hanging open. Joey didn't know who to go to. He just stood there, watching his life unravel, his family fall apart.
"Joey" Billie Joe said quietly, "Can you take Jakob out for a walk, there's a doctor coming"
Questions flittered into Joey's mind like butterflies, but he managed not to voice any of them, opting just to nod. The doctor obviously wasn't coming to see Jakob, either that or they didn't want him too. So that left two options, they had been discovered, or either Billie Joe or Adrienne was ill. And since neither trusted doctors, and did their best to avoid them, it was serious.
"Can we go to the lake?" Jakob asked, "Harry liked it there"