It's not often that I write in the third person; but here goes for a short tale that's been kicking around for a while now. A version of it has been available elsewhere for sometime. However, it would appear that I am no longer satisfied of writing very short stories and having read this through again; maybe I want to know more about these characters myself.
I thank OB and BW for their assistance in preparing the original version of this tale for posting.
*****
Ted saw her standing there the instant he entered the bar. It wasn't the most salubrious of places at the best of times; what's more, it was advertised as a 'Singles Bar!' i.e. usually it was usually full of 'chancers' there on the off-chance that they might get lucky! Indeed, why else had Ted himself chosen to frequent the establishment?
However, Ted had not expected that he'd ever see her in there!
She was standing by the bar giggling, with the little band of hopefuls who were pretty obviously plying her with alcohol, and had all-but surrounded her; protecting their prey from any interlopers.
Ted knew what they were up to; he'd seen the guys in action more than a few times in the past. What would most likely happen later, after they'd all left the bar together- as Ted suspected the guys were planning for that evening as well - Ted had never bothered to contemplate in the past.
But that particular evening was different. She was different. She... should not have been there! Not in that place, looking for a little... fun on the side. Not that Ted thought she was going to get much joy out of the evening; if those chancers got their way.
Ted stopped and exchanged a few words with the doorman, one of the bouncers who kept things under control as best they could. They ejected the more obnoxious customers and watched-out for anyone who was trying to take or deal-in... illegal substances within the establishment. The local police were a might touchy about that sort of behaviour.
The doorman listened to Ted attentively and then nodded and informed him that he'd pass the message on to the rest of his colleagues. Then Ted went over to the far end of the bar, away from where the woman thought that she was holding court.
Ted purchased a pint and then retreated to his usual dark corner to consume it. Several people - knowing his reputation - vacated his regular table as Ted approached.
Sitting there in the dim light Ted watched as she danced with every one of the guys who were... hunting her. He watched as the four of them subtly saw-off anyone else who tried to invite her to dance. And he watched as they plied her with more and more alcohol and wondered if they'd resort to anything else. She was leaving her drinks unattended on the bar after all, and the two barmen were far too busy to spot everything.
--
"Taking it easy tonight, Ted?" One of the bar staff commented as he came around collecting empties.
The bar staff had noticed that he had been nursing the same pint since he'd arrived; not usual behaviour for Ted.
"Yeah, the brunette bird with those tossers at the end of the bar; I wanna make sure she gets home in one piece."
"Not like you, Ted. Someone special, is she?"
"You could say she was. A very long time ago!"
"Classy bitch, don't know what she's doing in here! If you don't mind me saying, a bit out of your..."
"Yeah, she was... and she still is! Nothing ever became of it; I just can't figure-out what the Christ she's doing in this dump!"
"Looking for a bit on the side maybe? You know what some of these toffee-nosed birds are like?"
"Well, she'll get more than she's bargained for with those buggers!"
"So, are you going to play knight errant, Ted? Or are you intending to take advantage of the situation?"
Ted had glowered at the barman as he'd completed his sentence. Realising that he might have overstepped the mark some; the guy withdrew to the safety of his bar.
Around eleven-thirty she began to look decided unsteady on her feet, and a couple of the chancers appeared to trying to persuade her to leave. But she was having fun, gyrating around the small dance floor, so she refused... loudly!
But by twelve she was staggering, and from what Ted could make out, she'd decided herself that she'd better start thinking about leaving. However her newfound friends convinced her that another drink for the road, wouldn't do any harm.
It was as two of the chancers were assisting the woman through the door that Ted made his move. Several (large) members of the door staff - backed-up by two police officers standing near-by - had blocked their path just outside.
Ted, elbowed his way in amongst the chancers' and then swept the - by that time - almost unconscious woman into his arms.
"'Ere, what's your bleeding game?" One of the chancers demanded.
"Just taking the lady home lads; just taking the lady home!"
"Well, wha'd'ya think we wuz doing?"
"I don't know lads. But if that is the case; tell me, what's the ladies name and where does she live?"
"Stella! And if you know so bloody much, why don't you tell us where she lives?" The chancer replied.
"Her name gentlemen, is Estelle Cooper... Mrs... and I'm sure... when she's sober, she'd prefer it if the likes of you guys, didn't know where she lives!"
Ted's reply had been for the benefit of the two police officers, which were by then showing a marked interest in the confrontation.
A nod from one of the door staff caused the officers to take more interest in the chancers' than in Ted. The four guys hurriedly decided to disperse, once their names had been requested and dutifully noted down in the officers' notebooks.
The police officers had no need to ask Ted's name. His younger days had left him a little more notorious locally, than he'd have preferred to be.
Assisted by one of the door staff, Ted loaded the semi-comatose, but still babbling Estelle onto the backseat of his car.
"Are you taking her home, Ted?" One of the police officers enquired. "She don't look too clever!"
"I was going to. But going by the state of her; the General for a session with old stomach pump, might be favourite!"
"My thoughts exactly. I'll give them a call on the radio; let them know that you're coming."
"Cheers officer." Ted replied. Then he climbed into the driver's seat and set off towards the hospital.
-
"Has she taken anything?" The emergency doctor asked, pulling Estelle's eyelids open so he could look at size of her pupils.
"Too much bleeding jungle juice for a start, Doc. But I wouldn't put it past those wankers she was drinking with, to have slipped her something on the quiet. They definitely thought they were gong to get lucky this evening; if you get my drift?"
"In this condition; that would be tantamount to rape!"
"Makes no difference to those tossers Doc; you know that as well as I do! She'd wake up tomorrow dumped somewhere; with a headache, a sore fanny, and have little recollection of how she got either."
"So where do you fit into the equation Teddy? Not quite your style carrying maidens in distress, in here."
"We have history, sort-of, Doc. Not great history I have to admit; but history of sorts all the same. I always knew I'd be the guy from the wrong side of the tracks as far as Estelle and her family were concerned; so I worshipped her from afar."
"Ah, I see; daddy would not have approved?"
"You got it doc. And I doubt Estelle would have, either!"
"But she's married though, she's wearing a ring. Where's her husband this evening?"
"Buggered if I know Doc. He weren't in that pub anyway. A bit careless of him really; I wouldn't let a looker like Estelle out of my sight."
"Well, we'd better get her stomach cleared out; stop anymore alcohol getting into her system. Are you going to call her husband, or shall I?"
"I think it better if neither of us do, Doc! How's she going to explain the state she's in to him? I've got no idea where she lives anyway. Although I do recall she married some geezer by the name of Cooper.
"She has no handbag or anything; that might have some information in it?"
"Not that I'm aware of, Doc!"
"All right. She's drunk and incapable, we can do what's necessary to preserve her health, without written consent."
I'll leave you to it the Doc. I've had my stomach pumped a few times, and I don't think I'd care to witness the procedure carried out on anyone else."
"You're not leaving, Ted?"
"No, I'll be outside polluting the atmosphere and removing some unsightly evidence of her presence from my car. If you get one of your nurses to give me a yell when the messy bits over; I'll sit by her bed until she wakes-up. Well, she'll have to get home eventually, won't she?"
-
Estelle struggled to open her eyes. Her head felt worse than she could ever recall it feeling before and she had no idea where she was.
The ceiling though, once she focused on it, did seem very familiar. "I'm in hospital!" She eventfully whispered to herself, "How did I get here?"
"I brought you here. You were as pissed as a fart last night!" A voice said from off to her right.
Estelle slowly turned her head to look at who'd spoken. There sat some stranger, maybe thirty or so years old, she thought.
"Do I know you?" She asked.
"No Stella, doubt you do. But I know you; and you were keeping some real unsavoury company last evening. I had to wait until you passed-out before I could..."
