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‘Right. There’s water next to you. Drink as much as you can, but be warned, everything’s going to hurt. There’s a policeman who wishes to talk to you. I’ll just go and make that phone call for you.’
A senior constable was shown in by the friendly nurse.
‘Tom Catchlove, is it?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘You look like you’ve gone fifteen rounds with Young Palmer.’
‘Who?’
‘Who?’ the policeman mimicked, astonished. ‘Our champion prize fighter?’
‘Ah,’ Tom said, trying to smile. ‘I’ve never been into boxing. But I know who you mean now. He played for Footscray too, right?
‘Yes, indeed. Quite the athlete. Anyway, son, you’ve taken quite a beating. Know who did it?’
‘I might.’
‘Care to share?’
Tom shook his head. ‘I’d rather not.’
‘Right . . . Like that, is it?’
Tom shrugged and winced at the pain it cost him to do so. ‘I’m not a dobber.’
‘Fair enough.’ The policeman sighed. ‘But let me say this. I’ve spoken to the doctor and nurses who’ve cared for you and I’m assured these wounds were inflicted by a steel-capped boot, most likely. Would I be right?’
‘I honestly don’t know. I was down on the ground and trying to curl up to protect myself.’
‘Well, if one of those blows had been any worse, you might have been no longer able to move. Or you could be dead. Or a rib could have punctured a lung and you might have bled to death if you hadn’t been found. My point is, we can’t have this going on. Folk have a right to feel safe on the streets of our neighbourhood.’
‘Who found me?’ Tom asked. He was the glad the policeman could decipher his words because the broken skin of his lips made it awkward to talk.
‘The caretaker at the cemetery. What were you doing alone at night there, anyway?’
‘I was looking for my mother’s grave. I’ve never seen it. I’m from up north in the Flinders.’
The man’s face softened. ‘And what did you do to this joker to warrant such a punishment?’
‘I asked his date to have a dance with me.’
The policeman cracked a smile. ‘You’re game.’
Tom sighed. ‘I don’t regret it. She’s worth every bruise.’
‘I guess she must be. Righto, lad. I admire your resilience and I do get that you don’t want to dob someone in. But you need to know we don’t tolerate this kind of serious breach of behaviour. It wasn’t just a bit of biffo, Tom. This was dangerous, and you need to think about the next person this fellow might attack. They might not be so lucky. I just want to give him a clear warning that if I hear of him again in this situation, I’ll drag him off. He needs to be afraid of the next time he loses his cool.’
Tom nodded. ‘I don’t think he’ll do it again. His mates weren’t happy, so they won’t help him, and I think he’s a coward, really.’
‘Needs a pack?’
Tom nodded.
‘All right, well, if you change your mind, and you want to press charges, I’ll listen. Think on it for a few days while you heal. I’m going to keep my file open on this for a little longer. Sound fair?’
‘Thank you, sir.’
