Chapter 5

“S’alright, kid, s’alright…”

“Tav, mate, c’mon, give him some space.”

Luca’s fingers clenched, and Tav shook off the hands trying to pull him away. “No,” he insisted. “No, no, no, he needs me, he needs me here…”

“Get me a towel down here!”

“Is that his name? Luca? Is that your name, son?”

“Luca Jensen, he’s one of my swimmers. Get that locker key off his wrist. Here, Aaron, go and get his things, grab his things for Tav to take back to his mam’s.”

“No,” Tav insisted, wrapping both hands around Luca’s. His fingernails were blue, and his skin grey and icy. He was shivering, and there was blood all down his face and neck. “I’m going with him. I’m going with him.” There were sirens approaching, and he shrugged off Coach Cooper’s heavy paw. “No! I’m going with him! He needs me there!”