Read Online Captain Mack by James Roy - Free Book Online

winked at Danny. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
    â€œIs she gone?” Captain Mack asked as the door closed behind her.
    â€œYeah, she’s gone.”
    â€œTypical of these people, lad. Kind to yer face, but knock ye down when ye least expect it.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œDid he really trip over on his porch?” Danny asked Ellie as they drove home.
    â€œI’m afraid so. He’s getting so frail, Danny. I don’t think it’ll be long before they move him into the hospital wing.”
    â€œHe really doesn’t like nurses, does he?”
    Ellie laughed. “He doesn’t like anyone, Danny. Except you, that is. You’re the only one he doesn’t see as the enemy.”

NINE
    It was Saturday morning, and Danny and Dad were at the supermarket doing their grocery shopping. They were standing indecisively in front of the pasta when a woman and her three sons came around the end of the aisle and stopped near the rice. One of the boys was Shaun Gilmore, and Danny saw him look up, noticed the sudden flicker of recognition. Immediately Danny felt his chest tighten.
    â€œHow many types of pasta can there be? They all taste the same after all. Oh, these will do,” Dad said defeatedly, tossing a packet of spaghetti into the trolley and moving towards Shaun and his family. “Come on, let’s get this awful job over with,” he said as he sensed Danny’s hesitation.
    They stopped a couple of metres from Mrs Gilmore, Dad studying the shelf packed with every kind of rice imaginable. Shaun’s two older brothers were fooling about nearby, tossing a large tub of yoghurt back and forth between them like a football while their mum looked flustered and tried to concentrate on her list. Shaun was eyeing Danny, trying to appear menacing but only really succeeding in looking embarrassed to be caught doing the groceries with his mum.
    â€œThink quick, Shauny,” one of his brothers said, under-arming the yoghurt at him. He saw it late and fumbled it. The container hit the floor and split, yoghurt oozing out onto the lino.
    Shaun’s brothers slunk away, leaning against each other and laughing. “Pathetic!” one of them gasped.
    â€œShaun!” his mother snapped, smacking him on the arm. “Cut it out! Now go and get a new one and stop playing with it, for crying out loud!”
    Shaun lowered his red face as he pushed past Dad’s trolley. “Excuse me,” he muttered. Danny tried to catch his eye, but Shaun wasn’t looking up for anything.
    The afternoon sky was cloudy, and the rain had just stopped. Danny knocked on the door, but this time Captain Mack didn’t even ask who it was. “Go away, whoever ye are,” he growled.
    â€œBut it’s me — Private Snell,” Danny called out. “Can I come in? I brought chocolate biscuits today.”
    â€œNo, I don’t wish to see anyone. Can ye go now?”
    Rather than sounding grumpy or suspicious as it usually did, Danny thought that Captain Mack’s voice was different. Sad, as if he was crying, or about to start.
    â€œAre you all right, Captain Mack?” he asked.
    â€œHang on, then,” Captain Mack finally answered in a tired voice. Danny could hear him shuffling across the room. “If ye can’t take no for an answer I suppose I’d best let ye in.”
    The door opened. Captain Mack was standing there in a brand new red tartan dressing gown. He didn’t have his eye-patch on, and there were damp streaks under his good eye.
    Danny straightened up in preparation for a salute when Captain Mack said, “Don’t be going on with all that nonsense — I’m not up to it today. Just come in and park ye backside if ye plan to stay. And if ye want tea ye’ll have to get it for yeself. I can’t do it. I don’t have the strength.”
    Danny didn’t know what to say. He thought about excusing himself and