Flashing blue lights alerted them to the fact that the ambulance was outside for Moses. They lifted him carefully to his feet and were able to walk him down the stairs.
"How does it feel?" Noah asked, feeling guilty at being the cause of so much pain.
"Oh - terrible. I'm sure I'm going to die. I doubt they'll be able to do anything for me."
"I'm sure you will be fine Moses - these doctors are very skilled, you know."
"It's no use - I'm definitely going to die." He seemed to quite enjoy the idea that he was mortally wounded, which worried Noah a little. Noah packed him off into the ambulance, which drove away with Moses happily chatting to the paramedics about his certainty of death. He shook his head as he watched the vehicle disappear down the street, and then he went back inside the building.
"Is he gone?" Mrs Bishop asked, her arms folded across his chest.
"Yes." Noah nodded.
"Ah well, that's good - he did seem to be enjoying himself, didn't he?"
"Mrs Bishop I wouldn't be surprised if there is absolutely nothing wrong with him. He'll be fine - you'll see."
"Is everything alright?" A small voice asked, suddenly. A woman had appeared behind Mrs Bishop, from the bottom floor flat. She closed her door behind her but kept her hand on the handle, in case she needed to dart back inside quickly. She seemed like quite a timid little thing.
"Oh yes dear - Mr Beaumont has been taken ill. You remember Mr Beaumont? He lives upstairs."
"Yes, I know Moses. He keeps himself to himself though - I don't think I've ever had a proper conversation with him. Apart from the time he made me hold an Art Deco coatstand for three hours while he inspected it for termites. Is he alright?" Noah couldn't help spluttering with a bit of laughter at this anecdote, which definitely sounded like the sort of thing Moses would do.
"Oh I'm sure he'll be fine - he's convinced he's going to die, though. But, that's just the way he is, I'm afraid." Mrs Bishop turned to look at Noah. "And this is Mr Beaumont's new flatmate, Mr Crouch. Mr Crouch, this is Miss Honeycutt." Miss Honeycutt smiled at him. Noah suddenly became very aware of the fact that he was naked from the waist up, wearing only a pair of white linen trousers which he wore to bed.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr Crouch."
"Noah, please."
"Noah's a nice name. I'm Avalon." Noah raised his eyebrows.
"I thought that was a place?"
"I suppose it is." She smiled at him. She was very pretty when she smiled. She had chocolate brown hair and was wearing a plain white dress, like an angel.
"Well, I look forward to seeing you around, Avalon."
"And you, Noah." There was a brief moment of silence, and then Mrs Bishop spoke up.
"Well - all of this excitement has certainly tired me out! I think I'll go to bed!"
"Yes, I was just about to go up myself." Noah added. "Goodnight to both of you."
"Goodnight, Noah." Mrs Bishop disappeared into her flat.
"Goodnight, Noah." Avalon said, opening the door to her own apartment as she said it.
"Goodnight, Avalon." Noah went upstairs quietly on his own, thinking once again about how his life had changed since he arrived here. He wasn't even bothered about the moth.
"How does it feel?" Noah asked, feeling guilty at being the cause of so much pain.
"Oh - terrible. I'm sure I'm going to die. I doubt they'll be able to do anything for me."
"I'm sure you will be fine Moses - these doctors are very skilled, you know."
"It's no use - I'm definitely going to die." He seemed to quite enjoy the idea that he was mortally wounded, which worried Noah a little. Noah packed him off into the ambulance, which drove away with Moses happily chatting to the paramedics about his certainty of death. He shook his head as he watched the vehicle disappear down the street, and then he went back inside the building.
"Is he gone?" Mrs Bishop asked, her arms folded across his chest.
"Yes." Noah nodded.
"Ah well, that's good - he did seem to be enjoying himself, didn't he?"
"Mrs Bishop I wouldn't be surprised if there is absolutely nothing wrong with him. He'll be fine - you'll see."
"Is everything alright?" A small voice asked, suddenly. A woman had appeared behind Mrs Bishop, from the bottom floor flat. She closed her door behind her but kept her hand on the handle, in case she needed to dart back inside quickly. She seemed like quite a timid little thing.
"Oh yes dear - Mr Beaumont has been taken ill. You remember Mr Beaumont? He lives upstairs."
"Yes, I know Moses. He keeps himself to himself though - I don't think I've ever had a proper conversation with him. Apart from the time he made me hold an Art Deco coatstand for three hours while he inspected it for termites. Is he alright?" Noah couldn't help spluttering with a bit of laughter at this anecdote, which definitely sounded like the sort of thing Moses would do.
"Oh I'm sure he'll be fine - he's convinced he's going to die, though. But, that's just the way he is, I'm afraid." Mrs Bishop turned to look at Noah. "And this is Mr Beaumont's new flatmate, Mr Crouch. Mr Crouch, this is Miss Honeycutt." Miss Honeycutt smiled at him. Noah suddenly became very aware of the fact that he was naked from the waist up, wearing only a pair of white linen trousers which he wore to bed.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr Crouch."
"Noah, please."
"Noah's a nice name. I'm Avalon." Noah raised his eyebrows.
"I thought that was a place?"
"I suppose it is." She smiled at him. She was very pretty when she smiled. She had chocolate brown hair and was wearing a plain white dress, like an angel.
"Well, I look forward to seeing you around, Avalon."
"And you, Noah." There was a brief moment of silence, and then Mrs Bishop spoke up.
"Well - all of this excitement has certainly tired me out! I think I'll go to bed!"
"Yes, I was just about to go up myself." Noah added. "Goodnight to both of you."
"Goodnight, Noah." Mrs Bishop disappeared into her flat.
"Goodnight, Noah." Avalon said, opening the door to her own apartment as she said it.
"Goodnight, Avalon." Noah went upstairs quietly on his own, thinking once again about how his life had changed since he arrived here. He wasn't even bothered about the moth.