بخش 08

Mrs Chandler.

Education is really important!

You’re telling me what to do. I’m pulled in every direction.

Are you going to take him out of school then?

Thank you.

I’m gonna go and find something to eat. You want anything, kid?

I want you to stop calling me kid.

Fair enough.

I’m sorry, Lizzy.

Who was that man in the suit?

Just—

Nothing.

What happened this morning?

Nothing.

It’s fine.

I just had a bit of a bad reaction.

But there’s one more thing they’re going to try,

it’s a medicine that’s had some really good results.

Why didn’t they try it in the first place?

Because this is something you take

when the other stuff hasn’t worked the way they want it to.

Does that mean it’s too late?

No, of course it doesn’t mean it’s too late.

Are you sure?

I believe every word I say.

Belief is half of all healing.

Belief in the cure,

belief in the future that awaits.

Yeah.

You know that tree that I’m always going on about?

Yeah.

Well, this drug is made from trees like that.

It is? Yeah!

Seriously?

All this time, we could have gone out there and just chopped it down.

But not that one.

That one’s our friend.

Where are you?

I’m here.

So can you do it? Can you make my mum better?

If your mother can be healed, the yew tree will do it.

So that’s a yes?

You still don’t know why you called me.

I didn’t call you.

And even if I did, it was obviously for my mum.

Was it? Why else?

To listen to idiotic stories that make no sense?

It is not yet time for the third tale. But soon.

And after that, you will tell me your story, Conor O’Malley.

No!

No, not this!

That’s just a nightmare!

No, please!

That’s not my truth! That’s just a nightmare!

Nevertheless, this is what will happen after the third tale.

I want to know what’s going to happen with my mum.

You waste the precious time that is given to you.

Wait! Where are you going?

You’re a tree of healing. I need you to heal!

And so I shall.

Conor, I’ll come back. I promise.

And you’ll come to LA for Christmas.

I don’t want to leave Mum on her own for Christmas.

This medicine your mum’s taking— It’s going to make her well.

No, Conor. It probably isn’t.

Yes, it is. No, it’s a last ditch effort.

It’ll heal her, okay? I know it.

It’s the reason it came, it has to be. Reason what came?

The monster.

Conor, what? It comes at 12.07.

At first I thought it was a dream, but—

Conor, stop it. It’s a dream.

I’m sorry you have to face this,

but you have to be brave.

Do you understand? C’mon.

C’mon.

I’ll be back as soon as I can.

What if it’s not fast enough?

Conor, listen— It’s okay.

What’s okay?

Just—

You don’t have to.

Look. Can you see? Can you see?

Can you wave?

Can you see him?

Look, then we wave to Grandma.

Hello, Grandma!

Con, can you say hello to Grandma and Mum?

Hello, Grandma!

There we go.

Mummy’s heard this one a lot.

Okay, you ready?

Con, look, sit, come sit here.

Con, look.

Hello, Grandma. Mummy and—

There we go.

We’re doing you a picture, Grandma.

And then mix it together.

What colour is that?

Brown. Yeah, It’s a nice sludgy brown.

But we have brown here. That’s true.

What can you see?

What’s that? What are those?

What are these?

The eyes. The eyes, that’s it.

Life is always in the eyes.

If you get that, you’ll be a proper artist.

Yeah.

Look.

This is how we draw the eyes in.

This is where the eyes catch the reflection.

Then we see the life in the eyes, see that?

Do it again.

It’s life.

Maybe if we take a pencil,