Chapter Three
“Who can give me the difference between abduction and kidnapping?”
Paul dares a sneak peek on his watch. Good gracious. It is one of those days again that the instructors just keep on going. It was ten ‘o clock already. Paul feels himself wanting to yawn of tiredness, but he suppresses it very quickly. The instructor presenting the class is not a very patient man and takes no nonsense of the students.
“I don’t see anyone breaking their legs running to me to give me the answer.” the Captain says sarcastically.
“Marais! I see you are sleeping there in your corner!” he hits with his baton on Antonie’s table and Antonie is jerked back to reality.
“Listen pal, if you’ve never been pegged in your career in the police I can guarantee you, you are steadily on your way to be pegged. No-one sleeps like that in my lecture room! I want the difference between abduction and kidnapping as it appears in Snyman and Snyman.”
Antonie takes a deep breath and tries to swallow down the nausea pushing up in his throat. He just can not shake off the flu he has for two weeks now and the ops-medics’ patience and sympathy also ran out.
“Abduction is the same as kidnapping.” Antonie tries bravely.
“No! Rubbish! Damn it! Your father is a Major at the detective branch and you don’t know the difference? What are you doing in the SAPS? Why must I struggle so much with all these incompetent students that don’t want to be here? Damn it! Visser! Please give me the difference so that we can all retire for the day because I can see many students’ lights are on, but no-one’s home!”
Paul dares a brief sympathetic look in Antonie’s direction. Something is very wrong with Antonie. Many knew he didn’t want to be here and that it is a question that he is there because Otto wants him to be there, but something else was wrong.
“Captain, abduction is the intentional, illegal removal of a minor person under sixteen against his or her will, without his or her parents or guardians permission with the purpose of marrying this person or to abuse for statutory sexual offences. Kidnapping is the intentional, illegal removal of a person, either a minor or an adult, against his or will with the purpose of demanding a ransom.”
“Thank you! Eventually someone is awake! Please just go to your sleeping quarters and do yourselves a favour. Learn your definitions word for word because believe me, I will ask it in the class test and I will not be satisfied with less than 70%!”
Whilst the other students are preparing to go to bed, Antonie looks at the bruise on his arm for the umpteenth time where he bumped himself against the doorframe three weeks ago. The bruise just doesn’t want to heal and Antonie notices another bruise on the top of his right hand. Although he loves his sport especially his rugby he struggles badly nowadays to practice for long periods and he tires very quickly. This brings him in constant trouble with the instructors when they chase the students around but no-one wants to help him anymore. The one ops-medic even told him to quit coming back for treatment because no young person can remain being sick with flu for so long. Although Antonie is not on speaking terms with his parents an intense longing for them overwhelms him. He remembers how his mother always took care of him when he was sick, which was not that often because Antonie has always been in very good health.
Antonie gets into his bed, buries his face in his pillow and does not even try to fight back the tears any longer.
“Oh, come on! You guys move at tortoise pace! Your feet are touching the ground and this means you are losing speed! Come! Come! Pick up that pace!”
Paul silently wonders how far the instructor will push them today. After four months’ training behind them everyone is used in running the six kilometres but they are past that point now. Even though Paul and Antonie are not on speaking terms with one another a healthy competition spirit existed between the two of them every time they went running. They normally always set the pace, finishing in the first group and today was no exception. Paul and Antonie run with the instructor but Paul feels the need to rest. He has had enough for the day. It is then that Antonie falls out of the group, moving away, leading to the annoyance of the instructor.
“Damn it, Marais! What are you up to now?”
But Paul notices Antonie folding over at the side of the road and before Paul can help him, Antonie collapses.
“Warrant! Come help, please!”
Paul kneels down at Antonie’s side and with the very basic first aid knowledge he had gained through their training he monitors Antonie’s vitals.
“Warrant, I think we need to contact the ambulance. Something is seriously wrong.”
“Just hang in there and stay with him. I’ll arrange the ambulance.”
Paul takes off his sweater and places it over Antonie. It was October already but the last thing they need now is for Antonie to go into shock. Paul gently shakes Antonie by the shoulder.
“Antonie? Come now, open your eyes and talk to me. Antonie?”
But there is no response from Antonie and Paul knows the only thing he can do is to monitor Antonie’s vitals. Fortunately it doesn’t take very long for the paramedics of Netcare to arrive and when they leave Paul stares at the departing ambulance with a growing concern in his heart. If only he could have done more…
Later that afternoon on his way to the dormitory Paul walks pass the office of one of the instructors. He knows it is very rude to eavesdrop but he can hear that they are talking about Antonie and he really wants to know what was going on.
“They probably will have to withdraw him from the training, Colonel.”
“But there is only six weeks left, Captain. I know the treatment they are going to give him will make him very sick, but…whether we want to admit it or not and this has got nothing to do with the fact that his father is Major Otto Marais. Antonie is a bright, intelligent student. Very stubborn and rebellious but he really seemed to have accepted being here and in becoming a policeman. It will break his heart if they force him to withdraw from the course.”
“I don’t know what we are going to do, Colonel. If he can cope, we’ll bend over backwards to meet his needs.”
“But is it leukaemia for sure, Captain?”
“Yes, Colonel.”
The Colonel tiredly rubs with his hands over his face.
“He is so terribly young, you know? He is only nineteen years old. His whole life is supposed to be ahead of him. Did the doctor say anything of how advanced the cancer is and what the prognosis is?”
“All he said was that Antonie must start with treatment as soon as possible. His only hope is a bone marrow transplant, but that is unlikely to happen.”
“And his medical file? Do you know what blood group he is?”
“He has an O-negative blood group, Colonel.”
“Damn it! I hoped so much…but yes, what can we do? We’ll have to have a meeting with him as well as the chaplain and the social worker, maybe finding out how he feels about finishing the course?”
“And his parents? Were they notified yet?”
“I’m not sure. I think we must confirm that with him. I don’t know if he has contact with them really because he never talks about them.”
Captain Mattheus gets up.
“I’ll keep you posted Colonel about the appointment with the chaplain and social worker. I’m sure you want to talk to Antonie in person about the whole affair.”
“I don’t have any other choice, Captain.”
Captain Mattheus nods in respect to the Colonel before leaving the office and it is there where he meets Paul.
“Visser? What are you doing here?”
Paul gets a fright and blushes embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Captain. I know it is rude to eavesdrop, but…I want to help, Captain.”
“But how do you want to help, Paul? Antonie is very seriously ill. We don’t know if he will finish his training.”
“No! Are you sure, Captain? Does this mean he needs to go back home?”
&nb
sp; “We’re trying to arrange a meeting with his parents and the chaplain or social worker so that we can establish the way forward to deal with this, maybe to see how we can help him to finish his training.”
“Captain…I really want to help. Can’t you try to find out how I can help, please?”
Captain Mattheus puts his hand on Paul’s shoulder.
“Antonie and you never got along and you never made a secret of it. What happened that you want to help him so much?”
“Captain, it doesn’t mean that if you don’t like someone you can’t help him.”
“How do you think Antonie will react if he hears you want to help him?”
“I don’t know, Captain. I just want to find out first if I can. Medically speaking.”
“Paul, I’ll find out for you, but from what I have heard it is a very long, difficult process to go through. You may have to cut your training short here at the College. I doubt that Antonie can wait to start with the treatment.”
“Please, Captain. Won’t you find out for me?”
“Okay. I think you are very brave wanting to help. Like I’ve said, I understand the process is very difficult to go through as a donor.”
“Captain, if I may ask, please don’t say anything to Antonie. If this works, I’ll tell him myself later.”
With the meeting all set Antonie anxiously awaits his parents’ arrival outside Colonel Laubscher’s office. It has been almost six months since he last saw his parents and he never could have imagined that he would miss them so much. While he is sitting on the bench he sees his parents and runs towards them, filled with sincere joy. His mother embraces him first and she softly kisses him on the cheek.
“Hi there, my love. How are you?”
“I can’t believe I’m missing you so terribly…” Antonie’s voice breaks and he stays quiet for a while.
“Hi, Dad.”
This time Otto embraces Antonie for a long while.
“My precious child. I’m so worried about you since we got the news! How are you feeling?”
“I’m constantly tired. It’s really a problem when I need to concentrate in class and the exams. But otherwise I’m okay. I take one day at a time.”
“Did Colonel Laubscher tell you what the meeting was all about?”
“No, but I have an idea it’s about my training and the completion thereof. Dad, I can’t quit now. There are only five and a half weeks left. I’m almost done.”
“Antonie, please do the right thing. Think about yourself and your health. You can always do the training again sometime.” his mother tries to intervene.
“Trudie, my angel, I think we must leave it to Antonie to decide. I know you are worried about him, but so am I. We’ll have to decide today what the way forward will be to help Antonie.”
Colonel Laubscher meets with them.
“Good morning. Please come inside so that we can talk.”
They enter the Colonel’s office. Antonie notices that the doctor that diagnosed him was also present.
“Antonie, we are going to keep this very short. We have taken note of your illness and the doctor’s notes as well as the prognosis. We know you are seriously ill and we are very worried about you. What we want to know is if you want to finish the training.”
“Colonel, if it is possible, yes. There are only five and a half weeks left.”
“Antonie,”
Dr du Plessis faces Antonie.
“I so much want you to finish your training, but I’m worried about you. You know I have referred you to an oncologist and you must start with the chemotherapy and radiation therapy urgently. The problem is this will make you more tired than you are feeling now and you will suffer from constant nausea and vomiting. I don’t know if you’ll cope and finish your training.”
“Antonie, please consider it very carefully, my son. I don’t think you should postpone the therapy for too long.”
“I don’t know if I see chance for the therapy at all.” Antonie says softly.
“If I think about how sick I already feel then I don’t think I want to feel sicker than this. I hope you all understand, but…I’m going to finish my training here at the College so that I can be appointed. Only then I will consider the chemo and radiation therapy, but not now.”
Later that same afternoon Captain Mattheus calls Paul to his office.
“Student Visser, I have gathered the information you were looking for.” he mentions Paul to take a seat and Paul seems very relieved.
“Thank you so much, Captain. It means so much to me. What were you able to find out?”
“Paul, I’m sorry for the familiarity, but this is a very serious conversation and I’m not in the mood for any formalities now. Antonie and his parents were in my office just a while ago. Antonie decided to finish his training and to wait with the chemo and radiation therapy. It might have everything to do with the fact that Antonie is far away from his home and that he want to wait until he is back in Pretoria where everything is familiar to him. But it remains a huge risk he is taking. Anyway, I suggest you make contact with the nearest Blood Services office and register as a donor. A whole series of blood tests will be done to determine if Antonie and your blood group is compatible with one another as well as other important physiological matters. If you proceed with the process you’ll have to go for injections on a daily basis for four days long and throughout the donating procedure. That will get the necessary stem cells out of your bone marrow into your bloodstream. After the fifth day they will start collecting the stem cells. You’ll be connected to a machine where your blood will be filtered. The problem is this procedure can take between four to six hours and you may have to go up to four times. You might have a lot of pain, nausea and suffer from chronic fatigue but this will stop as soon as you don’t have to go for the injections anymore. Should you be a compatible donor for Antonie you’ll have to go to the hospital for the actual donation process. That is also a painful procedure in itself, but is done under general anaesthetic because the bone marrow is removed from your hip. I don’t rightfully know if you see chance for all this.”
Paul sits back and closes his eyes briefly.
“It sounds an exhausting and painful procedure.” Paul says softly and opens his eyes again.
“Captain, thank you for this information. I really appreciate it.”
“So what are you going to do, Paul?”
“I want to help him, Captain. I really hope I can.”