For Pete's Sake
Pete's a top bloke, like a lot of my cousins I don't see enough of them but whenever we get together, usually Christmas, special birthdays, funerals and the like we always have great banter and swap stories of how our different paths have taken us.
I'm not sure what it is about my extended family but we're sure as hell not normal! Let's just say many of us live a life of colour!
Pete started out in the Police force but the force mentality did not bode well with such a young spirit that had so much to give. I've never been able to follow Pete's full résumé but I do know he worked and helped young disadvantaged people up and down the country.
To call Pete a snappy dresser would be an insult, think more of the Noel and Liam Gallagher style, mop of hair, rarely clean shaven, clothes the suited him but no one else, this is the guy that the girls would look twice at! Get the picture? And as a final slap in the face for us normal blokes he was musical, I'd heard rumours that he could sing and play a mean riff on the guitar!
I saw a message on Facebook Monday morning 6th May from Pete's brother just saying 'Trying to keep my shit together...' knowing our Nick this could have been an everyday statement but something pinched me but I walked away thinking I'll check back later to get the full story. It was later that day when I saw a list of comments under Nicks line between my Aunty Dot and Nick mentioning hospitals and my sister I realised that there was something seriously wrong.
On the 6th May in an unprovoked attack outside a nightclub in Leeds a guy punched Pete so hard he was unconscious before he hit the ground. Pete's a tall lad and he crashed to the ground without any of his faculties to protect him, his head took most of the force.
Pete had an emergency operation on his brain to alleviate a blood clot. He's still heavily sedated in hospital with breathing apparatus keeping him alive. I get the feeling he's off the critical list, but too how much of Pete we get back we don't know. His sedation has been reduced on a couple of occasions to see how he copes, he's moved his head and left arm slightly but that's it.
After the attack the Police put an appeal out with CCTV footage of the attack. Six people came forward stating the same thing- Pete did not see the person approach him or the punch coming. The person involved handed himself into the police after the appeal. He was arrested and sent to the Magistrates court for sentencing but the Magistrates viewed it to serious a matter to deal with at their level so pasted it on to the Crown Court.
Every time I struggled during the Sandstone Challenge I'd think of my cousin Pete and push on, every step was for you mate.
I hope Pete recovers enough to read this some day as I want him to know that his friends and family love him and will never give up on him no matter what it takes.