Fragile (22 page)

“Jackson,” I answered.

“Lucy, you don’t sound well. Are you alright?” Dad had always been concerned when I was sick.

“I have food poisoning or something.”

“Do you need me to come back?”

“No, it will pass.” I could hear him talking to Mather in the background before her voice came across the line.

“Honey you’re sick?” There was muffled movement as the phone was being jiggled about.

“Just a little bit but it’ll pass,” I assured her. After listening to instructions on how to look after myself, and promising to call more regularly, we ended our call and I went back to the darkness.

There was a knock at the door before it opened and light poured in, “Lulu?”

I opened my eyes to see Tray standing in the doorway, “What are you doing here?”

He walked into the room and sat beside me on the small bed, “Mum called me. She said you were sick. I’m here to take you home.”

“Ok.” Tray helped me up and we made our way to the car. Tray drove me home then made himself at home in my spare bed. He even checked in on me a few times throughout the night. By morning, I still wasn’t one hundred percent, but I was well enough to get up and try to eat something.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Tray chimed from the kitchen.

“Hey.” I sat down at the counter and watched him pack his school bag.

“You sure you’re going to be ok today if I go?”

“School’s important Tray, you’re not getting out of going.”

He looked at me with worry in his eyes. “I’ve never seen you sick is all.” He dropped his bag on the counter and came around to me, engulfing me in a hug.

“I’m going to be fine.” I pulled back and went into the kitchen, getting some bread out to make toast.

“Call me if you need anything alright.”

“Yes Dad.” I mocked. Tray shook his head with a smile on his face.

“Good.” He came and kissed my cheek before leaving.

Aiden didn’t leave my side the entire day. I managed to keep the piece of toast that I had for breakfast down so I took Aiden to the park to run off some steam. Well that was the intention, except he never left my side. Sitting by my feet as the park bench, we watched the other dogs run around. When we got home we spent the rest of the day lounging on the couch. I dozed off and was woken by Aiden barking. Jolting awake, I saw that it was only Tray walking into the apartment and ran to the bathroom. When I came out of the bathroom Tray was sitting at the table, playing with his phone in his hand.

“I’m worried Lulu. You’ve been sick for a while now.”

I sat down at the table across from him, “It will pass.”

“Maybe I should take you to the doctors, get you checked out.”

I smiled at his concern, “Tray, I am a doctor remember. It will pass.”

He shook his head at me, “If you’re not better by tomorrow, I’m calling mum.”

RICK

“Is Lucy here?” Dad called into the apartment.

“No.” I called back as Dad entered the kitchen,

“Why is her car in the driveway?” Walking over to the fridge he grabbed two beers out before walking over to me.

“Tray brought it back.” I grabbed the beer being dangled in front of me.

“Tray?”

I opened my beer and took a sip, “Yeah, a few days ago he dropped it off and gave me a lecture on staying out of her life.”

“What did he say?”

“That I have made my decision that Lu not be part of my life so I need to stop pushing into her life. When did he get so wise?”

Dad turned the TV on supplying some background noise, “I don’t know, but he cares for Lucy deeply. He’s been there while she’s been sick the past few days.”

“She’s sick?”

Dad was looking at his beer instead of me, “Yeah, food poisoning. She’s getting better, so he’ll be home tomorrow most likely.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Now his eyes landed on me.

“What good would that have done you Rick?”

“Does no one understand that I still want to know what’s going on with Lu and that I care?”

Dad didn’t say anything choosing instead to go back to watching the TV. I got up and went to Lu’s bedroom, sitting on the bed cursing the path that life had thrown at me.

LUCY

“Everything is looking good. The surgery was successful, so you’ll be right to go home in a few days.” The patient’s family came up and hugged us with tears in their eyes.

Exiting the patient’s room, a wave of dizziness came over me. Dr. Brooks caught me before I fell to the floor “Whoa. Here, sit down.”

While I was sitting down, Dr. Mathews went to get some water and Brooks stayed with me “Are you...going to be sick? Do you need a...”

“Here.”

Mathews returned with a cup of water and Dr. Getti in tow. I took the water while Dr. Getti lifted my head, examining my eyes. “How long have you been feeling off?”

“She’s been off a few weeks now.”

“It’s food poisoning. It’ll pass,” I told them.

“She’s been saying that for weeks.” I threw Brooks a look. She smiled softly and stepped back, giving us more room.

“Food poisoning doesn’t last this long, Dr. Jackson.”

“It does if it’s a really bad case,” I defended.

Dr Getti laughed and stepped back to get Brooks’ attention, “Let’s get her a blood test, and make sure that Dr Jackson gets home.”

“Come on, Dr. Jackson, let’s go and find out what’s going on.”

RICK

Dad was pacing across the living room. I watched him with concern as he talked on the phone. “No, I’ll come over and bring some things.” He turned and caught me watching him, “Send Lucy my love.” I jumped up from the couch and walked over to him.

I waited for him to say something, but he just stood there. “What’s wrong with Lu?” I asked, concerned, worried, and a little scared.

“Lucy’s sick. I’m on my way over there now. She and Tray need food and what not.”

“Let’s go.” I started to walk down the hallway.

“Rick, stop.” I turned to see Dad standing at the end of the hallway, “What are you doing?” he asked as he walked toward me.

“Lu needs me. Let’s go.”

I started to walk to the door. We made it to the car before Dad started up again, “I understand that you’re concerned, but think about this, Rick, she may not want to see you.”

I shrugged, “I don’t care, Dad. I need to be there. I’m sick of not being around her. I should never have listened to you.” The remainder of the drive was silent. I felt guilty for what I had said, “Dad, what I said before... I know you mean well, but...”

“I know, Rick. I’m sorry too.”

We arrived at Lu’s with our hands full of shopping bags. “What are you doing here?” Tray asked when he opened the door to let us in.

“I’m here for Lu.” I pushed my way into the apartment, but Lu was nowhere to be seen. Tray watched me as I unpacked the shopping.

“Do we know what’s wrong with Lucy?” Dad asked probably trying to distract Tray from plotting my death.

“Not yet. They did some tests...”

“Tests? What type of tests?” I asked, panicked. “How sick is she?”

“Some of the doctors got worried and made her have a few tests before sending her home.”

“How sick is she?” I asked again.

“Pretty sick, Derrick. She isn’t eating or drinking. She can hardly stay awake, let alone stand by herself, and she doesn’t need you here making her worse.”

“I’m not here to make her worse.” Walking around the counter, I placed my hands in the pockets of my pants.

“Then why are you here?” Tray yelled.

I knew that he wouldn’t be happy about me being here, but I hadn’t expected him to be this angry. “Because I love Lu and want to be here for her.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve heard that before, and look how that turned out.” He turned and walked away, closing Lu’s door behind him.

“Fuck,” I groaned as I watch him disappear.

“I’ll talk to him,” Dad offered.

“I don’t think that will help.” I went back to unpacking the shopping, leaving some food out for dinner.

LUCY

Tray was being very attentive. I had been awake for a while just lying in the dark waiting for my anti-nausea tablets to kick in. I was also very aware that Rick was in the apartment. His voice carried through the walls. I also heard Tray arguing with him.

“You really need to drink something. You can’t get dehydrated, and I have orders.” He sat down next to me as I sat up against him, passing the bottle of water across to me.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, I just can’t believe he turned up. Do you want me to kick him out for you?”

I shrugged, not knowing what to say. Tray took the bottle out of my hands and leaned back, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. There was a knock at the door just before it opened and Rick and Mark walked in. Rick eyed us sitting on the bed. He was holding a plate of food. The smell travelled to my nose and I closed my eyes, sinking into Tray to try to get away from the smell.

“Tray says that you haven’t been eating.” He came around and put the plate on the side table next to me. I put my hand over my mouth, eyeing the food and nodding. My stomach rolled.

Rick sat down on the bed, studying me. Aiden acknowledged him by lifting his head, but didn’t move from his spot by my feet. “We brought some food,” Mark started speaking. “Tray gave me a list of things, and we got some extra things too. Have you called your Dad or Mather? I’m sure that they will want to know.”

“We will,” Tray assured him.

“I don’t mean to keep Tray from you, Mark. You can have him back.”

Tray looked down at me. “You trying to get rid of me, Lulu?” He sounded offended, but there was a smile on his lips.

“You’re up here to be with your Dad, not to baby-sit me.”

He pulled me tighter to him. “I’d baby-sit you anytime.” I smiled at his kindness and his brotherliness.

“It’s fine, Lucy. I’ll take him back when he’s ready to come back,” Mark said.

“I’m going to move in here,” Tray announced.

“What?” Rick and I said in unison.

“Lulu needs me right now, so I’m going to stay here.”

“Tray.” I pulled back, wanting to say more, but couldn’t because of the other people in the room. “You don’t have to stay, Tray.”

He looked at me like he was my big brother instead of my little brother, “Yes, I do,”

“You have school.”

“Which I’ve been attending every day since I got here,” he pointed out.

“How about hanging out with your friends?”

“I’m a family first man.”

“Homework assignments?”

“I can do them here. Now stop. I’m not changing my mind.”

Mark said something in return, but I was too busy moving as fast as I could to get to the bathroom, to hear a word of it.

RICK

Watching Lu being sick was horrible. Watching Tray being there for Lu instead of me was worse. Dad dragged me away and into the living room, where we waited for them to return. I went and placed a fresh bottle of water on one of the side tables before joining Dad again. We watched as Tray took Lu back to the bedroom and then came out to where we were waiting.

“She’s sleeping.” Tray stood in the kitchen watching us.

“Is there anything we can do?” Dad asked.

“I think she just needs to be alone.” There was a hidden message behind his words. Get lost.

“We need to talk about you staying here, Tray.”

“Dad, I’ve made up my mind. Lulu needs me right now.” He spoke with determination.

“I know. All I’m asking is that you make time for me.”

They continued talking as I walked away from them and towards Lu’s room. Opening the bedroom door, I saw her curled up in the middle of the bed with Aiden by her side. I walked inside and got the plate of food that she never touched. Lu’s eyes opened as I reached down and held me in my place with her gaze. Her eyes were sad and worn out. I wanted to say something, anything, but couldn’t.

“She needs her sleep.” Startled, I turned to see Tray standing in the doorway. I took one last look at Lu before turning and leaving. Tray followed me with his eyes, before closing the door behind us. “Leave her alone, Derrick,” Tray demanded once we cleared the hallway and entered the main area of the apartment.

“I’m just trying to help, Tray.” I put the plate down on the bench and turned to look at him. “I think it’s great that you want to be here, Tray, but you’re not the only one who cares for Lu.”