she’s made funeral arrangements or if they’ve released his body from the police investigation. I’ve tried bringing it up but she shuts me down.” I turned to look at Dominic. “He was your brother it must be hard—”
“He was no brother to me,” he argued. “The moment he laid his hands on Eve he lost that connection.” Dominic shook his head and stepped back from me as if to compose himself.
“Look, let’s just get Eve through this, I’ll go see Jill tonight. I don’t want any more arguing over this, we need to be strong for them. My sister is going to be in hell right now, I can’t imagine...nearly losing Eve was bad enough. Going through what Jill is facing is a parent’s worst nightmare.”
“Dominic, you stay with Eve, me and Marie will—” Dad stopped abruptly and I turned to look over my shoulder. My chest did that stupid tightening thing again.
“Johan, son, I was wondering when I’d get to see you,” Dad said, walking towards him.
Johan stood in the doorway, his posture reflecting fight or flight. I was certain he was getting ready to run, but Dad reached him first. He patted him on the shoulder; it was clear in Dad’s face he wanted to grab him and hug him but men don’t do that. I smiled at how awkward the both of them appeared. Mum stood next and dashed across to him. Not having the same problem she put her arms around Johan and clung to him. She pulled him into one of her bone-crushing embraces and sobbed against his chest. I’d forgotten that Mum and Dad hadn’t seen him since Eve was admitted to hospital. With him being with me at their house every night, it felt like he was a part of our family. But thinking about it now I realised he was very meticulous about leaving before they returned.
“I wondered when I would get to thank you. We owe you so much.” Mum cupped his face in her hands. Johan just stared, never saying a word.
“Yeah, you little shit, you did good...for a change.” Dominic laughed. Finally Johan’s gorgeous dimples appeared as he smiled shyly. He looked straight at me and butterflies took flight in my stomach.
Hi, he mouthed. I lifted my hand to offer a pathetic wave.
“How is my gorgeous girl?” Johan smiled at Dominic, who shook his head and laughed.
“ My gorgeous girl is perfect. They’re just running some tests, then we can go back in and see her. They may move her in the next few days so she can have more visitors.”
“Awesome, I’m sure she’s missed me. She’ll be ready to spend some time with my gorgeousness.”
Dominic huffed, but the smile on his face said he wasn’t annoyed. The relief in him was palpable. He hummed with excitement to see my sister. I loved him for that, I adored him for the utter adoration he had for her.
The door to ICU opened and a man wearing a blue striped shirt and black trousers walked towards us. He paused to use the sanitising gel. A stethoscope hung around his neck so I assumed he was the doctor. These doctors all had the same generic look, no tie and baggy ill-fitting trousers; Darren had slowly transformed into the same clone. I was incredibly proud of Darren, his career path, his ambition, I’d just lost him along the way. Or maybe I had opened my eyes to see our love had limits.
“Evelyn Beaumont’s family?” We all turned in unison to face the doctor. “I'm Doctor Stevianson,” he said his thick Eastern Europe accent. “We have assessed Evelyn, and we are happy with her responses, her reflexes are sluggish but we be accounting this to the pain medication, and she be still sleepy. Right now, I am happy with our results. I will carry more tests later but for now I am happy with her vitals. I have sent for blood work, just routine, you understand?”
“Can we see her now?” Dominic asked.
“Only spouse and her parents, I'm afraid. Not all of you,” he said, taking in his avid audience.
I nodded. I felt a warm hand at the small of my back and turned to see Johan had stepped close to
“He was no brother to me,” he argued. “The moment he laid his hands on Eve he lost that connection.” Dominic shook his head and stepped back from me as if to compose himself.
“Look, let’s just get Eve through this, I’ll go see Jill tonight. I don’t want any more arguing over this, we need to be strong for them. My sister is going to be in hell right now, I can’t imagine...nearly losing Eve was bad enough. Going through what Jill is facing is a parent’s worst nightmare.”
“Dominic, you stay with Eve, me and Marie will—” Dad stopped abruptly and I turned to look over my shoulder. My chest did that stupid tightening thing again.
“Johan, son, I was wondering when I’d get to see you,” Dad said, walking towards him.
Johan stood in the doorway, his posture reflecting fight or flight. I was certain he was getting ready to run, but Dad reached him first. He patted him on the shoulder; it was clear in Dad’s face he wanted to grab him and hug him but men don’t do that. I smiled at how awkward the both of them appeared. Mum stood next and dashed across to him. Not having the same problem she put her arms around Johan and clung to him. She pulled him into one of her bone-crushing embraces and sobbed against his chest. I’d forgotten that Mum and Dad hadn’t seen him since Eve was admitted to hospital. With him being with me at their house every night, it felt like he was a part of our family. But thinking about it now I realised he was very meticulous about leaving before they returned.
“I wondered when I would get to thank you. We owe you so much.” Mum cupped his face in her hands. Johan just stared, never saying a word.
“Yeah, you little shit, you did good...for a change.” Dominic laughed. Finally Johan’s gorgeous dimples appeared as he smiled shyly. He looked straight at me and butterflies took flight in my stomach.
Hi, he mouthed. I lifted my hand to offer a pathetic wave.
“How is my gorgeous girl?” Johan smiled at Dominic, who shook his head and laughed.
“ My gorgeous girl is perfect. They’re just running some tests, then we can go back in and see her. They may move her in the next few days so she can have more visitors.”
“Awesome, I’m sure she’s missed me. She’ll be ready to spend some time with my gorgeousness.”
Dominic huffed, but the smile on his face said he wasn’t annoyed. The relief in him was palpable. He hummed with excitement to see my sister. I loved him for that, I adored him for the utter adoration he had for her.
The door to ICU opened and a man wearing a blue striped shirt and black trousers walked towards us. He paused to use the sanitising gel. A stethoscope hung around his neck so I assumed he was the doctor. These doctors all had the same generic look, no tie and baggy ill-fitting trousers; Darren had slowly transformed into the same clone. I was incredibly proud of Darren, his career path, his ambition, I’d just lost him along the way. Or maybe I had opened my eyes to see our love had limits.
“Evelyn Beaumont’s family?” We all turned in unison to face the doctor. “I'm Doctor Stevianson,” he said his thick Eastern Europe accent. “We have assessed Evelyn, and we are happy with her responses, her reflexes are sluggish but we be accounting this to the pain medication, and she be still sleepy. Right now, I am happy with our results. I will carry more tests later but for now I am happy with her vitals. I have sent for blood work, just routine, you understand?”
“Can we see her now?” Dominic asked.
“Only spouse and her parents, I'm afraid. Not all of you,” he said, taking in his avid audience.
I nodded. I felt a warm hand at the small of my back and turned to see Johan had stepped close to
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