“It’s his presentation so he should be the one running around to find someone else to coerce to use their home as the venue and not taking advantage of you.”
“There’s a bit more to it,” Jem said then explained why she felt obliged to help out.
“I still don’t like it,” Eben warned “but all right. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Jem gave him a big hug.
“Not at the moment but thank you anyway,” she said but neither moved to let go.
Instead, Eben tightened his hold, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against the length of his. He lowered his head and was about to kiss her when they heard a shriek. Something flew through the air and bounced off his arm.
“What’s going on?” he called towards the family room instead.
“Jeremy’s throwing my rubbers around,” Daisy wailed. “One of them is stuck in the ceiling light.
Eben reluctantly released Jem to sort out the latest child induced drama. After he was out of sight Jem fanned herself.
It’s so hot in here. I must have left the oven door open.
She looked at the oven and saw she had forgotten to turn it on.
A couple of hours later Jem was taken aside as soon as she entered ICU. The nurse was a different one from the night before and she gently told Jem that despite the medication being withdrawn her sister had not woken up.
She didn’t say much more but Jem inferred the nurse intended to prepare her for the possibility that Jess would never wake up.
With a comforting pat of her hand to Jem’s arm, the nurse carried on with her duties, leaving Jem standing rooted to the vinyl floor in shock. Before her, she saw the curtains of the patient bays twitch in the breeze of a nurse briskly pushing a squeaky trolley past. Behind her, each tick of the analogue clock on the wall sounded ominous as though marking off each remaining moment of her sister’s life.
Deep inside , the shock gave way and she silently screamed at the unfairness of it all. Her sister Jess had a loving husband and three wonderful children who all needed her. Jess had to live. Jem knew could never be anything but a poor substitute for her sister. She couldn’t keep up with Jeremy’s mind or keep up with Aidan full stop. She couldn’t even put pigtails in Daisy’s hair.
Why Jess? Why, why why?
Feeling distraught, Jem hurried towards her sister’s bay and slipped behind the curtain. She kept moving until she reached the chair near the head of the bed where she sank down beside Jess and took hold of her hand.
Jem swallowed hard to hold back the pain welling up inside. Giving into tears wouldn’t help Jess. She angrily wiped at her eyes and willed her sister to wake up.
Her sister continued to lie motionless.
After a few deep breaths Jem began to tell Jess about her day.
In the early hours of the morning Jem woke with her head resting against the edge of her sister’s bed. Her arm had gone numb from partially lying on it to keep it in a position where she could still hold Jess’s hand. She twitched her fingers, trying to restore her circulation and was rewarded with Jess’s grip momentarily tightening in hers.
Jem leaned forward and pressed the buzzer.
“Jess, can you hear me?” she asked softly.
The nurse who had spoken to her earlier whipped back the curtain and strode up to her.
“My sister just moved her hand,” Jem excitedly told her.
“ That’s great news,” the nurse exclaimed cheerfully as she moved forward to check the monitors.
She glanced at the clock and looked back at Jem.
“When I’ve finished here I’m going to page the consultant on duty. When she arrives she may want to run a few tests which will take a while. In my experience now that your sister is back with us she will probably spend most of her time sleeping. How about you go home, rest and come back refreshed in the morning?” the nurse suggested as she moved in to check Jess for herself.
Twisting her neck to get the kinks out, Jem’s eyes latched on
“There’s a bit more to it,” Jem said then explained why she felt obliged to help out.
“I still don’t like it,” Eben warned “but all right. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Jem gave him a big hug.
“Not at the moment but thank you anyway,” she said but neither moved to let go.
Instead, Eben tightened his hold, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against the length of his. He lowered his head and was about to kiss her when they heard a shriek. Something flew through the air and bounced off his arm.
“What’s going on?” he called towards the family room instead.
“Jeremy’s throwing my rubbers around,” Daisy wailed. “One of them is stuck in the ceiling light.
Eben reluctantly released Jem to sort out the latest child induced drama. After he was out of sight Jem fanned herself.
It’s so hot in here. I must have left the oven door open.
She looked at the oven and saw she had forgotten to turn it on.
A couple of hours later Jem was taken aside as soon as she entered ICU. The nurse was a different one from the night before and she gently told Jem that despite the medication being withdrawn her sister had not woken up.
She didn’t say much more but Jem inferred the nurse intended to prepare her for the possibility that Jess would never wake up.
With a comforting pat of her hand to Jem’s arm, the nurse carried on with her duties, leaving Jem standing rooted to the vinyl floor in shock. Before her, she saw the curtains of the patient bays twitch in the breeze of a nurse briskly pushing a squeaky trolley past. Behind her, each tick of the analogue clock on the wall sounded ominous as though marking off each remaining moment of her sister’s life.
Deep inside , the shock gave way and she silently screamed at the unfairness of it all. Her sister Jess had a loving husband and three wonderful children who all needed her. Jess had to live. Jem knew could never be anything but a poor substitute for her sister. She couldn’t keep up with Jeremy’s mind or keep up with Aidan full stop. She couldn’t even put pigtails in Daisy’s hair.
Why Jess? Why, why why?
Feeling distraught, Jem hurried towards her sister’s bay and slipped behind the curtain. She kept moving until she reached the chair near the head of the bed where she sank down beside Jess and took hold of her hand.
Jem swallowed hard to hold back the pain welling up inside. Giving into tears wouldn’t help Jess. She angrily wiped at her eyes and willed her sister to wake up.
Her sister continued to lie motionless.
After a few deep breaths Jem began to tell Jess about her day.
In the early hours of the morning Jem woke with her head resting against the edge of her sister’s bed. Her arm had gone numb from partially lying on it to keep it in a position where she could still hold Jess’s hand. She twitched her fingers, trying to restore her circulation and was rewarded with Jess’s grip momentarily tightening in hers.
Jem leaned forward and pressed the buzzer.
“Jess, can you hear me?” she asked softly.
The nurse who had spoken to her earlier whipped back the curtain and strode up to her.
“My sister just moved her hand,” Jem excitedly told her.
“ That’s great news,” the nurse exclaimed cheerfully as she moved forward to check the monitors.
She glanced at the clock and looked back at Jem.
“When I’ve finished here I’m going to page the consultant on duty. When she arrives she may want to run a few tests which will take a while. In my experience now that your sister is back with us she will probably spend most of her time sleeping. How about you go home, rest and come back refreshed in the morning?” the nurse suggested as she moved in to check Jess for herself.
Twisting her neck to get the kinks out, Jem’s eyes latched on
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