to her.
With a nod in his direction, she swallowed the pain. “Janelle got the call at work and rushed to the hospital. Witnesses said he met another car and, even though they were completely in their own lane, he swerved like he was trying to miss them and lost control.” A tear rolled down her cheek.
Patrick listened intently, feeling a sympathy so strong it took him by surprise. He wanted to wrap Kelsey in his arms but instead rested his palm on her cheek and thumbed her tear away. She leaned into his hand and his heart leapt to his throat.
“It took us an hour to get there,” Kelsey continued her story. “Janelle was with him when he died, but she said he never regained consciousness.”
He pulled her head to his shoulder and offered what comfort he could as her tears soaked his shirt. He closed his eyes, breathed slowly, deeply, wishing he could take her pain away. Patrick had seen the look in her eyes and heard the pain in her voice. He knew she’d been close to her brother. He couldn’t begin to imagine what he would do if anything happened to his sister. The thought was unbearable.
The doctor entered the room and Patrick was suddenly aware of how close they were. He tapped her shoulder and, teary eyed, she looked at him. He nodded toward the door before he slid away. She wiped her cheeks then turned to look at the doctor.
“Hi, Ms. Morgan. My name is Dr. Statler.” He held a hand out to her and she shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. What can I do for you today?” The doctor looked over her chart then examined her injury. “How’d you manage to do this?” She explained what had happened and he nodded as he listened. “It looks like you’ll need a tetanus shot and about seven stitches, so let me get that ready and I’ll be right back.” He left as quickly as he had come in.
“I’m sorry about your brother,” Patrick said after a brief silence. “Does that have anything to do with your mother’s attachment to your brother-in-law?”
Kelsey turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder. “When Sean died, Mom locked herself in his room. She came out for the visitation and the funeral but was otherwise absent. Dad did his best to cheer her up and get her out, but she refused. I tried bringing her food, but she wouldn’t eat it. That lasted for about a month, until Janelle and Richard came home for Christmas.” Kelsey sighed and looked at her lap. “Richard was a different person. Janelle said he hadn’t had a drink since the accident. The first night he was visiting us, he sat with Mom for about thirty minutes. He told stories about Sean and the things they used to do. As the month wore on, he was able to pull her out of her isolation. She loved listening to his stories and he always tried to tell a different one. That was when they really connected.”
He felt his temper rise. “He let your brother go home that night. Didn’t she hold him responsible?” Patrick couldn’t place the emotion simmering just below, actually fueling his anger. The pain she’d felt and was still feeling, called to something deep within him. When she shook her head, he almost snapped, “Not at all?”
She looked at him, her brow crinkled as she leaned away slightly. Tentatively, she touched his hand. “You don’t understand. Because of her father, Sean and Richard’s behavior was acceptable. If anything, she blamed Janelle for a while.”
His eyes rounded in surprise. “You’re kidding?”
She squeezed his fingers and shook her head as she continued. “Janelle couldn’t take care of Sean when he needed her. To Mom, that was a total failure on Janelle’s part.”
“How long ago did this happen?”
“Eleven years,” she answered then stared over his shoulder and quietly added, “almost exactly.” She pictured Sean’s smiling face and, for a moment, went back in time. So many times since Sean died, she’d wished for his voice, his jokes, his advice, even his brotherly
With a nod in his direction, she swallowed the pain. “Janelle got the call at work and rushed to the hospital. Witnesses said he met another car and, even though they were completely in their own lane, he swerved like he was trying to miss them and lost control.” A tear rolled down her cheek.
Patrick listened intently, feeling a sympathy so strong it took him by surprise. He wanted to wrap Kelsey in his arms but instead rested his palm on her cheek and thumbed her tear away. She leaned into his hand and his heart leapt to his throat.
“It took us an hour to get there,” Kelsey continued her story. “Janelle was with him when he died, but she said he never regained consciousness.”
He pulled her head to his shoulder and offered what comfort he could as her tears soaked his shirt. He closed his eyes, breathed slowly, deeply, wishing he could take her pain away. Patrick had seen the look in her eyes and heard the pain in her voice. He knew she’d been close to her brother. He couldn’t begin to imagine what he would do if anything happened to his sister. The thought was unbearable.
The doctor entered the room and Patrick was suddenly aware of how close they were. He tapped her shoulder and, teary eyed, she looked at him. He nodded toward the door before he slid away. She wiped her cheeks then turned to look at the doctor.
“Hi, Ms. Morgan. My name is Dr. Statler.” He held a hand out to her and she shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. What can I do for you today?” The doctor looked over her chart then examined her injury. “How’d you manage to do this?” She explained what had happened and he nodded as he listened. “It looks like you’ll need a tetanus shot and about seven stitches, so let me get that ready and I’ll be right back.” He left as quickly as he had come in.
“I’m sorry about your brother,” Patrick said after a brief silence. “Does that have anything to do with your mother’s attachment to your brother-in-law?”
Kelsey turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder. “When Sean died, Mom locked herself in his room. She came out for the visitation and the funeral but was otherwise absent. Dad did his best to cheer her up and get her out, but she refused. I tried bringing her food, but she wouldn’t eat it. That lasted for about a month, until Janelle and Richard came home for Christmas.” Kelsey sighed and looked at her lap. “Richard was a different person. Janelle said he hadn’t had a drink since the accident. The first night he was visiting us, he sat with Mom for about thirty minutes. He told stories about Sean and the things they used to do. As the month wore on, he was able to pull her out of her isolation. She loved listening to his stories and he always tried to tell a different one. That was when they really connected.”
He felt his temper rise. “He let your brother go home that night. Didn’t she hold him responsible?” Patrick couldn’t place the emotion simmering just below, actually fueling his anger. The pain she’d felt and was still feeling, called to something deep within him. When she shook her head, he almost snapped, “Not at all?”
She looked at him, her brow crinkled as she leaned away slightly. Tentatively, she touched his hand. “You don’t understand. Because of her father, Sean and Richard’s behavior was acceptable. If anything, she blamed Janelle for a while.”
His eyes rounded in surprise. “You’re kidding?”
She squeezed his fingers and shook her head as she continued. “Janelle couldn’t take care of Sean when he needed her. To Mom, that was a total failure on Janelle’s part.”
“How long ago did this happen?”
“Eleven years,” she answered then stared over his shoulder and quietly added, “almost exactly.” She pictured Sean’s smiling face and, for a moment, went back in time. So many times since Sean died, she’d wished for his voice, his jokes, his advice, even his brotherly
Similar Books
