Family Portrait (Fam Series #1)

Chapter 105 - Freyer's Grandfather, Brunswick East

Adeline -

'CJ, leave the power switch alone' I say for the millionth time, as my toddler daughter crawls around the office floor, continuously finding the powerboard and switching it on and off.

'I have a problem' Olivia Silvagni says, as she suddenly barges in.

'Me too. Jack wasn't hiding where I thought he'd be' I say.

'What? I know where Jack is. He'll be at the cemetery' Olivia says.

'Cemetery?' I ask, confused.

'Don't worry about that, it's not important right now. We need to talk, Adeline. It's like you're the only one around here who manages to see sense and logic' she says.

'Okay, but you can't really talk. You're wearing Gabbana heels and it's pouring down rain' I say. She rolls her eyes.

'I'm extremely worried about Jack, Adeline' she says.

'We all are' I say.

'It's just...he's becoming a huge problem with his trauma. No matter what any of us try, I don't think we could get him into a hospital any time soon. He's too scared of them' she explains.

'Why is he scared of them?' I ask.

'Look, Adeline. Jo, Stephen and I have tried so many times to convince him to visit an emergency department, but he just won't listen. He panics and runs away' she says.

'I don't get it. What's the big problem with hospitals?' I ask.

She looks at me, pissed off, as she purses her lips and begins to think.

I have a look at my laptop and quickly reply to an email as I look back, noticing Olivia still hasn't answered.

'I'm sorry...did I say something?' I ask, as I grab the tissue box off my desk and pass it to her as she cries, tears running down her face, ruining her well done eyeliner and mascara.

'He uh...we were very close to someone. Jack especially. They died very tragically in a hospital in Jack's arms. He also had to witness another death in a hospital, it was very terrifying and traumatising and he can't do hospitals anymore. He just won't go to one' she says, through heavy tears.

'I'm sorry' I say, offering her a small smile. I feel pathetic and useless now.

'He had to have surgeries over the last few years though, for his footy injuries? I'm just wondering how you guys managed to get him in? Could you try the same tactic?' I ask.

'No, Jack was under 18 back then. Jo and Stephen had the right to force him to go, but now he's an adult and if he doesn't wanna go he doesn't have to. He won't even see the club doctor for fear they'll have a duty of care and send him to a hospital. It's bloody maddening. He just coughs all night, every single night in bed. Neither of us are getting any sleep because of it and it's ridiculous. He knows he's sick and he knows he needs help but won't get it' she says.

'I'm sick of it. He comes in here everyday complaining about it but won't do anything to help himself' I say, shaking my head.

'Can I help you with work or something? I need to do something to take my mind off everything' she says, as she sits down in Stephen's chair at his desk.

'You can forge my signature on these reports that I can't be bothered signing' I say, passing her a stack of them with a pen.

'What's your signature look like?' She asks. I quickly write it down on one report, and she rolls his eyes.

'Really? AC? That's so forgeable' she says, rolling her eyes.

'Exactly, it's so Zac can do it when I'm not here' I say. She glares at me.