Reactive Envy

Chapter Four: The wake up....

After a much-needed walk around the hospital car park, an extra-large double shot latte, and a banana muffin, Harry starts heading back towards the emergency department. Hoping and praying Gemma is awake or at least back from testing.

Drawing another desperate deep breath in his nose and out of his mouth. Harry heads into Gemma's cubicle with his head down, hands clasped tightly in front of him, and his boots scuffing along the squeaky floor.

"Hazzabear!" Shooting his head up, Harry sees Gemma sitting up in bed. Gemma still looks stunning but sheepish. With the added addition of a few bumps and bruises, accompanied by a row of butterfly stitches across the right side of her forehead, a bright blue cast on her right wrist, and an ice pack on her right ribs.

Going off what Harry can see and the accident scene, Gemma had been rammed into the driver's door. He's going to need to question the police officers as well as his sister.

"Gemgem." Feeling tears well up in his eyes, Harry climbs slowly onto the side of Gemma's bed, praying she doesn't tell him to get off. Snuggling into her side is much more comforting than he remembered two days ago. Still, the scare he had with seeing his only sibling and best friend lying almost lifeless on the side of the road isn't something he would wish upon his worst nightmare.

"Gemma, I'm not going to ask right now, I'm not going to stress over the details, but I will be asking later, and you will need to talk to the police at some stage. For right now, I would love to keep cuddling and pretend like the past few hours haven't happened because I don't think I can take much more fear or stress right now. Please just talk, tell me something pointless." Sniffling, Harry digs his head deeper into Gemma's neck, breathing in what's left of her expensive perfume and the slightest hint of blood. It's not pleasant, but this is the first time in a long time that Harry has felt wholeheartedly that he needs Gemma and Gemma needs him just as much.

"Hazzabear, I'm sorry. I didn't know you would come across what happened. I don't know what happened, and I'm not going to get into that fully because I think I'll need the help of the police officers to piece it all together in my mind. We must wait for a doctor to be free, and they'll explain what's going on medically with me. Hopefully, we can get out of here soon. Oh, have you phoned mum H?"

shit, he had completely blanked on calling his mum.

"Geeeeem, I forgot. I was so scared I sat outside your room like a bloodhound. I'll call her now. Do you need anything? I'm just going to step into the corridor because this conversation isn't something, I want to have in front of you until you have your answers."

Smiling slightly but tiredly, Gem says, "I'm okay H go call mum. I'll be right here when you get back."

*ring*

This is going to be a rough call,

*ring*

His mum is going to flip being so far away,

*ring*

How does he explain what's happening when he doesn't know the entire-

"Hazzabear, honey, it's almost midnight, and you never replied to my text asking if you made it home. Please tell me you left the office-" 

Harry cuts Anne off with a sigh. "MUM."

Taking another needed breath, Harry explains everything to Anne from his perspective. In as many details as he can remember with as few journalistic words as he can manage for a descriptive re-enactment.

"I'm going to come down, H. She's obviously not okay on her own. I need to be with you both. It's only a two-hour drive. Can we all stay at your place or should we stay at Gemma's? We all need family time to find where we go from here."

Scuffing his boots along the floor, Harry sighs again. "Mum, we don't even know what's going on. It's dark, it's supposedly meant to rain, and Gemma isn't being discharged tonight. Go to bed. I'll organize things on our end and call you again in the morning, okay?"

Not even a second goes by before Anne defeats, "You are such a good brother H, ill set my alarm for 8am and hit the road. Please, please call me if anything else happens. Otherwise, I'll see you about brunch time tomorrow, baby. I love you so much. Please tell Gemgem I love her and tell her I'll be there first thing. Good night baby."

Smiling to himself about how perfect his mother is, Harry says quietly, "I love you too, Mum, good night."