Both our Hearts

CHAPTER THREE: ANDY

Three months, two weeks later.

Warm air hits my cheeks for a couple of minutes before l open my eyes and wake up.
I stare at the familiar ceiling l have seen for the past two weeks before l counted down for Kayla to walk through the doors and asks how l am 'the usual routine.'

"How are you feeling today." A brunette in a nurse's uniform enquires as l try to lift myself from the bed in order to sit.

"A bit drowsy," l manage to say falling back on the bed.

"It's the valium that you were given it will soon wear off." She makes it known to me.

"Where is Kayla," l ask the unfamiliar face.

"She's home for the break and l am Lizzy will be taking care of you for the meantime." She says smiling.

I nod my head and smile at her.

"Dr Callaghan thought it was a good idea that he invites the people he mentioned last week, is that alright with you Miss?" She asks and l remember the doctor saying stuff about bringing the police to ask some questions about the night of the incident.

"I can manage," l say starting to feel uneasy.

"If you are not up for it, they will come another day, Andy." She says a voice filled with sympathy.

"No, it's fine." I say a bit boldly repeating to myself that l am strong and l can do it.

She then invites three people in their late forties in.

"I am detective Conan O'Brien; this is Layla she is a profiler and this is Jerome Martinez he is a psychologist." The detective says sternly introducing me to the people that had entered the room earlier.

They all take their sits and watch me sympathetically as they ponder me with questions that made me recall the worst night of my life.
After asking what had happened the night of the incident l answered every one of their questions with nothing but the truth of everything l remember from that night.
"Is my brother, okay?" I ask them tears streaming down my face.
"Yes, he is perfectly fine the operation was successfully done." The nurse informs me and my heart sinks.
"What was wrong with him he was fine yesterday?" I ask.

"He had small piece of glass that must have penetrated during the incident so they were removing them, it's nothing serious."

The nurse told me and relief washed over my face, but worry overtook it.
How was l going to pay for both our hospital bills l literally have nothing, everything was burnt down with our parents included.

Jerome Martinez is really good at his job he quickly asked what was wrong the moment the thoughts started invading my mind.

"I was just wondering how l am going to pay the bills," l say a bit firmly gathering all the courage l have left since l am going to be the elderly figure to my brother from now on.
"You need not to worry about that someone already paid, in full." The doctor says making his way in the room and to my bed.
"What?" l ask with bewilderment.
"Please be still," he says taking a blood sample from my forearm.
"We are going to run some tests to see if everything is going as planned." He says smiling.
"As planned, what do you mean?" I ask again annoyed that he did not answer my last question.
"Your brother seems to be recovering very well and you on the other hand is doing amazing, so l wanted to talk about discharging you not necessarily very soon though." He delivers the good news grinning like a child that received a present on Christmas.

"After these last tests you will be good to go." He gestures towards the samples he collected.
The nurse took the samples out and the doctor stayed.

He talked with the three people that were with me for what seems like forty-five minutes before he got back to me.

"Who paid for the bills?"

"What about my parents, where are they what happened to them?"

"Who did this?"

I eventually breathed after l bombarded the people in the room with questions.
Jerome Martinez tells me to keep calm, to breathe and l do just that thankfully l got a grip on myself before another tear-fest.

The doctor walked towards me and took a seat right in front me.

"Well, we are not sure who did this yet but the detective is doing his job." The doctor says.
"The morgue could not keep them for that long without anyone claiming them so John has their urns, l thought you might want to scatter the ashes yourself." He continues.

I nodded and wiped my tears.

"You are recovering very well Andy." The doctor says and smiles.

"Who paid the hospital bill?" I question.

"John."

"Jonathan Merrick?" I ask and he nods.

"Do you know him, are you related." The doctor asks placing a form on my bed.

"No l do not know him l met him the day l got admitted here, he's the one who took my brother in." I say wiping the tears that escaped from my eyes.

"He is a kind young man; he came to see you every single day for the past three months." He says starring into space.

"Where is he, does he come here often?"
"Not exactly we started seeing him from the day you got here and he stopped coming the day before you woke up." The doctor informs me.

"That's why l haven't been seeing him." I say.

As we continued the lady and two gentlemen who came to see me took their leave.
When they left Dr., Callaghan suggested l rest since l was up for a long time helping the officers out.

"I have to take my leave and you get some rest." Dr Callaghan says.

"What's the form for?" I ask and he tells me he had bought it for me to fill in since they only had my name.

"You will do this tomorrow right now you have to rest." He tells me.
"Under one condition," l say with a playful grin.
"Only ten minutes then you come back." He smiles knowing that l wanted to check on my brother.

"Thank you." I say and rush towards my brother's room.
I take a sneak peek before going in and l see him talking to his friend a kid that had been admitted there for about three years because of cancer.
I then enter smiling, masking all the tears l had shed earlier and all the emptiness l feel.
We all talk and laugh until twenty minutes pass and l really had to go.

"I love you Josh." I kiss him and tuck him in. I do the same for his friend Liam and l head for my room.

I enter my room stealthy not wanting Dr Callaghan to know that l was late.
I successfully close the door and turn to go to bed and stop in my tracks after seeing someone sitting on my bed looking outside through the blinds.

"John?" I hesitantly say waiting for the person to turn around and face me.

"Andy," he says facing me smiling.

"John." I say once more shocked with the person standing in front of me.

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:)