Jem
“. . . SAID SHE FELT LIKE she couldn’t breathe.”
Ace rattles off, but I stop paying attention. I can’t see anything. Can’t feel anything. All I can remember is the time we brought her home. She was healthier then, and I was at college. When I got back home, she passed out on the floor. And when we got to the hospital, we found out that she was back in remission.
But they managed to get it under control. She’s stable now. Without the hospital’s constant monitoring, her vitals went unchecked. She must have been in a lot of pain to call the ambulance.
“Jem, you there?” Ace asks.
The truth is I knew this would happen. It doesn’t come as a surprise. I knew it from the moment she insisted on leaving the hospital. That whatever chance she had, whatever string she was holding onto, it would wear thin. Quickly.
When she asked to leave the hospital before Christmas, she’d lost so much weight she was unrecognizable. Couldn’t go a while without coughing and was prescribed so many meds it’s practically a morning cocktail.
“Jem?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Yeah. I’ll call you back. Tell her I’ll be there soon.”
On my phone screen, I notice the missed calls from the hospital. They must have called Ace because he was a frequent visitor. Guilt creeps up on me. In a daze, I pocket my phone.
“Jem?” Indigo’s soft voice breaks the static. “What’s wrong?”
I blink as her wide-eyed face comes into focus. She’s in the hallway. I must have been gone long enough for her to notice. Her presence brings me back. Calms me – like honey for a sore throat.
I swallow. “Ma’s in the hospital. I think I have to leave.”
I walk through the kitchen, where the rest of the family is. Kendall frowns as her gaze follows me. Dad looks at me with brief confusion. Once again, I’m ruining his fantasy of a picture-perfect family. I can feel Indie trail behind me as I walk up the stairs, moving fast.
“I have to get back,” I mutter, “She was all alone. I should have been there. I shouldn’t have left in the first place.”
“It’s not your fault,” she says behind me.
I turn to her briefly. “Yeah? I think it is.”
If she’s struck by my tone, she doesn’t question me for a second. She just nods once. “I’ll go get my stuff.”
I pack up my shit – I didn’t bring much anyway – and leave Indie in the room to get her stuff.
“Jem,” my father hollers as I’m walking down the stairs, turning back to the kitchen. “What are you doing? Sit down for a second.” He starts prepping another burger. “You’re only having one? When you were in high school you could have four of these.”
He pauses, noticing the bag across my shoulder, and a knowing look takes over his face.
I tuck my hands in my pockets. “I have to leave. Ma’s in the hospital.”
His expression falters, but only for a second. I’m expecting some sort of reaction from him – something. Anything. But he just nods. “Okay.”
My blood boils as I set my bag down. “Are you not going to come?”
“I can’t.”
I clench my jaw, meeting his gaze. “Jesus fucking Christ, dad. I’m not asking you to remarry her. I’m just asking you to show some common decency and do something.”
YOU ARE READING
Fragile Little Things ✓
RomanceIndigo Gallagher was born with osteochondroma, a condition that leaves her physically fragile. Between shifts at her granʼs flower shop and her tumultuous relationship, all she wants is to get through her second year of pre-med unscathed. Although...
