Checkmate

Emotions

(Trigger Warning: Family Death)

Warwick's POV

It was early hours Wednesday morning when my phone began to ring. I turned over and picked up my phone looking at who was calling me. When I saw that it was Carol I shot straight up and answered. "Hello? Carol is everything okay?" I could tell straight away that she had been crying.

"Warwick I'm in the ambulance with your dad he's being rushed to the hospital. He had a seizure, he's stable now but they said..." She had been so brave. "They said it was really bad and his heart is struggling. I don't know how much longer- I'm so sorry," she began to cry again. Everything in my brain stopped. I had to force words out.

"Please don't be sorry you're doing everything you can. Thank you for phoning me. I'm going to come down. I'll be there soon okay, have you called Thea?"

"No, I just with the little one-"

"I'm going to call her okay, just stay by Dad. I know you will, he's strong Carole, he's been through worse, and he's stubborn," I was trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince her.

"Just be sensible driving down here, Warwick. Please for his sake, I love you so much."

"I love you too, I'll phone Thea now."

My dad had been sick for a couple of years now. We thought that he was getting better but then he got pneumonia and since then he's been worse and worse. I don't want to think the worst but it's so difficult not to. I pulled myself out of bed and called my sister. It didn't take long for her to answer. She was probably up with morning sickness. "Ricky? What's up? You do know it's 4 am?" She asked. Recently I've been taking to chatting with her in the early hours when I've had a night shift because she's always awake either with Tilly or the baby.

"I know. I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, no. This little one doesn't like me having a full night's sleep. What's up?"

"Are you sitting down?"

"Yes?"

"I've just got a call from Carol, Dad's been rushed into hospital," I told her.

"Oh god, please tell me he's okay."

"He's stable but they don't know how long he's got." I heard Thea begin to sob.

"I'm going to drive down now. Do you want to come?" My voice was tight.

"I'll go and tell John and then get ready."

"Don't rush, you need to be careful. I'm just going to phone Thomas about getting cover for tomorrow."

"If he says no tell him I'm going to set Tilly on him," she laughed weakly.

"The only thing that scares him," I laughed softly as I brushed a tear from my eye.

Now I've phoned Thea I just needed to phone Thomas. Please answer. I put my phone on speaker as I rushed to throw on some jeans and a hoodie to drive down to them.

"Hello?" Thomas' tired voice answered.

"Tom it's me. It's my dad. He's had a seizure."

"Shit. Has he gone to the hospital?"

"Yeah. They don't know how long he's got left," I told him weakly.

"Are you able to get down there?"

"Yeah, but I won't be back in time for tomorrow."

"That doesn't matter. Go and take as much time as you need. I mean it," he told

"Thank you."

"I'm here for you if you need me."