The Quiet Ever After

A Lawn of Leaves and Grass - 4

The sirens startled Nina, but Axel's urgency in moving into the room got her flying out of bed. Nina used a telekinesis spell to open their bedroom windows and the two vaulted outside, rolling on the ground when they landed and dashing into a sprint across the front lawn to keep pace with the ambulance.

Phil and Hideki were already on their driveways checking what was going on. Jaime was on his way out, Kirk following in step behind him holding a stuffed animal. A few other neighbors that Axel, admittedly, didn't know so well also had their lights on to peep out their windows. Most people in the neighborhood weren't too snoopy, but it wasn't often that an ambulance came flying through. Given its direction, it should also have been obvious to everyone why it'd been called.

Axel and Nina practically vanished and reappeared beneath the streetlights as they raced toward the ambulance's final destination: Geoff's house, where the paramedics were rushing in. Geoff's brother, Robert, had the door open for them to head on inside. The two came to a halt on the driveway, their haggard breathing visible in the light. Axel handed Nina his robe to keep her warm, though her shivers were probably more from nerves than anything else.

"Oh, Geoff," Nina muttered.

"Phil and Hideki were talking with his brother earlier," Axel said. "I—I didn't think it was that serious, that nothing would happen now."

"Neither did we."

Hideki jogged toward them, dressed as if he'd just gotten back from the office.

"Did his brother say anything?"

"Only that he seemed a little less with it yesterday, but otherwise he's been fine."

Nina balled her hands together. "He's been holed up inside so much lately."

Axel bit his lip. "I want to go in there."

Hideki rested a hand on Axel's shoulder. "Best to let the paramedics do their thing, Axel. We can ask them what's going on when they're out."

So many retorts rose to Axel's lips, that he knew how to possibly help Geoff, that he and Nina had power way beyond whatever the paramedics brought with them. And it wasn't a sense of security about those powers that held him back; it was the number of times Geoff insisted he didn't want much help as his life came to a close.

They were back relatively quickly, and without Geoff. Most pretended not to see the tiny crowd gathered waiting for answers save for one, who approached. Axel stepped forward.

"What's going on?" Axel asked, a bit bluntly.

"He had a fall, but he's okay," the paramedic said. "No damage, and he's in a good spot right now." The paramedic paused, as if to hold something back, but continued before Axel or Nina could insist, "His breathing looked a bit labored. We've reached out to his hospice care team, they'll be here soon."

"I can look after him in the meantime with his brother," Hideki said. The paramedic raised his eyebrow. "I'm a doctor, I've been supporting Geoff's care since hospice began."

"If it'll help," the paramedic said, stepping toward the ambulance. "I'm sure he'd like to see you all when he wakes up."

The front door creaked to a close. Axel couldn't take his eyes off the house.

"Thank you," Nina said with a wane smile. She grabbed Axel's hand. "Come on, let's get some rest. We'll see him first thing if he's awake."

"Yeah," Axel said, voice soft, haunted by those final three words of hers.

Hideki once more clapped Axel on the shoulder. "I'll take care of him, Axel. You'll see each other tomorrow, I promise."

Axel nodded, still absentminded. For some reason, all he could think of was Geoff and how, maybe, he'd no longer be able to come out and tend that perfect lawn he cared for so dearly.