The Seventh Step

7

The days go much the same. I wake up. I cry. I see Leo. We spend the best part of the day together. The routine carries on for a few months and it is routine I would not change for the world.

My eyelids flutter open and quickly adjust to the bright light piercing itself through the curtains. I feel happier this morning than I have done any other morning. I cry for only a short period of time before sucking the tears back in and get out of bed. I sleepily slump down the stairs and plonk my self at the table.
My grandmother hurries into the kitchen and puts he phone down on the holder. "Jess, dear, go upstairs and change quickly. I will do you some toast to have on the way."
I start to question but she cuts me off "Jess please just go"
I run back up the flights of stairs,now wide awake and shout good morning to my Grandpa who has just woken up. When I reach my floor I sprint to the bathroom and Brush my hair and teeth before racing to my bedroom.
My hands grapple for a tee-shirt and a pair of high wasted jeans.
Two pieces of warm toast are thrown at me as I come down the stairs. I am instructed to get in the car and I do so quickly. My grandmother drives quicker than usual to the hospital. Her face is white with worry and her hands are shaking as the undoes her seat belt.
"Dad" I moan quietly as I jump out of the car "Dad?" I ask my grandmother who shakes her head and says "Leo."
My eyes widen
"he was taken in last night and has been asking for you ever since. They told me that you should give your name at the casualty front desk and they will take you to him. They also told me to warn you at he is in a pretty bad state " my grandmother says in a hushed voice.
I nod and run through the hospital doors. People look at me with narrowed eyes. The thing with people is they think that the only people worth bothering about is themselves. They don't care if that homeless man is only homeless as he did not have enough money to feed his three kids and pay the bills when his wife died because to them, that homeless man is a piece of scum who deserves to be where he is.
People don't care that that girl running through the hospital comes from a broken family and has no idea if her boyfriend (if she can call him that) might be close to death because to them she is just another lunatic who enjoys feeling peoples eyes train her as she sprints through.
I slide onto the front desk where I give my name.
The woman looks up at me "Jess Song? Ohh that boy with cuts has been askin' for you sin' he got 'ere has'n he Phil"
The man on the other side of the desk looks up and nods.
"I know he's been asking because that's why I'm here" I snap.
"Ohh okay, okay, keep you knickers on'' the woman murmurs in a agitated voice. She stares at her screen for a while before asking my to follow her.
I follow the woman past a set of doors and into a bustling casualty. The woman keeps walking until she reaches a set of curtains "through here" she grunts and with that she stalks off.
I take a few deep breaths and start to brace myself for what might be behind that curtain. I soon pluck up the courage and walk through the curtain to find a smiling boy with cuts, bruises and burns all over his face and arms. Leo looks at my worried face and smiles wider "you think that's bad, you need to see my back."
I laugh then shake my head "Leo what happened?"
He sighs and says "well I don't really know actually, I think it was because I accidentally burnt the food but it all happened so fast..." Leo's smile flickered for a moment "A neighbour heard my screams and called 999. The doctors say I owe that neighbour my life." Just as he says that two nurses come in "May we bandage you up now?" One of them asks and Leo nods. The nurses get to work on separate arms. We sit there for a while before Leo says "Jess, come here" I walk over to him. "Closer" he says and I come closer. "Closer" and soon our faces are nearly touching. I notice that the doctors have stopped working and are now watching us.
Leo moves his head and kisses me. He kisses me for a few seconds before breaking away and smiling. His cheeks flush a little.
"You had something on your lips and I couldn't get it with my hands because there bandaging them up, but it's gone now." He grins at me and I grin back. One of the nurses was now giggling uncontrollably while the other has a slight smile on her face.
"Why don't you have a seat" says the giggling nurse "as it seams you might be here for a while"
That was it. The both the nurses burst into fits of laughter. I blush slightly and drop into a comfy chair.
The nurses stay for a few more minuets before we are left alone.
Leo stares at the blue curtain. His eyes are so still but so full of emotion. We sit, him staring at the curtains and me staring at him, for a while before he takes my hand.
"Jess please, will you judge me if I cry?"
"Never" I whisper "Leo, I've seen you cry before"
"Oh, of course you have" he mutters before breaking into tears.
"Leo, please don't cry!" I whisper.
"I hate him" Leo sobs
"No Leo, you don't. He's your dad"
"I tried to help him Jess and look what he does to me. He puts me in hospital."
"Leo, he needs help"
"No Jess, this is the last straw I'm in hospital for Gods sake."
"But Le-"
"No Jess! You don't understand! You don't know what he's like just stop trying to tell me what to do!" His voice sounds strong and infuriated. I stand their, playing with the hem of my shirt for a while before he moves up in his bed and I come and sit next to him.
"I'm sorry" I mutter and he nods, laying his head on my shoulder.
"You know" I say after a while "the police are going to have to talk to you"
He nods
"What are you going to tell them?"
"The truth" he answers almost instantly. He'd been thinking about this. "Maybe, if it goes to court and he gets a prison sentence. Maybe they will help him and then maybe we could start again and I would like that" Leo looks at me and smiles. He kisses me on the head quickly then grins. "I could of got it with my hands that time"
I laugh and he does too.