The Seventh Step

8

The curtain flicks open and a police officer stands there.
"Mr Tyler, I'd like to have a word with you about what happen last night"
I stand up and walk to the curtain "I'll go get us some food and would you like a tea?" I say. Leo grins at me and nods.
As I'm walking to the little café, I see my Grandma sitting on one of the chairs, sipping a large coffee. When she sees me she smiles and I go and sit next to her.
"How is he?" She asks
"Well, he's getting better so I suppose that's a good thing"
Grandma smiles and puts her hand on my leg
"Why don't you go home, Grandma, I'm going to be here for a while and I can walk home"
She shakes her head "I've got a appointment and Leo tells me you know what for"
I nod and feel myself choking up. "Well, if I'm not here by the time your finished, go home and I'll walk."
Grandma nods and I stand up and walk away.
The line for the café is quite long. At last I reach the front a get two teas, two hot chocolates and two chocolate cup cakes. A nurse spots me in the line and rushes to me.
"You Jess, Jess Song?" She has a strong polish accent. I nod and she grabs the hot chocolates and a cup cake.
"You with Leo Tyler?" She asks and I nod again.
"We have moved him into a private room. I will help with the drinks and then may we talk?"
When we walk into the room, Leo looks at me
"I told her to look for the pretty one" he smiles at the nurse who smiles a small smile as she holds the door open for me to go out of.
Leo glances at me with narrowed eyes
"I won't be long" I whisper and I step outside with the nurse.
"I am your dad's support nurse during his Rehab program. He has not been sleeping at night. The doctors have asked me to collect you and bring you to them"
"Ok, but let me just tell Leo"
The nurse smiles and I open the door. "Leo, it's my dad. I'll be back soon"
Leo looks up from his cake and nods.
The nurse leads me to the rehab centre and through a pair of doors. She leads me to an office where two doctors sit at a table. One of them I recognise as Dr Harris and the other I have seen on one of Dad's other rehab programs. They both smile at me as I walk in the room.
"Thank you, Mia" Dr Harris says and the nurse smiles before walking out of the door.
"Hello Jess. I am Dr Harris and this is Dr Pool. We want to talk to you about your fathers sleeping patterns. He never sleeps. In the night he just walks around his room."
Both the doctors stare at me."I don't know what he does that if that's what you mean!"
Dr Pool smiles and clears his throat "we want you to talk to him, we will only give you a few minuets"
I nod and stand up. The doctors follow and lead me through the door. We walk past what seams like hundreds of white doors each with a thin, long window scratched in them. We eventually reach a pair of double doors. Dr Pool knocks and opens the door a crack. Through the slit I see a few men sitting on chairs in a circle. They all seam rather tired and grumpy.
"Hello, I wondered if I could borrow Harry for a moment?" Dr Pool asks. A woman in a red spotty blouse and I tight skirt nods and smiles at a man in the far corner who reluctantly stands up. When the man in out the door he turns on the two doctors who look rather small compared to him.
"Look what ever it is, I didn't do it" the man groans
"Harry, you did nothing. You know we told you about your sleeping problems?" Dr Harris asks soothingly. The man nods
"Well, we brought someone to see you and maybe you can talk it through with them" Dr Harris nods to where I am standing and the man turns around. "Jess!" He gasps as he pulls me into a tight hug. "Umm... Hi dad" I manage. My dad smells different. He smells clean
"Shall we take this back to your room Harry?" One of the doctors asks and my dad nods.
When we get the room, I sit my self down on an armchair facing the bed which my dad sits on.
"Ahhh, it looks like we might be out of chairs" Dr Harris observes "Dr Pool and myself will just pop and get some more, we will be back in a few minuets" and with that both the doctors sweep out of the room. I smirk, they planed that to give us some private speaking time.
When the door clicks shut, dad burst into talk "Jess, how are you? It's only been a few months and I feel so much better. How's grandma and grandpa? Are you behaving yourself? Is the house tidy yet? What are you-" I quickly cut him of and try not to burst into tears
"Dad, I need to tell you something"
"Your not pregnant are you? For gods sake Jess, I leave you for a few months and look what happens. Who's the father?"
I smile "dad, I'm not pregnant, it's about grandma"
"God, is she pregnant?"
I smile wider then frown remembering the news I must bring about his mother.
"No, no of course not. Dad, grandmas ill. She has cancer and has a matter of weeks to live"
My fathers playful grin drops. His eyes narrow and look at the floor. His head shakes and I hear him breathe very slowly. "Why didn't I know before" he whispers
"I-I don't know. I was only told a few months ago" I say.
"But she's MY MOTHER" my dad yells, standing up and pushing the bed back a few inches.
I automatically jump up, bend my knees and hold my hands out "dad, your not going to hurt me" I breathe ''dad this is not my fault"
That normally works. He normally stops seeing red and apologises.
He stays standing "dad" I mutter as I start getting nervous "dad" I say louder.
My dad glares at me then grabs my shoulders and pushes me against the wall. His fingers dig so deep into my skin I start crying and screaming "dad, dad please stop dad your hurting me please." I try so hard to break his grip but it justs get stronger.
"Why didn't I know!" He bellows.
Suddenly the door busts open and the doctors stand in the door way. It takes two of them to pull my dad off me. I fall to the floor in a shaking mess and shield my face with my hands.
"Dr Pool, why don't you take Jess out of here. I don't think she wants to be around her father any more"
Dr Pool nods and helps me up. He guides me out of the room and stops just outside the door
"Jess, what happened?" He asks
"I told him that his mum has cancer and only has a few weeks left" I sob.
Dr Pool nods "ok well, I'll get your father to speak to us about that later"
"Umm... Ok well I'll just be going" I say awkwardly as I back out "tell dad that I umm love him and that I'll come and pick him up in two months"
Dr Pool nods and smiles before opening the door and letting lose wild screams of "she's my mother!" And "Jess, don't let Jess go she's my daughter!"
When Dr Pool is out of sight and the strangled howling has been muffled, I turn on my heel and run back to the casualty ward.