A Family

Reprimand

"He did what?!"
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  As every day, you and Parker stand to wave Ethan goodbye as his leaves for the day's work. Ethan smiles and waves like always, you force a smile and wave, but Parker doesn't. He just looks at him as the truck drives him away, making Ethan frown confused.

  At work Parker was giving you a hard time today. It had sometimes been like that recently, but you had it under control and knew it was just because he missed Ethan.

  But today, Parker hit you. After your initial shock you look back at him and he's about to hit again before you stop him and tell him sternly that it's not okay, but he just gets hysterical and you struggle to calm him as you yourself start to tear up, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. The doctor comes over and manages to help you stop him from hitting you and tries to soothe him.

  "Yn! Are you okay?" Molly, the other nurse who has also  become a good friend during your time working here, asks coming up to you.

  "Yeah, I, uh.. I just, I just need a minute." You say trying to hold back tears but fail.

  "Of course, take all the time you need." She tells you. But you know once you go out of Parker's sight for too long, he'll panic. So you just walk behind a wall, away from their sight to pull yourself together. And as you expected he starts crying for you when he can't see you and starts panicking. You come back and immediately go to him.

  "I'm here." You reassure him. Parker turns to the sound of your voice, then running into your open arms, crying into you. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

You soothe him as you lift him in your arms and leave for your room. The doctor and Molly looking after you in sympathy, not only is Parker a challenging toddler from trauma, you are having to do a lot on your own. Since Parker wasn't comfortable with anyone other than you and Ethan, you needed Ethan to step up. But he was too focused on work.

  After he calms down, you talk with him about what he did. He understands what he did was wrong and apologises.

...

  When Ethan gets back, he overhears someone talking and interrupts them.

  "What did you say?" He frowns at them.

  They look at each other and tells him about what they saw in the med bay.

  "He did what?!" He says angrily and head for your room. As he walks angrily towards your room, he passes Annie. "Is it true?" He asks her angrily and she sighs.

  "Yes, but Ethan.." She tries to stop him but Ethan ignores it and goes to your room.

  Getting there, Ethan grabs Parker harshly and pulls him up from the bed he was just sitting in, to reprimand him for hitting you.

  "Ethan, stop!" You grab him and pry Parker out of his hands. Parker cries, running back to the bed when you make Ethan let him go. You drag Ethan out of the room and close the door after you.

  "What the hell was that? I-" He says but you slap him, hard.

  His face jerked to the side and he slowly looks back at you in shock, not anger anymore, just shock. You never hit anyone, unless they deserve it. Whenever you accidentally hit someone, you apologise profusely. Ethan looks at you and sees the fury in your eyes. He realises that if he gets a slap in the face from you like that, he has definitely done something to deserve it.

  It makes him realise what he did, he looks at the door in shock at how he just grabbed Parker, probably just like his father used to. Already feeling tears forming in his eyes in regret, he moves to go back inside, but you push him away.

  "Find somewhere else to sleep." You tell him, venom in your voice. Making him feel even worse, which he deserves.

  "Yn, I-" Ethan says, but you close the door in his face and he hears the lock turn behind it.

  He stands there, staring at the door for a long moment before he slowly starts to leave, walking on autopilot not even looking where he's going. Muscle memory must of been what got him to walk into the bunk room. He just walks in completely out of it. Jason sees him and address the boy beside his bunk.

  "Hey, Larry. Do me a favour and find another bunk tonight." Jason asks of him and he does. "Ethan." He says to get his attention, slowly he looks in Jason's direction. "This one's free." He nods towards his neighbouring bunk.

  Ethan just sits down, not saying anything. Everyone is getting to sleep so he lays down staring at the ceiling. After a long time he speaks up.

  "Jason." Ethan says in a low voice, as it's silent in the room and everyone has probably fallen asleep by now.

  "I'm here." He answers not moving in the bunk, just confirming that he's listening.

  "Remember when you told me not to screw it up?"

  "Yes."

  "I'm screwing it up." Ethan then says.

  "Yeah." Jason agrees with a sigh.

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