Freaks: Year Two

A Phone Call From Mary

Over the next couple of days, Jasper spent his time cooking breakfasts in the mornings for his siblings, ensuring Toby got the time to sleep in. He also made sure that the three younger ones were behaving as the brief words he got from Toby is that Ethan, Francis, and Edgar had been, to put it mildly, a little tricky to deal with. Jasper was trying his best to remind his siblings the importance of behaving yourselves, and other than that, it had been pretty quiet. Ethan and Francis would bicker over something or the other, and Toby would convince them to go play with Edgar who usually was up in his room drawing, and then it was just the two of them.

Toby had been quite quiet. That was what Jasper meant by the quiet part of the holiday. They wouldn't see their Mum that much as she was working, and their Dad wasn't really there. Once the three little ones were doing something together, Jasper would want to take this chance to talk to Toby; he wanted to see how he was doing, but he could barely find the words to ask him. It was like it was close to impossible to ask the phrase, "How are you?" to his little brother now, because Jasper was afraid of the answer.

He also had received a letter from Christopher he had yet to read because the days had been busy, and the nights had been tiring. He knew he would have to read it eventually, and he knew he needed to talk to Toby. He really needed to figure out what was going on with him, and why Francis had not been wearing his hearing aids. Jasper had an idea in his head, but he really didn't want to think of it anymore. He just wanted to be able to talk to his brothers like he used to, but in these few days he had realised that was now quite a challenge.

By the end of the day, Jasper would just lie awake.

Every single time day had fallen and night had come, Jasper's mind went back to the baby. Every single time.

What if I just went to the crib earlier? Would that have changed anything? Could I have saved him? Would it even be better if he were here? It would just be another kid to take care of...why did you think that? Wishing death on your already dead baby brother, what the hell is wrong with you?!

"Jasper?"

Jasper's eyes shot open.

"Are you alright?" Toby asked. "You were mumbling."

"Oh, er, sorry," Jasper quickly said, sitting up from where he was still sleeping in Ethan's bed. Jasper wondered what the hell he had done to it as the springs were all uneven, but then he remembered the amount of times he had to tell him to stop jumping on his bed. "Is it morning?"

Toby nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh, great," Jasper said, awkwardly.

Toby started to exit the bedroom when Jasper realised he was limping. Alarms went off in his head so quickly and he was suddenly wide awake. "Toby."

"Yeah?"

"Why are you limping?"

Toby froze and slowly turned to face his brother. "What?"

"You're limping."

"No, I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"You're just freaking out," Toby said, trying to sound nonchalant. "You're on edge, I have noticed. Jumpy."

"I'm not jumpy, and I am not–"

"You are on edge Jasper, don't try to deny it," Toby said, cutting him off. "Of course you'd be on edge when you're back here. Just be happy Dad isn't here. He's probably drinking somewhere, and it is nine in the freaking morning!"

Jasper had wide eyes as Toby's voice had raised in the last sentence. "Okay," Jasper said, now quieter. "I know you're stressed as well. But...can you–"