Behind The Uniform

A 999 Call

October slowly began to fade away as November approaching with it's biting cold hands. The nights turned darker and central heating was turned up to the warmest setting while the last leaves on the trees disappeared leaving only bare crooked shadows. 

It was just the beginning of November and Teal was still on her honeymoon. My mother hadn't been looking very well so I had stopped up with overnight. Annabelle had come around for a few hours before being picked up by her mother. Ross was there as well and was stopping the night. 

"You boys should head to bed, you have school in the morning." My mother coughed, retching. I stood up quickly, my heart was beginning to beat frantically but soon enough the coughing subsided. 

"And that's why we don't want to leave you mum. You're not very well." I commented. 

"I haven't been very well for a long time Jamie. Now go to bed, I am your mother after all."

"Okay." I said with a force smile. I gestured over to Ross and he left his seat. "Goodnight Mrs Rowland." He said as he drifted out of the room. 

We both walked up the stairs to my room and Ross ended up on my bed, looking worn out. 

"She's not okay, is she?" He said, looking at the floor.

"No. Ross I wish Teal was here so she should keep an eye on her."

"What about the other carers? Couldn't you ring them?"

I shook my head. "It's too late at night, I don't want to trouble them. They'll be here on Friday. I'm just hoping she will be alright through the night on her own."

Ross nudged me as he got up from the bed. "She'll be fine. You worry too much. She's always been able to make it through things, who's to say she won't make it through this?"

I nodded. "Okay, we should go bed anyway. We do have school in the morning."

We both got changed and cleaned our teeth before clambering into bed. Ross was sleeping on the floor on a pile of old duvets and soon enough he was snoring loudly. He was always able to sleep easily. I began to toss and turn, worried about my mother. At some point, I must have drifted off though because I woke up with my heart hammering in my chest. 

I got out of the bed, feeling that something was wrong. I stepped over Ross and ran down the stairs. I could hear the television blaring with some late night talk show and my mother's figure slumped in front of it. At first glance, she looked like she was just sleeping but I walked to her and touched her arm, trying to shake her awake.

Her arm was burning warm and underneath the tv light, I saw dried blood on her mouth. My panic began to raise. "Mum! Wake up Mum!" I screamed the house down and heard Ross pounding down the stairs, dressed in just his boxers.

"Jamie what's going on?" He asked. I didn't need to reply as he saw my mother and I just looked at him.

"We need to phone an ambulance now." I said. He had already gotten the house phone and was dialling the phone number.

I went over to my mother falling to my knees. Why now? Why? Why had this happened? I reached out to touch her hand but it still felt too warm, it was too limp. The next of hour I was in a dreamlike state, I didn't know what to think or feel. The ambulance game within half an hour and drove us to the hospital. They let Ross come in the ambulance because I had no other family members. 

The paramedics kept asking me question after question but they fell to the floor. I couldn't bring myself to answer them. I was just shook, unaware of myself. The ambulance arrived and she was darted through the hospital doors. I wasn't allowed to go any further, they took us to a waiting room while they would see what was wrong with her. I flopped down in the chair, unsure of what to do.