Nicole Nightingale

4: all in this together

I wake up with a horrible feeling and remembering nathan has gone.
"Hello adam donivan how can i help?" Adam answered.
"I can't come in today" i said. "Because nathan passed away yesterday and.." i stopped.
"Oh nicole of course you can get the day off i will call goldie so she can do your shift today" adam said.
"Thanks adam i will be in tomorrow for sure" i said and put the phone down.
I needed to find something to drink. Something strong.
"James, nicole any one home" john paul calls when i am glupping down red wine.
"Hi john paul" i smiled. He caught me. Bottle in my hand and rushed over.
"This is not what you need to do!" John paul said. "Nathan i'm sure he wouldn't like it"
"Use nathan of course" i laughed sarcastically. "Just what i needed now give me that back!"
"No stop!" He said and pours it all down the sink. "Where is james when we need him"
"Where he always is" i said and the raise my voice more. "Work!"
"Sit down nicole i need to call james now" he said. He tries to call him but it seems to go to voice mail. "James it's me your sister she is in such a state call me when you get this please".

James came in later that evening upset and scared.
"James where were you i was try to call you" john paul said
"I..i'm sorry" he said and faced us he looked terrible some one hurt him.
"James!" I cried forgetting about my state i was in. "Who done this"
"Fin done this to me" he said as he started to cry. "Oh nic it was like dad all over again.
He hugged me tightly even john paul.
"Like your dad?" He whispers. "What did he used to do?"
"I never told any one only me and nic know about it" james say. "It was like the bad days him hurting me over and over again"
"But why?" John paul asks.
"He liked everyone else more than me maybe nicole a bit more but us two we were well always on the outside most of the time" he continued.
"James you have to tell the police maybe like i said so many times before" john paul said.
"There is no need now why does it matter?" James sighed.
"It does matter to me i wish you would tell them" john paul said.
"Any way what was this state you were on about are you ok?" James said to me.
"She started drinking wine lots of it thinking it would help the pain" john paul blurts.
"I'm fine what the hell you on about!" I snapped. "I was only having on bit of it!"
"No you weren't if i didn't walk in you would be having the whole bottle!" John paul hesitates.
"Oh yeah right" i laughed.
"Enough!" James yelled. "Any of you no the truth of this and i have to come back from a hard day to deal with this!"
"Ok james he's right" i said. "He knew what i was going to do and he poured away the wine".
"Good of you to own up now maybe i think you should say away from it just for a little while" john paul said.
"Yes maybe just for celebrations" james smiled.
"Ok yeah good idea" i nodded.

The next day after work while john paul was out and only me and james were in.
"How you feeling?" He asks.
"Well trying to be ok but you know i am getting there" i smiled.
Before he could answer there was a knock on the door.
I opened it with alfie ellie and dad
"Oh well nice to see you all here" james sighed.
"Look we are hear for you both i know us nightingales haven't seemed much together but we need you" ellie said. "Both of you".
"I know us three haven't seen eye to eye but please help your mum" dad begs.
"But don't you see what she do i can't see how easy it is you forgave her straight away!" James boasts.
"Stop that blaming your mother she done wrong but she needs you and nicole more than ever" dad said.
"Get out you pathetic little man!" James shouts.
"Yes we didn't want you to come in here at all!" I said.
"Please will you both go and see mum it would mean the world to her" alfie cried.
"Alright" i said. "We will go right james?"
"What?" He gasps.
"Yeah we are going to be a proper family ok this is the way it will always be from now on" ellie said "now come on".
"Fine yes we will go and see mum" he nods.
"Well at least your the only one she will listen to" alfie said.
"Yeah james your her favourite" i said.
"Maybe not" he muttered.

"Oh james, nicole" mum said weakly.
"Mother it's ok your not the only one who felt like this" i whispered to her.
"Yes we are here for you too" james said. "We won't leave you any more".
"Yeah james is right we are going to be a family a real one" i nod.
This was true we were all needed all of us together.