(CANCELLED) Secrets Of The Father

5

I've just delved deeper into what it's really like to be Ophelia Sinclair. Ever since that morning in the grocery store, I've wanted to know more and more about this quiet, secretive girl. And now that I know about her home life, or lack-there-of, I don't have time to let it sink in. Next thing I know, we're at our local hospital. I follow behind Ophelia as she rushes through the sliding glass doors, her ginger hair flying sporadically in the wind behind her. Rachel is asleep in my arms. I brought her with me because there's no telling what time Lauren will be home.

Ophelia bombards the receptionist with her sudden presence.

"What room is James Sinclair in?" Her voice is frantic. I can see her eyes begin to water. The old woman behind the counter in scrubs quickly types something on her keyboard and searches for something on the screen.

"Room fifty, level three."

I offer a thankful smile to the old woman. Ophelia takes off towards the elevator. I rush after her and she presses the number three button as soon as the doors close. I look down at her while holding Rachel tight against my chest.

"Are you going to tell me what happened now?" I ask.

She glances at me for a quick second before returning her gaze back to the reflective elevator doors.

"My brother...something happened to him," she breathes. I've never seen her so out of it before.

I don't want to get her choked up so I choose not to say anything else. The elevator comes to a stop and Ophelia quickly rushes out in search of room fifty. I try my hardest to keep up with her. She carelessly pushes through a set of double doors and then stops dead in her tracks. There's a young man sitting outside of the door with his long legs pulled against his chest and bits of his curl hair escaping some kind of makeshift bun at the base of his neck. He looks up at Ophelia but she doesn't pay him any mind as she attempts to open the door. The man then stands up and blocks the entrance to the room. I stand a couple feet back, not really knowing my place in this situation.

"Move, Jessie." Ophelia stares up at him, furious. I've never seen her face so red.

"They won't let us in. I've tried," the young man says. I wonder if he's a relative of hers or something.

"What happened?" She angrily pushes his chest, but the man is pretty strong built. He doesn't budge.

The Jessie boy hesitates to tell her. It must be something bad. Rachel slowly wakes up I my arms from the commotion but quickly falls back asleep. The girl can sleep through an earthquake.

"We were supposed to lock up the shop and...," he trails off, scratching the back of his neck.

"And what, Jessie?" Ophelia shouts. I've never heard her speak so loud. The young man seems taken back as well. She's never said anything slightly above a whisper.

"We took two motorcycles on a joy ride and the one James was riding lost it's breaks and-and we were just being idiots. I should've never told him to get on that bike." His composure slowly falter.

Ophelia pulls the man into her arms and hugs him tight. Tears begin to escape her eyes as she digs her fingers into the fabric of his shirt. Her and I make eye contact over the man's shoulder and I mouth to her that I'll be in the waiting room if she needs me. She nods and I slowly walk away.