Against The Odds: Guarded

2

Hey, how's life?

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GEMMA POV
I hate hospitals and I’ve been in them too many times before as a child. The outcome of life or death is too unpredictable. When my dad went through chemotherapy, me, my mum, and Lucas would always come and visit. I used to ask the nurse if she could promise me that my dad would be okay. She would get down to my eye level and tell me, “I can’t make any promises, but he looks to be progressing.” At least then I would get even a bullshit answer. We’ve been sitting in this waiting room for hours and we’ve heard nothing.

As we all sit in unsettled silence, all I can think about is the days leading up to now. I should have known better.

FLASHBACK TWO DAYS AGO

The front door slammed and I didn’t even have to go check to see who the culprit behind the noise was. I knew it was Lucas. My mum always tells him off for slamming the door when he’s upset. I placed one more piece of clothing into the moving box and before I could get out of my room to see what was wrong, Lucas was up the stairs and slamming the door to his room.

“Lucas?” No answer. I left out of my room and went down the hall to knock on his door.

“Lucas you alright?”

“Fuck off Gemma!” I’ll take that as a no.

“Lucas open the door and talk to me, I won’t tell mum. What’s going on?” There’s a pause, but I knew he would open up. Lucas always open’s up to me when he won’t for anyone else.

He came out of the room and closed his door behind him before he made his way past me down the stairs not speaking. His eyes were red and puffy. Has he been crying?

“Lucas, where are you going? Come here and talk to me.”

“I’m fine Gemma I promise, just leave me alone please!” His voice cracked when he spoke and it was unusual for me to see because Lucas never cries. Like ever. He used to cry so much when we first got admitted to Maudsley and after a while he just forced himself to cage any emotion that would make him feel what he would label as weak.

Lucas grabbed his keys off of the counter to leave out again. There is obviously something wrong, but maybe the best route to go is to give him space. I don’t want to over crowd him like I know I have in the past. It appears to only push him away. He’ll tell me eventually, he always does.

“Where are you going at least?”

“Zayn and Zay's.” He slams the door again and I have to hold the railing of the stairs to make myself not follow him to tell me what’s wrong.

END OF FLASHBACK

My mum hurriedly makes her way over to my side from trying to get information on Lucas at the help desk. Her face is red and she looks so tired. She’s gone through so much with Lucas over the past few years and she’s been strong through it all for too long. She lets go of Robins hand and wraps her arms around me beginning to sob. The small amount of composure I had collected for myself is broken when she starts crying.

“They won’t tell me anything Gemma! My baby, my boy, they won’t tell me if he’s okay! He’s been here for almost two hours! They know something and they won’t tell me.” Robin comes up and rubs the both of our backs trying to offer whatever comfort he can. His glasses are fogged and I know he’s cried too.

“He’s a strong lad Annie, he’ll be alright.” My mum lets me go and goes into Robin’s arms and when I look around the waiting area no one is dry eyed. Zay, Niall, Liam, Zayn and all of their girlfriends are here, all of them are here for him but Maya. I sit back in my seat and wait for a doctor to come out with something, anything in regards to my little brother and the way he behaved yesterday makes today’s actions clearer.