BURNS » Niam ✔

10 - A Good Brother (Final)

"Hi. How can I help you?"

Niall was standing at the desk and the lady behind the computer was looking up at him with a smile. "My name is Niall Horan. I'm here to visit Greg Horan. I've been here before."

"Oh yes. Ms. Betty called the front desk earlier and let me know you'd be coming in with chips and a canned drink for Greg. Hold on a second and let me get you into the computer."

She typed Greg's name into the computer and when she found him, she then logged Niall into the patient log.

"Alright, I'll take you to see him. Ms. Betty should be in the room with him."

She got up from her chair and led Niall to Greg's room. She was the one to knock on the room door and soon, Ms. Betty opened the door. She was happy to see him.

"Mr. Horan. You made it. Come on in."

Niall did and she closed the door behind him.

"Greg just finished his bath. Unfortunately, he thought it would be fun to play with the syrup that came with his pancakes this morning. Got it all over himself and down in his clothes."

Niall chuckled. "Oh no."

"Don't worry one bit. He loved it. Almost fought me to keep from having to get in the tub."

He walked all the way into the room and saw Greg sitting in bed on top of the covers and in his white gown.

"Ms. Betty. The TV." He said.

"Hold on a moment. Let's not turn it on, yet. Someone is here to see you. See?"

He looked curiously at Niall. "Who are you?"

For once, Niall was actually happy that Greg didn't remember him. Because if he had remembered him, then that would mean he probably remembered how he came in and accused him of murder the last time he was here. But Niall was hoping to start over fresh. He was hoping to have a much different visit that resulted in a much different outcome.

"I'm your brother."

"What? I have a brother?"

"Yes. You do. But it's okay if you can't remember me."

"Okay."

Niall sighed, then slowly walked over to the bed so he didn't scare him. "You know what I heard?"

"No."

"I heard you are a big fan of salted chips and orange soda."

He only nodded. But he was surprised when Niall pulled the two items he just mentioned from his bag.

"Is that mine?"

"Yes."

Ms. Betty smiled. "That's a gift, Greg. What do you say?"

"Thank you."

He took them from him shyly and Ms. Betty came over, while pushing a rolling table with an empty styrofoam cup and empty styrofoam bowl already on it. "You know the drill, Greg. We always pour everything out, remember?"

"Yes ma'am."

He let her take the items from him and open them.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Horan." She said to Niall. "When someone brings in outside food, we have to do this to make sure no one is trying to slip weapons or objects that can cause patients harm into these items. Some years ago, we had a patient who cut herself and almost killed herself by doing it before she came here. Her family was paying for her stay here and they were tired of doing it, so they tried to get rid of her by slipping in a razor blade into a bag of chips and resealing it. Luckily we caught it before the patient had a chance to do anything with it."