Together in Darkness- Moved to AO3

Chapter 13

Y/N POV

I park in the first space I find and grab my phone. Texting my mum as I walk up to reception, I see her walking over to meet me, a strained smile on her face.

"Hey sweetie" she says as she pulls me in for a hug. I pull away, searching her face for a glimpse into what could be so serious. When she notices that I've tensed up, she squeezed my shoulder and told me to follow her.

"Jacob is on a private ward as we wanted it to be quiet and not too busy. He has his own room and private space so that he didn't get upset if he heard the other children in the hospital." She explained as we walked down the corridor. Jacob hates loud noises and often got scared when he heard other children cry. It's not that it scared him all the time but it made him feel anxious and he would often get very nervous and frustrated if he saw other people crying. I tried to calm myself down, breathing in the smell of antibacterial and bleach. The general unnerving hospital smell. I counted my breaths in and out, trying to slow my heart rate down. It could be nothing, they could just want me to be here with them as Jacob liked us all being here together. But it could also be bad. Why else move him from his own room to a hospital? The same panic that had risen the night before had settled in me again, and I found myself wishing I was back with Sofia. I don't know what it is about her but she makes me feel calm. Sitting there last night, holding her and feeling her heart rate against mine, somehow managed to calm me too. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, now was not the time to be dwelling on a girl.

We got to my brothers room just as my dad was closing the door behind him.

"Hey kiddo, how was last night?" He said, ruffling my hair.

"It was ok. Ryan turned up and tried to cause trouble, but other than that it was ok. What's going on, why is Jacob here and not at home?" I asked, not even bothering to hide the concern from my face.

My dad put his arm around mum as he led us to the chairs opposite Jacobs room.

"He took a bit of a turn early this morning and we thought it best to bring him here where he can be monitored. The pain was getting a bit worse and he was being sick again so it was just to be precautious" he said trying to sound convincing, but not fooling me at all. "The reason why we needed you here is because we also need to have you tested. They are testing Jacob for a few things, one of them being a bone weakening disorder as it runs in the family and his most recent results have shown abnormal infections in his bones. The doctors are already treating him and it has begun to clear up so please don't worry. But we do need you checked as it could be genetic. I'm being tested too as it's usually men that a carriers of the illness" he finished sighing heavily. I sat and stared at the floor in front of me. Abnormal infection? Weakening bones? My baby brother was falling apart and there was nothing I could do but hope and pray that the doctors could help him. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, closing my eyes and rubbing my face in my hands. It was only then that the last part registered in my brain. Genetic? It wasn't common knowledge to anyone outside my family and others that needed to know, but me and Jacob didn't have the same dad. My mum left my birth father before I was born because he was abusive. He tried to take me away after I was born but now isn't the time for that man to poison my thoughts further. So why did I need to be tested?

As if she could read my mind, my mum began to talk. "It's very rare that it is carried by females, which is why they are going to test me too hunny. So we will get tested as a family. Just so we can rule out anything further happening. Please don't stress or worry, it is only a small procedure and like your dad said it's just a precautious measure okay?" She said, again pulling me in for a hug. I didn't pull away this time though, I just sat there like I used to as a kid and let her hug me. I felt dizzy like I wanted to pass out.  My head was spinning with all the new information, with the idea that Jacob was seriously poorly and there was nothing I could do. And what if one of my parents had it too and just didn't know?

"The doctor is going to come and take a blood test in a moment from us all, as well as a small biopsy from you too. He will explain the procedure before he does it okay?" I heard mum say and smile at me encouragingly. I nodded back without saying anything, still trying to wrap my head around it all. It's just an infection right? And they're fighting it already so I was being irrational. I didn't need to worry as much as I was because they're helping him already. It would all be fine. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Well, I'm sure they're looking at every possible avenue. Medicine is a remarkable thing and from what I've heard, Jacob is a very strong little guy. He will fight it you'll see" her words rang through my mind, instantly spreading a very needed sense of calmness over my body. I had to remain positive for him. Sofia is right, Jacob is a fighter. She's not even here and she still manages to make me smile.  I looked back up and mum and dad, weakly smiling desperate to convince myself as well as them that I'm coping with this fine. I shouldn't be so selfish as to think of me, I should be thinking of how Jacob is coping.

"Ok well then let's get this done".

The doctor came into the room and began to take a vile of blood from us each. Once that was done, he then began to explain the procedure to get the bone biopsy.

"It's very straight forward and minimal so no need to panic. I will make a small incision on your wrist and the biopsy will be taken from there. I'll then cover it over with a dressing and a stitch and you'll be fine in a couple of days with it healed over. Does that all sound okay?" He asked as he passed around the consent forms. I looked over at mum and dad and we all nodded in agreement. As Jacob was sleeping, he took us one at a time into the room next door and used a numbing gel to stop us from feeling him make the incision. When it was my turn, I sat on the chair, waiting for him to get his sterile knife.

"A face as young as yours young man shouldn't have such deep worry lines. Are you having second thoughts about the procedure?" He asked, his gruff voice pulling me out of my daze.

"No no not at all sir. I'm just worried about my brother" I sighed. Truth is no matter how much I tried to ignore it I was always scared for Jacob. Not just because of how people treat him, but because of how fragile I see him as. I remember him being born and how poorly both he and my mum were. And even growing up the doctors said that his immune system didn't work properly so that he is very susceptible to getting sick. I didn't realise until I was older just how much he had been through and how difficult it was for him to keep up. It made me feel guilty for leaving him behind when all he ever wanted to do was play with me and Thomas and Dove.  And when he caught the measles and was in hospital for 3 weeks on a ventilator I promised myself then that I'd be the best big brother ever and that I would always protect him...fat lot of good I had done so far.

Sensing that I had wandered off again into my own thoughts the doctor began to talk again.

"Now son there is nothing to worry for. He is in the best place and we will do everything we can to have him running around again in no time. There you go, all done. Just make sure that you keep it clean and let your mum change the dressing tomorrow okay." I looked down to see that he had already done the procedure whilst we had been talking. I didn't feel a thing.  I thanked him and went and sat back in the other room with my parents and Jacob. There's nothing to worry about he said, and he's the doctor. They know what they're doing. Sofia was right. Again. I had to trust they are exploring every avenue to help him.

I decided to text her to thank her for keeping me company last night and make sure her sister didn't hound her too much when I dropped her off. Sending the message, I felt my stomach flip a little, trying and failing at hiding the smile that crept onto my face. The girl invaded my mind even in the worst times, bringing back to a calm state and keeping me level headed. It was her eyes that destroyed me. The moment she looked at me, she had my feet pinned to the floor and I was her prisoner. Completely drowning in pools of rich, dark honey brown. And honestly?

Right now, it was my favourite place to be.