The Final Beat

Chapter 2: Somewhere only we know

The following hours felt like days. My mind knew that it needed to wake up but deep down I knew that I didn't want to. I wanted to retreat to the happy memories of my family and myself without thinking about what was going on around me. Reality was just too painful and I didn't know if I could survive the oncoming storm so for now I would stay in the peace of my fantasies. I would bask in the joy of my brain thinking about all our silly family traditions like opening our Christmas presents at midnight on Christmas Eve or our annual family talent show which we had been doing until I turned thirteen when everyone decided that we were too old. I remember how my brother and I always used to come up with the best dance routines using the moves that he had seen at the street dance battles that he would soon become a part of. However the thought of him brought all the pain back and my internal struggle to regain consciousness began again. Soon I realised that I'd have to wake up at some point so I started to stir as the bright lights of the room pulled me from my slumber. My hearing was the first sense to come back and I could hear a worried voice calling my name whilst another called for a doctor. I could soon smell the strong odour of anaesthetic that came with all hospitals and my vision - though blurry - started to come back. I could see my mother sitting next to me and Micky coming back into the room with a young doctor who offered me a warm smile that on any other occasion I would have found boyishly cute. He approached my bed and started checking the machines beside me. 

"Whe-" I croaked only to be cut off by the doctor and my apparent lack of speech.

"Don't try to speak" he said gently. "You've been unconscious for three hours due to a severe asthma attack so your throat might be a bit sore for a few days."

"Eddie!" I gasped before a fit of coughs surged through me.

"He's in ICU. I'm afraid your brother's injuries were very severe and we've almost lost him multiple times. He's currently stable but still highly critical. We've scheduled surgery for eight am tomorrow and hopefully we'll have a better idea of his survival rate and we'll be able to give you more information. For now, you need plenty of rest and we'll monitor you over night so you can hopefully go home by midday tomorrow." He smiled before one final check of my vitals and left the room. I was clouded with worry and confusion and I couldn't quite grasp the reality of the situation. How is it possible that my brother, who dropped me off at school this morning just like every other day, could be in hospital fighting for his life? This isn't the kind of thing that happened to our family. Sure we live next door to a gang-ridden estate where most of our friends live but this was the kind of thing that happened to people we knew, people in gangs, not us.

My mother sobbed silently as she held my hand and I started to realise what she must have gone through today. Being called to hospital where two of her four children were lying unconscious. I assumed that my father was with Eddie and my younger brother, Diego, and sister, Carmen, where with my Aunt Ava.

Micky was sitting in the chairs across the room staring ahead at nothing. She looked like she hadn't slept in a week and her make up was smudged randomly on her face. She was a mess but I didn't doubt that I looked the same.

An elderly nurse came into the room to check my blood pressure and told me that two police officers would come back in the morning before I'd be discharged to take a statement. She must have seen the puzzled look on my face as she added; "since you were on the scene during the fight. Your friend Michalea already gave one saying that she didn't recognise the other man and you'll probably say the same thing but they have to be sure. Your story is all over the news encouraging by-standers to come forward so I have no doubt in my mind that they'll find the guy." 

Although she was trying to be reassuring I could tell she clearly didn't know what the people of Westbridge Estate were like. No one would be willing to snitch for fear that they'd end up like my brother, but I smiled anyway as she left the room.

Suddenly my mother looked up as she realised that someone had been in the room. She also looked exhausted and her hands were gently shaking. She wasn't looking at me, more looking through me as I tried to read her expression. Her usually blue eyes were dark and if they were the window to the soul then there was no one there as she seemed completely blank.

"Mum?" I croaked going against the doctors orders. She carried on staring ahead gently swaying backwards and forwards.

"Mama!" I said more forcefully as an unbearable ache grew at the back of my throat. Still she stared as if she had disappeared to her own world. She started humming in her soothing voice as if she was singing a lullaby to me like when I was a child.

I walked across
An empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth
Beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Micky knelt next to her and gently tried to shake her from her trance. Her voice was soft and beautiful so I closed my eyes and leaned back.

If you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know
Somewhere only we know

I knew the song well as my mum was the one who taught it to me and before I knew it, I'd slipped into the darkness and was laying beneath the glowing stars.

Tonight was going to be a good night and I had hope that Eddie would pull through...

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A/N
Hi guys, I know this was a really quick update but I couldn't help myself! How do we like it so far? All feedback is good feedback so don't be silent readers!! 😊😍💋
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--love Whitney❤️ xx