In The Darkest Hour

Part One - Chapter Four: Unemployment Sucks

Isla sighed sitting in her parents kitchen, she couldn’t believe that it had been three months already since she had lost her job; it was only the beginning of the downward spiral that had become her life.

Isla had lost her apartment just weeks after being sacked, she hadn’t been able to keep up with the bills since she was having trouble getting a new job.

“How is the job search going?” Tracy Sanz asked looking at her daughter concerned, the last few years had been rough for Isla and she worried that this might push her daughter back in her recovery.

Tracy hated how much her daughter had suffered and that some snobby doctor had gone and made it worse; there was little that they could do to fight for Isla’s job back.

“Not so good,” Isla replied smiling, she looked up at her mother hoping that she had answers for what she could do; she hated that she was back living with her parents especially since they were having to pay for everything and she couldn’t help.

Tracy sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of her eldest child’s head, she didn’t know what to do to help and she had a feeling that the real perpetrator would get away with what she had done.

“Maybe you should take a job at your padre’s office,” Tracy suggested moving to start dinner, she was sure that her husband and Isla’s father would be able to get her some work; she needed to do something instead of moping around the house all day.

Isla shook her head, she couldn’t see herself ever working in some boring office and she already knew that the owner of her father’s business didn’t want her there.

“You need to do something Isla… you can’t stay here forever, even if we love having you here,” Tracy poked encouragingly, she loved having her daughter home but Isla needed to get back on her feet before she got to content with doing nothing with her life.

***

Montserrat frowned as she stepped into her son’s home, the past three months had been far from easy for him and he had all but shut down after Isabel’s funeral; she hated that he had nearly stopped functioning.

Milan’s cries filled the air and Montserrat wondered how long her grandson had been crying for, she hated that Gerard wasn’t looking after the little boy and she knew something had to be done.

Montserrat sighed moving up the stairs to the first floor, she wondered how Gerard could sleep through the noise of his own son screaming; they were lucky that Gerard didn’t have any neighbours.

Stepping out onto the first floor, Montserrat frowned spotting her son passed out on the couch in the living room instead of sleeping in his bedroom.

Montserrat tutted at her son’s behaviour, she walked over to him and shook him awake; it had been three months and there was no sign of him ever recovering from what had happened.

“What?” Gerard snapped wondering why he was being woken up, he frowned glaring up at his mother as he pushed her away; he had been having a good sleep.

Montserrat sighed, she was growing tired of Gerard’s moping and she wished that he would get his act together; he hardly went to training and she feared Barcelona would want to sell him soon.

“Do you not hear your son crying for you?” Montserrat snapped, she feared what would happen if he was forced to transfer and she doubted he would go; he seemed content one wasting away at home not caring anymore.

Gerard rubbed his eyes, he had heard Milan crying but it was too hard for him to care for his son; he was nothing more than a constant reminder of what Gerard had lost.

“I’m thinking about hiring a nanny,” Montserrat stated wanting Gerard to know what she had in mind, she was busy at work trying to get an investigation started and she was now basically raising her grandson.

Gerard only grunted in response, he didn’t care as long as he didn’t have to deal with Milan; he had no idea what was going to happen and he hated that Isabel wasn’t here.

“I think you need to talk to someone… you aren’t coping Gerard and Isabel wouldn’t want you to be like this,” Montserrat whispered staring at her son, she wanted her cheerful, cheeky little boy back not this dark brooding man that had shut himself away from the world.

Montserrat wished that there was some way that she could heal him, she hated how he had become like this and she vowed to bring the right person to justice.

“How would you know what Isabel would want? She’s dead all because some nurse screwed up,” Gerard snapped furiously, he had read in the paper about the nurse that had been fired for killing his fiancée; he wished he could have been there when they had sacked her.

Montserrat flinched, she had tried to explain to Gerard that it had been a cover up and the nurse was innocent but he wouldn’t have it; he needed someone to blame right now for what had happened.

“Do what you want… I don’t care,” Gerard whispered shaking his head before he moved away from his mother and headed for the kitchen; he wished that Isabel was here because she would know what to do.

Montserrat watched him leave, she sighed and slowly headed up to the second floor to collect Milan; she had a plan and she hoped that it would help her son cope with what had happened.

***

“You could always come and stay with me,” Joanna replied looking at Isla, she missed working with her friend and she knew that things hadn’t been easy since she had been fired.

Sharon walked around the hospital as if she was untouchable and a lot of the nurses had started to question just who had been the one to mess up; they all knew that some sort of cover up had happened.

“I don’t know,” Isla murmured feeling bad about everything, she had no idea what to do and she wished that she had some answers; she hated how her life was turning out.

Joanna sighed wishing that there was some way that she could help, she doubted that Isla would ever be able to return to being a nurse; she had been stuck off and until Sharon was proved guilty there was little anyone could do.

“Come on… I have more than enough space and your parents wouldn’t be on your back,” Joanna said knowing that Tracy and Theodore weren’t going to be much help to Isla; they wanted what was best for their daughter but they would push her to do something that she wasn’t ready for.

Isla chewed on her lip, she didn’t have any answers and she had a lot on her plate with losing her job; she wouldn’t be able to help Joanna with rent or bills if she moved in with her.

“Are you sure?” Isla asked desperate to get away from her parents for a bit, they were driving her up the wall and she needed time to get herself together to plan her next move.

Joanna nodded her head, she knew that it wasn’t much but it was the least that she could do since she hadn’t been able to help Isla keep her job at the hospital or her nursing licence.

“It’ll be great,” Joanna replied linking arms as they walked down the street, it would work out perfectly until Isla got back on her feet and decided what she wanted to do next.