I stared at the screen again. What the... Fifteen years and no contact and now, now she's messaging me. fucking bitch, well you can wait sister, you are not my priority now. I shook my head and looked up at Mum, she lay sallow faced and still in the hospital bed. A massive heart attack, floored her, luckely old Mrs Williams was there, she called the ambulance and then me. We arrived together, they went in and made Mum confortable then we both went to the hospital in the ambulance. And here we are, half a day later, she's not regained consciousness and I haven't slept.
I glanced down at my phone again. Tempted to send a flamer to her, but no not with Mum like this. I patiently tapped out a response, just giving her the facts, no bull. Prognosis wasn't good, the Doc said she was lucky to be alive. But and it was a big but, she wasn't capable of surgery. We had to wait and see, she might recover, she might not. My phoned pinged, I looked down. Fuck, she was on her way over, why? Hadn't the bitch done enough? I tried to politely say that there was no need. There was no response this time. She'd come anyway. Bitch! Then I realised just how childish I was being. I knew she visited Mum regularly, just careful to make sure I wasn't there.
I must have dozed off, a hand touched my shoulder, I glanced up, there she was, my little sister, older, sure, but still a looker, trim, well dressed, light makeup. I nodded and rose, we hugged, briefly, I stepped back, she sat down. I muttered about coffee and a bun, she nodded, then took mum's hand, why hadn't I thought of that? I slouched off and found the cafeteria. Took a doughnut, asked for a Latte and sat at a table in the darkest corner. The doughnut disappeared in three bites, the coffee in four gulps, yet I tasted nothing. I rolled away and walked back to Mum's ward.
Chris nodded and moved the chair, so I could put the spare next to it. I twigged and duly moved the chair next to the bed and her chair. We sat looking at Mum. She hadn't moved and the battery of machines by her head, bipped and the traces moved across. I could see her pulse was slow, her blood pressure way down. I heard her shallow breathing, saw the oxygen tubes in her nostrils. I hung my head. A small warm hand closed over mine. I looked at my sister, she smiled sort of. A nurse came in and said we would have to take fifteen minutes as they were about to change and re-medicate her. Chris and I left the room. I looked back as the curtain went round her bed.
Chris touched my arm, then looked at a row of seats in the corridor. I nodded and we wandered over.
"I'm glad to see you Keith, although I had hoped for it to be in better circumstances."
"Wish I could say it was mutual, but I'd be lying." I answered flatly.
"Look I can understand you being cross..."
"Cross? Cross? Cross doesn't even begin to come near what I feel about you... You lying, conniving, two faced, evil little shit."
"Like I said, I can understand..."
"Understand, you understand shit lady. You cannot ever understand how I feel." I gazed at her with a malicious look. I could kick the shit out of her.
"OK, I can sympathise with how you feel."
"I don't need your sympathy bitch."
"Oh for Fucks sake get over yourself Keith, we were kids, not really adult at all, either of us. It was a stupid, stupid error, OK. I admit it, I fucked up big time, OK, now leave it alone."
"You humiliated me, in front of everyone, I was the butt of every wanker for miles. You made me a prize prick in front of my friends."
"Some friends then, well I got hurt too, so leave off with the sob story will you."
"How the fuck did you get hurt? Answer me that, how did you get hurt?"
"I loved her Keith, I really loved her, she used me and got between the pair of us. So yes I got hurt too."
"You loved Cathy? what you mean like love? like hugs and kisses, hearts and flowers love?"
"yes, all that, her name on my books, etc, etc, etc."
"Wow, ha, I never knew that, she shafted you too."
"Well thanks bro, yes she fucked me over good. Ohh Christine, I so love you, Oh Christine, why don't you introduce me to your brother, I'll be nice to you, if you be nice to me..."
"And you fell for it?"
"hook line and sinker, reeled me in, sucked me dry."
"Oh!"
"Yeah, Oh! indeed. So big brother, what you been doing lately?"
"Hiding from you, mostly."
"No lady in your life?"
"Only Mum, you?"