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?"
"I live with my wife Edie, we have a place out Hampton Wick way, two cats and a mortgage."
"Married huh? she good for you? You guys settled?"
"Like old slippers, we fit. Met her eleven years ago, we had fun, moved in together and about three years ago got married."
"Well good for you, me I'm just a homeboy. Still living with Mum, she does all my cleaning and stuff and occasionally she let's me cook dinner. I go to a dance class on Wednesday and quiz nights Monday at the Eagle."
"Settled man, what dance class do you do?"
"Tap, why?"
"Crazy, I do tap too."
"I blame Ryan Gosling by the way."
She laughed and I touched Chris's hand, nodding up the corridor I stood.
"Let's go back, they might have finished by now." She nodded and we held hands walking along the passageway. As we got closer a red light above the door flashed and an alarm rang. We were beaten to the door by four figures moving with intense speed. A fifth closed the door and stood in front of it. We watched the red light go off and the sounds of someone giving precise instructions. Suddenly the figure in front of the door stepped aside and the four figures ran out pushing Mum's bed between them.
"What's happening?" Chris shouted, as the figures disappeared down the corridor.
"Your Mum's arrested; her hearts stopped. They are taking her to the crash room to try to restart it. Wait here." She pointed to the row of chairs again.
The door was open, the room empty, I looked round, no one at the nurses station. We waited and waited. Finally when I looked again, there was a nurse, I strode towards her, she looked at me and shook her head. I slowed, Christine's fingers gripped mine.
"Mr Peter's, Miss Peter's, your mother's OK she survived but ... Well she'll be in ICU for the time being, I'm afraid that you'll not be allowed in at the moment, but there's a window, you can see her through..."
She faltered, I nodded, tears filled my eyes, Chris wailed and grabbed me, her body heaved as she sobbed against my shoulder, I put my arms round her. After a while we were led to a small room. A senior nurse came, she brought us tea. A doctor came, he explained the situation and offered his opinion, it was fifty/fifty on her surviving and forty/sixty she would recover sufficiently to be allowed out of ICU in a week or so . I remember one of us said thank you. We held each other desperately. We were given tea and sympathy then suddenly found ourselves in the car park, after deciding nothing more could be done today. They had both our numbers, so if anything changed they'd call.