Loving Jemima

58. Sleep tight angel

Matty

We dragged max back kicking and screaming, I was restraining from doing so myself, anxiously watching police storm my parents house. We were shoved inside a neighbours house who offered us shelter, waving us inside, a police officer guiding us in.
"No! No! Nooo get off me" max clung to the door frame "I need to get to her, I need to get to my boy! Let me go you bastard!"
"Mate please, you're not helping!" I tried to pry his fingers out of the death grip he had on the door frame "max! I'm gonna flip if you don't fucking let go!" I fell backwards, max landing on top of me, I quickly grabbed hold of him in a bear hug as he continued to thrash around in a blind panic. Jack came over and slapped his face harshly.
"Oi! Snap the fuck out of it Maxwell! You want to help Em and your son you need to calm the fuck down and help me!"
Max lay on top of me with his eyes screwed shut taking large inhales of breath "good lad. Now listen, I don't know what's going on but if you want us to find out then you get up, you sit your arse down and you wait. Calmly. If Matty can bloody do it then so can you." Jack winked at me.

"Sorry." Max breathed out
"You good?" I asked
"Here son, whiskey." Harold, Ralph's drinking buddy offered max a glass, max took it sitting up, the glass trembling in his hand
"Thank you" max stuttered out "don't fffffucking start stuttering nnnnow you fffffool."
"Hey you're alright. Together remember. Let's go sit in here. I'm sure they'll be in any minute to let us know what's going on."
"I should have gggone with them. My bbbboy mmmatty"
"I know. Believe me I know. He's my nephew. She's my everything. I know alright. I need you to keep me calm so I don't trash Harold's house like I did when I was eleven."
"Jesus Matty, water under bridge mate, stop bringing it up. Between me and you. I hated that ruddy lamp, don't tell the wife it was a gift from her mother. Don't get me started on the hideous curtains you tore down, you did me a favour!"

We waited in pure silence, max's knee bobbing violently, Tom pacing, me punching the arm of the sofa mindlessly, counting in my head like I often did with my sister to keep her calm "oh fuck" I threw my head back "did anyone remember Levi!"
"Oh fuck I didn't see him get in the car with Emmy. He must still be back at the house, the glass! It was everywhere. What if someone snatched him!"
"I'll send Eggy to fetch him. Shoot I mean Eddie. Em's got me at it. It's what we call him, because he looks like an egg and it gets confusing with Ed" jack laughed then sighed "that girls a tough cookie max. Don't underestimate her. We became close on tour. I know she thinks I like hanging out with her because I'm paid to but I actually enjoy it. She's hilarious. She made up this hilarious song about Matty's ever changing hair colour. We used to sit backstage and see who could balance the most biscuits on our foreheads or who could make posh boy blush the brightest. Most fun I've had on tour in forever, even if she was sick for half of it. She'll be alright mate. Anything you want Eggy to grab for you while he's there?"
"We didn't finish packing we just left, she's just got his baby bag, shoot I was supposed to refill it when we got back from the hospital, I forgot because we haven't been anywhere but the back garden. I don't know where we're going or for how long. What he'll need, what she'll need, I haven't got a clue, I'm useless." Max held his head in his hands, at least he'd stopped stuttering.

"For now grab his pram, if he can work out how to work the thing. Max bought some fancy one."
"It said it was good for his back and that it would grow with him!" Max protested "it's got different attachments as he gets bigger. Car seat even clicks into it. He likes laying in the big old fashioned pram thing though" max teared up.
"I'll tell him, he's got four of his own I'm sure he can figure it out. Anything else."
"His swing chair?" Max asked unsurely "he loves his swing chair."
"Maybe just his blue pacifiers, should be in the kitchen. Shit and my sisters medication. Damn it, just grab the pram, pacifiers and anything else he thinks is obvious, like you say he's got four he should know what we'll need" I shook my head "I'll go back with you jack once we know what's happening to get the rest, or max will."