She would persevere

chapter 8

Oh, all these minutes passing, sick of feeling used
If you wanna break these walls down, you're gonna get bruised
Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to think. My mind was going a mile an hour. Trying to come up with a plausible excuse. But nothing would work. He was here. He recognised her at first glance. He knew that her chart was filled with lies.

Her name. Lie.
Her family. Lie.
Everything. A big capitol 'F' lie.

I'm so screwed!

"Lainy? How... What are..." Kiel tried to make a correct sentence but he was just as stumped as I was.

"Doctor DiMartino? Do you know Miss Wilson?" Nurse Joan asked. She just had to ask.
"Miss Wilson?" Kiel was still shocked.

"We can explain..." Maman tried. She really tried.

"Explain? Explain away, Ma'am. Explain how my own sister is in a hospital bed trying to recover from two gunshot wounds and has been admitted under a false name?!" He shouted out.

Nurse Joan looked at me wide eyed, shocked.
Shit. All I could think about was Shit!

"What in heaven's name is going on?" Nurse Joan asked while still looking at me.

I looked from her to him, then to my hands that were in my lap. I had no comment that could get me out of this situation easily. I started biting my inner lip, I was anxious.
Whilst my mind was in turmoil, I didn't notice him walking closer. I didn't notice he sat down on my bed. I didn't notice him holding my hands. Not until he started rubbing them softly.

Looking back up at him, his eyes were filled with love and concern.

But why? Didn't they all hate me? My eyes started filling up, my vision becoming blurry and before I knew it. I was being hugged. I was being held in a solemn, safe embrace by my brother. Ezekiel. The twin to my knight.

And the dam broke.

I started to cry and sob, my arms going around his body. Holding on to his coat as if my life depended on it. As if it were the simple air I needed to breathe. I kept crying. My eyes kept leaking fluids. I hated that a simple hug, a tight hug from one of my eldest brothers could shake up so much emotion. Emotion I thought I dealt with years ago with therapie. Kiel never stopped hugging me. He never let go of me. Not even when he whispered words I never thought I would hear him say.

"I missed you so much Lainy. I love you so much. All these years apart. I missed you. You laugh, your smile, your goofiness. I missed it all. I know that you didn't want us to visit, but let me at least have this."

Letting go slightly so I could see his face, I looked at him confused.

"I missed you too, kiel. But what do you mean that I didn't want you to visit? Who told you that?"

"Mom."

I wanted to reply, but maman came back into the room. I didn't even notice that they had left.

"Cherie, the detective is here to ask you some questions."

I merely nodded my head while Kiel stood back up.

"Good afternoon Miss Wilson. I am detective Porter and this is my partner Jacks. We're here to talk about what happened Saturday night that made you end up here."

"Okay."

They looked at both maman and Kiel, their eyes questioning when they would leave. As they made no attempt to go, I simply told the officers that they could hear what I had to say.