Missing Martha

7

"Hey Ryan." Said Martin, walking into his cubical. The rest of the band waited outside.
"Hey.." groaned Ryan, squinting up at his teacher.
"You okay?" He asked, sitting down at the end of Ryan's bed.
"Been better." Sighed Ryan,
"Where's Miss Flynn?" Asked Martin, Zoë had been in the ambulance with Ryan.
"She's talking to my parents I think." Said Ryan, pulling out his phone for a couple seconds before sighing and putting it down. "I'm sorry about what happened in class today. I don't know what was up with me.. I was such a prick." He said,
Martin gave a chuckle that Ryan could slip out a swear word in front of him.
"Can we pretend it didn't happen? I know I've got to apologise to the rest of the gang.. I've just been stupid." Asked Ryan,
"Course mate." Laughed Martin, pulling a seat over and sitting beside him.
"But... why were you off for three months?" Asked Ryan, still confused.
Martin looked down, he didn't want the band to know about his personal life, as much as he liked them, but as the rest of them had found Martha's funeral leaflet in his car, he knew he might as well explain. However Ryan gradually took out the picture of Martha that Martin had thrown in the bin the day he came back.
Martin stared at the photo, his eyes watering,
"I.. I was confused why you threw it in the bin.." said Ryan, "we thought she was your daughter?"
Martin looked to the ground, feeling ill,
"She was." He whispered, remembering running down the stairs and seeing her on the ground, blood oozing from a gun shot wound in her stomach.
All of a sudden Martin realised that Ryan had put his hand on his shoulder; he knew. Well he didn't know everything but enough to see that Martin had lost his daughter and his wife.
Martin clutched the photo of his dead daughter, looking into her big excited eyes.
"Hey you guys." Said Zoe, walking into the cubical. Martin looked up, putting the picture in his jacket pocket.
"Hey." He replied as Ryan joined his hands again.
Martin felt instantly comforted around Zoe, it was possibly because she knew a lot about him, she has seen him at his worst, and no one had seen him like that except his now-dead wife.
Thinking of his wife made him remember that the funeral was today.
Martin checked his clock, it was twenty-past ten and the funeral started at half-past eleven, but he wanted to get there early.
"I-I've gotta go-" he said, standing up.
"Emily's funeral?" Guessed Zoë.
Martin nodded, straightening his black tie. He was surprised when Zoe hugged him, and he could feel himself blushing. Although it was only short and subtle he felt he needed it.
"It'll only last about half an hour- I'll come back and pick the rest of them up in about an hour." Said Martin.
"No you won't." Replied Zoë, surprising Martin yet again. "Let me deal with this, take the day off."
"Well then.." Martin threw her his keys, "you can drive them back."
"Are you sure?" She asked, taking a brief glance at the keys,
"Of course- my house is just down the road I'll walk." He insisted,
Zoe smiled, "I'll try not to crash it."
Martin patted her arm, "see ya." He said, "bye Ryan." He added, almost forgetting he was there.

After Martin left Ryan looked up to Zoë who was still looking to the door where Martin had left from,
"Not gonna lie, I thought he was going to kiss you."  Laughed Ryan. Zoe turned to Ryan giggling,
"Shut up!" She laughed before Ryan's parents entered his cubical and Zoe walked back out into the corridor to see the rest band.
"Is he alright?" Asked Ollie, sitting on one of the plastic waiting chairs beside Jemma, Lucy and Cloda.
"Yeah do you wanna see him?" Asked Zoë,
"Are his parents in there?" Asked Ollie,
"Y-yeah." She responded, taking a seat.
"Nah, his parents don't like me, they think I have a bad influence on Ryan."
"How come?" Asked Zoë, laughing slightly,
"For some reason they think I smoke?" He chuckled,
"Do you?" Asked Zoë,
"No! Do I look like a smoker? I'm only sixteen." He laughed,
"No of course not! That's a weird accusation!"
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Asked Cloda,
"I don't know, I'm sure if it's anything serious it'll b-"
Zoe was cut off by Ryan's mother running out of the cubical and calling for help.
Two nurses and a doctor ran into the cubical and the door closed.
Everyone sat transfixed and helpless.
"We should go home." Murmured Lucy in shock,
"No we need to see if he's okay." Insisted Cloda.
"And what if he's not okay? His parents need to be with him, we shouldn't be here." Replied Lucy.
"Lucy is right, he needs to be with his parents." Said Zoe. "But I can have a word with the doctor and see if he's okay."
The band nodded in appreciation, they were scared about their friend.

When Martin arrived home he walked into the bathroom, running some gel through his hair. People were due to arrive any minute now.
Martin walked back into the living room where the coffin lay on the table.
He looked at Emily's beautiful face. He missed her. Even though all through their marriage he had planned to have a divorce, he couldn't help but miss her.
He brushed her long auburn hair onto her shoulders, looking down at her cold white hands before he felt his eyes tensing.
Martin rushed back into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. His eyes were darker than before, his shadowed cheeks probably could have done with a shave and his tear duct was grey with fatigue. His eyes focused on the actual mirror, he never understood how the pale coloured smears of foundation got there, or the mascara stains on the sink and the lipstick imprints on her toothbrush. She was scattered around the house like sand on the beach. She was everywhere.
But beyond those stains were the fingerprints of Martha; from the kids toothpaste to the bath toys. Martin remembered the games he played with her, each little toy had a character, a name, a personality from Martha's imagination.
Martin took a shaking step against the wall. Remembering the times he was called 'daddy', remembering his daughter, his wife, his family.
Now everyone was gone.