Loving Jemima

15. You have a right to be angry

Matty

"Oh my god how is she?" Sandra came rushing over looking at Jem sleeping in Toms arms as he carried her into the house.
"She had to have stitches. She's got a really bad concussion, severe, possibly up to a week recovery time or longer." Tom said "she's very confused and disorientated and...she's got some memory loss, but they said it could come back in an hour or in a week, they just don't know, it's wait and see, but it should come back, hopefully."
"How bad?"
"I'm not sure, I think it's just recent stuff, she doesn't remember today at all at the moment."
"Oh my goodness, your poor sister Matty, I mean she has some serious bad luck!" Laura sighed sadly, Ed hugging his girlfriend
"She remembers you though babe, sort of" he smiled
"Really? She talked about me?"
"She was asking if you were my girlfriend"
"Actually she asked if he had two girlfriends...candy! Told him off for misbehaving." Milo raised his eyebrows at Laura and she laughed
"She's coming out with a bunch of weird and repetitive questions, they said that could last a while, maybe a week but hopefully less, it's a bit like when she got drunk on the punch juices eh Matty" Ed slapped me on the back.

"So she doesn't know it was you who..." Ralph asked
"No he tried to blame it on me, so now she keeps asking me if I hit her! She kicked me in the ribs. She's petrified of me thanks to that jackass!" Max shoved past me "Tom sit down somewhere with her before you drop her please! I'll sort her some clean clothes when she wakes up." He ordered Tom.
"Max is NOT a happy bunny, she keeps forgetting about them, she either thinks Matty doesn't know or she's asked for William a couple of times or she thinks he hit her thanks to this dope! She was screaming at him, kicking him, the fear in her eyes, like he said absolutely petrified of him. Same look in her eyes when we rescued her from that hotel room. God I hope she doesn't think he did anything else to her." Milo filled everyone in.

"Oh no the poor boy must be distraught." Sandra gushed
"Yeah well if he hadn't have..." I started before Sandra cut my off harshly.
"You young man, buck your bloody ideas up, you hear me, that boy worships the ground your sister walks on, and if you can't see that you'll end up pushing her away! You hit your sister, yes it was an accident, but she might not remember that, that petrified look aimed at max might well be coming your way when she finds out mister, you just think about that! I'm so disappointed in you Matthew!" Sandra spun on her heels leaving me speechless.
"Come on mate lets get some food down ya. I know mate, alright, I know, but you handled this the wrong way Matt. There's wrong on both sides." Ed guided me out to the garden, where all the parents were glaring at me in disgust, I hung me head in shame taking a seat near Tom and my sleepy sister. I had serious anger issues as a kid, Sandra and Ralph sent my to anger management when it got out of hand after my grandma died, I'd worked for years to keep my temper in check. It had been creeping back in since Jem had been back in my life. It had never gone away but I'd learnt to control it for the most part.

Jem woke up confused that she was no longer in the car, looking around at us all then holding her head.
"Matty?..."
"You hit your head Jem"
"Max hit me?"
"No sweetie max didn't hit you darling" Sandra told her walking over to us "let's get you some food and some clean clothes eh?"
"Food?" Jem asked puzzled, Sandra nodded "I don't like food!" She said plainly "Matty I don't like food do I? Why don't I like food Matty?"
"Umm" I wasn't sure whether to lie or not.
"Emmy baby" max said crouching down to her level "remember you have to eat because you get sick if you don't."
"You rub my tummy Don't you max, when it hurts to eat?" Max smiled and nodded at her "and you hug me when I see the bad things" he nodded again "but you hit me max, Matty said.." max went to stroke her hair and she flinched away back into Tom

"Tom max hit me, why did he hit me Tom? why would he do that to me?"
"No Em he didn't, max loves you, he'd never hit you" Tom comforted her
she touched her swollen bruised face. "Who hit me tom?"
"Someone else Em" her eyes widened as they did in the car "no not Steve Em, you're safe."
"Emmy baby, Do you want me to help you eat?" Max asked sweetly
"Max! Who hit you?" She gasped touching his bruised face concerned "oh no your handsome face!"
"It doesn't matter Emmy, I'm ok. remember we have to eat now. Do you want one of your nutrition juices or a hotdog or milo can whip you up something else, there's some burgers left?" Jem held her head and looked at him confused "ok too many options, come on Emmy I got you" He lifted her up under her butt and carried her to the kitchen.