A Million Hiding Places {Completed}

Chapter Five: A Hug from A Stranger

Harley

"So, we're inviting you to dinner with my family, just so we can disscuss my son's progress." Patrick declared into the phone.

I shivered, wrapping my coat around me tightly. I'd lost a lot of weight recently... even Chris notcied and he's barely ever awake these days. My heart squeezed...Oh, Chris...

"Harley! Are you even listening to me?!" Patrick yelled, causing me to jerk the phone away from my ear in fright.

"Patrick, I have to take my little brother to the Hospital for his Treatment that night." I explained carefully.

"Well, you'll just have to get someone else to go for you."

"What?!" I yelled into the phone. Miss my brothers treatment? What the hell was he on about?! Doesn't he know.... oh, no, he doesn't no. Infact the only people that know are Chris, Jackson , Chris's school teacher and me. "Patrick, no. I'm not missing his treatment."

"Harley, my son will be picking you up for Dinner this afternoon at 6.30pm. You will be ready and you will attend or you will be out of a job! Are we clear?"

I sighed, grinding my teeth together. Now that Chris was sick, I couldn't afford to be jobless. And the money I was earning was good money- enough to pay his ever mounting bills. "Fine." I snapped the phone back onto the holder and walked into the lounge room.

Amelia and Jake were curled up next to eachother on the sofa, sleeping deeply. I smiled lovingly, picking them up, one in each arm. I trudged down the hallway to their room. Putting them in Amelia's bed together, I snuck back out.

Walking down the hallway, I went to check on Chris, who was asleep in his bed. Poking my head in the door, I shone my flashlight into the pitch black room.

He wasn't in his bed. I looked at the clock. 6.00pm.

"Chris?!" I yelled, dropping the tourch on the ground and running down the hall, my heart beating wildly. "Chris, honey, answer me!"

I looked in my room; the lounge room; the spare room.... Nothing, no Chris.

"Chris, answer me, god damnit!" I screamed, panic rising to boling over point.

I slid into the kitchen, frantic. There he was, slumped against the open fridge.

I kneeled hurriedly in fronf of him. "Chris, honey, open your eyes."

I shook his shoulders lightly. "Chris," My voice broke, tears streaming down my face. "Please, Chris, open your eyes!"

Chris's eyes fluttered and he leaned over my hands, throwing up nothing but stomach acid on the kitchen floor. I rubbed his back, wiping away my tears. He's alive. Thats all I could think. Over and over, thats all I could think.

Chris slumped against my body, sobbing. "Honey, what are you doing up?" I cooed, holding his fragile shaking body.

"I wanted water." He sobbed. "And I can't even do that anymore!" He screeched, clawing at my shoulder. "I can't even walk without passing out, Harley!"

I kissed his forehead and scooped him up in my arms. God he was light... he was loosing too much weight. Too much weight. I laied him on the sofa, wrapping a blanket around his shaking body. "Shhh... honey, breath, breath."

There was a knock at the door. I glanced up from Chris, whose eyes were closing with sleep.

I opened the door, not caring that I looked like shit and probably smelt like puke.

"Robbie?"

~~~~

Robbie

"Robbie?"