Ivy ( rise of the planet of the apes )

Chapter Five

Dad ran past and up the stairs, the both of us on his tail. We stopped outside of Grandpa's room, quietly watching the scene unfold.

"I-I can't do this any-anymore", the nurse cried through heavy sobs. I looked between Grandpa and Dad, unsure of what was going on.

"This is no way to live. He-he belongs...in a home", she finished walking out the room and leaving the house. I leant my head against the doorway of the room as Dad called Grandpa down and sat him on the bed.

"No way to live. No way to...live", he muttered, hands shaking as blood dripped down them.

I walked into the room, cautious of what to say.

"Is Grandpa okay, Dad?", I asked, tears in my eyes.

What was the nurse saying, he belongs in a home? This is his home, I reassured myself. He belongs in this home, with his family.

"Grandpa's...going to be fine. He just needs some medicine", he mumbled, staring off into space as he bandaged his hands up.

"He isn't leaving is he?", I asked, walking up to Dad to stand next to him and watch Grandpa fade to sleep on his bed.

"Grandpa's never leaving, Ivy. Don't you worry about that", he trailed off, kissing me on the forehead before standing up and walking out the room.

"I need to go to work for a few hours. Will you be okay or shall I call the nanny?", Dad asked as he rushed around to find his work clothes.

"But I thought you weren't going today!", I accused. How did my fun Saturday turn into such a dull one all of a sudden.

"Hey, Ivy! Don't get angry with me. I know what I said but this can't wait", he scolded, putting his jacket on for work. "Grandpa can't wait."

I hardly caught the last line since he mumbled it, but I caught it nonetheless. I didn't ask him what he meant because I knew he wouldn't give me answers.

"Call a nanny", I grumbled, before leaving Grandpa's room and going to my bedroom, slamming the door.

I listened carefully for the next few minutes, hearing Dad call the nanny and waiting for her to arrive before he left the house. I heard the nanny help Grandpa to bed.

"I'm fine!", I yelled, trying to stop the nanny from coming into my room.

"Okay honey", she replied, walking away from my bedroom door and down the stairs.

I could finally be on my own, I thought, as I crawled over to my window and stared out.

Something was happening to Grandpa. He was always ill but we always worked it out. There was only one other time it ever got this bad.

I was 5.

Dad had been at work so it was just me at home with Grandpa. We were eating breakfast, and at some point he changed his knife from a harmless one to a sharper one. I didn't realise he'd done that until he was out the door and I heard a woman scream.

When I got outside, I tried to get Grandpa back inside before the lady called the police. But I was so scared, I just cried.

This lady did call the police, saying he'd attacked her. She was an ugly liar.

I remember screaming as they arrested him, but they didn't bother to listen to some kid who probably wouldn't know her left from her right.

'He's innocent', I'd scream. 'He's my grandpa, he's not dangerous.'

I remember, for a while after, so many people would come to our house, dressed in suits, trying to take Grandpa away from me. They said they wouldn't, under the condition we'd get a nanny, and we did.

But we won then, and we'll win again now.

All we'll need is two nannies.

One thing I knew then, that I definitely know now, is that you never abandon family. Even if it kills you.

I wiped my face of its tears, turning to see who opened the door of my room. I smiled when I saw it was Caesar.

"Hey, C. How you doing?", I asked, signing with my hands.

"I'm okay. You?", he signed, hooting.

"Eh. Been better", I mumbled.

Caesar took a seat in front of me on the bed, cross legged.

"Grandpa?", I asked. He nodded, letting me know he was okay too. I nodded back, forcing down new tears.

Caesar hooted to bring my attention to him, and he looked me in the eyes in reassurance. He brought his hand behind my head and I did the same, our foreheads touching. We closed our eyes, sitting in silence. It calmed me down miraculously.

Caesar's hand rested on my face to get my attention again. I opened my eyes to see Mitch in his hands. I grinned, taking my blue, knitted toy from him.

"Where'd you find Mitch?", I asked, my mood lifted considerably. He just shrugged his shoulders, now more interested in my window than Mitch.

He began gibbering and jumping on my bed, before the front door opened downstairs. Dad's home.

I opened the door and Caesar ran down the stairs to greet him. I waited for him to come upstairs.

"Hey, Ivy. You okay?", Dad asked, walking up to me and kissing me on the forehead.

"I'm okay. How was work?", I asked casually, but wanting to know what was so important he couldn't stay home with us on a Saturday.

"I've got it, Ivy. Grandpa's medicine", he told me, smiling in relief.

"Really? Does that mean he's going to be okay?", I asked, a new hope instilled in me. If Dad found the cure then that solves everything.

"Hold on, now it's not 100%. We'll have to wait and see", he said, sitting down on the bed next to a laying Grandpa.

Me and Caesar stood in the doorway, watching as Dad injected the medicine from a weird looking syringe, into Grandpa's arm.

"This is going to make you better, Dad", he mumbled, watching Grandpa fall asleep straight away.

"Get to bed, kids. I'm gonna stick with Grandpa for a while", he instructed, sitting down on the armchair beside the bed.

I complied happily, telling them both goodnight and getting into my own bed.

Please, please, pleeeease, God. Please make my Grandpa better. He doesn't deserve to be ill anymore.

And then I fell asleep.

•

Little Ivy's so precious :')

Her and Caesar have a good bond, don't you think?

Next chapter, 6 votes and 6 comments please.