Broken Minds » l.h. [SLOW UPDATES]

Ten

LUKE

"Lukey?" I hear a childish voice calling and tiny hands shaking my arm.

When I lift my head from the hospital's bed I realize how horrible was the position I fell asleep in and I can see big blue eyes staring at me confused. I give Emma a small smile, taking her hand in mine.

"Hey you. How you feeling?"

I notice she looking around and suddenly her eyes get filled with tears "What happened?"

I take a deep breath before answering her "There was an accident Em, but you're fine, okay? Don't worry" Her bottom lip is shaking and is obvious she's scared, to be honest, so am I. But I get up and take her in my arms "Come here, let's share this bed, huh? You're all comfy in there" I put her on my lap and hug her tight when she hides her face in my chest.

"Where's daddy?"

I get tense to think of him, only remembering that he was drunk while driving drives me insane. But I won't show.

"He's fine, he's sleeping in another room. You two are so lazy"

She lets out a low laugh and I place a kiss on her forehead, glad that I made her stop crying. She then reaches for the bandage on the cut she got.

"Wait, wait" I say, grabbing her hand before she could hurt herself "We have to be careful with this, you gotta a wound there"

She's surprised at first and I frown when she blurts an amusing laugh.

I can't help but smile at her "What's so funny?"

"Is it going to be like yours?" She asks, pointing at the corner of my left eye where I have a scar from a drunk fight in a bar, the guy had actually come at me with a shard of glass from a bottle of beer.

I laugh "No, yours will heal just fine" She seems to get strangely upset so I add quickly "Well, maybe it will be just a small mark, but really small" I say, what's not a lie, and she smiles again.

The door opens and Hailey comes in "Lee!" Emma says, excited.

"Hey! Look who finally woke up" Hailey says, kissing Emma's cheek and sitting on the chair "What is Luke doing on your bed? He's too big!" 

"Oh, she doesn't mind, do you?" I ask Emma, who shakes her head, settling herself better in my arms.

"Well, I brought some yogurt, you must be hungry right Em?" She says and hands one to my sister with a plastic spoon. When she's too focused on eating to pay atention on us, Hailey turns to me serious "I just passed by doctor Robert, your father was discharged, he's in his room getting ready to go home. He wanted to see Emma but the doctor thought you'd like to have a word with him first... He's in the room 314, he's waiting for you"

I get instantly nervous, but I nod slowly, taking a deep breath. I know I have to talk to him, and I won't run from it "Em, I'm going out for a bit, okay?" I say, looking at her "But Hailey's gonna be here with you, and I won't take long" She nods, still too entertained with the food to care. I smile at her and place a kiss on her cheek before getting up "Save some yogurt for me, huh?"

I'm already heading the door when Hailey calls me "Luke?" I turn around to face her standing in front of me "You can handle this, alright?" She says, encouraging me.

I give her a small smile and peck her lips quickly "Alright" I notice her cheeks getting red and she looks down when Emma laughs lowly behind us, probably because she watched the kiss. I shake my head with a laugh "Take care of this weirdo"

-

 "Luke, hey" My dad say as soon as I open the door to his room. I don't answer him just yet, maybe cause I'm too nervous and angry, and he can see that "So... I've heard you wanted to talk to me"

 "I do" I say serious, closing my fists, trying to maintain calm "You were drunk on the time of the accident"

His smile fades from his lips an his cheeks get suddenly red. He nods slowly "I was having a tough day..."

"I don't care" I interrupt him roughly "Even if you're having the toughest day of your life, you can never drive drunk with Emma on the back sit. If you wanna fuck up with your life and with mine, great, do it. But not hers, I mean it"

"I don't want to fuck up your life Luke, I..."

"You already did. Because you started drinking right after mom died and you were like shit, so was I. We both didn't handle mom's death well, okay? But I thought we were done with this drinking phase a long time ago" 

"You didn't" He accuses.

"Well, I'm not taking care of a four year old! And I'm never drunk when I'm around her!" I raise my voice.

"I just..." I notice his eyes get filled with water "I miss your mother so much" He cries.

I can't help but roll my eyes at him, though I suddenly felt like crying too.

"I miss her too dad, even Emma probably misses her, but..."

"Emma never met her" He says rudely.

"So? You think she doesnt miss the presence of a mother with only you around?"

"What do you want me to do Luke?! You think it's easy, to take care of a kid?!" He practicaly screams.

"No, I don't think it's easy, and I'm sorry if you are such a shitty father that you won't even try to do your best for your daughter!" I reply, coming closer to him and looking him in the eyes "But if you don't pull yourself together, I swear that I'm gonna do anything to take her away from you"

He laughs humorless at me "What? And who's gonna take care of her? You?"

"No. We'd just have to believe that social assistance will find a nice place for her" His answer is pure silence and a fearfull look "You'll start going to AA meetings, and to a shrink. You need help and you better get it, otherwise... I can't leave Emma with you like that dad, I can't"

 He stares at me for a moment, the tears running down his face "You need to come more often" He says, his voice cracking.

I frown "What do you mean?"

"You need to visit us... Well, Emma, more often. You're good for her. I'll go to AA meetings and to a shrink, I promise, but you gotta see her more times"

I nod hesitating "Okay" He gives me an awkward smile that I don't reply "She's going out of the hospital tomorrow, you'll see her then. I'm spending the night here"

"Wait, I can't see her now?" He asks.

"No, go home, rest and take a time for yourself"

Though he looks upset, he doesn't complain, he just grabs his wallet and watch on top of the bed, getting ready to leave. He heads the door, not even looking at me.

"Dad" I call and he turns around "Use tonight to get the alcohool off the house"

He nods and gives me a sad smile "I love you, son"

I feel my eyes get watery and I take a deep breath before answering him.

"I know"

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This was more like a filler chapter kinda thing, there will be more interesting things happening on the next one. And just to let you know, I've started a new fic, it's called Just This Once- Michael Clifford, check it out if you want ;)

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Thanks for reading xx