An hour later, Doctor Macfie came from Dan's hospital room to the corridor, where now everybody was waiting.
"I would like to ask Dylan's brother come inside next and answer some personal questions" she said after formal introductions with Trina and Liron, them being the adults.
"Excuse me, Doctor Macfie, but Aldo is right now in no condition to answer any questions yet" Liron, who was the only one standing up against the wall, said. "He just saw his brother like that and it hasn't been easy for those two kids lately, so give them time, please."
"I understand and I didn't mean any harm" Doctor Macfie apologised and took a good look on all of them. "I see you all are going through tough times, concerning Dylan. We're starting to wake him up now, and we'll check how he's doing, and if everything goes alright first ones can see him in about fifty minutes or an hour."
Liron nodded and the doctor went, leaving them to wait again. It was late evening already but nobody cared, they would be here as long as needed and until they knew Dan would be okay.
"I can't believe he tried to -" Trina trailed off standing up, unable to say it out loud. "Why?"
She broke into crying again and Liron took his wife into his embrace, not knowing what to say to make them feel better.
Both of them had thought of Aldo like their own son, and after his and his brother's family's accident they had taken them both under their wings. This felt as heartbreaking as their own child would have done something like this.
They had been on a date in a restaurant in the city as it was Friday evening, when Aldo had called Trina and told in a hurry Dan and Jared were in the hospital and he needed to get a drive there.
"I'm going to look for Aldo and tell him they're waking up Dan" Niall said and left, knowing he would really want to be there at the moment and Dan would need his brother.
Some time passed until Liron noticed his older son sitting and staring into space.
"Are you alright, son?" he asked, sitting next to him.
Trina informed them she was going to get them all a cup of coffee and left them talking.
"I've been so mean to him, and I can't help thinking this is my fault" Jared said dolefully.
"I won't argue with the first, but this isn't your fault, at least not all" Liron remarked firmly. "Why have you been so mean to him? You knew how -"
"I don't know, dad, but I know I did wrong and I feel like shit...no, much worse" Jared said helplessly, feeling ever so frustrated. He couldn't tell his dad what was really going on.
"Good" Liron smiled, and Jared glanced at him knowing he deserved everything that was coming to him. "You've been openly unkind and rude to him, despite after we told you about his condition and what's happened. And I feel like I don't know even half of it."
"Are you trying purposely making me feel even more crap?" Jared snapped, glaring at his dad. Why did he have to be so knowledgeable?
"Sorry, son, but then again I'm not. I hope you will make things right now, when they let you."
"I will."
"Good. Are you alright, I mean otherwise? There has to be something making you take it out on others."
"No, I'm good" Jared assured quickly.
Liron wasn't completely convinced, but left it at that. Soon Trina came back with the coffees and they waited again, mostly under tense and expectant silence.
By the time the hour had passed, Niall or Aldo hadn't come back yet. They had hoped Aldo would come sooner and felt sorry for him, but he didn't even answer his phone and neither did Niall.
When Doctor Macfie and a nurse who passed to go elsewhere came out of Dan's room, all three stood up to hear the news.
"Everything went alright and he's awake, but as you probably know he's been under very much psychological pressure affecting him physically and mentally, so he's not completely himself yet" she explained. "We know about his condition and what's happened, and I would continue slowly with him like I'm sure you've done so far. We'll have to talk more about how we move on with this, but for now I'd like to ask who Jared is?"
"That's me, why?" Jared said, very confused and abashed and so were his parents.
"When we were waking up Dylan, he said your name few times still in his sleep and now he asked shortly you to come first" Doctor Macfie said and then smiled. "He's verbally very unresponsive as well, so you must be a very good friend of his."
Jared stared at the woman in shock, unable to react in any way yet. What?
Read the full chapter in www.patreon.com/xelaneleh (link in my bio)