Nether of us even have to say anything, we both knew where he is heading.
We each pull out our phones and try and call our siblings (Hope and Nate) but neither picks up.
Not having a car was going to slow us down, but lucky the houses were not very far from each other and Matt knew a few shortcuts, some of which meant climbing over fences.
I gave him a questioning look, but he just said, “Don’t ask.”
We arrive at the house in record time.
‘I must ask him about that shortcut another time.’ I tell myself.
Matt is in front of me and is the first through the front door of my house.
We both immediately headed towards where we left them last sleeping.
On seeing the sight, without a second thought I pull out my phone, whilst Matt runs over to the scene.
The line picks up. “Ambulance please.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Hospital
Matt
"What the hell happened?" I yelled, pacing the room waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
"I really don't know. One second he was crazy trying to drag Hope away" Nate says sending a sad look to Hope who is crouched on the floor next to Dean.
"I tried to get him to stop by talking... ok shouting at him," he corrects himself before continuing "but he wouldn't listen and jump and pulled Hope harder... “ He pointed to a large hand shared bruise which was appearing on Hope's arm.
It looked really painful and made me wince.
"... So I warned him one more and then punched him, making him fall to the ground. I don't think I hit him hard enough for that to happen" he said with his voice full of regret.
Earlier that day…
Ricky and I had just stepped into the house.
I ran a head straight to the living room, shortly followed by Ricky.
We were both stocked and panicked by what we saw.
Without a word, I heard Ricky called for an ambulance.
On the floor was Dean convulsing, his eyes rolled in the back of his head and foaming at the mouth.
Hope was crouched down next to him, trying to hold his head and saying calming things.
Nate looked scared as hell, as he just stood watching the pair, with a panicked look on his face.
Present time…
"Hello?" We hear a voice I had never heard before call from what sounded like the front door.
"Yes through here." I heard Ricky answer them and direct them to us.
"Can you explain what happened and I'll ring mom, dad and Heather to let them know what happened and that he is going to the hospital." I ask Hope.
She nods in reply and I head into the kitchen to make the calls.
Nate
The medics came and took Dean away.
"Come on man, I'll drive you and Hope in Matt's car and he will meet us there with your parents and Heather. He went in the ambulance with Dean." Ricky explains, calming and ushering me out the door to the car.
We were met in the waiting room with Matt and the others who were already waiting.
Heather and my mom ran up to me and hugged me tight; I was slightly surprised when even my dad pulled me into his embrace.
Luckily Matt had already explained what had happened, so I didn't have to.
The doctor had come to see us, but only to get permission from my parents for them to do an MRI and x-ray.
A couple of hours later...
Everyone was still waiting for news.
I didn't really say a word to anyone, too worried that I had hurt him badly by punching him.
He may be a little creep, but at the end of the day, he is still my brother and no matter what, I still care for him.
I shot from my seat just after my mom when I noticed the doctor returning.
"Hello ma am, can we speak in private?" the doctor asks looking around the group.
"It's ok, you can tell them too." My mom says sadly.
"They are all family." She adds as an afterthought.
The doctor nods.
"There is no easy way of saying this, so I am just going to come straight to the point. We found a mass on Dean's brain when we did the MRI. It is quite large"
"So it wasn't my punch that hurt him?" I ask interrupting him.
"No, if anything I think it helped, because if it wasn’t for the punch we might not have done the MRI and wouldn’t have found the mass.” He explains.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“How come we didn’t see any signs?” My mom says through tears, while my dad holds her.
“The parts of the brain which it is pressing is in control of his behavior, personality and how he recognizes different things. It has probably only affected small things to start off with, but then after that Dean properly got good at hiding the signs.”
“So the whole image change and friend thing, this could of caused that?” My dad asks the doctor.
“More likely.” He answers.
“He had also become a little, I don’t want to make him sound crazy, but he had also become a bit obsessed with my brother’s girlfriend and was convinced things he thought was true, were. Could that have been caused by that too?” Matt asks this time.
“I am certain. They are some of the key signs. But don’t blame yourself. Even some medical professionals could have missed it.”
“So what happens next?” I ask.
Everyone else just stands and listens.
“We need your permission again.” He addresses my parents “To operate. The mass may or may not be cancerous, but the sheer size is a health risk on its own. We would like to remove the mass, which is pushing on both the frontal and temporal lobes.
It shouldn’t be a problem to remove, but as with every surgery there are risks. But we feel the pros outweigh the cons and it would be best at this time, if we remove the whole mass.
Once it is out, we will send it for a biopsy and that will determine whether or not Dean will need any chemo afterwards.” The doctor continues to explain the whole operation and any possible side effects.
Once he is finished he hands my dad a clipboard with a permission notice.
“And what will happen if he doesn’t have the operation?” Heather suddenly asks, surprising everyone.
“If he doesn’t do this, the mass will continue to grown and eventually kill him. I am sorry, but that is the plain and simple truth.”
My dad sighs taking the board into his hand before signing the papers.
“We will get him straight into theater and I will make sure to send a nurse out with regular updates.” The doctor promises before walking away.
"Now all we can do is wait." My dad said, holding my mom to his chest.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Broken
Hope
Everyone was beyond shocked to find out that these past few months of changes in Dean was caused by a brain tumor.
Ricky forced me to leave the hospital that same night.
He said, “Staying awake and waiting wasn’t going to do anyone any good.”
Thankfully though Lanie promised to call if anything happens and to let me know how surgery went.
I have been to the hospital every day since it happened to see him, but Dean had still not woken up.
The doctor said it is nothing to worry about, the shock to his system is just going to take a while for him to get over and when he is ready he will wake up.
The doctor expects that it will be anytime now.
It had only been little over two days since the surgery, but it seemed a lot longer.
Even though he has been acting strangely, I now know that it was not his fault.
I do still care for him, after all before all this he was almost like a sweet little brother I never wanted.
I hadn’t really spoken to Nate since that first day.
Although I try, but I didn’t want to push it, after everything that happened.
At first I thought he was depressed and not
speaking to anyone, but I was wrong.
It was early morning and everyone was still in bed.
I couldn't sleep. My brain won't shut off; all I could think about is Dean and Nate, mostly Nate.
Why was he shunning me? What had I done? Did he blame me for Dean?
I decide to get up and get dressed before heading to the hospital.
At least maybe I can put one of my worries to rest by seeing and getting some news on Dean's state.
It only took me an hour to do everything and then get to the hospital.
I didn't even have to say anything to the nurse in charge, because I have been here so often she remembers me.
"Hello Hope, head on through." Nurse Annabel said, with a glint in her eye I couldn't decipher.
I gave her a small smile and nodded 'thanks', before heading to his private room.
Lanie insisted that he was to be put in a private room, away from any other patients to protect him from infection or something.
As I approached the door I heard a pair of familiar voices talking.
I felt my heart jump in my chest and my hands shook as I opened the door.
Sat up in bed was Dean, wide awake, smiling and speaking to his brothers and the rest of the family.
I felt tears prick my eyes, before streaming down my face.
Everyone turned to look at me.
"Don't cry Hopey." A familiar voice I had been waiting for said, but sadly the one I wanted just seemed to ignore my whole presence.
He held out his arms and motioned for me to come over to him.
Without a thought I rest over to him and cried in his arms, as he held me and rubbed my back.
"I thought you were going to die." I confessed through the tears.
"Hush Hopey, I am awake now and not going anywhere." He said into my hair.
"Too right." Matt yelled. "No way I'm...we're...” He quickly corrected himself ,"letting you go again. Weirdo or not you’re still my little bro." He said earning a slap around the back of the head by Lanie, as she shh'ed him.
But then she added, looking back to Dean and me, who was still hugging me.
"Matt is right about not letting anything happen"
"Yeah even if he is an idiot and says things he shouldn't, he does love you." Heather says earning a glare from Matt, but she pays him no mind.
Me and everyone else, minus Nate laugh at it, before I sat up and wiped my face.
I didn't move from next to Dean on the bed, as the only empty seat was next to Nate and I couldn't bear to be so close and not be able to hold his hand or speak to him.
It wasn't as if I didn't try to say anything to him, I tried say hello, but he totally blocked me.
I spent the next half an hour like this listening to Dean and the others chat and Heather telling everyone about her boyfriend who she met online and has be speaking to for a few months now.
Which was news to me, having never said anything about him before?
Dean most of noticed the tension between Nate and I, because he turned to me with a sad smile, whilst the others were distracted with their chat.
"Are you ok Hopey?" He said calling me by the name he always used to before.
I nodded and plaster on a fake smile "I'm fine Deanly" I say teasing, hoping to cover my real feelings.
He doesn't sound convinced, but nods and lets out a sad sigh before whispering
"I want to say I'm sorry for everything that I did before. I never want to hurt you, I care for you and just ... I mean I hope we can still be friends." He said his voice full of honestly and hope.
"I would like that and you never have to say you are sorry. I know none of it was your fault, you were sick. I am sorry I never noticed." I honestly meant every word and gave him a genuine smile, which he returned.
"I'm glad." He said as I gave him another hug.
"I'm starting to think maybe you should be worried." I heard Matt say as I pulled away.
Nate didn't say anything, only shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care.
That was the last straw, I had to leave.
'Why could Nate be doing this?' I thought as Dean rubbed circles on my back.
I missed him so much, but he seemed to hate me.
I somehow managed not to cry, as I said my goodbyes.
"I got to be going, but I'll come and see you again later." I tell Dean.
He nods again and looks at Nate who is watching us, but quickly turns away whenever I looked.
"He is an idiot, but he'll come round" Dean whispers to me.
I nod, not trusting my voice.
I stand up and everyone says goodbye, but Nate.
I just wave in reply, knowing if I open my mouth, all that will come out is a sob.
I quickly exit the room, but before I could close it someone stopped me.
I turned to see it was Nate.
"I need to say something." He tells me with no emotion in his voice or face.
I nod again and he closes the door, so the others can’t hear us.
I stood there half hoping for a sorry or an explanation to the way he has been acting.
"I think it is for the best if we don't see each other anymore." He doesn't even look at me as he says it and quickly turns to head back into the room, but not before saying "sorry".
I felt as though he had just stabbed me in the chest.
I stood there for what seemed like forever, but was really only a minute.
Shortly after he closed the door I hear yelling within, but I don't even bother listening,
I just want to go home.
By the time I arrive home everyone is already up.
Kira and Robbie were both out at an early antenatal appointment, leaving Ricky alone.
"Hello Hop, we were wondering where you were." Ricky said as I made my way into the house.
I couldn't hold it anymore.
I felt to the ground and broke down crying.
Ricky's expression dropped and he ran over to catch me.
"What’s wrong Hope? Did something happen to Dean?" He asked cradling me in his arms.
"No he's fine, he's awake, and he said he was sorry. I'm fine now." I said through sobs.
Ricky picks me up and carry's me up to my bedroom and sits us both down on the bed, making sure to still hold me in one arm.
"So what is it?" he asked confused.
"I don't know what I did. I think he blames me for Dean. He just ignored my since it first happened and now Nate broke up with me." I ramble out, never once stopped crying.
"He must hate me." I add as an afterthought.
I noticed Ricky clench his fist and go to stand, but I stop him.
"Please down do anything." I beg.
"I can't promise that." He said through clenched teeth.
"Please just stay with me for now, I don't want to be alone" I cried some more.
He gives me a heartbreaking look and nods.
I lay down and he follows. He held me close and let me cry into his chest, until I fell asleep.
Nate
I felt depressed ignoring her for all these days and then today, Dean woke up and I wasn't depressed anymore.
Or at least not until she turned up.
We were all laughing and joking, including me when the door opened.
She stepped into the room and immediately broke down when she saw Dean.
I had to use everything in me not to go and run to her and hold her, wipe away her tears.
But instead I said nothing, earning a 'What the hell' glare from almost everyone in the room because of it.
She sat on the bed in the arms of my brother; he was whispering things to her and telling her not to worry, as did the rest of my family.
But again I said nothing.