Jordan
called the nurse and told her that Ethan had just squeezed his hand. Shortly
the doctor arrived. The two of them tried unsuccessfully to get another
response from Ethan. “Well, at least he knows you’re here. I’ll have the
psychiatrist come in and check on him.”
“Thanks,
Doctor.” Taking Ethan’s hand again, he whispered into his ear, “C’mon Ethan.
Open your eyes. Come back to me. We love you and miss you.” He straightened
when he heard a noise in the hallway and Alicia’s angry voice. “I’ll be right back.”
He went to the door and found Alicia in a confrontation with Toby, Patrick’s
brother.
“What the
fuck are you doing here?” He spat.
“I’m here
to give Ethan a get-well present from Patrick.”
“The fuck
you are, Toby. What kind of fool do you take me for? Get out of here before I
have the nurse call security.”
Toby rose
up to his full six-foot height. “I’m giving him this package. Move or I’ll move
you.”
“You and
what army?”
“Me,
myself and I.” Toby retorted. “I’m giving Ethan this gift whether you like it
or not.”
Jordan
snorted. He could take the scrawny, higher-than-a-kite Toby easily. “Like
fucking hell you are. You know what I think? I think you’re up to something and
I want to know what it is.”
“I ain’t
up to nothin’”
“Riiiiight.”
Jordan drew out the word. “Alicia, have the nurse call security. It’s time to
take out the trash.” Toby was shortly removed from the hospital. “I think we
need to get an order of protection against him.”
“I’ll take
care of it. Shouldn’t be a problem given that he was identified as a
participant in the gang-rape.” As they went back into the room they both
noticed Ethan’s shaking.
Alicia
rushed to the bed and took Ethan’s hand, “Ethan, it’s okay. Jordan and I are
here. We’re not going to let that scuzball get anywhere near you. Jordan got
him taken away and I’m going to swear out an order of protection against him.
We’ll keep you safe.”
“Alicia?”
Ethan whispered. Suddenly he bolted upright and pulled Alicia into a fierce
embrace, his body wracked with huge sobs.
Jordan
went and told the nurse that Ethan was responding then went back into the room
to place his hand on Ethan’s back, rubbing circles on it. “I’m here too, Eth.”
Ethan reached out and pulled Jordan into the hug, hanging onto the two of them
as if they were a lifeline, which in a way, they were. Both the doctor and the
psychiatrist came into the room and shooed them out.
₪₪₪₪₪
As they
seated themselves at a table in the cafeteria, Alicia said, “I never thought
I’d be grateful to that fucktard.”
“Where in
the hell did you get that expression
from?” Jordan said, laughing. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. Ethan.”
She
nodded. “How ironic, isn’t it? The brother of the person who put Ethan in the
state he’s in would be the person to bring him out of it?”
“I know,
right?”
Alicia took
out her telecommunicator and called Chris. “Hey, great news. Ethan’s come out
of it.” She had to hold the telecommunicator away from her ear as Chris shouted
his joy. “Yeah, the doctor and the psychiatrist are with him now. You wouldn’t
believe what happened. Jordy and I got into a confrontation just outside the
door with Toby.
“Yeah, I
know. Who would have thought it? Anyway, security took him away and we were
able to get Ethan somewhat calmed down. He was hysterical. Okay, we’re in the
cafeteria about to head back up. Yeah I’ll tell him. Later!” She disconnected
and called Troy, giving him the same information then headed back up to Ethan’s
room with Jordan.
“Hey, how
are you doing, baby brother?”
“I don’t
know. What happened to me? All I can remember is sitting in the chair in the
living room.”
“You were
like that for quite a while. You didn’t sleep, shower, shave or eat. You didn’t
even go into the shop?” Ethan raised his eyebrows. “We had found out that the
video had been uploaded to the telecommunicator network. We got it taken down
as soon as we found out. Unfortunately there was no way to find out who
uploaded it.” She debated about telling him the rest. Well, he has a right to know.
“Unfortunately,
there’s no way to find out how long it was on the telecommunicator network, how
far it spread and how many people have seen it.” Practically everyone we know
as seen it and they’ve called and expressed their support and love. A number of
your regular customers wanted to know if they can come see you. What has the
doctor said about visitation?”
“Nothing,
so I’m guessing since I’m not in the psych ward that it goes by the hospital
visitors policy. I’ll have to ask.”
So what
did the doctors say about what’s going on with you?”
“They want
to keep me here for a couple of days to make sure I’m physically okay. The
psychiatrist wants to see me every week to talk about what happened.”
“And how
do you feel about that?” Chris asked walking through the door with Troy close on his heels. They took turns hugging Ethan as they
waited for his answer.
He
shrugged. “I kinda I understand them keeping me here for a few more days. I’m
not sure about the shrink though. He wants to talk about the video and what
happened, and I’m not sure I can.” He replied using the archaic slang term for
psychiatrists and psychologists.
“Shrink?”
Jordan asked.
“Let’s
see, let me guess,” Chris interjected. “One of your archaic sayings, right?”
Ethan nodded. “Where do you keep coming up with them?”
“When I
research a piece of furniture to find the original specifications I stumble
across most of them.”
The
psychiatrist came in and shooed everyone out.
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