"An unhappy childhood I suspect"
Jonny lay in bed, extended his arm and felt the other half of the mattress. Nothing. No one. Just him, alone. He rolled over to face the clock. 2:37am. He sighed, thinking about what had happened the day before. He'd lost her again. The woman he loved. Loves. She'd gone once again. Only it was him leaving her.
Another hour passed. He still couldn't sleep. He rose from his bed and made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the shower, not caring that it was only twenty to four in the morning. He let the warm water run down his body. He couldn't stop thinking about the fiery red head he had fallen in love with. He'd started to find out a few things about her, about her past. But she didn't know a single thing about him. Well apart from the fact that his parents aren't around. But she didn't know whether they were still alive or not.
5:30am. Jonny's shift starts at 7. He stood in the kitchen, waiting for his hot chocolate to be ready. His phone lit up. 'Caller Unknown'. He hesitated before eventually picking up the phone.
"Jonny Maconie." he instantly noticed how much he had become like Jac.
"Jonny? It's Sarah."
"Sarah? Why are you calling me?"
"And hello to you too Jonathan"
"Sorry.." Jonny apologised.
"Look, you need to come home.. It's dad."
"Dad? I don't have a dad. Not a caring and loving one. Just one that enjoyed making all of our lives hell"
"He's dying." Sarah said bluntly.
"And I don't care!" Jonny raised his voice before hanging up and slamming down his phone. He hated his father. He never opened up to anyone about his childhood. No one except for Mo. She knew everything.
He made his way to work, Jac still on his mind but now also the news of his father was tormenting him.
He walked on to the ward, only to overhear an argument between Jac and someone else.. He recognised the voice but he was too tired to put a name to it.. Suddenly it clicked.. Michael Spence.
"What's that saying? Oh yeah, 'You're a product of your upbringing'. I think it's safe to say that is true. You are so much like your mother!" Jonny heard Michael shouting at Jac. The words he said played on his mind.
"I'm not a product of my upbringing!" he thought to himself. "No way am I like my so called parents!"
Lost in his thoughts once again. Little did he know Mo was creeping up behind him.
"Boo!" She said as she placed her hands on Jonny's shoulders. Jonny didn't even flinch.
"Oi Jonny Mac. You alright?" Mo could instantly tell something was wrong with her best mate.
Jonny didn't reply. He carried on listening to Michael and Jac's argument.
"I am NOTHING like that bitch!" Jac screamed.
"What's going on in there?" Mo asked, hoping Jonny would reply this time.
He shrugged, still refusing to speak.
"Are you gonna speak to me sometime today"
"Sorry Mo.."
"That's more like it!" Mo smiled. "So c'mon, what's the matter?"
Jonny shook his head.
"Nothing"
"Well it doesn't look like nothing to me!"
Jonny looked to the floor as tears started to fall from his eyes.
"Jonny?" Mo croutched down and looked at Jonny, noticing the river of tears burning their way down his face.
This was the first time Mo had seen Jonny so upset and vunerable.
"What's all this about Jonny?"
No reply.
"Is it about Jac?"
"Yes and no..."
"Then what else?"
"I don't wanna talk about it"
"Well you're going to whether you like it or not!"
"I said no!" Jonny shouted, loud enough for Jac to hear. Jac walked out of the room, she wiped away the tears that rolled their way down her face.
"Everything ok?" Jac asked.
"I could ask you the same question" Mo answered back.
"You heard then.." Jac sighed.
"Only a little bit, I think Jonny heard more than I did"
"Did you?" Jac looked at Jonny. He nodded.
"Right ok" Jac sighed once more.
Jac then noticed Jonny's tears.
"Jonny, you ok?"
He nodded, staring at the floor.
Jac noticed how the amount and rate of tears falling from the man she loves' eyes increased rapidly.
Mo also noticed.
"Jonny?" Mo looked Jonny is the eyes. "Talk to me!"
"It's... It's David..."
"Your dad?"
"He is NOT my father! He never has been and he definately never will be! For two reasons..."
Mo and Jac both looked at him, confused.
"He's dying" Jonny sighed, wiping away tears.
"Is that what all this about?"
Jonny nodded.
"Are you gonna go see him?"
"No way! He can rot in hell!"
Jonny isntantly burst out in tears again after saying that. Jac looked helpessly at him, not knowing whether to comfort him or leave it all to Mo.
Mo leaded Jonny into the staff room, out of view from everyone else. Jac followed. Jonny sat down on the sofa and sobbed. Mo sat next to him and comforted him while Jac stood and watched.
"When did you find out?" Jac plucked up the courage to ask.
"This morning"
"How? I didn't think you spoke to anyone in your family any more?" Mo questioned.
"Sarah phoned me"
Jac looked confused at Mo.
"Sarah is Jonny's sister" Mo informed Jac.
"Ah right.."
"I told her that I don't care..."
"Oh Jonny. You can be an idiot sometimes! You need to see him.. After everything that has happened, he is still your father!"
Jonny sighed, he looked at Mo, then Jac, then back at the floor.
"If... If you don't mind me asking... What did happen?" Jac asked slowly.
Jonny looked at Mo "Can you?"
She nodded.
"Jonny's father is a violent alcoholic. He would lose his temper with Jonny's mother during arguments every now and then, but one time he had drank an absolute shed load. Got into an argument in the kitchen. Saw a knife. Stuck it to her chest.. She didn't survive... Jonny saw it all happen."
"Oh my gosh" Jac said sadly, looking at Jonny who was desperatly holding back more tears.
Mo carried on. "David, Jonny's father, got sent to prison but no sooner did he get released, he got locked up again. This time for GBH...On Jonny." Mo exclaimed.
"What sort of man does something like that?!"Jac exclaimed in discust.
"He's poison.. And I don't care If he dies."
"Then why are you crying so much?"
"Memories can be painful" Jac chipped in.
Jonny looked up at Jac and smiled ever so slightly. Before Jonny's phone rang once again. This time it wasn't an unknown caller or a blocked number, he recognised the number instantly.
"Hello?"
A quiet voice came from the other side of the phone.
"Hello, is that Jonathan Maconie?"
"Yes it is"
"Hello Jonathan, my name is Louise Mayfield, I'm a consultant at Glasgow Central Hospital. I'm afraid I have some bad news about your father David. He passed away a short while ago in his sleep"
Silence.
Mo and Jac both looked at Jonny.
"Ok thank you for informing me. Goodbye" he hung up.
"Well?"
"He's dead."
The room went so quiet that you could possibly hear a pin drop.
"Are you ok?" Jac placed her hand on Jonny's arm.
He nodded. A single tear escaping from his bloodshot eyes. He stood up, wiped his eyes and turned back to face Jac and Mo.
"Back to normal then I guess"
"You've just lost your father Jonny.."
"I lost him a long time ago."
Mo looked at Jac who was looking at Jonny, noticing a tear in her eye.
"I'll give you two a minute" Mo said as she made her way to the door.
"Why?" Jonny asked, seeming puzzled.
"Just because..."
As soon as Mo had left the room, Jac stood up and walked over to Jonny, gently planting a kiss on his tear stained cheek.
"What was that for?"
"I love you stupid..."
Jonny smiled and kissed her slowly on the lips, pulling away shortly after.
"I love you too"