The phone rang in the hallway. Caleb picked it up
'Hi- Cal and Ethan's flat. Cal speaking.'
'Hello Caleb,' it was a woman's voice, drawly and slurred 'It's your auntie Jackie.' By now Ethan had come down stairs and stood next to Cal- who on earth was auntie Jackie- it was saying something if even Ethan didn't know who it was. 'I'm your mum's half sister,' then it clicked- Jackie- mum's alcoholic half sister. How did she get this number? And what did she want? 'Can you put your mum on?' Cal and Ethan exchanged confused glances.
'Erm- no we can't auntie Jackie.' Ethan had taken the phone off Cal.
'Why ever not?'
'Well erm she's dead.'
'Oh I'm ever so sorry- when's the funeral?'
'It was over six months ago.'
'Oh.'
Ethan turned to Cal- the line had gone quiet but they didn't know why.
'Well- make sure you're in tomorrow morning. Katie will be at your apartment at 7:30. Bye!'
The line went dead.
'What the hell?!' Cal was the first to express his shock.
'Who's Katie?' Ethan was more concerned about who the girl was that was coming to their house than the caller.
'Katie...' Cal tried to think, then he exclaimed 'I don't know- you're suppose to be the one that is supposed to know all the family stuff!'
'Right well. I think Jackie was mum's half sister who we have never met. I think she was the one who ran away at 16 to get married to some guy. And I think she was the one with the problems with alcohol and drugs. At one point I think she got arrested.'
'And so who's Katie?'
'I don't know. I guess she could be Jackie's daughter, which would make her our cousin. Look- don't keep getting mad at me- I know virtually nothing and I got the same phone call as you. If you need someone to be annoyed at get annoyed at Jackie.'
Cal and Ethan stood in silence in the hallway. Neither of them knew what was going on. They weren't even sure if they wanted to know what was going on. Their mum and Jackie hadn't got on as children. They were half-siblings. When the boys' grandparents got divorced their mum lived with their grandma and their grandad got remarried and had Jackie. When their grandad and his wife died Jackie moved in with their grandma until she ran off to get married. It was a broken mess of a family. The half-sisters didn't get on at all. It wasn't because of the 4 year age gap or their different mums it was their conflicting personalities.
The next problem was what they were going to do with Katie when she turned up at the flat in the morning. Neither brother knew how old she was or what they were supposed to do with her or even how they knew where they lived. If Katie was over 16 then the brothers could continue their lives at work- a 16 year old should be able to look after themselves, but if she was 4 or 8 or even 15 they would have to arrange some form of childcare for her.
Cal glanced at the clock- 11:30. Any chance of calling Connie to have tomorrow off was out of the question. As was arranging any form of childcare. Both brothers had to be at the hospital for 8am. If either one of them was late there would be trouble.
The brothers went to bed with no plan for the next morning, quietly cursing the fact that they had a cousin to look after.
It was 3am. Cal made his way into Ethan's room- whenever Cal was awake Ethan also tended to be awake. Even if he wasn't awake Cal would stand in the door way and watch the younger man's chest gently rise and fall. However today Ethan was awake. His light was on and he was reading a book. He glanced over it as Cal walked into his room.
'Can't sleep?'
'Nah.' Cal's voice sounded worse than Ethan felt.
'We really need a plan for tomorrow don't we?'
'Yeah'
'Any ideas?'
'Nope'
'Me neither...'
The boys were silent until Ethan said
'Connie!'
'Yes- I know she's gonna kill us if we turn up with this girl in the morning.'
'No- Connie's daughter. She just floats around the department and Connie seems fine with it.'
'Well she would- it's her daughter.'
There was silence again.
'Look- if we have to we'll just bring her with us and hope for the best.'
'Fine.' Cal yawned and stumbled across the hall back to his own room. Ethan flicked off his light and tried to get to sleep.
