Chapter 9: A Rift
"Annie!" EJ shouted as he flew down the stairs. His fingers searched for her pulse as he leaned over her motionless body. Her body was broken, that much he could tell from the way she was laying.
"Daddy. You have to call 911!" Johnny said more calmly than any other five year old child could. EJ flipped open his phone and made the call just as his fingers caught a throb in her veins. Then another and another beat hammered his fingers and a sigh of relief shuddered his body.
"Johnny, go upstairs and make sure your sister is sound to sleep. I don't want to worry about her too", EJ said just as a voice in the phone asked him to specify the emergency.
"I need an ambulance. My friend just fell down a flight of stairs. I found a pulse and it looks like she's breathing but she's unconscious. I don't see any blood and I haven't moved her. The address is Cherryblossom Street nineteen, the house at the very end of the alley. Please hurry!" The ringing in EJs ears got worse and made it almost impossible for him to hear the ongoing questions and to answer them. Johnny's stubbornness and refusal to move from Annie's side made little difference to him at first, but when EJ could hear the sirens a thought crossed his mind.
"Johnny, please go and find your mother. She needs to take care of you and your sister while I go to the hospital with aunt Annie."
"But I want to go with her too", Johnny protested.
"I'm sorry but that can't happen, please do as I say", EJ said trying to keep the worst edge of fear away from his voice. Reluctantly Johnny nodded and returned upstairs while EJ ran to open the door for the paramedics.
"She's in here, please hurry."
"Tell me Samantha, what brings you here tonight", Brandon handed her a bottle of water and sat next to her on bed. His shirt was open and he had just kicked off his shoes.
"I didn't realise how late it is. I'm sorry for having disturbed you at this late hour", Samantha said trying to hand him back the bottle.
"Don't worry about that Samantha", Brandon touched her hand gently and tilted that beautiful head of his, "I'll always have time for you."
"Is that why you left me? Twice", Sami asked sardonically. His lips quivered as his dark eyes brushed over her face.
"I made a mistake, twice", he said softly, "I knew you and Lucas didn't have a future and I should have known better than to give you what you thought you wanted, what you thought you needed. I shouldn't have let you go."
"Lola gets what Lola wants", Sami said suddenly and both of them smiled at the memory.
"That", Brandon smirked, "Was a long, long time ago."
"It was", Sami admitted, "It was also before I made another mess of things, before I once again sabotaged myself and ruined my life."
"Don't be so hard on yourself Samantha. You must have learnt from your mistakes by now", Brandon said.
"Have I?" Sami asked and the question was addressed more to herself than to the man sitting next to her. Brandon reached out to touch her again. This time he did that to lend her his strength.
"Only you know that and only your actions will show it."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"I can't find mummy anywhere", Johnny shouted just as EJ watched the paramedics carry his friend away.
"What?" It took only a second for EJ to realise that his baby, the car, was gone and so was his wife, "So that's why she didn't hear the racket. Johnny, get your things together and your sisters too. I'm going to have to wake up someone to take care of you while I'm at the hospital."
"Why can't I come with you?"
"Johnny."
"To be continued", Johnny said firmly before making a strategical retreat upstairs. EJ couldn't help himself and a little sneer escaped from his lips just as he was about to anger another Brady.
"Eric, I'm sorry to wake you", EJ listened for a moment, "Okay, not to wake you. But I had to call. I need you and Marie to look after the twins while I go to the hospital.
"Did something happen to Sami?" Eric asked.
"No, your sister is fine as far as I know. It's Annie, she fell down the stairs and I need to go to the hospital with her. I can't find Samantha anywhere and I really can't leave the twins here alone or take them with me. Do you mind if I drop them off in about fifteen, no ten minutes?"
"Sure, we'll look after them", Eric promised mentally preparing for the apology he would have to make to his wife later, "Look EJ, I might know where Sami is."
"I'll bite, where is she?"
"Earlier today, or is it yesterday all ready, at the airport I thought I saw someone familiar, someone Sami used to tell me about", Eric started but EJ interrupted him.
"Who? Who did you see?"
"Brandon, Brandon Walker, Sami's ex-husband."
"I'm sorry Brandon, I don't know why I came here", Sami jumped up from the bed but instead running to the door, she walked to the window and moved the curtains to peek outside.
"Will you stop apologising to me. You haven't done anything wrong", Brandon said, "Not today anyway." Sami flinched at the sight of his flirtatious smirk.
"Yes I have, I misinterpreted something and overreacted. Now I've driven him further away than ever before, since he came back to me", Sami sighed and turned to face the dark, tall and handsome man again.
"Would you please start from the beginning so us bystanders can follow your train of thought?" Brandon asked nicely.
"Last time we talked-" Sami began her story.
"Three weeks ago", Brandon nodded.
"Will you let me continue? Thank you", Sami said as he agreed with a nod, "Last time we talked I told you about the problems EJ and I have, about the infertility. I was so sure it was his fault but then we learnt that Johnny is actually, genetically EJs son."
"Johnny is EJs son?" Brandon couldn't help but blurt, "I'm sorry. I wont interrupt you again."
"Yes, Johnny is EJs but we aren't telling him that until later. Not until the twins are old enough to understand. But I'm getting side-tracked here. I told you about our problems but I left out a big part of those problems. Now that she's back in town I can't ignore her any longer. Just ask!" Sami said as she noticed Brandon biting his lips to stay quiet.
"EJ has another woman? Is he cheating on you?" Sami should have been surprised to hear the possessiveness in his tone but she wasn't, and more importantly she didn't want to be.
"No, Annie is just his friend."
"A friend? Right."
"Believe it or not, it's true. She loves him of course and he doesn't seem to be able to let her go. Every time Annie tries to keep her distance as favour to me, god I hate when she does one of those for me, every time EJ starts calling and asking her visit us, visit the twins. I can't deny that Annie has been a great aunt to my children but I hate the power she has over me."
"What might that power be?" Brandon asked.
"Annie knows my secret."
"Oh that", Brandon said and furrowed then, "Why hasn't she told EJ yet? I mean, if she loves him and wants him, why hasn't she told him?"
"Let me see if I remember this correctly", Sami thought back trying to find the right words, "Annie said something about wanting EJ to be happy and that as long as I would make him happy she would remain quiet regardless of what she personally thinks of me. It was her way of telling me just how worthless she thinks I am."
"Samantha, you are not worthless", Brandon came to her and grabbed her gently by the arms, "Anyone who tells you otherwise is dead wrong."
"Would you please tell me what's going on?" EJ begged as another nurse brushed him off and continued with their work.
"A doctor will come and explain things soon enough", was the only response he had got ever since he had reached this damned hospital.
"Mr Wells?" A calm voice called out and EJ almost snapped his neck in turning towards it.
"Yes, I am EJ Wells."
"You have been marked as one of Ms Luckafälts emergency contacts. Are you a relative of hers?" The tiny woman in the white coat asked.
"No, I'm a friend. Her family is in Sweden", EJ answered.
"We'll need to contact them as soon as possible", the doctor said.
"Fine, I'll give you their numbers but they are in the middle of organising a funeral. That's why Annie fell, she was so upset after hearing that her brother had died", EJ explained, "Please can't you tell me anything? I can relay the information to Annie's family. They might not be able to understand all the fancy medical lingo and they are used to talking to me."
"I'm sorry Mr Wells."
"Please, I'm the closest thing to a family member Annie has on this continent", EJ begged.
"That's not exactly true."
