It has been a week and the memories are still clinging. He thinks of her all the time, as much as he does not want to. The thought comes up, he throws it back, it comes with even more force than the last time, like a boomerang in his head. And now that Declan is gone things are worse. He feels lonely and finds it hard to cope not having his little brother around anymore. At least the brat always had him distracted with all his trouble.
Jack's phone goes off awakening him from his snoring sleep. He does not want to bother but then again only an emergency would call at one in the morning. The light of the cell phone in the pitch-dark hurts his eyes as he checks the caller ID. "Declan, hey!" he greets in a whisper, his voice hoarse. He is crying, sending Jack to an instant state of alertness. "What- - what is wrong? What happened?" It takes his brother a while until he manages to talk between the sobs. "The baby, I killed the baby-, it was horrible, there was blood everywhere. I thought she would die too, I - - I want to die." Jack rubs his eyes, he tries to understand whilst keeping his calm, he glues the device to his ear, he wants to do something although helpless. "Declan, you know - - you must know I am here, I am - - I am with you, I have your back, I have it now, whatever happens, I am- - we are one..." The sobs grow louder, Jack is squeezing his eyes to the point of seeing small white dots dancing around in the air.
He wants to know what is going on at the same time he does not want to ask and learn the awful truth, he keeps quiet. Declan starts again. "We went swimming, the tide was high but we were so clueless, a wave hit us, I lost her hand, I couldn't hold her, her body floated away, it was so fast, she hit a rock, the next thing I see is blood, she was screaming, I- - I killed our baby, Jack, if I- - just had held her tighter..."
"Come back to the US, just come now." He refuses to think, rationalize. "She's in ICU. We are leaving in two days." Declan informs, his voice strangled.
As soon as the call ends Jack leans back still holding the phone as he covers his eyes with his arm. Declan had a dream of visiting Mexico, and going to Cabo on honeymoon with the girl he loves was as beautiful as his dream could get. Now he is coming back facing a vivid nightmare.
Merci Eric ;)