20. "So Sad, Her Eyes"

"Hey, it's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!" Lettie said when Tina answered her knock at the door of the boys' flat.

"Shut up."

Lettie laughed.

Poor Tina must have rubbed the sunscreen off her nose during their beach day, for the tip of her nose got terribly sun-burnt, leaving it bright red, hence the out-of-season nickname.

The friends had gathered at the boys' flat for a game night. They were currently in the middle of a heated round of Scrabble.

"That's not a word, Roger!"

"Yes it is, Fred!"

"Brian, look it up in the dictionary!"

"Already on it." Brian buried his head in the dictionary.

"Brian, Brian - always with your nose buried in a big, fat, boring book with too many big words," remarked Roger.

"Be nice, Rog, or I'm taking Fred's side on this one."

"Even if it is a word? Which it is."

"Yes."

"You wouldn't betray me like that!"

"Oh, but I would."

The phone rang while Brian continued to flip through the dictionary in search of Roger's supposed word.

"I'll get it-" Tim set down his beer and went to go answer the phone. He returned a few moments later. "Lettie, phone's for you."

"Me?" she said, surprised.

"Yeah, it's your brother asking for you."

"Okay, thanks." Lettie left the game and went to go answer her call. What could Chip possibly need that he would call her friends' house?

"Hmm, sorry Rog, but I think you're out of luck - that word does not appear in the good old Oxford English Dictionary."

"Oh come on! Here, give me that-" Roger snatched the book from Brian and began flipping through it himself.

"Oh, no! This'll take forever," groaned Tina.

"Can the next person go while you look?" suggested Priya.

"Lettie was next," said Mary.

"See, we have to wait for her to get back anyway." Roger didn't look up from flipping through the book purposefully.

Lettie was shocked silent when she wandered back into the living room.

"Lettie, what's the matter?" cried Tina, noticing right away.

"That was my brother, calling from the hospital. Dad's had a heart attack." She couldn't believe she was even saying such words.

"Oh my God," Brian cried. "I-is he all right?"

"He's at the hospital with Mum - he collapsed at the shop and they called an ambulance. Chip said he's stable."

"Are you all right?" Priya asked her.

"I-I think so... I'm just so shocked... I should be there."

"Of course, I'll drive you." Brian was already on his feet and reaching for the van keys.

"We'll all go." Freddie was on his feet as well, gesturing for the others to do the same.

"Oh, you really don't have to-"

"Nonsense, Darling, of course we do! What are friends for? Everyone up!"

With that, their Scrabble round forgotten mid-game, the group filed out of the flat and into the van. Lettie sat up front with Brian who, just as promised, drove. Even Roger didn't argue about his friend driving his prized van.

The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever. All the while, Lettie's head was spinning - poor Dad.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped in her seat when she felt Brian's fingers brush against hers.

"Sorry," he cried. "Didn't mean to startle you. I was just reaching for your hand."

"Oh, no worries, thank you." She reached out her hand, he taking it and giving it an affectionate squeeze. No doubt this didn't go unnoticed by their friends from the back of the van, but no one mentioned it. Not now.

"I was with him this morning, he seemed fine. Oh, poor Dad."

When they arrived at the hospital, Brian dropped the group off at the lobby before going to park the van, saying that he would join them shortly.

Lettie was about to head up to the reception desk when she heard her brother's voice calling.

"Lettie!" There he was running down the hall towards her.

"Chip!" The siblings wrapped each other up in a tight hug. "Where's Mum?"

"In Dad's room with him and the nurse. He's asleep right now."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course."

Chip led her down the hall to their father's hospital room. When they arrived, a very distressed Valerie sat at the sleeping Frank's bedside, holding his hand.

"Mum!"

"Oh sweetheart!" Valerie jumped up to hug her daughter, pulling her son into the hug as well.

"Do they know what caused it?"

"Stress. He's always put so much pressure on himself over the shop. Thinks he owes it to his parents - but they would be so happy and proud of all he's done for their shop."

"Oh, Dad - we're you there when it happened?"

"Yes, I was right next to him - thank God."

"I'm so sorry, Mum."

Valerie was insistent on staying the night at the hospital, but said that Lettie and Chip should head home and try to get some rest.

"I'll be sure to call if anything changes," Valerie assured her children.

"Thanks. We'll be back tomorrow."

Lettie went over to kiss her father's head. "Goodnight Dad." He didn't appear hurt or in pain, he actually looked rather peaceful lying there in his hospital bed. She hoped he wasn't in any pain.

The siblings headed back to the lobby where Lettie's friends had all gathered. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to leave you all here," Lettie cried, though was incredibly touched that they had all stuck around.

"Of course, no need for you to apologize. Is there anything you need?" Brian asked.

"We're going to head home, Mum's going to stay with Dad tonight. We'll come back tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll take you home."

"Thank you."

"Don't even think about coming into the stall tomorrow morning," Freddie told her. "Rog and I have it covered. Boss's orders."

"Hey, I'm the boss too!" cried Rog.

"And wouldn't you say the same?"

"Yes. Spend the day with your family."

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it."

"Of course, Darling."

"Let us know if you need anything," Priya said.

"Yes, you know we're just a phone call away," added Tina.

"Thanks Loves. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She turned to Brian. "Thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome. Let me know if you need anything - anything at all."

"Thanks, Brian. Will do. Talk to you soon."

"No way I'm going to school today," Chip said groggily as he and Lettie sat together at the table, sleepily stirring their spoons through bowls of cereal the next morning. They would take the shop van to the hospital to be with their parents once they were finished their breakfast.

"Me neither," she agreed. "Like Roger said, we can spend the day together as a family."

Their breakfast was interrupted by a knock at the door. Lettie went to answer it, finding Tina and Priya standing there.

"Morning," her two best friends said.

"Morning! Come on in."

"Thanks." The two stepped inside. "We wanted to check in, and we stopped at the bakery on the way, got some pastries and cookies we thought you could take with you to the hospital for you all to share." Tina held out a box of baked goods.

"And we brought this assortment of tea to go with it." Priya handed her a tea tin. "We figured the hospital probably didn't have too many food options.

Lettie accepted the gifts, then promptly burst into tears.

"Oh, Love!"

"Oh, Let!"

"I have such good friends," Lettie sobbed. "Thank you so much."

"Aw, come here, Love." The three wrapped each other up in a hug. "Don't you worry, it's all going to be all right."

None of the ladies noticed when Chip slipped out of the room.

Sorry for the sad chapter - thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!