The Mourning After
PG-13
A/N: This is the third story in a series of stories, beginning with Hanging by a Moment, and then followed by Right Place, Right Time. Please read those two stories before you read this one, or else it won't make any sense.
I do not own Everwood, or any of the characters in this story, but in later chapters I might. Everwood is the property of the WB.
Andy went up to Ephram's room and knocked on the door, only to be greeted by silence. He knocked again, but got the same thing, "Ephram," He finally said, "What are you doing in there?" He received no answer, "Ephram open the door."
Andy wasn't going to just barge into his son's room, he was having enough difficulty getting through to him, and intruding into his room would only make it worse. 'Please Ephram,' Andy thought to himself, 'please open the door.'
Just then there was a noise on Ephram's side of the door, like someone falling onto the floor, "Ephram, are you alright?"
"Yeah," a quiet voice answered back, "I'm fine." There were a few more thumping noises, and then the doorknob started to turn. The door opened up and revealed Ephram leaning against the wall with his hand.
Andy didn't like what Ephram looked like, and he was beginning to get worried, "You don't look very okay." Andy stepped into the room and grabbed Ephram by the shoulders, taking him over to his bed, "Here, sit down."
"Dad, I'm fine." Ephram tried pushing away, but began to get dizzy as he moved so he let his dad sit him down, "Maybe not." He held his head and put his elbows on his knees.
"I'm going to go get you some water." Andy ran out of the room and went into the bathroom, grabbed a little paper cup, put water into it, and quickly ran back to Ephram, "Drink this, it might make you feel better."
Ephram took the water and then pointed to his desk, "There are some pain pills over there could you hand them to me?"
Andy grabbed the bottle and gave it to his son, "Are you in pain?"
Ephram took a sip of water and nodded at the same time. "A little," he answered swallowing the cold fluid, "My head hurts a little bit, but I'll be fine."
Andy wasn't sure what to say, so he didn't, he just walked out of the room and went into his room. He had to figure something out, because he knew something was wrong with Ephram, but he didn't know what, and that scared him more than ever.
******
Amy sat in her room at her desk, staring at her diary with a pen in her hand, contemplating whether or not to write about the days events. She finally made a decision and touched the pen to the paper:
Dear Diary, Today has been interesting. Ephram came back to school, I was so happy to see him again, but something was different about him. He looked different, tired, like he hadn't slept in days, or at least hadn't had a good night's rest in a few days. He saw me in first period, but he didn't look as happy to see me as I was him. I think something is wrong with him. He got mad at Bright at lunch, telling him never to say that name again, but I don't know what he meant by that. By the end of lunch Ephram was already gone. He had left school grounds, but I don't know where he went. Dr. Brown called earlier and told me Ephram was at home safe and sound, but he didn't say anything else. I'm really worried about him, both of them. Dr. Brown must be going through a lot, trying to help out Ephram, and who knows what's going on with him? I think I'm going to go over there tomorrow and see if Ephram wants to talk. I know it's probably a bad idea, but I can't just sit back and do nothing, Ephram was my boyfriend, and I miss him. I have to get him back, even if he doesn't want me. He needs my help.
Amy
******
Ephram sat on his bed, leaning his head up against his wall. He felt horrible, and he didn't know why. He thought it might have been because he was so upset, and that's why he got so dizzy and had a headache, but there was more to it now. His stomach was tossing even if he lay still, and his heart was racing every once in a while.
He decided that it was just because of exhaustion from that day, and to leave it at that. He didn't think anymore of it as he slowly stood up to leave his room and go downstairs.
He walked down the hallway and reached the stairs, feeling better every step, or so he thought. About halfway down he started to feel queasy, but didn't feel bad enough o run to the bathroom. Then, all of a sudden, dizziness hit him full force. He tried grabbing the rail that was connected to the wall, but his vision was blurred, so he couldn't see straight, or reach the wooden pole in time. His body began falling forward, and he could hear Delia screaming at him.
"Ephram, no!!" The little girl was terrified as she watched her bother stagger and then tumble down the stairs. She had never seen him like this, and she never wanted to again. He fell to the bottom of the stairs with a loud and painful thud, and Delia ran straight to him, "Ephram are you okay?" Delia placed her hands on her brother's motionless body. His eyes were closed.
A small groan came from him as he tried rolling over. He opened his eyes and turned enough so that he could see Delia's eyes looking at him with more worry than he had ever imagined. It made him smile a little, but not for long. He quickly closed his eyes again and whispered loud enough so Delia could barely hear him, "Go get dad."
Delia shot up the stairs like a speeding bullet and didn't stop. Ephram managed to pull himself slowly over to the couch, inch by inch the pain increased. His legs were sore and his head was in excruciating pain. He finally reached the leather sofa just as he heard footsteps quickly moving in the hall upstairs.
He threw an arm up to the arm of the couch and grasped at the leather. When he got his grip he pulled up, but didn't make it very far. Andy came downstairs just as Ephram's head was halfway between the floor and the top of the arm of the couch.
"Ephram what happened?" He asked with a great sound of worry in his voice.
Ephram turned his head so that he could see his dad, but when he did that the pain went from excruciating to unbearable. With his arm still clinging to the leather he tried to speak, but no words came out. Tears began forming in his eyes which made it impossible for Ephram to see.
Andy watched in horror as his son's hand let go of the couch and he fell limp to the floor. Ephram's body hadn't been able to handle the pain it was feeling, and so it shut itself down. The last thing Ephram had remembered was his fathers eyes staring at him, but that was something he would soon forget.
PG-13
A/N: This is the third story in a series of stories, beginning with Hanging by a Moment, and then followed by Right Place, Right Time. Please read those two stories before you read this one, or else it won't make any sense.
I do not own Everwood, or any of the characters in this story, but in later chapters I might. Everwood is the property of the WB.
Andy went up to Ephram's room and knocked on the door, only to be greeted by silence. He knocked again, but got the same thing, "Ephram," He finally said, "What are you doing in there?" He received no answer, "Ephram open the door."
Andy wasn't going to just barge into his son's room, he was having enough difficulty getting through to him, and intruding into his room would only make it worse. 'Please Ephram,' Andy thought to himself, 'please open the door.'
Just then there was a noise on Ephram's side of the door, like someone falling onto the floor, "Ephram, are you alright?"
"Yeah," a quiet voice answered back, "I'm fine." There were a few more thumping noises, and then the doorknob started to turn. The door opened up and revealed Ephram leaning against the wall with his hand.
Andy didn't like what Ephram looked like, and he was beginning to get worried, "You don't look very okay." Andy stepped into the room and grabbed Ephram by the shoulders, taking him over to his bed, "Here, sit down."
"Dad, I'm fine." Ephram tried pushing away, but began to get dizzy as he moved so he let his dad sit him down, "Maybe not." He held his head and put his elbows on his knees.
"I'm going to go get you some water." Andy ran out of the room and went into the bathroom, grabbed a little paper cup, put water into it, and quickly ran back to Ephram, "Drink this, it might make you feel better."
Ephram took the water and then pointed to his desk, "There are some pain pills over there could you hand them to me?"
Andy grabbed the bottle and gave it to his son, "Are you in pain?"
Ephram took a sip of water and nodded at the same time. "A little," he answered swallowing the cold fluid, "My head hurts a little bit, but I'll be fine."
Andy wasn't sure what to say, so he didn't, he just walked out of the room and went into his room. He had to figure something out, because he knew something was wrong with Ephram, but he didn't know what, and that scared him more than ever.
******
Amy sat in her room at her desk, staring at her diary with a pen in her hand, contemplating whether or not to write about the days events. She finally made a decision and touched the pen to the paper:
Dear Diary, Today has been interesting. Ephram came back to school, I was so happy to see him again, but something was different about him. He looked different, tired, like he hadn't slept in days, or at least hadn't had a good night's rest in a few days. He saw me in first period, but he didn't look as happy to see me as I was him. I think something is wrong with him. He got mad at Bright at lunch, telling him never to say that name again, but I don't know what he meant by that. By the end of lunch Ephram was already gone. He had left school grounds, but I don't know where he went. Dr. Brown called earlier and told me Ephram was at home safe and sound, but he didn't say anything else. I'm really worried about him, both of them. Dr. Brown must be going through a lot, trying to help out Ephram, and who knows what's going on with him? I think I'm going to go over there tomorrow and see if Ephram wants to talk. I know it's probably a bad idea, but I can't just sit back and do nothing, Ephram was my boyfriend, and I miss him. I have to get him back, even if he doesn't want me. He needs my help.
Amy
******
Ephram sat on his bed, leaning his head up against his wall. He felt horrible, and he didn't know why. He thought it might have been because he was so upset, and that's why he got so dizzy and had a headache, but there was more to it now. His stomach was tossing even if he lay still, and his heart was racing every once in a while.
He decided that it was just because of exhaustion from that day, and to leave it at that. He didn't think anymore of it as he slowly stood up to leave his room and go downstairs.
He walked down the hallway and reached the stairs, feeling better every step, or so he thought. About halfway down he started to feel queasy, but didn't feel bad enough o run to the bathroom. Then, all of a sudden, dizziness hit him full force. He tried grabbing the rail that was connected to the wall, but his vision was blurred, so he couldn't see straight, or reach the wooden pole in time. His body began falling forward, and he could hear Delia screaming at him.
"Ephram, no!!" The little girl was terrified as she watched her bother stagger and then tumble down the stairs. She had never seen him like this, and she never wanted to again. He fell to the bottom of the stairs with a loud and painful thud, and Delia ran straight to him, "Ephram are you okay?" Delia placed her hands on her brother's motionless body. His eyes were closed.
A small groan came from him as he tried rolling over. He opened his eyes and turned enough so that he could see Delia's eyes looking at him with more worry than he had ever imagined. It made him smile a little, but not for long. He quickly closed his eyes again and whispered loud enough so Delia could barely hear him, "Go get dad."
Delia shot up the stairs like a speeding bullet and didn't stop. Ephram managed to pull himself slowly over to the couch, inch by inch the pain increased. His legs were sore and his head was in excruciating pain. He finally reached the leather sofa just as he heard footsteps quickly moving in the hall upstairs.
He threw an arm up to the arm of the couch and grasped at the leather. When he got his grip he pulled up, but didn't make it very far. Andy came downstairs just as Ephram's head was halfway between the floor and the top of the arm of the couch.
"Ephram what happened?" He asked with a great sound of worry in his voice.
Ephram turned his head so that he could see his dad, but when he did that the pain went from excruciating to unbearable. With his arm still clinging to the leather he tried to speak, but no words came out. Tears began forming in his eyes which made it impossible for Ephram to see.
Andy watched in horror as his son's hand let go of the couch and he fell limp to the floor. Ephram's body hadn't been able to handle the pain it was feeling, and so it shut itself down. The last thing Ephram had remembered was his fathers eyes staring at him, but that was something he would soon forget.