Everything was quiet. Nathan had left to get a Pepsi, leaving his sleeping
sibling alone. Or so he thought. Footsteps echoed through the almost empty
ward as Terri Sullivan made her way towards Gretel's bed. She sat down in
the armchair beside it and watched Gretel sleep. She didn't even notice
Nathan return until he put his hand on her shoulder and made her jump.
"Nathan!" Terri almost screamed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought I'd made enough noise to wake the dead." He sat down on Gretel's bed trying his best not to move it too much and wake her up.
"It's fine, I'm a heavy thinker." They both laughed. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at home and not here drinking Pepsi at 8:30pm?" Without thinking about it Terri was really starting to get into the whole mother mode.
"Gran said I could stay and I just wanted a drink that would keep me awake in case Gretel woke up." Nathan whined and placed the can on the bedside table. "Anyway, I thought I told you that you shouldn't be here."
"I didn't know it was against the rules of the hospital to check up on my daughter." Terri hung her head as she said the last word. "I'm sorry Nathan. I'm so sorry." A tear slid down Terri's cheek as she stood to leave.
"No, I didn't mean it mum." The word flowed out of Nathan's mouth so naturally it was as if he had said it to her all his life. Terri turned to look at him, trying hard not to show the mixture of shock and hope that she felt inside.
"I should be going anyway Nathan."
"Please, don't leave us again." Nathan pleaded with her. Terri walked back over to him and kissed his forehead.
"I promise I won't do that ever again. But I have to go tonight." As he nodded his head she left the hospital, thinking about the days events.
"Nathan!" Terri almost screamed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought I'd made enough noise to wake the dead." He sat down on Gretel's bed trying his best not to move it too much and wake her up.
"It's fine, I'm a heavy thinker." They both laughed. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at home and not here drinking Pepsi at 8:30pm?" Without thinking about it Terri was really starting to get into the whole mother mode.
"Gran said I could stay and I just wanted a drink that would keep me awake in case Gretel woke up." Nathan whined and placed the can on the bedside table. "Anyway, I thought I told you that you shouldn't be here."
"I didn't know it was against the rules of the hospital to check up on my daughter." Terri hung her head as she said the last word. "I'm sorry Nathan. I'm so sorry." A tear slid down Terri's cheek as she stood to leave.
"No, I didn't mean it mum." The word flowed out of Nathan's mouth so naturally it was as if he had said it to her all his life. Terri turned to look at him, trying hard not to show the mixture of shock and hope that she felt inside.
"I should be going anyway Nathan."
"Please, don't leave us again." Nathan pleaded with her. Terri walked back over to him and kissed his forehead.
"I promise I won't do that ever again. But I have to go tonight." As he nodded his head she left the hospital, thinking about the days events.