The sun hadn't even braved the horizon as Kevin wheeled into the kitchen, looking for breakfast and car keys. The unusual hush that filled the house was unnerving, giving him the feeling that he was being watched as he poured cereal into a bowl and retrieved the milk. Luke was still in bed – both of them having been sent home the night before by their parents – but Kevin had promised himself he would be up early enough to visit Joan before work started.
Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he focused himself on the task of eating breakfast. It seemed normal, mundane, and that was just what he needed to brace himself for another trip to the hospital. Although most of the time he preferred to be glib about his accident and the disability it had caused cold, hard dread still sunk in his stomach when he had to go near a hospital.
But his little sister was there right now, and he couldn't bear to think of her lying in the uncomfortable, sticky bed with only their parents for company. Trying to make everything alright, but only managing to come off condescending. Kevin had accepted after his accident that their behaviour had only been motivated by how scared for him they were, neither knew what to say to him. And he guessed that the same would be true for Joan, even if she wasn't going to be disfigured or disabled for the rest of her life.
Finishing up the cereal and leaving the bowl on the table to be washed later when there were less important things to do Kevin scrawled a quick note for Luke and headed for the door.
The car turned a corner, heading down the street that would eventually lead him to the hospital about five blocks away. It wasn't that he was especially worried for Joan, the doctors seemed pretty calm, their parents didn't have the same vacant look in their eyes that they had when he had been admitted, but of all the stupid things his little sister could have done getting bitten by a deer tick just about topped them all.
Where were there even deer in Arcadia?
Before he could get properly immersed in the thought Kevin realised that he had somehow ended up in the hospital parking lot, with – of course – a great parking space. Wheeling through the automatic doors, he watched the few people that were up and about during the early hour: nurses stuck in thankless jobs, doctors on call, patients out for an early morning cigarette before the drug trolley came around. These were the only people that his sister had for permanent company.
It made him want to blow off work, screw the paper, and just sit with Joan all day, playing cards or mocking the nurses. He knew she probably wouldn't be well enough to do any of those things, but it didn't make him wish any less that he could be there for her more.
No matter how much he wanted to baby her though, he couldn't, she wouldn't let him even if he tried. And Kevin knew that his parents were right; there was no point in putting off his own life – just when it was starting to get back on track – when someone could be with Joan. He could still see her after office hours. It just didn't feel like enough.
Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he focused himself on the task of eating breakfast. It seemed normal, mundane, and that was just what he needed to brace himself for another trip to the hospital. Although most of the time he preferred to be glib about his accident and the disability it had caused cold, hard dread still sunk in his stomach when he had to go near a hospital.
But his little sister was there right now, and he couldn't bear to think of her lying in the uncomfortable, sticky bed with only their parents for company. Trying to make everything alright, but only managing to come off condescending. Kevin had accepted after his accident that their behaviour had only been motivated by how scared for him they were, neither knew what to say to him. And he guessed that the same would be true for Joan, even if she wasn't going to be disfigured or disabled for the rest of her life.
Finishing up the cereal and leaving the bowl on the table to be washed later when there were less important things to do Kevin scrawled a quick note for Luke and headed for the door.
The car turned a corner, heading down the street that would eventually lead him to the hospital about five blocks away. It wasn't that he was especially worried for Joan, the doctors seemed pretty calm, their parents didn't have the same vacant look in their eyes that they had when he had been admitted, but of all the stupid things his little sister could have done getting bitten by a deer tick just about topped them all.
Where were there even deer in Arcadia?
Before he could get properly immersed in the thought Kevin realised that he had somehow ended up in the hospital parking lot, with – of course – a great parking space. Wheeling through the automatic doors, he watched the few people that were up and about during the early hour: nurses stuck in thankless jobs, doctors on call, patients out for an early morning cigarette before the drug trolley came around. These were the only people that his sister had for permanent company.
It made him want to blow off work, screw the paper, and just sit with Joan all day, playing cards or mocking the nurses. He knew she probably wouldn't be well enough to do any of those things, but it didn't make him wish any less that he could be there for her more.
No matter how much he wanted to baby her though, he couldn't, she wouldn't let him even if he tried. And Kevin knew that his parents were right; there was no point in putting off his own life – just when it was starting to get back on track – when someone could be with Joan. He could still see her after office hours. It just didn't feel like enough.