Chapter 33 of "Breaking Through"
A/N: Right after 32.
********* Chapter 33 *********
~~Jordan~~
I quickly headed back into the building and towards the room where Nigel and his dad were. When I got there, I paused outside of the door for a moment. I peeked my head into the doorway and saw Nigel sitting by a bed, his head bowed to his hands. I couldn't decide if I wanted to go in and be with him or if I should give him some time alone. As I stood in the doorway thinking to myself, I noticed that Nigel was talking. I contemplated trying to hear what he was saying, but I shook my head and let him be. I glanced around the hall and saw a plastic chair near the other side of the corridor. Sneakily, I scampered down the hall and pilfered the chair, sitting outside the door to the room.
An hour must have gone by before I got up and checked on Nigel again. He was still sitting next to the bed, but he was leaned back in the chair and staring at the wall. I walked into the room and smiled as I sat in the chair next to him. "Nige? You alright?"
"Look at him Jordan." Nigel looked over at me, then back at his dad.
I looked. Sure, I'd seen him before...but he looked worse than I could have imagined. His skin was yellowed, and he was hooked up to a ventilator and a dialysis machine that was filtering his blood constantly. I stared at him for a moment before looking back at Nigel.
"Look at him." He bit his lower lip and winced.
"I see him Nigel." I reached over and touched Nigel's arm. "Hey-"
He jerked his arm away from me. "Don't. Just don't." His head turned away from me and dropped into his hands.
I slowly pulled my hand back and rested it in my lap. "Sorry...I just..." I stopped talking and looked back at his father. Feeling the slight sting of tears in my eyes, I told myself that he was just hurting, hurting more than I could know, and I calmed down.
"Nigel...is that you?"
I turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway. She was older, and she looked like she was related to Nigel.
He lifted his head and nodded. "Hello Auntie." Slowly, he stood and crossed the room to her. Embracing her, he stood in silence for a moment before turning to me. "This is my friend, Jordan...she came over here with me."
"Hello dear...I'm Janice...Nigel's aunt...but call me auntie." She walked over to me and smiled.
I stood and gave the woman a hug. "Alright." I offered her my chair, and she graciously accepted.
"Thank you so much. Too much London traffic can make you tired."
"I bet." I smiled at the woman, before motioning for Nigel to take my chair. "Nigel...sit."
"No...I'm fine." Nigel shook his head.
In my head, I knew he wasn't alright. He was paler than normal, and his eyes were red and he was shaking ever so slightly. I walked over and guided him towards the chair. "Please...babe...sit..."
He sank into the chair without another word.
"I'm surprised you came so soon." Nigel's aunt leaned over and touched Nigel on the knee. "I mean...we haven't heard from you in years and all of a sudden you're here."
"That's how I felt when dad showed up in Boston after I got shot." Nigel looked up at her. "And we patched up a lot of our problems. So it was the least I could do, come back here and be with him before he..." He swallowed hard and sighed. "Jordan..."
"Yeah Nige?" I turned my attention to him.
"Listen...could you give us a few minutes with dad? Please?" He looked at me, his eyes pleading with me.
"Sure. No problem." I smiled, then turned and walked out of the room. I walked down the hall to the front desk and waited for the attendant to notice that I was standing there.
"Can I help you?"
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the maternity ward is?" I smiled at the woman. "My friend is in ICU with his father and I wanted to go look at all the babies."
"Sure thing sweetheart." The nurse pointed at a doorway. "Just head through those doors, and right past the chapel you'll come to a split in the hallway. Make a left, then all the way at the end is the maternity ward. There are signs marking the way to go, so it's pretty easy."
"Thanks." I smiled again, then left on my hunt to find the little ones. I found my way there quite easily, and I sat and looked through the glass at all the parents cuddling with their newborns. It almost made me start to cry, but I managed to wipe away my few tears and smile at the happy families.
After an hour or so, I turned and headed back towards the ICU. But as I passed through the halls, I walked past the chapel and found my footsteps slowing. I reversed my course and entered the darkened room, standing hesitant in the doorway. The church and I had never really gotten along...
Slipping into the back row of pews, I sat quietly and stared straight ahead at the altar. I wasn't sure what had gotten into me, but I felt as if I might as well say something. Bowing my head, I muttered a quick prayer that I had learned as a child, before mom had been killed. Wiping a tear from my eye as I finished, I walked to the front of the room and lit a candle, then turned and walked out.
When I entered the hall of the ICU, I suddenly had a sense of dread fall over me. I quickened my pace until I found myself standing outside the door to Jonathan's room. I entered slowly, and shivered when I noticed that all the machines had been turned off and Nigel's aunt was sitting and sobbing.
Nigel was leaning against the wall and staring at the bed where his father's body lay. Unmoving, his face was void of all emotion and sense of life. I bit my lip and walked over to Nigel and looked up at him. He ignored me and continued to stare at his father. Leaning down, he touched his father's arm and shuddered.
"Nigel..." I spoke softly, not knowing what to say to try to comfort him.
"Jordan...please..." Nigel turned and looked at me, his eyes dull and blank. He took a step away from the bed and looked at his aunt. "Auntie?"
"Yes Nigel?" She looked up at him.
"Have Jordan take you back to the house...when you're ready to leave." He looked over at me and sighed. "Can you do that Jordan?"
I nodded. "Sure...what about you?"
He turned and walked towards the doorway. "There's somewhere I gotta go."
I shook my head. "You're not going by yourself. I'm coming with you."
Nigel shook his head. "No. You're not." He walked out of the room without another word, and I started after him.
His aunt grabbed my arm. "Sweetheart...let him go."
"I can't! What if he does something stupid?" I looked at the doorway.
"He won't. Believe me. Nigel's always had his own way of coping with things. Besides...when we were sitting here talking when you left for a while...he told me some things."
"About?" I sat in the chair next to her. "About what?"
"About how he considers you to be his best friend, and about how grateful he is that you came with him over here without even thinking about yourself." His aunt shrugged. "He'll be alright. When they came in and turned off the monitors after he passed away...he told me to tell you not to worry about him. That he'd be safe. He promised."
"But I can't let him walk away like that..."
"Listen Jordan. He's hurting. And he needs you...just believe me...he needs to do some things first, by himself. It will hit him later...and he'll need someone there to help him." She stood up and smiled. "You know how to drive in England?"
I shook my head.
"I didn't think so. Let's get going home." She turned back towards Jonathan. "Goodbye Jon." She paused for a moment, then turned back to me and headed for the door. As we walked down the hall and out into the London night, I noticed that it was raining.
I laughed to myself.
"What?" His aunt turned to look at me as we walked under the covered walkway to the parking garage.
"Here it is. I knew the weather was bad." I looked out at the dark sky that covered the stars and wondered where Nigel was. I was worrying about him...I didn't like the fact that he was out there alone somewhere. When we got to the car, Janice motioned for me to get in the passenger side. As we pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the house, we rode in silence.
"Jordan...Nigel is going to be alright...I promise sweetie." She looked over and smiled at me, then continued to concentrate on driving. I didn't answer her, but just stared out the window at the rainy night. As we pulled up in front of the house, she parked in the garage and opened the car door. "I put you and Nigel's stuff in the trunk...help me get it out?"
"Sure." I got out of the car and walked back to the trunk. I grabbed my bags and Nigel's duffel bag and his aunt grabbed Nigel's backpack. As we walked through the door and into the house, I looked around and smiled. It was a very nice house...small, but nice.
"I was meaning to ask you and Nigel if you'd want to share the upstairs bedroom or if I should make up the sofa...there's two beds up in the room..." She looked at me.
"That would be fine. I don't think he'll mind." I smiled and headed for the stairs following her.
"I'll just make sure that you're comfortable, and then I'll let you get to sleep. I'm sure you're absolutely exhausted from your traveling!" She opened the door to the bedroom. "Here you are. Bathroom's down the hall on the left, if you need anything, feel free to use it. Kitchen's downstairs..." She set Nigel's bag down next to one of the beds. "Goodnight...and don't worry about Nigel...he'll probably come home later tonight." She smiled at me, then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
I looked over at the bed and smiled. A bed had never looked so good. I quickly changed into some sweats and a tank top and crawled in under the covers, listening to the sound of rain falling on the roof. I was still worried about him...but the day's events had taken their toll and I soon fell sound asleep.
TBC...
**A/N: Next chapter...find out where Nigel is and what he's up to...reviews appreciated...**
A/N: Right after 32.
********* Chapter 33 *********
~~Jordan~~
I quickly headed back into the building and towards the room where Nigel and his dad were. When I got there, I paused outside of the door for a moment. I peeked my head into the doorway and saw Nigel sitting by a bed, his head bowed to his hands. I couldn't decide if I wanted to go in and be with him or if I should give him some time alone. As I stood in the doorway thinking to myself, I noticed that Nigel was talking. I contemplated trying to hear what he was saying, but I shook my head and let him be. I glanced around the hall and saw a plastic chair near the other side of the corridor. Sneakily, I scampered down the hall and pilfered the chair, sitting outside the door to the room.
An hour must have gone by before I got up and checked on Nigel again. He was still sitting next to the bed, but he was leaned back in the chair and staring at the wall. I walked into the room and smiled as I sat in the chair next to him. "Nige? You alright?"
"Look at him Jordan." Nigel looked over at me, then back at his dad.
I looked. Sure, I'd seen him before...but he looked worse than I could have imagined. His skin was yellowed, and he was hooked up to a ventilator and a dialysis machine that was filtering his blood constantly. I stared at him for a moment before looking back at Nigel.
"Look at him." He bit his lower lip and winced.
"I see him Nigel." I reached over and touched Nigel's arm. "Hey-"
He jerked his arm away from me. "Don't. Just don't." His head turned away from me and dropped into his hands.
I slowly pulled my hand back and rested it in my lap. "Sorry...I just..." I stopped talking and looked back at his father. Feeling the slight sting of tears in my eyes, I told myself that he was just hurting, hurting more than I could know, and I calmed down.
"Nigel...is that you?"
I turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway. She was older, and she looked like she was related to Nigel.
He lifted his head and nodded. "Hello Auntie." Slowly, he stood and crossed the room to her. Embracing her, he stood in silence for a moment before turning to me. "This is my friend, Jordan...she came over here with me."
"Hello dear...I'm Janice...Nigel's aunt...but call me auntie." She walked over to me and smiled.
I stood and gave the woman a hug. "Alright." I offered her my chair, and she graciously accepted.
"Thank you so much. Too much London traffic can make you tired."
"I bet." I smiled at the woman, before motioning for Nigel to take my chair. "Nigel...sit."
"No...I'm fine." Nigel shook his head.
In my head, I knew he wasn't alright. He was paler than normal, and his eyes were red and he was shaking ever so slightly. I walked over and guided him towards the chair. "Please...babe...sit..."
He sank into the chair without another word.
"I'm surprised you came so soon." Nigel's aunt leaned over and touched Nigel on the knee. "I mean...we haven't heard from you in years and all of a sudden you're here."
"That's how I felt when dad showed up in Boston after I got shot." Nigel looked up at her. "And we patched up a lot of our problems. So it was the least I could do, come back here and be with him before he..." He swallowed hard and sighed. "Jordan..."
"Yeah Nige?" I turned my attention to him.
"Listen...could you give us a few minutes with dad? Please?" He looked at me, his eyes pleading with me.
"Sure. No problem." I smiled, then turned and walked out of the room. I walked down the hall to the front desk and waited for the attendant to notice that I was standing there.
"Can I help you?"
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the maternity ward is?" I smiled at the woman. "My friend is in ICU with his father and I wanted to go look at all the babies."
"Sure thing sweetheart." The nurse pointed at a doorway. "Just head through those doors, and right past the chapel you'll come to a split in the hallway. Make a left, then all the way at the end is the maternity ward. There are signs marking the way to go, so it's pretty easy."
"Thanks." I smiled again, then left on my hunt to find the little ones. I found my way there quite easily, and I sat and looked through the glass at all the parents cuddling with their newborns. It almost made me start to cry, but I managed to wipe away my few tears and smile at the happy families.
After an hour or so, I turned and headed back towards the ICU. But as I passed through the halls, I walked past the chapel and found my footsteps slowing. I reversed my course and entered the darkened room, standing hesitant in the doorway. The church and I had never really gotten along...
Slipping into the back row of pews, I sat quietly and stared straight ahead at the altar. I wasn't sure what had gotten into me, but I felt as if I might as well say something. Bowing my head, I muttered a quick prayer that I had learned as a child, before mom had been killed. Wiping a tear from my eye as I finished, I walked to the front of the room and lit a candle, then turned and walked out.
When I entered the hall of the ICU, I suddenly had a sense of dread fall over me. I quickened my pace until I found myself standing outside the door to Jonathan's room. I entered slowly, and shivered when I noticed that all the machines had been turned off and Nigel's aunt was sitting and sobbing.
Nigel was leaning against the wall and staring at the bed where his father's body lay. Unmoving, his face was void of all emotion and sense of life. I bit my lip and walked over to Nigel and looked up at him. He ignored me and continued to stare at his father. Leaning down, he touched his father's arm and shuddered.
"Nigel..." I spoke softly, not knowing what to say to try to comfort him.
"Jordan...please..." Nigel turned and looked at me, his eyes dull and blank. He took a step away from the bed and looked at his aunt. "Auntie?"
"Yes Nigel?" She looked up at him.
"Have Jordan take you back to the house...when you're ready to leave." He looked over at me and sighed. "Can you do that Jordan?"
I nodded. "Sure...what about you?"
He turned and walked towards the doorway. "There's somewhere I gotta go."
I shook my head. "You're not going by yourself. I'm coming with you."
Nigel shook his head. "No. You're not." He walked out of the room without another word, and I started after him.
His aunt grabbed my arm. "Sweetheart...let him go."
"I can't! What if he does something stupid?" I looked at the doorway.
"He won't. Believe me. Nigel's always had his own way of coping with things. Besides...when we were sitting here talking when you left for a while...he told me some things."
"About?" I sat in the chair next to her. "About what?"
"About how he considers you to be his best friend, and about how grateful he is that you came with him over here without even thinking about yourself." His aunt shrugged. "He'll be alright. When they came in and turned off the monitors after he passed away...he told me to tell you not to worry about him. That he'd be safe. He promised."
"But I can't let him walk away like that..."
"Listen Jordan. He's hurting. And he needs you...just believe me...he needs to do some things first, by himself. It will hit him later...and he'll need someone there to help him." She stood up and smiled. "You know how to drive in England?"
I shook my head.
"I didn't think so. Let's get going home." She turned back towards Jonathan. "Goodbye Jon." She paused for a moment, then turned back to me and headed for the door. As we walked down the hall and out into the London night, I noticed that it was raining.
I laughed to myself.
"What?" His aunt turned to look at me as we walked under the covered walkway to the parking garage.
"Here it is. I knew the weather was bad." I looked out at the dark sky that covered the stars and wondered where Nigel was. I was worrying about him...I didn't like the fact that he was out there alone somewhere. When we got to the car, Janice motioned for me to get in the passenger side. As we pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the house, we rode in silence.
"Jordan...Nigel is going to be alright...I promise sweetie." She looked over and smiled at me, then continued to concentrate on driving. I didn't answer her, but just stared out the window at the rainy night. As we pulled up in front of the house, she parked in the garage and opened the car door. "I put you and Nigel's stuff in the trunk...help me get it out?"
"Sure." I got out of the car and walked back to the trunk. I grabbed my bags and Nigel's duffel bag and his aunt grabbed Nigel's backpack. As we walked through the door and into the house, I looked around and smiled. It was a very nice house...small, but nice.
"I was meaning to ask you and Nigel if you'd want to share the upstairs bedroom or if I should make up the sofa...there's two beds up in the room..." She looked at me.
"That would be fine. I don't think he'll mind." I smiled and headed for the stairs following her.
"I'll just make sure that you're comfortable, and then I'll let you get to sleep. I'm sure you're absolutely exhausted from your traveling!" She opened the door to the bedroom. "Here you are. Bathroom's down the hall on the left, if you need anything, feel free to use it. Kitchen's downstairs..." She set Nigel's bag down next to one of the beds. "Goodnight...and don't worry about Nigel...he'll probably come home later tonight." She smiled at me, then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
I looked over at the bed and smiled. A bed had never looked so good. I quickly changed into some sweats and a tank top and crawled in under the covers, listening to the sound of rain falling on the roof. I was still worried about him...but the day's events had taken their toll and I soon fell sound asleep.
TBC...
**A/N: Next chapter...find out where Nigel is and what he's up to...reviews appreciated...**