The boys were very nervous; they immediately sat down onto the green leather couches when asked. Mary sat between them and held both of their hands so tightly her knuckles turned white. They took collective breaths and waited. Jasmine and Liliana pulled up chairs from the opposite wall and sat down facing them.
"Okay someone fuckin' say something!" Murphy was growing tired of this pause for effect crap.
"What me brother is trying to say," Connor amended shooting daggers at Murphy "is that we would really like to know about our Da's condition." Mary nodded silently. "Dr.'s, is he alright?"
"Well, yes and no." Lili put her hair back into the messy bun it had been in.
"Your father suffered from a stroke. He must have been on blood thinners. This of course caused the wound to bleed excessively."
"We managed to retrieve the bullet, close the wound and stop any internal bleeding-"
"Well that's great then!" the boys perked up and looked hopeful.
"Wait. There's more. Guys my Da is really sick. You should listen to the them."
They looked defeated; they resigned themselves to silence and waited for the rest of the news.
"Now, your father went into shock. Right now he's sleeping, but his leg…there's little hope left but for a cane, he'll never recover the full use of his leg again." Lili looked sympathetic. Jasmine put her hand over Mary's.
"I'm so sorry Love."
Mary put her head in her lap and started to cry again. The boys silently rubbed her back.
"Well, it's been quite the night." Connor mumbled.
"And I'm afraid its not over yet. The shock, it went to his heart. Any pressure, or stress could trigger an attack-"
"Wait one fuckin minute." Murphy was angry and confused, a bad combination. "Are telling us our Da is dieing?"
Jasmine looked at him and spoke in the same calm tone, hoping to lend some of her tranquility and strength to the distraught soul. "What we're saying is without rest and relaxation, the probable likelihood of terminal…."she trailed off. She couldn't do it. The aloof detached news to the next of kin, relaying to them their loved ones death. She knew Mary, and she knew whoever these men were they loved their father. "Yes. Unless he takes it seriously easy, we're talkin' vegetating on a golf course for a year, then yes, your father will die."
Lili reached out to Connor taking his other hand in hers. He looked up into her eyes and stared. He felt himself slipping into a strange comfort. He could see she genuinely wanted to comfort him. He took strength in her sympathy. He tightened his grip on her hand, which was small and delicate, smooth and soft. The way a lady's hand should be. It fit perfectly into his.
"Is there nothing we can do?" He asked
" You can help with his diet…do you eat anything that is heavy with grease and fat? Fast foods?"
Jasmine spoke to Murphy "do you guys do anything with a high level of stress?"
The brothers looked at each other and felt the same shameful blush rising to their cheeks.
The girls looked at the boys and then to each other. They could tell by the look the boys gave each other that everything on the strict "Thou Shalt Not" list was a daily occurrence for them. The girls gave a sigh and leaned back. A nurse on the night shift came and handed both of them clip boards. Jasmine rolled her eyes while liliana growled. This drew the others attention.
"What?" Connor and Murphy looked confused.
"They have to fill out reports and the condition of the patients, so they are filling out a report on Da." Mary supplied.
"so, how did he actually get shot?" lili asked looking at the boys.
"Well, um.."
"With a gun what else?" The boys raised their eyebrows at the now sassy and ruffled red head between them.
"Mary…" Jasmine was agitated and sarcasm wouldn't help
"Don't ya' 'Mary' me!" She sat up Straighter "I won' be havin' ya' sendin' me Da' to the police!" in her anger Mary's thick Irish accent came out.
Jasmine who was pinching the bridge of her nose in an effort to avoid a headache, sat straight up.
"Mary Theresa McManus!"
Liliana groaned and covered her face in her hands. Jasmine was half Mexican though she didn't look it, when she was angry or upset, she let the whole world know it. And now they would have to endure an earful, probably not in English either.
"How dare you!"
Mary stood up and glared down at Jasmine "you stupid spic how the fuck dare you!"
"Oh shit…."lili mumbled wishing at this moment in time she was invisible
"What! Oh Hell No! You stupid Mic if you weren't so busy digging for potatoes you might be able to take your head out of your ass!"
"oh cause looking for beans is sooo much better!"
"Man..." lili was turning bright pink under the scrutinizing gaze of the brothers.
"yo me puse knwo por qué yo perdería el tiempo que trata de salvar su vida de padres-" jasmine was right in Mary's face.
"¡Haga ni! si wasnt para el lili Dios sabe donde es-su de youd un médico terrible!"
Jasmine was indignant "¡Por lo menos im todavía un médico usted couldnt aún marca por un semestre de la comunidad!"
Mary huffed "¡Eso no justo, mi Da estaba en un apuro, él fue dolido!"
"yeah¡Sí y yo lo fijé entonces también!"
"ALRIGHT!" Murphy put himself between them.
"its not my fault jasmine's such a fuckin' retard."
Jasmine swung and no doubt would have knocked Mary flat if Murphy hadn't grabbed her and held her. "¡Calme!" he whispered in her ear "¡Calme!"
She stopped struggling and he let her go. She looked at Mary, and Mary looked back. There was a tense minuet of silence before the girls hugged each other and whispered words of apology in the others hair.
"Well now that that's over with." Lili had finally stopped blushing and picked up jasmine's discarded clipboard. "We need information."
Mary let go of jasmine and for the first time looked at them. "Yeah who are you? And what did ya' do to me Da?"
"Your Da?" Murphy looked taken aback as if he heard her say this for the first time
Connor stood up. "I'm Connor, and this is my brother Murphy." He stuck out his hand, which Mary took. "But I think the question is who are you?"
Liliana cleared her throat " I think those are questions best left for your…. for him to answer."
They all nodded. "So the meds will wear off sometime tomorrow. There are lots empty beds if you want to wait here…." Jasmine motioned to all the open doors. But the brothers shook their heads.
"Nah, there's plenty of motels around-"
"Absolutely not!" they turned surprised to Mary "as far as I can tell, yer me kin. I know fer a fact I'm his Daughter, DNA testin' don' lie, and I doubt either of ya' are lien'. So no kin of mines stayin' in a motel."
He boys mouth hung open at the mention of the DNA test. "Yer commin' home with me." She stood arms akimbo, as they studied her, they could see their father's defiance in her eyes, she wasn't taking' no for an answer.
"Al right."
She smiled and led the way to the parking lot, stopping to see they weren't following her she turned and said "now I know you two want to stand around and stare at the two lovely doctors there but it is late, so if there's nothin' else…"
They blushed with the girls and hurried after her. Sighing Jasmine and liliana looked at their clipboards with malice and started to scribble down whatever came to mind. They looked up to the clock when they were done. It was already three and with the traffic on the night strip it would be hours before they could make it to their apartment. There was no sense in going all that way just to sleep for a couple of hours and have to get up early so they could come back here. Finding an empty room they lay down on a bed together.
"Today was interesting." Liliana whispered
"Yeah" jasmine replied.
"You think they're really family?"
"Maybe."
"Those guys were really cute though."
"…" Jasmine started to blush, unfortunately this didn't escape lili's careful eye
"So, the dark haired one, is he as strong as he looks?"
"Wha!" lili burst into giggles and jasmine attacked her with the most merciless tickle attack ever devised by man. They resorted to smacking each other with pillows for a while. When they finally calmed down they just held each other in companionable silence.
"Good night."
"Good night."
Mary pulled her mustang out in the front parking lot. After a glance at the blood filled car, it was decided it might be better if they just took her car. So they parked the bloodied vehicle behind the building. Mary drove them to her apartment on the other side of town. The ride was about twenty minutes, and it was spent in an uncomfortable silence. When she pulled up the boys got out quickly and Connor opened the door for Mary while Murphy helped her out. She led them up a cement walk way to her door. The paint was peeling and the numbers were falling off. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was modest, with scant furnishings and a small tv tucked in a corner.
"sorry 'bout the place. I'm always at the hospital ya' know? Not really time to spend makin' this place a 'home' "
"no, its fine." Murphy looked around and was reminded of all the places they ever stayed at. At least this place was clean. Mary showed them where the bathroom was so they could clean off the blood. She lay out blankets and sleeping bags for them. Then looking like she was at a loss she bid good night and left to her room. They lay down on their make-shift beds and stared at the ceiling.
"hey Connor?" Murphy whispered
"yeah?"
"you think shes really our sister?"
"maybe."
"you don' think Da was….unfaithful…do ya' "
"……" connor was just contemplating that himself. He was exactly sure what he thought. He hoped it wasn't the case but you never know, his parents were separated by an ocean. Many things could happen. Connors silence didn't go unnoticed however.
"so…."Murphy couldn't think of anything to help lift the burden of these thoughts from his brother. So he said the first thing that came to his mind. "that doctor, she was mighty fine."
Connor looked over at his brother. "which one?" for some reason he was uneasy as to what murphs answer might be.
"the fiery one."
"who spoke Spanish?"
"aye."
Connor wasn't surprised. Murph was always attracted to wild things. He used to bring home stray animals back home. Then he would always cry when they left. Connor always feared that one day hed find a woman like that, and then hed be torn when she left. Connor made a non committal noise.
"whats all that about then?" he asked looking at Connor "ya probably fancy her too, just wont admit it."
"actually Im more akin to the other one. The blonde one. She was mighty fine too."
"yeah, shy as a mouse and red as a beet." Murphy laughed
"so? Its attractive when a lass blushes! An' I wouldn't be talkin'. You've lost more sense than I thought if ya think ya can bed down with a wild cat like her"
" I never said I wanted to bed her!"
"so you don't find her sexy at all?"
"no! just attractive, not bed worthy." Murphy stated laying back down
"so If I told ya to imagine her hell cat nails clawing yer back while you thrust inside her, youd find the idea repulsive?"
Murphy wanted to agre but his lower body already betrayed him. "and what about yer mouse?"
Connor smirked smugly "what about her? shes no hell cat."
"true nough. But is she bed worthy?"
"course not! Ya know the thought is as bad as the act! I purged meself of immoral thoughts long ago."
Murphy snorted
"I've more self control than that."
"okay," Murphy decided it was pay back time "so if I told ya to imagine her, a wanton librarian, all alone, slowly blushing as she took off her glasses, her shirt, pulling down her hair, the strands falling low over those firm breasts-"
Connor reached over and punched murphy squarely.
"so much for self control.." he mutter massaging his arm.
"go to sleep murph"
"you too connor"
but niehther of the brothers could sleep without being plagued by the beautiful doctors. Waking up for the hundredth time that night, Connor panting and aroused looked over at Murphy, who was moaning in his sleep and enjoying whatever dream he was having. Connor lay back down and tried to drift to sleep. But the minute he closed his eyes, he saw her blushing face. Great, he thought bitterly if the thought is as bad as the act, we're going to hell.