Chapter Nine: Home

"This is it," Brax instructed her as Lila pulled up in front of the dilapidated fibro house. An overgrown front lawn, covered more in weeds than actual grass, surrounded the house. The tangled mess of a lawn was a dumping ground for rusted car parts, old furniture and empty beer kegs. The house itself also looked very run down, including several smashed windows, loose roof tiles and a missing front step.

"I'll walk you in," Lila said casually while trying to hide her horror at the state of his home.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Brax quietly replied. It was embarrassing enough that his kind nurse had seen the place he lived but he knew his shame would only increase the more she saw.

"It wasn't a request!" Lila stated as she stepped out of the car and started to head towards the Braxton house.

As Brax approached the front door, his embarrassment quickly shifted to concern. He could hear the screams of the baby being drowned out by his father's rowdy drunken laughter. Forgetting all about Lila, Brax ran into the house. "Heath….? Mum…..?" he yelled but received no response. He continued to run towards the sound of the screaming. It was coming from his room and as he entered he saw his new little brother howling, tears covering his tiny face as he lay in a basinet next to Brax's bed. Brax quickly picked him up. "Shhh, it's OK buddy, I've got you now. Shhhh." Brax soothed. The crying slightly subsided but it occurred to Brax that the boy probably hadn't been changed or fed for hours. He could feel the anger welling inside of him, but he did not have time to indulge those feelings now. "Now we need to go and find your other brother hey?" Brax muttered more to himself than to the baby.

Brax rushed into Heath's room but his brother was not in there. "Heath?" he called out again as he headed towards the living area. The house was empty aside from the mess that was strewn over every possible surface. Brax continued his attempt to calm the crying baby in his arms as he began to panic about the whereabouts of his other brother. Brax heard the shattering of a glass bottle followed by more raucous laughter coming from the backyard and he realised that Danny had mates around. Brax knew that in his injured, angry state it was not a good idea to confront a drunk Danny, but he desperately needed to find Heath, so he hurried towards the backyard gathering.

Brax opened the back sliding doors and surveyed the scene in front of him. Danny stood at the BBQ, beer in one hand while he flipped sausages with the other. He was surrounded by three of his mates, who were standing around drinking, smoking and laughing. "Oi Heath, go get ya dad another ciggie will ya?" Danny barked. Brax looked across the yard and saw Heath. His relief was quickly replaced with disgust as he saw his 8 year old brother sitting there swigging from a bottle of beer.

"Heath! What are you doing? Give me that!" Brax rushed over and yanked the bottle from his brother with his free hand.

"Brax!" Heath slurred.

"Well well, look who it is fellas," Danny taunted. "The big hero Darryl, back to save the day." Danny and his mates could not contain their laughter.

Brax grabbed Heath by the hand. "What kind of a father are you?" Brax spat. The venom in his voice only riled Danny up further.

"What you got your knickers all in a knot over Darryl? Heath's just havin' a bit of fun with his old man. Unlike you, he knows how to enjoy himself! He was just tellin' me how great it has been not havin' you around to kill the mood all the time! I'll have to send you off on a little hospital holiday more often," Danny chuckled, clearly enjoying having an audience as he tormented his first-born. "Although, we have missed havin' our little maid around to clean up after us. You're far less useless at that than your mother." Danny stepped out from behind the BBQ and moved towards his sons.

Brax stood defiantly in front of his father. He was holding the baby in one arm and gripping Heath's hand tightly with the other. It was taking all of his strength to hold it together. He was fuming but in no position to take his father on. "What nothin' more to say Darryl?" Danny baited, just waiting for his son to crack. "How are those ribs of yours holdin' up anyway?" Danny sniggered as he gave Brax a firm shove in the chest. Brax groaned and bent over in pain, nearly losing hold of the baby who started screaming again from the jolt. Once again laughter filled the air. Satisfied that his father had now had his fun, Brax turned, dragging Heath, and headed back towards the house. "Bye Darryl! And make sure you shut that screamin' kid up will ya. The noise is makin' me ears bleed!" Danny called out, snickering as he got back to his sausages.

Brax stumbled over to the couch. The baby continued to scream and Heath was whining that Brax was gripping him too tight. 'Alright, alright, just sit down will you Heath, I need a minute." Brax slumped down onto the sofa, placing the screaming baby down between him and Heath. Brax closed his eyes and grabbed his chest in an attempt to stop the pain. It didn't help.

"Braxxx, I feel sick," Heath moaned almost incoherently. Brax opened his eyes and looked over at his brother. Heath was sporting a relatively new bruise on his face and judging by the cloudiness in his eyes, Brax could see that Heath had definitely had more than a couple of sips of beer. Before he had time to react, Heath vomited all over himself and the floor. Heath started to cry, which made the baby cry even louder. Brax dropped his head into his hands.

As the hopelessness threatened to overcome him he heard his name being whispered in between the cries. At that moment, it was the voice of an angel. In all the chaos, he had forgotten that she was there. He gazed up and saw her concerned face looking down at him, pity in her eyes. "Lila," was all he managed to say.

"I'm sorry to come in uninvited but you didn't come back to the door and I was worried," she slowly walked over and sat next to him on the couch. She wrapped her arm around him. "I can help if you'll let me." Asking for help was not in Brax's nature. For as long as he could remember he had been looking after himself and Heath. The adults in his life had broken his trust over and over again. His parents and their indifference, his teachers and their discipline and detentions, and the social workers and their continued attempts to separate his family. He had learned that he could only rely on himself. Brax surveyed his surroundings. A screaming baby who he had no idea how to feed or look after and an eight-year-old brother who was drunk and covered in vomit surrounded him. His violently drunk father could re-enter the house at any time and the extreme pain in his chest made it hard to think straight.

Cringing that he had allowed anyone to see him this weak, but knowing the best interests of the baby were at stake, he closed his eyes and said "OK."

Lila let out a sigh of relief. "Good! Let's get started then shall we?" Brax opened his eyes and nodded. "Right, first you are going to take your pain killers while I go and ring the hospital so they know you're home. Then we will sort out your brothers." She headed back down the hallway and Brax picked up the baby before walking to the kitchen for some water. Seeing his big brother walking away upset a confused Heath. "Brax, I still feel sick," Heath sobbed.

"I know mate, I know!" Brax swallowed the painkillers before making his way back over to Heath and rubbing his back to try to comfort him.

When Lila returned she helped him. They cleaned up a very sick Heath and got him into bed to sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Once Heath was taken care of, she showed Brax how to care for a baby. She had not asked where Cheryl was, but she got the impression that disappearing acts were not unusual for her and that the poor boy would be left with more than his fair share of babysitting duties. She taught him how to change a nappy, sooth nappy rash and how to mix the formula for a bottle. She cuddled and burped the baby and then showed Brax how to wrap him for his sleep. When both boys were asleep, Brax finally had a chance to thank her. "Thank you so much Lila. For everything!"

"You don't need to thank me, I wanted to help," she replied. "Now that the boys are organised, I'll help you get this house cleaned up."

"No!" Brax firmly responded. "I'll do it."

"But I …"

"No, you should go." Brax was grateful for her help but he was now starting to get worried that his father and his mates would move their party indoors. Who knows how Danny would react if he came in to find a stranger in his house.

Sensing his worry, she agreed. "OK, I'll go, but you have to promise me two things."

"What's that?"

"That you will call me anytime you need help and that you will rest and remember to take your painkillers," she said. She felt terrible leaving the boys here but she knew things would get even worse for them if she stayed. She would not rest until she made DOCS or the police help them, but for now her hands were tied.

"I promise!" Brax answered.

Brax watched her leave and then he walked back into the house. Looking around at the mess, he sighed. He would worry about that tomorrow. Brax entered his bedroom and was relieved that both of his brothers were sleeping peacefully. It would be a bit uncomfortable trying to sleep with Heath in his bed, but he wanted him to be close tonight. After a restless week in hospital, it felt good to be sleeping under the same roof as his brothers once again.