Chapter 8
Eight
A lthough the journey to the hospital was relatively traffic free, it was still almost an hour before they arrived. Jon held Steph’s hand tightly, leading her to the reception desk and as it appeared that the power of speech had left her, he acted as her voice.
“My girlfriend’s father is here somewhere, Roger Pryor. Her brother called us from here.” As they waited for the receptionist’s response, Steph could feel her grip on Jon’s hand tightening.
“Oh yes,” replied the young, pretty blonde who was gazing up and smiling at Jon with obvious attraction.
Steph quickly became frustrated and finding her voice said, “I’m sorry to interrupt your ogling of my boyfriend, but I would really like to see my father before he breathes his last breath if you don’t mind.”
Jon looked across at her and was shocked by her outburst whereas the receptionist was just embarrassed as she stammered a response.
“Sorry, he is on ICU neuro’, fifth floor,” she said and gestured to the lifts.
“Thank you,” Jon said with a slightly awkward smile.
They rode the lift to the fifth floor and once safely alone Jon wrapped his arms around Steph to hold her tightly. As they left the lift there was a large, open plan waiting area with coffee machine, comfy seating and what looked like the whole of the Pryor family which was a lot of people.
“Hey, sis,” called Eddie as he saw her and immediately she burst out crying leading to Jason appearing to hug her tightly.
“What happened?” Jon asked a stunned looking Eddie.
“Get Steph some coffee and sit her down,” ordered Eddie of Jason who immediately did as he was told. Then Eddie turned back to Jon and pointed to some chairs in the opposite corner of the waiting area to where the others were assembled.
He began to speak in a hushed tone as he explained what he knew. “It would seem that Dad and Janice had a few words yesterday so he went for a walk, which is his usual response to an argument and while he was out he was run over on a zebra crossing and literally left for dead.”
“Shit! And he was there all night?” asked Jon obviously shocked by the news but confused as to why they were only just hearing about it.
“No,” whispered Eddie. “He was found almost immediately by another motorist and brought here. The police found Janice at Dad’s and she came here last night but didn’t call any of us because she didn’t want to worry us.” That final fact causing obvious upset, anger and disbelief to Eddie.
“So how did you find out?”
“Jess went round to visit the old man tonight and one of the neighbours told her. She then phoned me in hysterics and here we all are.” He sighed.
“Do the others know? Where is Janice?” asked Jon still confused.
“All except Steph, and we’re all pissed off about it, but Stephie is likely to flip about it more than the rest of us, especially when she finds out that Janice is in there with the old man and it is strictly one visitor at a time and she is refusing to come out and let any of us in,” said Eddie shaking his head.
“Is she his next of kin though?” asked Jon, thinking that although they were all his children and the next of kin in terms of blood, Roger may consider Janice his actual next of kin.
“Not really, she is his girlfriend, but they don’t live together, so I guess we are really,” Eddie surmised.
They were interrupted by the doors to the ward opening and as they glanced across Jon noticed Janice walking alongside a trolley being pushed by a porter and a nurse. Steph was the first one to step in their path.
“Daddy,” she whispered as she tried to recognise the man beneath the bandages, tubes and bruises.
“Steph we need to take your dad for a scan so sit down and come out of the way!” said Janice with nothing but irritation.
Jon and Eddie had joined her now as the others assembled around her.
“What happened? What’s wrong with him?” Steph glancing between Janice and the nurse.
Janice sighed. “I don’t have time for this. He might not have time for this. Now be a good girl.”
“Tough shit!” spat Steph as Jon put an arm around her waist and turned his attention to the nurse.
“Look, what my girlfriend means is that she has just got here and this is all a shock and the whole family could do with some details on Roger’s injuries and prognosis, so maybe the doctor could come and speak to them,” he said calmly.
The nurse returned his smile. “I do understand that, but Mrs Pryor is right. We do need to get Roger downstairs for a scan, but as soon as I get back I will page the doctor and see if he can come up and speak to you.”
“Thank you,” said Eddie and Jon together.
Steph stared for a few seconds, then spoke calmly and politely, “She is not Mrs Pryor, our mum was Mrs Pryor.”
“Sorry,” said the nurse as Janice huffed loudly. “But she is his next of kin,” said the nurse smiling kindly at Steph now, but clearly hoping to avoid getting stuck in the middle of a family feud.
“No, she’s not. I think you will find that we are, specifically my brother Eddie, as he is the oldest,” said Steph as her voice began to falter causing Jon to tighten his grip around her waist.
“I will get the doctor to come up and speak to you all,” reassured the nurse again. “But let’s get your dad sorted first.”
Steph nodded her agreement. “But one of us will go with him, not her,” spat Steph obviously furious with the other woman now. “Eddie, you go,” Steph suggested.
Eddie nodded and although Janice opened her mouth, words never followed.
“We’ll be as quick as we can and try not to worry, your dad is strong and he has already got through the first twenty-four hours so that is a really good sign,” said the nurse, hoping to convey reassurance as the porter pushed the trolley into the lift followed by the nurse and Eddie.
Steph looked around at the others as the lift door closed and finally Janice. “What did she mean, he has got through the first twenty-four hours? When did this happen and why didn’t anyone tell me what had happened sooner? He is my dad too you know,” she cried as the tears began to fall again.
It was Tricia who now intervened in addressing Janice. “Yes, why don’t you tell Steph why she has only just found out what happened to our dad?”
Jon shook his head as he tried to calm the potentially explosive situation down. “Steph, sit down please, and you, Janice, you must be exhausted,” he said hoping to defuse the moment.
They both sat and Janice calmly said, “I didn’t want to worry any of you so I was waiting to get some news before I called you.”
“When did this happen?” asked Steph with apparent calmness.
“Yesterday afternoon, he went for a walk and got run over,” babbled Janice as if she was trying to get all of the information out in one sentence.
“What? Is this your idea of a joke? Our dad got run over yesterday and you didn’t tell us until today? Unbelievable! I didn’t actually think you could stoop any lower but you have surpassed yourself this time,” cried Steph.
“She certainly has because she didn’t actually tell us, Marge next door told Jess when she popped round to see Dad,” revealed Tricia who was quickly led away by their brother Paul.
“You fucking evil bitch!” screamed Steph as she lunged towards Janice but was stopped by Jon’s arms capturing her and pulling her away into the lift that had just arrived carrying a mass of people.
As the lift doors closed Jon cornered Steph and was stroking her hair gently, but telling her firmly, “That is not going to help you know, taking it out on Janice and if the hospital staff see you trying to thump her you will find yourself booted out and banned from coming back, is that what you want? To be banned and unable to see your dad?”
“No, of course not, but there’s a lot you don’t know about Janice, her and Dad,” she said sniffing in an attempt to stop herself from crying.
“I am sure there are lots of things I don’t know, but you need to calm down and worry about recriminations once your dad is on the mend, he has to be the priority, doesn’t he?” Jon gently stroked her cheek.
Steph nodded a little begrudgingly, and as the look of irritation spread across his face she laughed lightly. “Yes, you’re right, you’re always right.”
“I’m glad you’ve realised that at last,” he replied arching a brow as he spanked her bottom lightly.
The lift stopped at ground floor level and as visitors filled the lift, Jon pulled her closer to him and as the man at the front called for who was going where and with Steph’s head resting against his chest, Jon called, “Five please.”
They had been back in the communal waiting area for another half an hour or so and Jon had kept Steph safely away from Janice when the porter, nurse and Eddie returned with Roger.
They all moved towards them and the nurse smiled at them collectively and said, “I will page the doctor now, but I should warn you that we have had some emergency admissions so it could be hours before anyone gets up here, but if you take turns and there is no arguing you can come in and sit with Roger once he is settled.”
“Thank you,” said Jon as they disappeared onto the ward.
Over the next two hours they all took turns to spend time with Roger, but as the nurse had predicted no doctor had made it up to see them when visiting time ended. As they all prepared to leave, Steph hesitated and said, “I think I’ll stay a while longer, in case the doctor comes.”
“They won’t let you in,” said Janice. “They’re strict on visiting times,” she explained.
“I’ll wait out here,” Steph said defiantly.
“Sis, please go home, they’ll ring us if there’s any change,” said Dylan.
“I’d rather stay,” she insisted.
“I’ll stay with you for a bit,” said Jason looking scared at the prospect of his own offer.
Steph nodded as she took her youngest brother’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
Jon looked across at the two of them and thought that they both looked like scared children and although he would never have left Steph alone he was even more convinced that he would stay with the two of them and maybe they could talk. Not about his wife, this was certainly not the time or the place, but perhaps he could find out what the story was with Janice and even get a bit more information on Steph’s past.
Eddie interrupted his thoughts when he looked at them both concerned. “I don’t think either of you should stay, you’re both loose cannons at the best of times, so together . . .” he mused.
“I’ll stay with them,” said Jon reassuringly. “And if anything changes or there is anything to tell you I can call you, Eddie, and you, Janice.” He hoped he was offering an acceptable solution.
“You don’t have to do that,” said Steph.
“I know I don’t have to, but it’s what I will do,” he said firmly.
“I can take care of my own sister you know,” said Jason, obviously offended by Eddie’s lack of confidence in him and Jon’s no nonsense approach to staying with Steph.
“I can see that,” said Jon, impressed by his own ability to mask his total lack of confidence in Jason to take care of anyone with his immaturity and obvious distress at their father’s plight. “But I was thinking that I may be of some use in keeping the others in the loop.”
“Oh, okay, cool,” replied Jason as they all began hugging each other before leaving their two youngest siblings together with Jon.