Every Mistake That I Make
Chapter Nineteen
Dallas’ head hurt.
That was the first thing that came to her mind when she opened her eyes to see a very white hospital room and her mother, sister and brother staring down at her.
“Dallas, honey ...” her mother murmured, a smile on her face.
“Where am I?” Dallas murmured.
“You’re in hospital, sweetie. You drank some amaretto, and you had an allergic reaction...” Her mother brushed some hair away from Dallas’ forehead and kissed her forehead.
“Oh God. Mum – I’m so sorry – I – I never usually drink ...” Dallas gabbled but her mother cut her off.
“It doesn’t matter. Well, I dare say your father will want to have a word with you, but he can’t get back until next Monday. He apologises and sends his love.”
Dallas closed her eyes. “Who found me?” she asked.
A male voice spoke up from somewhere near the door; a very familiar voice.
“I did.”
“Mikey?”
“Hey...” He edged towards the bed, a nervous smile on his face. Mikey looked like he was wondering if she was going to demand he left. He looked tired and worried.
“Hi,” Dallas replied shyly.
“I’m sorry,” Mikey burst out, just as Dallas said the same thing. She laughed nervously.
“I...” Mikey looked at his shoes. “I think I’m going to go ... Gerard and Anya will be worried, I said I’d ring them.”
He turned to leave, but Dallas called out. “Mikey,” she said in a disapproving voice. “You usually hug me before you go.”
He looked at her as if she was mental.
“I think my daughter wants a hug,” Dallas’ mum smiled.
Mikey approached the bed, and leant down to wrap his arms around Dallas. That was when he noticed, for the first time, how slim and small Dallas was compared to him. How fragile.
And you hit her.
He pushed the thought out of his mind.
“Thank you,” Dallas whispered in his ear as he pulled away.
“I’ll – I’ll see you later, Dallas.”
Dallas nodded at him and Mikey left the room. Kendra was glowering.
“Kendra,” Dallas said softly, “don’t be mad.”
“He –”
“ – is my best friend.”
Kendra glared at the ceiling, arms crossed.
“What’s going on, girls?” her mother said in a concerned voice.
“Nothing,” Kendra muttered. “Nothing important.”
*****
Outside the hospital, Mikey dialled his brother’s mobile number. Gerard answered quickly.
“How is she?” he said immediately.
“She’s fine. She’s awake.”
“How was she with you...?”
“It was ...” Mikey shook his head, and changed the topic. “I’m coming home now.”
“Okay. Don’t ring Anya, she’s right here, they all are. They came over as soon as they heard.”
“God, Anya’s gonna kill me, isn’t she...” Mikey bit his lip.
“Hmmm. She might whack you a bit, but I don’t think she’ll kill you. If she does, Bob will distract her.” Gerard laughed, but it sounded false. Mikey laughed a bit, then said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.
That was the first thing that came to her mind when she opened her eyes to see a very white hospital room and her mother, sister and brother staring down at her.
“Dallas, honey ...” her mother murmured, a smile on her face.
“Where am I?” Dallas murmured.
“You’re in hospital, sweetie. You drank some amaretto, and you had an allergic reaction...” Her mother brushed some hair away from Dallas’ forehead and kissed her forehead.
“Oh God. Mum – I’m so sorry – I – I never usually drink ...” Dallas gabbled but her mother cut her off.
“It doesn’t matter. Well, I dare say your father will want to have a word with you, but he can’t get back until next Monday. He apologises and sends his love.”
Dallas closed her eyes. “Who found me?” she asked.
A male voice spoke up from somewhere near the door; a very familiar voice.
“I did.”
“Mikey?”
“Hey...” He edged towards the bed, a nervous smile on his face. Mikey looked like he was wondering if she was going to demand he left. He looked tired and worried.
“Hi,” Dallas replied shyly.
“I’m sorry,” Mikey burst out, just as Dallas said the same thing. She laughed nervously.
“I...” Mikey looked at his shoes. “I think I’m going to go ... Gerard and Anya will be worried, I said I’d ring them.”
He turned to leave, but Dallas called out. “Mikey,” she said in a disapproving voice. “You usually hug me before you go.”
He looked at her as if she was mental.
“I think my daughter wants a hug,” Dallas’ mum smiled.
Mikey approached the bed, and leant down to wrap his arms around Dallas. That was when he noticed, for the first time, how slim and small Dallas was compared to him. How fragile.
And you hit her.
He pushed the thought out of his mind.
“Thank you,” Dallas whispered in his ear as he pulled away.
“I’ll – I’ll see you later, Dallas.”
Dallas nodded at him and Mikey left the room. Kendra was glowering.
“Kendra,” Dallas said softly, “don’t be mad.”
“He –”
“ – is my best friend.”
Kendra glared at the ceiling, arms crossed.
“What’s going on, girls?” her mother said in a concerned voice.
“Nothing,” Kendra muttered. “Nothing important.”
*****
Outside the hospital, Mikey dialled his brother’s mobile number. Gerard answered quickly.
“How is she?” he said immediately.
“She’s fine. She’s awake.”
“How was she with you...?”
“It was ...” Mikey shook his head, and changed the topic. “I’m coming home now.”
“Okay. Don’t ring Anya, she’s right here, they all are. They came over as soon as they heard.”
“God, Anya’s gonna kill me, isn’t she...” Mikey bit his lip.
“Hmmm. She might whack you a bit, but I don’t think she’ll kill you. If she does, Bob will distract her.” Gerard laughed, but it sounded false. Mikey laughed a bit, then said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.