Running From Lions

It was driving me crazy!

The doctor said I wasn’t allowed to walk anywhere but I could have a wheelchair when they found one. Dad went to get a drink and Alex’s parents went with him.

“Rory don’t you think maybe your going a bit hard on your dad?” Xavier asked and I shook my head.

“No, I know what he’s done is so wrong and I do not forgive him for what he’s done but he’s my brother,” I argued back.

“Rory look what he did!” Xavier said and Alex shook his head.

“You don’t know them Xavier, I know what they were like, they were practically inseparable,” Alex stated and I smiled.

“I’m sorry for what he did,” I said and he nodded.

“I know,” he stated.

“He didn’t mean it, he’d never hurt anyone. He’s just…lost,” I said and Alex nodded.

“What do I do? I can’t leave him alone; he needs help. Leaving him alone makes him worse,” I asked and Alex shrugged.

“Only you know him Rory,” he said as a doctor walked in and Alex helped me out of bed.

I was on that many painkillers I’d never feel if anything was wrong, the doctor made me get in the wheelchair saying walking would only make me worse and I could pull my stitches.

“Come on we’ll come with you,” Alex said.

“I have always wanted to push someone around in one of these, Rory do you mind?” Xavier asked and I shook my head.

The nurse directed us to where Jonah was and we went in to see him laid there in bed with Jack just looking at him.

Jack got up.

“Bet you’re happy, you’ve got an obsession with wheelchairs,” he stated as we got level with him and Xavier laughed.

I saw Jonah move and I felt relieved, he wasn’t dead. I looked at Jack.

“He’s asleep, he’s not woken up since we were in your room. They won’t tell me what’s wrong because I’m not a relative but they will you. Your dad won’t even come in,” he stated and I looked back at Jonah.

Jack knelt down next to me letting Alex and Xavier sit down.

“Hey it’ll be okay you know that right?” he asked and I just stared at Jonah.

I felt Jack wipe the tears from my face before kissing my cheek; I smiled as Jonah rolled onto his side curling up in a ball like he always did as a kid.

He was the most babyish kid I knew: up until the age of 13 he sucked his thumb, he had a teddy he’d deny he ever owned but come night time it would always be in his bed, he hated arguments and he hated being alone.

That was his biggest fear, that one day everyone would abandon him and he’d be left alone.

“What are you going to do Rory?” Jack asked and I shrugged.

“Dad won’t go near him ever again and by the looks of it mom’s left. I can’t leave him; he hates it. He can’t stand to be on his own, all those times they locked him in his room when he came home after being drinking or on drugs. They’d just shut him away to go through it all on his own, I knew it wouldn’t help him but they never listened,” I said crying.

“He can’t be on his own, the idea of being left on his own made him start all this. He thought if he didn’t do all this that girl would leave him and he’d be no good for anyone else,” I explained.

“Rory I don’t want to state the obvious but he needs help,” Alex said and I nodded.

“I know and I’ve told them before but they never listen, they’re too bothered about what the neighbors will think not what’s best for him. He needs to go somewhere where they know how to look after him but it looks like everyone’s giving up on him. I just remember him as he really is and I just wish everyone remembered that person, if he met himself he’d hate himself. He never means any of it, but then it doesn’t make it right,” I stated talking more to myself than the others.

“Maybe losing everyone would make him see what he’s done and make him change?” Xavier suggested and I shook my head.

“When I 10 and he was 12 mom and dad used to argue a lot, he’d take me upstairs to my room and play games with me or take me out so I never really knew about it. Mom threatened to leave and he cried, he made me promise that no matter what I’d never leave him and I can’t do it,” I admitted as Jack hugged me.

I heard Alex laugh and then I smiled.

“It’s hard to believe that was forcing itself on me not that long ago,” he said as Jonah started to suck his thumb in his sleep.

“He’s such a baby, aren’t you Nahnah,” I said and Jack smiled.

“What’s all that about?” he asked and I smiled.

“He called me Rory lion for years, Rory sounds like a lions noise so he used to call me it. He tried to teach me his name when I learnt to talk and apparently I couldn’t say Jonah so I used to say Nahnah instead, it kind of stuck,” I said laughing and Jack smiled at me.

“I am not getting Nahnah tattooed on me though, he’s such an idiot for getting Rory and a lion tattooed on him,” I said as he moved again.

I grabbed his hand and his eyes flickered before opening slowly he pulled his thumb from his mouth rubbing at his eyes before look at me.

“Rory,” he said his voice cracking and I smiled at him.

“What happened?” he asked as he sat up.

“You passed out,” Jack stated and he nodded slowly.