White Roses Fade to Black

Calum grunted in his sleep when Lucie shook him gently.

“Cal, come on. We gotta get to hospital,” she whispered.

That caused Calum to sit bolt upright, his once sleeping features alert and tense; his eyes, though tired looking, were wide and fearful. Had something happened?

“What’s happened? Where’s David?” Calum asked calmly.

Lucie looked at the floor. She’d been through it once, and relived it by telling Lesley. She wasn’t ready to say it again. When no one answered him, Calum started to get pissed off.

“What the fuck is going on? Where is my fucking brother!?” he yelled.

He stood up and towered over them. Lucie cowered in the corner, but Lesley stood her ground, staring Calum down.

“He’s at the hospital, now get your muthafucking ass ready, okay?” Lesley muttered calmly.

Calum sighed. He’d been afraid of that; he wondered if he was going to lose his remaining brother. He thought how weird it would be being the only Kinkle kid. And how heartbreaking, knowing he’s succeeded his older brother and his younger brother.

He nodded and went into the living room to dig out his pants. He’d slung them a few days ago, still staying at Lesley’s place.

“We need to go to yours. I wanna pick up some of David’s stuff and you need a shower. Fucking alcoholic,” Lucie mumbled.

Calum hung his head. He had never even liked the smell of drink; he’d become his worst nightmare. He was a drunken, lovesick fool.

*
Lucie led the way to David’s room. Calum’s eyes never left his shoes and his hands never left his pockets, the whole way there. His damp sandy hair fell in his bloodshot eyes, and he shook it away.

They entered the room and Lesley burst into tears. He was so pale, so solemn; he was barely breathing. At first, Calum thought he was looking at a body. It was the slow and steady rise and fall of his brothers chest that assured him he wasn’t alone.

“Oh David…” Lucie whispered.

She ran her hand softly along his jaw line and his face twitched. Lucie put her hand in David’s outstretched one and squeezed. He groaned in his sleep and squeezed back slightly. But there was still no sign of him waking up…

Lesley buried her head in Calum’s chest. His arms snaked round her waist and he held her tight, his warm tears rolling into her soft honeycomb hair.

“Promise me he’s gonna wake up, Cal,” Lesley whispered.

Calum opened his mouth to say something, but he wasn’t the type to lie. He couldn’t promise her anything; he couldn’t promise her it would be okay, he couldn’t promise her David would wake up. He couldn’t even promise he’d be there for her in the morning.

Lucie’s silent sobs pushed more tears down her weather-beaten face, causing them to fall onto the hospital bed spread. She kept wiping them away, only to have them replaced by new ones.

“Luce, I was thinking. Maybe we should go to school tomorrow, take our minds off of things,” Lesley whispered.

Lucie didn’t look up or even open her eyes; she just nodded silently. Her face was scrunched up with effort, trying to hold the tears back as they fell. No such luck. Lesley and Calum walked over and hugged Lucie.

“You want us to leave you alone?” Calum asked, finally finding his voice.

Lucie nodded silently again, and Calum and Lesley’s arms slowly disappeared from round her. Their footsteps and the sound of opening and closing doors echoed round the room. Then there was silence.

“I’m so sorry David,” Lucie mumbled, more tears falling from her blue-green eyes.

With that, she climbed, slowly and carefully, onto his hospital bed, wrapping her arms round him. She kissed him gently and held him close, her tears soaking into his warm pale skin.

“I’m so sorry,” Lucie repeated over and over again.

David moved a little, his face twitching in pain slightly. Lucie thought that maybe, just maybe, he’d been able to hear her words…

*
The nurse came in at 12 am; the same one as before. She nudged a sleeping Lucie to wake her up. Her tall and nimble form was curled into a ball, her long arms wrapped around David’s chest. She awoke abruptly from her dream, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

“I’m ever so sorry, but you need to leave now, child,” the nurse whispered in her ear.

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t need to say it. Visiting times are over,” Lucie mumbled.

She stood up and stretched, many of the joints in her skeleton cracking and clicking. Her clothes, which were blood, sweat and tear stained, were wrinkled slightly.

Lucie shoved her hands in her pockets and walked slowly away. The bag with all David’s things in was at the side of his bed, and the nurse tucked it away neatly, in one of the few drawers.

“Stupid hospital,” Lucie whispered.

Outside, Lesley was asleep. Her head was in Calum’s lap, and he looked down at her, playing with the little curls in her hair and admiring her every feature. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, just at sweet, innocent sixteen.

“Hey,” Lucie said to him.

“Hey,” Calum sighed, looking up and observing the shattered Lucie.

He yawned and shook Lesley gently. She awoke slowly, a small smile on her face. She looked almost… happy. But her face fell as she looked round and rubbed her eyes free of sleep.

“We gotta get home now, Les. We gotta sleep,” Calum smiled.

Lesley smiled back small, and sat up slowly and carefully. Her and Calum stood up and all three of them left the warmth of the hospital and disappeared into the cold, rainy night.