Chapter 25 Family over everything
Chapter 25: Family Over Everything
Allan gently went into the ward.
The room hummed with machines. Soft beeping. Warm light. Clean hospital scent.
Allan felt his chest tighten as he saw his baby brother, weak and feeble.
Rema lay there with an oxygen tube in his nose, his small chest rising and falling with effort. He looked up at Allan and smiled weakly.
“You came,” he whispered.
“Of course I came,” Allan replied, sitting beside him. His throat tightened painfully. “Scared me, little man.”
“Sorry… my body does nonsense sometimes.”
Allan let out a breathy laugh that wasn’t really a laugh.
“Yeah. Well. Try not to collapse again. Octavia nearly blew up my phone, you scared her dawg.”
Rema giggled, then winced.
“Hey,” Allan murmured, leaning forward. “Just focus on getting better. I’ll handle everything else. School. Work. Whatever.”
Rema blinked slowly. “You’ll stay… right?”
Allan squeezed his hand. “I’m not going anywhere, I've got you.”
Florence watched from the corner and couldn't help as tears flowed. Those were her babies in there.
Allan had been forced to grow up since his father disappeared. He had to take up the responsibility of being there for his younger ones. She saw him go from the happy child that he was to an adult overnight.
He genuinely loved his brother, and was his sister's rock.
Hours later, Florence returned to the house to pack a bag for Rema. She insisted Allan go home and rest, but he refused.
He stayed all night by Rema’s bed. In the stiff chair. Under the flickering fluorescent lights.
School was unusually calm. Even Linda seemed to have taken a break from her usual bitchiness.
Allan had been uncharacteristically absent and no one seemed to care.
But Golden felt his absence like a missing heartbeat.
When he didn’t return the next day or the next, she knew it wasn’t ordinary.
Something had happened. But Allan had vanished into his own world again. And for the first time in weeks Golden felt the distance.
The familiar cold. The wall she thought they’d torn down had rebuilt itself overnight. And she didn’t know why. She only knew one thing:
Something was wrong with Allan Renshaw.
And the universe was rearranging itself again.
“A penny for your thought.” Alex snapped her fingers at Golden.
She had been sitting in front of Golden for two whole minutes and she didn't even notice.
“Sorry Alex, when did you get here?” Golden asked trying to put her mood in check.
Alex had a snide comment right at the top of her tongue but decided against it. Instead she said.
“How about we visit Chinatown this weekend. It's the Chinese New Year and there's going to be a lot of fun activities.
My grandma is visiting from Bejing with my cousin and I would love for you to meet her.”
“Wait you have a grandma and a cousin?” Golden asked surprised.
“Ermm, yes I do. Did I ever say I didn't?”
“Well you made it sound like your dad was the only family you had in this life.” Golden responded, looking at Alex like she was looking at a Panda.
“Stop sounding so dramatic Gigi!” she chuckled.
“I'm being dramatic?” Gigi said with an exaggerated expression.
“Who the hell are you really? Is your name really Alex Chen? I feel like I barely know you.”
“Wow Gigi! That expression is gold.” Putting her hands on her chest and wiping away fake tears, Alex continued. “I'm having a proud bestie moment right now.
My bestie has finally unlocked her humorous side.”
“How about you spend the weekend at my place. I promise to tell you everything you want to know.
Plus we get to enjoy the Chinese New Year together and I can finally get you out of the sour mood you've been in all week.” Alex said, serious this time.
Golden bowed her head, a sad smile slipped. “You've noticed?”
Alex went over to Golden's chair and hugged her.“Of course I noticed Gigi. You act like you don't care, but you pretty much wear your emotions on your face.
He has just gone back to his old self again. I know you liked the new him, but he did say it was just for the project”
Alex spoke in coded language, not mentioning any names just in case anyone was listening to them.
“Well I guess you are right then.
I hear that Varney's company is about to launch a new game, how about we go to the Estate and check it out.” Golden said, switching up her mood.
“By the way, I'm going in your car!” Golden said as she stood up and packed her bag.
“What's going to happen to your car then?” Alex asked suspiciously.
“The driver is already here to drive it back to the Estate” she said with a smirk.
“Sneaky. I like it!” Alex said laughing as they both headed to the car park.
Back at the hospital, Florence arrived to take over from Allan.
He had hardly gotten any sleep and he looked a mess.
He had stayed up all night watching over Rema like a hawk. Always making sure that he was okay.
This had been his routine for the past one week.
“Honey, you have to rest. I can't afford it if you breakdown also” Florence said as she looked at Allan experparated.
They were all drained and were hanging by a thread.
“come and eat something” she said. “you need to rest before heading to work.”
“I'm fine, mom.” Allan said stubbornly. “I will be going to the tattoo parlor soon anyways.”
“ALLAN JEFFREY RENSHAW!” Florence called out his name in full. “That was an order, not a request! Get over here and eat this food I so graciously prepared and get on this bed and shut your damn eyes. Or you can kiss your job goodbye.
I'm not about to have another son admitted for exhaustion.” Florence said with slow rage building.
Octavia who had been silent since chuckled and tapped her brother on his shoulder.
“I would do what she says if I were you Jeffrey.” she said sarcastically and that earned a soft laugh from Rema on the bed.
Allan resigned to his fate sighed and looked at his mother. “You would wake me up after one hour, promise?”
“I promise. Now come and eat boy!”