Chapter Two
After dinner, Angela, Damian, Alex and Adam watched a movie together. It was past twelve when they went to sleep. Tomorrow was a Friday and they would catch up on sleep during the weekend.
Their mom returned at half past twelve, haggard and drowsy. Angela heated her dinner for her. "Why do you need to overwork mom?" She asked her.
"I won't anymore honey. I've resigned today. I can't pull it any longer. I'm not feeling well for the last two months," sighed her mom.
"Go to sleep mom. I will take you to the doctor tomorrow, " Angela promised.
"I will go with you Angie but please don't tell your father anything," she said with a painful sigh. Angela nodded, clearing the table and washing her mom's plate and cutlery. Her mom dragged herself to her room. She slept in her own room while her dad slept in his. They hardly talked and avoided each other like a plague. Angela had always seen them like this and his brothers were as clueless as she was. They didn't know why they lived together when they couldn't even sit in the same room together.
Angela went up to her room to sleep. She opened the door and went in. She collided with Damian's chest. "What are you doing here?" She whispered.
"I came to check your math homework. I forgot to do it, " he said as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his body. He felt electric tingles all over. Angela leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Mom's sick Damian. I need to take her to the doctor tomorrow. She's resigned from her job, " she informed him as he stroked and played with her hair.
"Have you told uncle Gerry?" He asked her.
"Mom requested me not to. You know they don't talk or look at one another," sighed Angela.
"I know. Even my parents are the same. I don't understand why they married one another. Do you want me to come along too?" He offered.
"Yes," she said, inhaling his cologne. "You smell so good," she added and Damian smiled, doing a happy dance in his head. He purposely had dabbed a lot of cologne for her to like his smell.
"I'm glad you like it Angel," he smirked, kissing her forehead. "Go to sleep, it's already late." He said, reluctantly releasing her and going to Adam's room.
Angela lay down on her bed, worried about her mom. She now faced a dilemma. Should she inform her brothers about her mom's health or not. Maybe after returning from the doctor's chamber, she would be able to decide better. She dozed off to sleep at last.
Next morning, Angela woke up to find that the boys were still sleeping. Her mom was also asleep and she didn't want to disturb her. She quietly freshened up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. It was just 6 o'clock in the morning. Her dad might have left for his morning walk.
A sleepy Damian walked in wearing only Adam's sweatpants, riding low. Angela had seen him shirtless a million times. He came over and peered over her shoulder, his body touching hers. "What are you making? It smells so good," he said.
"Go home and take a shower, Damian. We have school today, don't you remember?" She reminded him.
His arm went around her waist and he pulled her to his chest. Her back hit his chest and he embbeded his face into her neck,"I don't want to go home. I want to stay here with you. I'm tired of living alone, " he confessed in a muffled voice.
"A few years more Damian. When we grow up, we will all live together in one big house," she promised and Damian turned his head to look at her. She looked so angelic from so close. He couldn't believe that he was so lucky that she loved him, although only as a friend.
"You mean it?" He asked her, inhaling her rosy smell. She felt so good against his bare body. He didn't want to let her go.
"Yes, now sit down and have your breakfast," she ordered and he left her reluctantly and sat down to eat. Adam walked in yawning.
He sat down beside Damian,"You kicked me so many times at night, dude," he complained sleepily.
Damian grinned,"Oh I was Ethan Hunt in my dreams, doing his stunts," he said, remembering the lead character from the movie, Mission: Impossible-fallout, that they saw last night. Adam groaned, and Angela giggled.
Their dad walked in and washed his hands and sat down to have his breakfast. Alex was doing his assignments while sipping his coffee in his room. Angela left them to check her mom.
She found her running a temperature. "Mom, you need to eat something and take medicine. You have high fever," she said. When she didn't respond, Angela rushed down to get some warm milk.
Damian had left for his home and Adam was sitting alone with his mobile. Their dad had gone to his room to get ready for his university. "What's wrong Angie?" He asked worriedly?
"Mom came home yesterday after midnight. She had resigned from the hospital. She'd been feeling sick for the last two months, Adam and she didn't tell us anything. Now when I went to check, I found her unconscious with high temperature," said Angela, in a panicked state.
"Oh my God, Angie, this is serious. I'll have to call Arnold. Don't give mom any medicine. It might not be just fever. Get mom's ID proof, previous medical reports ready. We might need to take her to the hospital immediately, " said Adam as he walked towards Alex's room.
Angela rushed to do as she was told. After five minutes, Alex and Adam came into her mom's room. They heard their dad yell, "See you princess," before leaving for his university. The door clicked shut and Alex turned towards Angela.
"You didn't inform him?" He asked. Angela shook her head.
"Mom asked me to not to. I had to promise her," she sighed.
"Arnold's asked us to take mom to the hospital where he's doing his internship. So, let's not waste time. Adam you take the car out and park in front of the gate. I'm bringing mom," said Alex.
Adam picked up the keys and ran to the front door. Angela picked up her mom's purse. It had her bank cards and money too. She knew her code as her mom gave it to her many times to buy anything she needed. She locked the house as Alex carried their mom to the car waiting in front of the gate.
Damian peeped from his main door. He locked up his house and came rushing. "I'm coming along too," he said, rushing forward to help with the car door.
They all nodded. All of them were very scared. Alex drove as Angela and Damian sat at the back with their mom and Adam sat in front with him. Arnold's hospital was twenty minutes away. Alex parked the car in front of the gates and Adam called Arnold to inform him that they had arrived. He was waiting with his men near the entrance. They came forward and carried their mom in a wheeled stretcher towards the emergency unit.
They all followed Arnold and their mom inside. They were asked to wait at the lobby while Arnold spoke to a doctor. They would be conducting tests and scanning her before starting the treatment. A panic settled in Angela's heart as she waited for Arnold to come out. After six long hours, Arnold came out. He was visibly shaken and came and sat down with them.
"What happened to mom, Arnie?" Asked Alex with a solemn expression. All of them were too scared to even ask.
"Mom has Glioblastoma. It's a very aggressive type of brain tumour which spreads very fast. It's in it's last stage. We need to operate as soon as possible. The tests are being done. We will operate tomorrow," he informed, his face white as a sheet of paper.
Adam, Angela, Damian and Alex just gaped at him. They couldn't believe that it was so serious. "Will the operation cure her Arnie?" Asked Adam, in a small voice.
"I don't know. It doesn't look very hopeful," he confessed.
A sob escaped Angela and she hid her face into Damian's chest and wept.
"Why did she not tell us before? We could have saved her," said Adam, frustrated running his fingers through his hair, his face distraught with worry.
"Maybe she didn't have any wish to live," said Arnold and they looked at him.
Alex sighed. "Maybe. So what do we do now? Did she regain her consciousness?" Asked Alex.
"No, she hasn't. There's not much to do. Damian take Angela home. We're here," said Arnold.
"No, I won't leave mom and go anywhere," said Angela with conviction.
"Do we inform dad?" Asked Adam.
"Try. He won't pick up when he's at the university, " said Arnold and it was true. Adam tried ten times, but their dad's phone was switched off.
Arnold went inside to check with the rest of the test results and they waited impatiently. It was six in the evening and they all waited eagerly for the doctor to inform them about the surgery.
The doctor and Arnold came out of the emergency unit. The doctor took off his head cap and so did Arnold. They looked on in panic.
"She's no more. I'm sorry, the tumour spread fast and burst before we could treat her," said the neurosurgeon.