“You need some rest, Dad. We came early so you can go home and sleep. Ellie and I will stay for a while.”
Michael patted Drew’s arm. “Thank you.”
“Before you go, I should tell you there’s a bunch of reporters outside.”
“Yeah, I was warned a few minutes ago. I wish they hadn’t found out about this.”
“Me too. And I’m sure Derek does, too.”
“I should call him,” Drew said. “He’s probably already on his way down here, though.”
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the band’s manager. He’d had to sort out more mess in the last two days than he had the whole time he’d worked with the guys.
“Oh! Do Mack and Joey know what happened? For real, I mean, not what’s in the papers.”
Through the panic, I’d kind of forgotten about the other members in the band.
“Derek rang them last night. I should probably phone them, too.” Drew pulled out his mobile, and started to turn back towards the corridor.
“Wait.” Drew halted in his tracks. “Don’t you want to see Jason first?”
He lowered his head, and I was sure Michael would tell Drew to put his phone down and visit his brother. Instead, he threw me a warm smile and patted Drew’s arm. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
As he walked away, I wondered if Jason had told him about the fight between him and Drew. And if he hadn’t, how much did Michael really know? I suspected he knew a whole lot more about his sons’ issues than he let on, but I couldn’t judge him for not pushing it.
“I’m still not ready,” Drew said, once Michael had gone. “I don’t think I want to see him yet.”
“Why not?”
“You know why not.”
I took his free hand. “Look at me.”
Drew raised his head, his eyes meeting mine.
“I understand how you feel. I do. But he’s your brother, and last night we weren’t sure we’d ever get to talk to him again.”
I choked on the words, momentarily transported back to the time there was a very real possibility Jason wouldn’t get through the night.
I saw all of Drew’s anger and guilt, just as I did the night before. My stomach twisted, reminding me of my own part in this mess and I swallowed hard to shift the dryness in my throat. “Shall we go to the canteen for a drink before we do this?”
“No. Why don’t you go in and see Jason, I’ll make the calls, and then... I’ll be ready.”
He didn’t give me time to argue the point. He left me in the waiting area while he shot away to phone Derek. I couldn’t blame him for prolonging this. Beyond the relief Jason was on the mend, the rest of Drew’s issues hadn’t been resolved. How could they be when he hadn’t talked about it, and he certainly hadn’t been able to talk to Jason?
With a sigh, I pushed through the double doors, and stepped into the area that had scared the hell out of me the night before.
Natalie was leaving Jason’s room, and when she spotted me, her ‘bunny in the headlights’ look crossed her face again. “Ellie, I hoped I’d see you today. I wanted to tell you it wasn’t me who talked to the press, but I think it was someone from here. We all got called to a staff meeting this morning and they are doing everything they can to find out who did it. I was worried you’d assume it was me because of the way I acted last night, and I didn’t want you to think-”
A small giggle escaped my lips. Again, she’d somehow made me laugh in the most serious of situations. How the heck did she make it through university, watching disgusting videos of... whatever medical students have to endure to complete their studies if she panicked over every tiny thing?
“Natalie, I didn’t think it was you.”
Her shoulders dropped from their hunched, tense position. “Thank you.”
“Did you talk to Jason about this?”
“No. People who have had heart problems aren’t supposed to be stressed out in any way. I decided I’d speak to you because... Drew scares me.”