Page 61 of Dead Serious: Case 3 Mr Bruce Reyes

“Tris!” Danny calls from the other room. “Your phone’s ringing and I can’t reach it!”

I abandon the box I’d been packing in the bedroom and hurry through the flat to the living room where I scoop my phone off the table, my stomach tightening when I realise it’s Sunrise Care Home.

“Hello?” I answer quickly before they can ring off, dropping down onto the sofa next to Danny and curling my foot under me so I’m turned toward him.

“Tristan?” A familiar voice answers. “It’s Lois.”

“Hey, Lois,” I reply. “What’s going on? Is Dad okay?”

She takes a deep breath, and my heart starts to plummet to my stomach. “He’s not doing too well,” she says. “You know how agitated he gets during storms and, well, with this one going on for so many days now, he’s just not settling. I know you and Danny have tried to stay in touch over Skype while you’ve been ill, but things have changed.”

“Like what?” I ask, my eyes meeting Danny’s. “Hang on, let me put you on speakerphone so Danny can hear you.”

“Hey, Lois,” Danny greets her once I change the setting and hold the phone in front of us both.

“Hey, Danny.”

“So, what’s changed with my dad?” I ask nervously.

“It’s difficult to explain,” Lois says. “Like I said, he’s been agitated because of the storm, but he’s also becoming increasingly withdrawn. It’s almost like he’s scared of something.”

“Scared? Of what?” I frown in confusion.

“He seems to be preoccupied with something. All of a sudden, he’ll just stop, and his gaze looks like it’s following something across the room, but there’s nothing there. It’s happened in the day room a few times, but it’s even worse in his bedroom. It’s possible that his condition is just deteriorating, and he’s experiencing hallucinations. We’re going to get the doctors to assess him tomorrow, and they might want to review his medication, but if you’re feeling better, I think you coming to visit him might help. He seems calmer after you and Danny have been by.”

I glance across to Danny, and he nods.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” I reply.

“Good, we’ll see you in a bit, then.”

I end the call and stare down at my phone, a familiar heaviness sitting on my chest.

“Hey.”

I feel Danny’s warm fingers under my chin as he tilts my face to meet his eyes.

“I’m not ready, Danny,” I whisper. “Once he deteriorates past a certain point…” I shake my head, blinking back the tears. “I’m not ready to let him go.”

“We haven’t reached that point yet,” he says gently as he cups my face, his thumb skimming my jaw. “We know that storms agitate him. Maybe all he needs is the doctors to adjust his medication slightly to help stabilise him a bit.”

“I hope so.” I swallow past the tightness in my throat. “Every time they phone, I worry. I’m not unrealistic, I know I’m on borrowed time with him, but…”

“I know, baby.” He pulls me in close and wraps his arms around me, rubbing my back. “I know how hard it is for you, but we’re not there yet, so let’s head down there and see if we can settle him. You haven’t been able to visit him properly in over a week, after all. I think you’ll feel better if you see him for yourself.”

I let out a sigh and mumble against his shoulder, “Okay.” He’s right, we should get going now, but I can’t help but wish I had a few more minutes to just stay in his arms and soak up the comfort he offers so freely.

“Help me up, will you?” He taps my thigh gently and I shift, reluctant to release him, but I do anyway and climb to my feet.

He holds his hands out. I grasp onto him and pull him up from the sofa. He limps slightly and balances on one foot while I reach across and grab his crutches for him.

“Thanks.”

I glance down at his leg. “Are you sure you’re up for a trip across to Shadwell?”

“Of course I am.” He gives me one of the smiles he reserves just for me. “If you or Martin need me, there’s nowhere else I’m going to be, even with a broken leg.”

I blow out a breath and something in my belly starts to settle. “Okay then. Let’s go see if we can figure out what’s going on with Dad.”