Where to go from here

Chapter 10 Telling Him

Minnie's POV

I keep thinking about what this man is saying, feeling awful with every word because of the circumstances. But wait.. what did he say? that Oliver has been here for a couple of days? But that's not right. "What? No.. He has been in here for almost 3 months." I declare as he shakes his head. "No 3 days, ya mean." he responds as I shake my head. "I am his nurse he has had the entire time he has been in here.. for almost 3 months." I repeat as he thinks about this.

"B*tch!" He spats out as I feel my eyebrows furrowing. "Excuse me? What did you call me? I have been taking great care of your father and we have become very close.. I have never been a b*tch to him!" I snapped right back with my hands planted on my hips showing how I would go toe to toe with anyone at the moment.. I'm the last person anyone wants to mess with at the moment.. So just try me and see what happens.

"No.. no not you.. I'm sorry.. his lady named Lydia called me and she told me he had only been here for a couple of days.. But ya telling me that he was here alone for months and I never knew! That makes me so angry. That is infuriating! I have never hit a Sheila, but man, she is making me want to!" He yells out in frustration before he turns and punches the wall, once realizing this fact about his father. He only put a little dent but not a hole into the wall, so I won't say a word about what happened because he has all the right in the world to be upset.

I clear my throat getting his attention as I watch him look back to me. "You came here, right away for him?" I ask as he nods and shakes his hand. "Of course he is my Da and best mate." I gasp for air as I feel the tears running down my cheeks at that thought. He is exactly what Oliver said he was but we didn't know he was lied to.. Poor Oliver and his poor son. They were fooled in so many ways that I want to kick her ass too.. Maybe I'll do it for them.

Oliver's handsome son seems to not stop staring at me, which is making this way harder than it needs to be. I want to tell him about what has happened to his father, believe me I do because he deserves to know more than anyone, but that is so hard to tell someone something that you know is going to shatter their world while flipping it upside down at the same time.. not easy and nothing I want to have to do.

He stares over at me as he lets out a deep breath. "Can you please take me to him so I can explain why I haven't been here." he asks politely with so much anger threaded through his words, but I know the anger is not for me but for Lydia. I gasp for air as I shake my head and breaking down, crying even more than before he walked into the room. I'm hysterical at this point and he sees it. He quickly walks over to me as he pushes the hair out of my face. "Can I get someone for ya?" I vigorously shake my head as he swallows then asks "Did something happen to my father?" I nod my head, causing him to automatically suck in a sharp breath. His eyes are filled with worry and I know I need to tell him, but I don't know how.

My eyes can't stop the tears from falling continuously, no matter how hard I am trying to get myself composed to talk to him. I just keep imagining Oliver dying in my arms. It was traumatic. I never thought I would ever have a friend die in my arms. "he was my friend." I squeak out as he swallows the lump in his throat before saying. "Was?' I squeak out more nonsense, but it is not making any sense, it just a bunch of squeaks and gasps that is confusing, but I bet by this reaction he knows that what I am trying to get out is not good news.

But he is patiently waiting for me to get my sh*t together and I couldn't appreciate that more. I feel his hands rubbing over my arms trying to help me calm down and believe me, I am trying. I suck in a sharp breath just to let a wavering one out. "I'm so sorry.. I was talking.. with him... he was telling me that he was planning on moving back home because he missed you so much." I state as he nods his head at me.

He is waiting for more information, but these seem to be the hardest words I have ever had to put together. "Just breathe." he tells me as I nod and try to do just that, but it is easier said than done at this rate. "He.. He just broke it off with Lydia.." I gasp out as I watched his eyebrows touch. "She didn't want to move home with him." he nods at that as he keeps waiting for me to get it together. His hands keeps rubbing over my arms and it is slightly making me feel better.

"He then grabbed my hand and he started gasping for air.. and I tried to do anything I could think of to help him.. but nothing helped.. he wouldn't even let me do the CPR on him and I don't know why.. he pushed me away but all I wanted to do was help him.. and before anyone else could get in here, he died.. I'm so sorry.. I didn't know what to do.. I feel like the worst person ever.. because all he wanted was you and now you're here right after.. I feel so bad." I whimper this out as he quickly pulls me into him to hug me. "Hey, it's not your fault.. ya tried to help. it's ok." He coos to me but I should be the one comforting him.

I snuggle my face into his chest, crying more as I hear his soft cooing in my ear. "You're ok." But I don't feel ok because nothing is okay about this situation. I try to be strong, especially after I can feel that he is crying too. I don't know what to say or do to make him feel better. I hate being the bearer of bad news, but having to tell him his father died moments before he got here is heartbreaking. "I'm so sorry." I squeak out as he sniffles and says. "It's not your fault." I keep shaking my head as our grip around one another tightens, slightly making me feel better surprisingly enough. But I don't know how to feel like it is not my fault, especially when I was the one in here with him. I was the one that he was depending on to help him but I wasn't there for him like we both had hoped. How could I not feel like this is my fault?

"I was supposed to help him.. I don't know why he wouldn't let me try to help him.. he stopped me.. he stopped me and I don't know why." I squeak out between sniffles as his hand rubs over my back. "Maybe he was helping you." he says as I let out the wavering breath. " I don't know what to do after this. I feel incomplete." I say as he huffs out. "me too."

"He was always so nice to me.. and seeing him die while I held him was the worst thing that's ever happened right in front of my eyes and under my control.. After that, I don't think I could stay here any longer. I might have to quit." I say prying my body from his as I turn and walking away from him. "Quit?" he asks from behind me as I just nod in response. "You can't just quit your job.. can ya?" he asks as I say softly with little confidence behind my words. "Just try and stop me." I keep walking out of the room and away from him, not looking at anyone else, just needing the fresh air to be put into my lungs before they explode from the dispair.

I get outside feeling the air in my lungs, soothing them only slightly, but it's better than nothing. It's dark out now and I don't mind that idea one bit. I don't want anyone to see me like this. The tears are building up and wanting to fall once again, so I just let them. They pour as I cry and kick my car, leaving a dent in the side of it. "I really hope that is ya car or we have some explaining to do." I hear from behind me as I flip around to see it's his son again following me out.. but why? "Don't worry.. It's mine." I say as he nods then walks slightly closer to me but giving himself some distance.. probably knowing that I could kick him if he is not careful.

"Why are you quitting all of this because of one bad situation?" he asks me as I huff out spinning around to look away from him. "One bad situation? One bad situation? No.. that wasn't just one bad situation.. that was a good friend of mine dying in my arms.. I saw the light leave his eyes, I heard the last breath leave his lips.. I can't forget that.. he was a great man and.. He made my shifts fun.. He talked with me and made me feel ok for my feelings. We talked about everything we had in common, like not liking it here and wanting to go home.. and he was just so sweet to me. ugh I have to leave because.. well, I don't want to be here anymore after that." I declared as he grabs for my hand. "You need to calm down before you drive sheila."

"My name is Minnie.. and if anything, I can just walk home." I say taking my hand slowly out of his, even though I do like the comfort her naturally brings. I keep my eyes glued to him as I notice that he c*cks his head to the side. "Minnie? Like the mouse? Or a nickname because of your stature?" I chuckle at his comment, remembering the first time I met his father and how he said almost the exact same thing. I keep laughing to myself as I shake my head.

"You're so much like your dad.. and to answer your question, it's like the mouse." I say as I start walking around my car to get into the driver's seat, but before I can get around it, he steps forward and grabs my arm. "Please be careful, you can't drive like this alone.. please.. I understand you're upset and you have the right to be, but don't hurt yourself for this either.. That's nothing my father would have ever wanted for anyone, especially a friend." he says this to me as we stare for a moment. I know he is right but I also know that because of his grip on my arm, that I should be scared because he is a stranger. But because of the comfort he brings my heart and the concern in his eyes, I can see that he is not a threat but just worried for me.