22: Rings

                                    

                                          
"What are you doing here?" My oldest brother asked as I walked into the hospital room with my duffle bag. "To see my idiot brother," I say dumping my bag on the floor and going over to him in an attempt to seek comfort from him. He wrapped me in a tight embrace. "What have they said?" "You should be in New york." "I'm only here for the weekend." "Nell you can't keep coming back and forth like this." "Well, then you idiots need to fix up," I say sharply pulling away. "Stop going missing when you're sad. He needs to go back to Rehab and Cassie needs to get her butt to that school." "We can't afford the rehab this time." "I'll put it on my card." "No you won't this is his problem." "And he's our brother." "He's been 7 times, Eleanor." "maybe the 8th will be the perfect number. It's a nice number don't you think?" "Nell." He warned me. I tend to try and joke when things are serious to make it less scary for me but not everyone likes that. 
"What has the doctors said?" "The swelling on his brain has gone down." I nodded. "They want to give him another day before they try and bring him round." "Then we have some time to find a facility." "Eleanor." "He's our brother." "Exactly, your big brother you shouldn't be taking care of him." "It's what I do." I shrugged. "When did you get in?" "7." "It's 1 now where have you been?" "Are you the police?" "No?" "Then what's it to you?" "I'm your big brother." "I was out with a friend." He nodded accepting the answer. 
"Does mum know you're here yet?" I shake my head. "I wanted to come here before she refused to let me." "Smart." "I mean I was always the smart one out of the three of us." "I'm the teacher." "At a high school... You only have to be so smart for that, Robert." "Rude." "Besides you teach P.E. What brain power does that require." "Rude," he says again and I chuckle sitting down and getting my laptop out. I start to do some research. Tony had been all over for rehab but one closer to home will be better now dads not here it'll be easier for mum to visit him without having to leave the stores for too long. And she'll have to find someone in Washington to overlook the stores there because Tony was meant to be doing that. 
I move from the chair to the end of Tony's bed needing to be closer to him. Jr went to get a bite to eat whilst I was sitting with him. I made a few calls and I got him a place at some facility in Malibu, it seemed a little hippy like but it was the only place that had an opening that would allow him to join when his doctor signed him out the others were too full. The reviews are good and it was still a decent place it was just more low-key and different to the others. Maybe different is what Anthony needed because the other places hadn't seemed to have a lasting effect on him. 
"How could you be so stupid, Tony," I mumble to him when I hang up. "Look at you. All banged up in the hospital. This could have been so much worse. You could have hurt someone else, you could have died. Do you think we can deal with that right now?" I snapped at him, though he couldn't respond. "Going off like that, you had us all worried sick. Mum doesn't need the stress she has enough with Cassie. You promised Dad you'd get better. This isn't better, Tony. In fact, it's pretty much the complete opposite of better." I sighed. "I thought I had my brother back... but you're just lying too huh. I wish you would have spoken to me. Called me I could have helped you could have stayed with me. I would have helped you." 
I sat quietly again and just looked at him, taking in all his injuries. "I'm so glad you're not dead," I admit, my eyes filling with water. "You can't leave us. You can't leave us." I hear the door open and I quickly dry my face before turning to see who it was. It was both mum and Jr. "Nell?" "I couldn't, not come," I say. "I'm surprised at how long you stayed away." "Thank, Elizabeth for that," I say and she nodded. "I've got him a space in a facility in Malibu," I inform them. "Sweetheart we can't afford." "I've already paid it. 28 days. When he's cleared from his doctor they'll pick him up from here and take him and they'll help him." "Eleanor you can't pay for this." "Stop telling me what I can and can't do." I snapped at her.