Page 43 of The Inquirer

“What happened?” Bradyn asked, his hand tightening around mine.

After a few uncomfortable seconds of everyone exchanging glances, Mrs. Traylor answered the question.

“Clancy’s appendix burst. He’s in surgery right now.”

Bradyn glanced at his niece and nephew, then moved closer to his mother. “How bad is it?”

She crossed her arms, not in a stubborn way but more like she was trying to hold herself together. “We don’t know. He’s only been back there for about twenty minutes or so.”

At least she hadn’t waited hours to tell Bradyn what’d happened. I found myself disliking her a tiny bit less.

I waited for someone else to say something. What they were supposed to say, I had no idea. It wasn’t like I’d ever done this before. Not just the specifics, but all of it. I had no clue how I was supposed to help someone who was experiencing this type of emergency.

Did I say something to his family? Tell them I was sorry? Or was that the sort of thing that only apply to a death in the family? I’d lost my father when I was eight, and everyone who came to see us said they were sorry. I hadn’t been old enough to really understand that kind of sorry wasn’t the same as when I had to apologize for doing something naughty like stealing my sister’s toys.

By the time Mom married Art, I’d learned the difference, but I’d never really had to use it. I’d been a bit of a loner, even before all the shit that happened with my stepdad. Going to juvie didn’t do much to make me more sociable. Saying I was socially awkward when I finally got out was an understatement.

“You’ve made an appearance,” Clancy – Mr. Traylor, obviously, not the grandchild named after him – finally said. “You and your…friend can go now.”

I moved a little closer to Bradyn, hoping he’d understand that I would support whatever he wanted to do. Any doubts I’d had about being here with him were gone. His family would’ve pissed me off even if I didn’t care about him like I did.

“We’re not going anywhere.” Bradyn’s voice was quiet, but there wasn’t anything soft about it. “No matter what’s going on with all of us adults, I will be here for the kids.”

“I’m not asking you to be,” Ashley snapped.

I didn’t like her tone, but her kid was having surgery so I didn’t say anything to her. Plus, there was the fact that I didn’t think it was my place to mouth off to Bradyn’s sister, or any of his family members, for that matter.

“Doesn’t matter,” Bradyn said. “I’m staying.”

As if to prove his point, he went over to the empty chair next to Warren Jr. and pulled me after him. Ashley glared at both of us, but absently, like it was more of a reflex than her actually doing something consciously. It didn’t make me like her, though.

“Hi, Uncle Bradyn.” The kid glanced at me and smiled, raising a hand in a little wave. “I’m Les.”

“Hey, kiddo.” Bradyn ruffled his nephew’s hair.

“Hi, Les. I’m Nyx.”

His eyes widened. “Nyx? I’ve never heard that name before.”

I grinned at him. “It’s not a common one.”

“It’s weird.” The little girl leaned over from the other side of Les and gave me one of those annoyed looks that spoiled little girls seemed to perfect.

“Betsy.” Bradyn gave her a stern look.

“It’s okay,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Everyone’s a little on edge. And my name is weird.”

Betsy didn’t seem to appreciate me sticking up for her. She leaned back in her seat and glared at nothing. I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t have been pissed off if I’d been her age and stuck at the hospital, but she looked old enough to understand that her brother was sick. Any child of–

I pushed the thoughts away. I was in no position to judge any kids or their parents. This was not about me.

“Is Clancy gonna be okay?” Les asked. The worried expression on his face looked too old for someone his age.

“An appendectomy is a pretty common surgery,” Bradyn said. “And the doctors here are really good.”

“How do you know that?”

“When I was in high school, I had to have my appendix out, and I had it done here.”

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