Learning To Trust Again

Finding Todd in his bedroom Rebecca immediately knew a sense of relief as she listened to him loud snoring. Saying a silent prayer of thanks but knowing she couldn’t relax yet, Rebecca moved over to the bed and putting a hand on his shoulder she shook him. She got no response. There wasn’t even so much as a break in his nasally breathing. Shaking him again, harder this time, she jerked her head back as she nearly passed out from the alcohol still on his breath when he rolled towards her. But Todd just mumbled and went straight back to snoring. Frustrated, Rebecca tried again. In a loud voice, as she shoved him again, she said, ‘Todd for god sake, wake up.’

‘Ha what’ Todd mumbled waking with a start. Disorientated for a minute he lifted his head a little. But as it began to pound like someone was using it for a drum, he lay down again and groaned. Then opening one eye to see whose fault it was that he had to face the day already he said ‘For Christ sake Bec. What are you trying to do to me? Do you know what time I got to bed?’

‘I don’t care’ Rebecca all but yelled at him her anger clear in her tone. ‘Unless you can tell me you went to the hospital after the party last night, you could have just closed your eyes for all the difference it makes to me at the moment.’

His blank stare told her he hadn’t gone.

‘Goddamn it Todd’ she ranted and crossing her arms she added ‘well you are going now, whether you want to or not.’

Closing his eye, he groaned again as memory returned and he worked out what she was talking about. There was anger in his voice as he said ‘bloody Jake. Couldn’t keep his mouth shut.’

‘Unfortunately he did, until this morning, when you were supposed to ring him. If he had any sense he’d have made sure you got checked out last night or if he’d told me like he should have, I’d have made sure.’ Rebecca could not keep the hurt out of her voice. ‘Are you so stupid you don’t know head injuries and alcohol are a lethal combination?’ she continued to rant ‘do you know how many people I’ve seen die because they weren’t checked?’

‘Bec stop’ Todd said holding his head ‘okay okay, I should have had it checked but you can see I’m okay so can we just forget it?’

‘Not a chance Todd’ Rebecca said with an ominous ring of steel in her voice and her eyes sparking blue fire, ‘you are going to get up and we are going to the hospital now.’

Looking at his sister and seeing the determination on her face Todd groaned again and conceded ‘okay, if it means you’ll stop yelling, I’ll go.’

As he threw back the covers in preparation to getting up Rebecca was nearly bowled over by the smell of smoke and alcohol emanating from him and moving away she said ‘for god sake have a quick shower first. I’m not taking you to my work smelling like that. I wouldn’t be able to face them all again. Not to mention you’ll stink my car out. But be quick. I’m not going to be able to relax until you’ve had an MRI.’

Grinning Todd dragged himself out of bed. Moving with care he said ‘okay I’ll be two minutes.’

‘Make sure you are’ she warned ‘or I’ll come in a drag you out.’

Todd just looked at her, appearing to be unperturbed by her threat.

Seeing his expression she said ‘don’t try me Todd, I’m in no mood.’

Holding his hands up in front of him in a gesture of capitulation, but nearly over balancing in the process, Todd reached for the chest of draws to steady himself and said ‘two minutes, I promise’ and as Rebecca nodded, satisfied, he staggered into the bathroom.