Day 167 - Upside Down- Chapter 15 - (1376 words)

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UPSIDE DOWN, BACK TO FRONT

By Wayne Webb

CHAPTER 15

After

"Ivan."
"Dad." The nurse had left the room and his father's voice was thin and as translucent as the pallor of his skin.
"Don't make the same mistakes I made. Keep your family in line, keep them close and protected and under you. They'll stand by you, if you stand up for them."
"I know dad. I know."
"Do you? Do... I did some shitty things to your mother, I didn't ... I wasn't standing up for her, or you."
"You always stood for me Dad, you made me what I am today." Ivan had tears streaming down his face. It's too soon, so soon.
It's never long enough.
"I need to sleep, so tired."
"You rest Dad, you need rest. When this is all over we'll take you somewhere nice, where there's sun and air and ... we'll go to the islands for a holiday. Just the family."
"Sounds."
"Nice."
"Family."
Each breath was drawn out and came one per word until he fell asleep.
His breathing was regular and steady, flowing in and out as his unconscious mind took control of this essential mechanism and returned it to a regular if somewhat lessened pattern.
Ivan sat next to him on the bed and brushed the wisps of hair that seemed to have thinned away in only a day and left him looking even more vulnerable.
His father stopped breathing and the room went so quiet even as Ivan screamed for help from the nurses, who knew long before it was declared that this was it.

At the moment.

Jesus. What do I do?
What if he snaps? Sam, Sam? Look at me Sam, look at me! I’m trying to tell you something for fucks sake. Your nutter of a brother in law has a gun.
How the hell do you tell someone without telling them?
If I just come out and say it – it’ll all go to hell.
Does she know? Does she know what a prick he is? That he has a gun in the house?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
What will I do if he pulls it out again, I can see the veins in his head and neck throbbing still.
Maybe he’ll have an aneurism.
Dear God please let this man have an aneurism. I’ll donate all my share to charity, to the church, any church, I’ll burn it tonight if you just send one bolt on lightning directly to his brain.
Please?
No? Thanks for nothing… there’s still time right? Bolt of lightning anytime now.
Why does he keep looking at me and Sam, she’s the one talking to him. What does he think we’re going to do?
I don’t know what to do. If I wait and see what happens?
Something bad.
If I do something, any thing? Something bad.
Dammit.
Why is Sam arguing with him now? What the hell, can’t he read this situation? Doesn’t he care? I know he’s a big guy and can tae care of himself but this guy is mad, insane.
This guy IS mad.
He IS insane.
We have to do something, if we don’t it’s just a matter of time before something happens.
She doesn’t realise, she’s winding him up. She needs to stop, but what ca I say that won’t make matters worse?
I hate this, if it was just me then let the insane fucker do whatever he wants.
My best friend, a pregnant sister, HIS pregnant wife.
Oh my god, is he going to …? What the – he can’t can he?
He won’t, she’s …. There’s … no.
Holy Shit. Sam? No, oh god I’ll hold him down, I’ll help, I can grab his leg, that one there and pull it back and that will throw him of balance.
Almost there. Stay still for a second, everything is slowing down.
Why am I swimming?
What the hell is that noise.
There’s a ringing in the air, there’s a stillness in the room.
There are two bodies now.
Jesus christ he killed her.
Sam? No. No, No. NO!
I’m a fucking coward. I could have stopped this, I could have … fuck knows what I could have done.
She’s alive, I can see her breathing.
Oh my god, please be dead, please be dead.
He looks dead.
I can’t let this stand the way it is. This is my fault, no it isn’t but… Sam can’t take the rap for this. He’s going to have to look after her.
Oh god I hope the baby is okay.
I’ll tell the police that I did it. Confess, straight up.
I’ll claim self defence and that he was going to kill us all. If that doesn’t work then I’ll take my lumps – I’ll take it for the team. They don’t deserve this.
I wound him up.
He’s insane I know.
The gun? Oh the gun, I need to have gunpowder on my hands. Gunshot residude, will they test for that if I confess? Will they? Is it worth the risk?
It’s not.
Two more shots, wildly out of the way and aiming down. One from my hand. One from his.
Oh my god. He’s dead, he’s really dead.
I’m touching a dead man’s hand, it’s heavy with death.
It’s done. I’m sure the neighbours have called, but I may as well get it on tape.
Where’s the phone?
“111, Fire, Police or Ambulance?”
“Police. I’ve killed someone. I shot him, in the head.”
“Sir, where are you?”
“We also need an ambulance, he tried to kill his wife … before we… before I stopped him.”
“Sir?”
Shut up now. Remember your lines and stick to the script. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, I did this.

Two

Why is James here? What’s going on?
I don’t like this at all. Something is going on.
I know when someone is lying to me, I can tell, I can feel it. Sam is hiding something, not something good. I could always tell when he was a boy if he was ashamed or upset. He looks different if he’s hiding a good thing.
I can read him like a book.
Why is Ivan so red in the face? Has he been drinking?
Have I see him drunk before? I don’t think I really have. A couple of beers here and there, but never like this. Is this drunk?
Is he an angry drunk?
Can’t be … it’s too early.
Why is James here. Why does he look like that? He’s so pale, he keeps staring at Sam, what’s going on?
I will get to the bottom of this.
This is my house and I will not have little boys acting this way in my house.
There are no silly little games. This is a grown up house and we have a baby on the way, there’s not any time for nonsense.
Why is he so angry? I can hear it in his voice. I can’t smell alcohol – what is going on?
Why is no one answering me?
Am I here? Can they hear me?
I will not be ignored in my house!
What kind of look is that, how dare you? Who do you think you are? What kind of nonsense is this.
This will stop now. I will not abide this ruffian like behaviour from my husband, whatever this is it needs to stop and stop now.
What did he say to me? Watch your tone Ivan, I am not a child and I will not be spoken to in this way.
Sam, you need to stay out of this, I’ll take care of this. This is my house and my family, and I will simply not accept this.
I think you need to be reminded of your responsibilites here, this is unacceptble.
This language and tone stops now! What does he think this is? The 1950’s?
He’s got another think coming.
I’ve heard enough, had enough.
Wow.
Where is this coming from?
What the hell?
Hey! You leave my brother out of this, hey keep away from my baby brother.
Oh, he is going to kill me?
What have I done? Who is this man?
Where’s …

Red misty swaying to the floor.