Room 223, early morning
Saturday morning after finals, his telephone went off and he was still half asleep as he picked up. “Mitchell.”
“Cameron…” His sister and his heart skipped a beat as he noticed the sadness in her voice.
“Emily? What’s wrong?” He asked, sitting up in bed.
“It’s dad,” she managed to get out before breaking up into tears.
“Dad? Emily? What’s wrong with him?” Shit. Shit. Shit.
“There’s… He’s…” She broke off again and his mind was jumping to conclusions.
“Emily?” He said softly, trying to get her to calm down a bit. “Is mom there? Can I talk to her?”
She sniffed. “She doesn’t want to.”
“Emily, please tell me what is going on,” he pleaded.
It took a while before she finally got the words out and he had to sit down on the edge of the bed to keep from sinking through his knees. He didn’t know how long he sat there, just staring as his mind refused to process what his sister had just told him. It was only Emily’s sniffling that finally made it through the numbness that had settled inside and outside of him.
“I’ll… I’ll be home soon,” he promised thickly. “Take care of mom. I’ll be there soon.”
He couldn’t exactly make out her response before she hung up, it didn’t seem to matter. Nothing did and he was left sitting there listening to the dial tone until...
The telephone in his hand was ringing which didn't make sense because he hadn't hung up yet. It took a moment for his mind to process that he was dreaming and the sound was real. Opening his eyes, Cameron stared up at the ceiling and tried to ignore the ringing.
It didn't work and he finally snatched up the telephone, not noticing his hand was shaking.
"Mitchell," he said roughly.
"Cameron," his mother greeted.
Shit. "Mom, is everything alright. Is dad...?"
"He's fine," she assured him and he finally realised the breath he'd been holding. “Actually, it’s about that I’m calling. Remember that program we’ve mentioned?”
“The thing where they were going to see about giving him prosthetic legs?”
“Yeah, a spot opened up earlier and they’ve offered it to us,” his mother explained.
“That’s great!”
“The only thing is that it’s right after graduation meaning we’ll be out of state when you’re planning to come down here,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, Cam.”
“It’s alright,” Cameron hid his disappointment and realised for the first time that he had been looking forward to going home. He quickly got over it as it meant that his father would be learning to walk again. “I can come down later. Summer camp can wait until next year.”
“No, we already signed you up for it. There’s no point in wasting the money and the program will last a long longer than two weeks. We’ll see about making it to Virginia afterwards instead. How does that sound?”
Cameron smiled, “It sounds good, mom.”
He hung up half an hour later feeling a whole lot better than he had in weeks. Screw the Ori. Mitchells never gave up.
((Posted late because I got to meet Jakey, but I can't say anything because what happens in Brussels stays in Brussels and I don't kiss and tell. What? She won't be back until a few days so she'll never see this. Mwahahaha.))
“Cameron…” His sister and his heart skipped a beat as he noticed the sadness in her voice.
“Emily? What’s wrong?” He asked, sitting up in bed.
“It’s dad,” she managed to get out before breaking up into tears.
“Dad? Emily? What’s wrong with him?” Shit. Shit. Shit.
“There’s… He’s…” She broke off again and his mind was jumping to conclusions.
“Emily?” He said softly, trying to get her to calm down a bit. “Is mom there? Can I talk to her?”
She sniffed. “She doesn’t want to.”
“Emily, please tell me what is going on,” he pleaded.
It took a while before she finally got the words out and he had to sit down on the edge of the bed to keep from sinking through his knees. He didn’t know how long he sat there, just staring as his mind refused to process what his sister had just told him. It was only Emily’s sniffling that finally made it through the numbness that had settled inside and outside of him.
“I’ll… I’ll be home soon,” he promised thickly. “Take care of mom. I’ll be there soon.”
He couldn’t exactly make out her response before she hung up, it didn’t seem to matter. Nothing did and he was left sitting there listening to the dial tone until...
The telephone in his hand was ringing which didn't make sense because he hadn't hung up yet. It took a moment for his mind to process that he was dreaming and the sound was real. Opening his eyes, Cameron stared up at the ceiling and tried to ignore the ringing.
It didn't work and he finally snatched up the telephone, not noticing his hand was shaking.
"Mitchell," he said roughly.
"Cameron," his mother greeted.
Shit. "Mom, is everything alright. Is dad...?"
"He's fine," she assured him and he finally realised the breath he'd been holding. “Actually, it’s about that I’m calling. Remember that program we’ve mentioned?”
“The thing where they were going to see about giving him prosthetic legs?”
“Yeah, a spot opened up earlier and they’ve offered it to us,” his mother explained.
“That’s great!”
“The only thing is that it’s right after graduation meaning we’ll be out of state when you’re planning to come down here,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, Cam.”
“It’s alright,” Cameron hid his disappointment and realised for the first time that he had been looking forward to going home. He quickly got over it as it meant that his father would be learning to walk again. “I can come down later. Summer camp can wait until next year.”
“No, we already signed you up for it. There’s no point in wasting the money and the program will last a long longer than two weeks. We’ll see about making it to Virginia afterwards instead. How does that sound?”
Cameron smiled, “It sounds good, mom.”
He hung up half an hour later feeling a whole lot better than he had in weeks. Screw the Ori. Mitchells never gave up.
((Posted late because I got to meet Jakey, but I can't say anything because what happens in Brussels stays in Brussels and I don't kiss and tell. What? She won't be back until a few days so she'll never see this. Mwahahaha.))