7. When the cold bites

Oliver

“Fucking storm,” I wedged my shoulders against the door, turned the knob and lifted the door a bit off the ground to avoid the irritating squeaks from the rusted hinges. My toes felt clammy from the amount of water that had soaked into my socks.

I was immediately hit with the biting cold in the room, my eyes snapping toward the wall where the broken heater was. My damp clothes clung to me like a second skin, the dampness making the cold even worse.

My eyes caught the puddle of water near the worn-out couch where my mother was resting. I sighed, yanked the bag off my shoulders and flung it toward the rickety table before pulling the metal bucket from the cabinet and placing it directly under the trajectory of the leaking roof.

My mom snored lightly, snuggling the tattered blankets with her weary fingers, I adjusted the hem and placed a gentle kiss on her neck so I wouldn't wake her before moving toward my bedroom.

“Oli?” I heard her call me.

“Yes, ma?” I stopped by the verge of the hall.

She yawned, I could hear the fatigue in her voice: she worked too hard for someone who should be reaping the efforts of her turmoil and just thinking about it made my heart prickle with guilt.

“How was work?”

“It was good, ma. Go back to sleep, will you?” I said gently and waited till I heard the scuffles of her adjusting the blanket and then her light snores once more.

As I stomped toward my room, the squelches from my soaked socks echoing in the chilly room, all I could think of was how I should have kept my mouth shut and read the room…or rather, the car.

I wasn't oblivious to the fact that Benjamin didn't want to talk about it, he had gone as far as pretending he didn't remember who I was when he saw me at first, but I had seen it, that spark of shock and recognition in his eyes.

I peeled the wet clothes from my body and shoved them into the basket behind my door, making a mental note to dry them tomorrow before they started to smell. I couldn't afford to take a shower because of the water bill. Instead, I parted myself dry with the towel slung on my cupboard and dove under the bed.

My stomach rumbled, clenching sporadically but food was the furthest thing from my mind at this point. I didn't like how Benjamin made me feel, the way he had looked at me like I was a piece of gum left on the sidewalk for far too long. Some peasants on the lowest cadre of the elite ladder, made me feel…worthless and insecure.

Insecure about this job, Benjamin could wake up and decide he was tired of seeing my face and fire me, I didn't want to walk around eggshells in the company, afraid to cough too loud or to blink the wrong way to avoid being booted off.

The way Benjamin had reacted was far steeper than just the fact that he had spent time with a part-time sex worker, I think it was because I was a man. He felt…ashamed.

I sighed again and tossed in the other direction, pulling the duvet over my head, I needed to catch some sleep so I could go to work early.

~~~

I don't know when I finally fell asleep, but I was roughly shaken awake by little hands.

“Oli? Wake up!”

I groaned and pulled the sheets off my face. I felt woozy, but I could hear the disturbing heaves of breaths followed by sharp coughs. What was that?

“Oli, wake up! Mom is coughing blood!”

My eyes flew open and everything made sense, I flung the sheets off, colliding with the cold floor, scampering across the hall toward the living room where my mother was hunched over on the floor, a few spots of blood marinating into the dirty rug.

“Mom, mom!” I slid and cupped her into my arms, ripping the sheets from the couch and wiping her mouth with it.

“What's wrong with her, Oli? I'm scared,” Ruby was a distance off, rubbing comforting arms along her sides.

“Hey, hey, breathe for me, please,” I rocked my mom in my arms, trying to stifle the bouts of coughs. She inhaled deeply and it was as if everything had been waned before she coughed loudly. It sounded like her entire diaphragm rattled as if a cellophane bag had been shoved down a bagpipe, bellowing constantly.

I scooped her into my arms quickly, “Get my coat and wallet, now!”

 Ruby dashed into the room and I had to wait since I didn't want to put her down to open the door. Ruby threw the coat over me and the wallet, into the pocket before she pulled the door open.

I hurried down the stairs and sighted a lone cab parked by the curb, the driver's chair collapsed backward and his hat over his face. Ruby rapped his window and he jolted, casting curious glances till he spotted me with my mother in my arms.

The doors clicked as he unlocked them and I shoved us into the cramped backspace. “General Hospital, please,” the engine sputtered and roared to life before he tore down the street, weaving through the streets as quickly as he could till we arrived at the hospital.

“How much?” I tried to mask the fear that was ravaging my body from my mother's condition. I wasn't even sure if I had enough money in my wallet when I entered the cab, the single thought in my head was to get her to the hospital.

“Go,” he spoke, his eyes were soft as he glanced at my mom and then back at my teary eyes.

“Thank you,” I mouthed, the tears spilling from the rims before I rushed into the hospital.

“Emergency!” The words tore from my throat, pulling the nurses toward my direction and in no time, my mother was on a stretcher being rolled toward the Emergency unit.