Doctors Orders (Manxman)

Chapter 15

Picture of the backyard

Damien

The drive was exhausting. I kept an eye on Tris as soon as we entered the town to keep track of his reactions. It wasn't easy for him to come back and I knew that. But my Tris was a brave boy. He didn't let anything show on his face.

Still he was weirdly quiet. He had his head rested against the window and was watching the trees pass by. He had barely said two words to me since we started. It was uncommon but not unusual for him. I didn't probe, letting him have some alone time. He would tell me all about it later anyway.

After we reached, Tristan's mother almost snatched him and hugged him. It was understandable. She was seeing him after a long time. I looked around for his father and was relieved to see that he wasn't there. They weren't on the best of terms and his presence would definitely make things awkward. His mother smiled at me brightly and I returned it. She was like my second mother after all.

After that, I hardly saw my best friend. He seemed to have disappeared in the sea of people that was this house. The drive had taken it's toll on me and I found myself hardly able to keep my eyes open. So I made my way to my house which wasn't very far from Tristans.

As I neared the white bungalow, memories came flooding back. The swing under the big tree in the lawn was visible. I had spent countless hours on that swing as a baby and cried for hours when a storm had broken it. Even the cobblestones on the garden path leading to our front door were familiar to me. I had fallen and scraped my knees on them so many times when I was a small hyperactive boy.

My parents were modest people. They were both well established in their careers and were well off but preferred not to show it. They made sure that I worked for everything I got as a child. It used to annoy me in the beginning that I had to do chores for stuff when other kids got it just like that but in the long run their discipline had helped me.

The front door opened just as I was opening the small garden door to reveal my mother. She rushed down the stairs towards me and was in my arms moments later. I hugged her tight and inhaled the warm motherly smell that she emanated. I realised in that moment how much I had missed my mother.

"Oh Damien my baby. I missed you so much," she cooed while ruffling my hair. And then she slapped my arm.

"Oww mom! Is that any way to greet your beloved son!"

She glared at me fiercely. "Oh so you remember that you are my son? Judging by your extreme apathy towards me and your dad I thought you have forgotten us. When was the last time you called me Damien? When was the last time you weren't busy and had an actual conversation with me?"

I looked down guiltily. I had no answer to that. The last time she had called me I was scrubbing in for a surgery. The time before that I was doing my rounds. The time before that I was in the club and couldn't even hear my phone over the music.

"I am sorry mom. I know I suck at being a son but I promise I will try harder," I said. She sighed and smiled weakly. We went inside together hand in hand while she told me all about her work and what had happened here while I was in Chicago.

The first thing I did after greeting dad was to go up to my room and fall asleep without even removing my clothes. When I woke after a few hours it was dark outside.

I cursed. I hadn't meant to sleep this long. I should have been there at Tristans house hours ago to help them with all the arrangements. I hurriedly changed into a simple shirt and sweats. I checked my phone for any texts and calls from Tris but there were none.

When I reaches their house the mayhem had calmed down to a great extent. The rooms were still full of people but I recognised most of them as relatives. I greeted some of them when they smiled at me though I hadn't the slightest idea who they were.