Little Morgan Gallagher

41- Help your fucking family

Debbie lay across my lap, half asleep, as was I. Still me, Kev and V, Carl and Debbie were in the waiting room, patiently waiting for news on our little brother. Lip split, I don't know where he went but I knew he was angry at Fiona. I think he was just sorting out hospital shit, trying to make sure we got Liam home. I knew he was in a seriously high stress situation right now, but so were we..

It was silent until Kev spoke up, "they probably took her to District six for booking, that's where they usually take you before they transfer you to county..She's gonna need a lawyer, you got anybody you want us to call?"

I didn't even register what he had said. "Morgan?"

"Huh? Yeah?"

"You got anyone you want us to call?"

Suddenly a nurse burst through the doors, "Fiona Gallagher?"

We all jumped up quickly to see her, "Morgan Gallagher," I answered quickly, as I went to face her.

"Is Fiona here?" She asked.

"No," I told her.

"Will she be back?"

"No, not soon. I'm Liams sister."

"Is there another parent or legal gaurdian available?"

"No.. is Liam gonna be okay?" I pushed, not getting the answers from her.

"I'm sorry, I really need a responsible adult present to.."

"Look!" I butted in, losing my temper, "my mom is a bipolar drug addict who split years ago, my dads a drunk, the cops just hauled my oldest sister off to jail, my brother Lip split and my brother Ian has been missing for months! I'm next in line the best you've got, I'm the only thing that passes for a responsible adult.. Now, How. Is. Liam!"

The nurse sighed, "If there's no one here, you need to call your older brother, he at least has to be present when I'm talking to you."

I huffed, "Fucking bullshit lady! I wanna know how my fucking brother is because right now I don't even know if he's dead or fucking alive! So you better tell me right fucking now how THE FUCK is my brother doing!" I screamed, losing my shit because all I wanted to know is how my brother was.

She widened her eyes, then sighed, "Fine. Your brother came in with accute cocaine toxicity. Disoriented, hallucinating and with a dangerously elevated heart rate. He's on Naloxone for his altered mental status and benzodiazepine to control his seizures."

"Seizures?" Debbie mumbled from behind me, but I pulled her into my side for reassurance.

"We're monitoring his temperature, his heart rate and his glucose levels, but he has started to settle down."

     "Can we see him?" V butted in.

     "I'm sorry, only immediate family members over 18 are allowed in the PCU."

     "Go, we'll stay here with Carl and Debs," V winked at me. I was so thankful for her to play along with me being the legal age even though I was still two years off.

"Thanks V," I mumbled, before following the nurse into the back to see Liam.

My heart sunk once I saw him, lying in a hospital bed.. motionless. Hooked up to loads of machines by various wires, an oxygen mask and patches on his chest to monitor him.

My heart broke.

"Why is he tied down?" I croaked.

"He was agitated and hurting himself. It's not unusual in cocaine overdoses."

"Will he be okay?" I asked, going to hold Liams hand.

"Well it's early yet, but cocaine overdoses aren't usually fatal."

The fuck did she mean by usually aren't fatal. Holy fucking god.

     I squeezed Liams hand tight. "Look your little brother is a tough guy," the nurse went on, "he's strong, if I was a betting woman my money would be on a full recovery."

     She left, leaving me there with Liam.

     I took a deep breath, looking at him, "it's gonna be okay baby. You're okay Liam, I promise you'll be okay."

***

I got in home late, V and Kev brought us home. When I came through the living room door, I found Lip sitting on the couch, filling out some kind of form.

I looked to Kev and V, "Can you put Carl and Debs to bed, I doubt Lip will be doing it tonight."

V smiled and put a hand to my cheek, "of course baby. You did a good job tonight, playing grown up at sixteen. You're strong Mouse."

I smiled back, "thanks V." But we all knew that Lip should have been there that night, he was the most worried for Liam, and I knew he was mad at Fiona.. but he split.

"I agree, that's big girl shit Morgy," Kev said, and I wished my little siblings goodnight as I watched Kev and V bring them upstairs before turning to Lip on the couch.

"Where were you?" I asked, walking to stand in front of him as he sat on the couch. He ignored me.

"I got Kev and V to put Carl and Debs to bed since I guessed you weren't gonna do it," I went on. I watched him write on the forms he had, still not answering me, "what's that?"

"Admissions paperwork.. insurance? None. Employer? None. Credit card number? None. Jesus," he finally replied, "maybe they'll let us wash dishes in the cafeteria."

"No fuck that. They'll still treat him."

"Well they'll still send a collection agency our way."

"What you worried your gonna fuck up your credit rating? Our baby brother just snorted cocaine Lip!"

He huffed and continued writing. I felt so angry at him in this moment, "Fionas bail hearing is around noon sometime, Kev left a message with that lawyer."

"No!" Lip snapped, "lawyers don't work for free."

"Kev said they can front us some cash," I argued, I knew this was coming.

"Cash? Like we're ever gonna be able to pay them back?"

"She needs a fucking lawyer Lip! She got arrested!"

"She'll get one Morg, the PD's office will handle it," he shrugged.

"Are you fucking kidding me! An overworked public defender straight outta law school?"

"Works for me."

I felt myself getting hot with anger, "it was an accident Lip! It's not her fault, everyone was there, it wasn't only her! You blaming it on her, then not showing up to find out how Liam was and leaving me to handle it alone isn't fair! You're the oldest now and you should take some goddamn responsibility and cut Fiona some fucking slack!"

Lip stood up to tower over me, flinging down the forms he was filling up, "Well Morgan, it's almost 5am, I've got a quantum physics quiz in three hours and I'm missing it because Fiona fucked up! You can't blame this on me! Her coke! She's Liams guardian!"

"Lip! Our fucking baby brother, it's not all her fault! The important thing now is getting Liam better and recovered and getting Fiona the fuck out of jail! And your job was to help me handle this. Stop blaming Fiona for being a mess because you've gone through tough times too! So grow up, and help your fucking family a bit! You can still do college, I want you to still do college, just stop blaming Fiona!"

I stormed out of the living room before he could say another word. I did feel bad that he had college on top of all this shit, but we still needed Fiona out of jail, I needed him.

Stoooop I know they were fighting in this chapter but I love Lip and Morgan relationship agagwbajbs. Also I know Lip seemed like an asshole in this chapter but I love Lip.