TOUGH LOVE • MICHAEL GRAY FANFIC

11

4 Days Later...

"June!" Mary yells, waving me over. "Come here!"

The hospital is empty this lovely morning, and I couldn't be more gracious. For goodness sake, I worked 20 hours between the last two days. Working more for my sanity rather than anything, the hospital's been therapy for me, I had the chance to distract myself from Michael, and Tommy, and Polly, and whatever the hell else I've been stressing about. My eyes are constantly on the emergency room doors just in case I find Michael being wheeled in.

I head towards Mary, who sits at the cafeteria with her sandwich, she hands me mine. "It's' tuna today," She says chewing on hers.

I move to the fridge and pull it open, that's for dinner tonight. Mr. Kurt and his lover have taken a trip to London together, he promised to take Jojo with him. When he got home the day I finished talking to Tommy, he had noticed that something was odd about me. So he just made me my favourite dessert —apple pie and we had red wine.

"Still no answer from your boy?" She asks, mid chew.

I sigh, "Still no answer."

I had lied of course and told Mary that Michael had gone away on business, not that he was on a hiatus, running from the Italians and indefinitely going to murder Hughes, our former pedophile rapist, scum bag. He was to call me, I told Mary, call me and tell me when he was coming back, or if he was.

"Hows your son?" I shut the fridge and turn to the table. I pick up one of her carrot sticks and munch on it, making my way to the door. I'm cleared to leave soon, and if Dawson catches me in the break room, she'll have a bloody fit.

"Oh he's alright." She waves me off. "Teenage, bratty kid. Smells like body odour and cigarettes. Caught him stroking his co-"

"Whoa!" I laugh, "Mary, you can't tell me these things, love. I met Paul when he was a baby." I shiver, disgusted.

"I need you to feel my pain," She pleads, covering her face with her hands, she laughs. "Oh, Juney, it was absolutely disgusting." She says through giggles.

"I can imagine, you poor thing. I'm going to do my notes, ay, thanks for the dinner."

"You're welcome sweetie. Anytime." She smiles.

I step out of the room, and instantly crash into

something stronger than expected. Almost falling back, strong arms grab me, making sure I don't drop. I look up at him and instantly feel my heart rate increase.

"Michael!" I blurt out, grabbing the attention of people. I look around him and see no guards.

I place my hands on his arms, but he pulls away. That's the first sign that makes me wary of what's to come. He watches me intently, my hands fall to my sides.

"Can we talk?"

"S-sure," I look at him for a second and see that he is not well. The second sign is much worse, my stomach knots up. "I'm done in ten minutes is that alr-"

"Yeah," He shoves his hands into his pockets. "I'll wait outside."

Michael walks away without another word being exchanged, and I prepare myself for whats to come. He's out of my reach, and out of my sight, so I turn to my patient and tend to them. But my mind is occupied.

I find him in the back of the hospital, standing by the ship docks, overlooking the river that birds squawk in, in search for fish. It's a beautiful day today, one that is so beautiful He's got his back to me, but the second my shoe crushes a branch, he flinches, turning around to face me.