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“I promise, I’ll call them.” I didn’t try to touch her again, scared of what it would do to her, but I followed her to her room, surprised that she seemed to remember the place that she’d only stayed in for three months.
“This is such a pretty room. I bet I liked it here,” she said as she sank into the wingback armchair that I’d added before she’d moved in because I knew how much she loved it. I’d taken it from the old house, and had it reupholstered so it felt familiar… sadly, just not familiar enough.
Sirens sounded in the distance, and I remembered that Ionee was upstairs, probably terrified that I was being murdered.
“I have a friend that knows the girls and Archer. Would you like to meet her?”
Mum’s eyes lit up.
“Please. I love meeting their friends. I think they’re embarrassed about me sometimes. I forget things… I don’t mean to, but I do.”
My heart ached for her.
“Let me get her. I’m just going to close your door, but I’m coming right back.”
“Okay,” she said, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes.
I stepped out and closed the door, running up the stairs two at a time. Hammering on the locked bedroom door, I yelled Nee’s name, waiting for what felt like a lifetime until I heard the click of her unlocking it. She pulled the door slowly, peering round it, wide eyed. Before she could ask me anything, I spoke.
“It’s Mum,” I whispered.
“What?”
“Mum… she’s here. Bleeding. Confused. I need to deal with the police. Can you come and help?”
She cupped my cheek, pressing her hand to her chest as if her heart rate was adjusting from the shock. “Anything you need, Archer. Always.”
“Thank you.”
She followed me down the stairs, running her hand up and down my back as we stepped into the room, finding Mum still in the chair, the dripping blood getting worse.
“Hi, Mrs. Walters, I’m Ionee. A friend of Archer’s. Can I come sit with you while he goes and makes us a cup of tea?”
“I’d like that, dear.”
Ionee turned and offered me that reassuring smile that she did so well, just as a loud shout came from downstairs. “Mr. Walters? It’s the police.”
Mum froze, but Ionee took her hand in hers and started talking, making Mum’s face soften instantly.
“You good?” I whispered.
“We’re good. But we need to stop this bleeding.”
“There are pillowcases in the dresser next to you.”
“Go, and Arch… she’s going to need an ambulance. Get the police to call them for you.”
I ran down the stairs to find two policemen creeping through my house. I explained the misunderstanding, and they called an ambulance before leaving. By the time I got back upstairs, Ionee had dressed Mum’s arm and tucked her into bed, sitting next to her, stroking her hair.
“Pete is on his way with a car for us, but the ambulance might be a while,” I explained. “Overstretched service, apparently.”
“It’s okay. I think I’ve stopped the bleeding. What’s going on? How did she even get here?”
I sank to the floor, adrenalin and exhaustion attacking my body.
“Mum used to live here. I had this room converted for her. She moved in and I thought I could cope, but I think the change in her environment affected her dementia. I mean, she’d been bad for a long time, but when I moved her in here, she got violent. She started hitting me, screaming at me, trying to run away like I’d kidnapped her. We managed for three months until my bruises got too much for Fox and Charlie to ignore. She’s my mum. I owe her my life… I should be the one to look after her,” I admitted, pulling my knees in closer to my chest.
Ionee sat down next to me. “She’s ill. You don’t have to deal with that on your own. You can’t blame yourself for her needing more help than you could give her.”
