I moved to get a washcloth from the hall linen closet. I grabbed two and wet them in the sink. One for now, the other for the freezer. My phone buzzed again. Almost as soon as the cloth hit the water.
Em:Pleasetell me he’s not her emergency contact.
Shit. Wait. I had to think, but even after their wedding, I don’t think she changed it from us.
“Fia?” I tried gently, wringing out the first wash cloth and placing it on her neck.
“Did you put Em and I as your emergency contacts?” She just stared blankly ahead for a few moments before blinking and looking at me. She nodded her head, a vacant look on her face.
Saturday, 11:12pm
Eddie:She listed us both.
I remembered now. When she filled out her paperwork, she said she wanted someone with a medical background to listen to the doctors and test results, to be able to help Caleb make the right decisions for her, and respect the choices she had made with her DPOA.
I hoped it didn’t come to that, though, because fuck him. He didn’t deserve to know anything that was going on with her. Not now. Maybe not ever. That was my call as her brother, best friend, Man of Honor, and doctor.
I checked her phone and put the other damp, cool wash cloth in the freezer before going back to the bathroom to be withher while we waited for the ambulance. I wanted to see what else needed done for her to make her feel safe.
I saw in her email, that, one of the lawyers she mentioned the other day had emailed her back. She’d told Em and me even though she wanted to try to reconcile, she still wanted to know what her rights were and how to better protect herself and her assets. She said she was emailing a few lawyers with some basic questions. She wanted to see who she felt the best about after those emails. I clicked on the first one, and the guy sounded like an ass.
There was another email, this one was open when I found her. It was from a woman. I clicked on the email, reading it, but there was no initial email from Devin. It was addressed to her though. Reading the contents again, it seemed this person had proof of infidelity, currently on-going. They said if she wanted Mr. Dennison could be kicked out immediately. Since it was her apartment before they married, she didn’t have to put up with him staying in her domain. She could also change the locks and leave his shit with the doorman!
I went to switch the washcloths again as she tried to close her eyes again. I was mumbling to her, trying to get her to keep watching me. A sharp knock came on the front door.
“It’s open! We’re in the master en-suite!” I hollered from where I was packing.
The ambulance was here and up to her apartment within fifteen minutes. I had already made sure she was on her side in case she threw up again while I packed a bag for her and another one with all her important documents and precious things.
She would need her things, and I wanted to make sure we didn’t need to call that asshat for a fucking thing! I wanted tomake sure I grabbed everything she would need. I didn’t want to give him a reason to step through the front door. I was fuming inside with a quiet rage that was coiled tight, ready to snap and unleash on Caleb the second I saw him. I don’t know what she saw or heard tonight, but she wasn’t doing well with it. Whatever it was, it was doing some serious damage to her. I’d never seen her like this. It almost looked like her body was purging itself of him.
I had to send a text to Em to see if she could stay here and wait for the locksmith.
Saturday, 11:22pm
Eddie:A locksmith is coming; can you wait here for him? The lawyer said we can kick him out. She’ll be serving him tomorrow morning with eviction papers.
I answered questions from the EMTs as I packed the last of the paperwork, and grabbed her blanket.
Saturday, 11:24pm
Em:Absolutely! I’ll grab boxes so I can start packing his shit while I wait! Keep me updated on her?
Saturday, 11:25pm
Eddie:Promise.
I tucked my phone in my pocket, slung her bags over my shoulder, and followed the EMTs as they pushed Devin on the stretcher out to the sidewalk. I clocked the IV, lead stickers for the EKG, and bright blue vomit baggie on her chest. She looked a mess.
Once she was loaded into the ambulance, I sat in the seat next to her, staying out of their way. I could only watch,my mind sorting through the information I overheard. They took her vitals, her blood sugar, and attempted to get her to say something about as successfully as me. Her heart rate was elevated, and her blood pressure was not good at all. I had her bags tucked by my legs so the EMTs could work. I tried to keep my thoughts to myself, to keep a positive thought in my mind, because I knew things weren’t good with her right now.
I made a promise in that moment, flying down Main Street, sirens blaring, that I’d never let that fucker forget what he did to her. I’d make sure he remembered this for the rest of his life. If I had it my way, she’d never have to see him again.
The EMTs worked on her while I tried calling Caleb, repeatedly. The first few calls at least rang and then went to voicemail. After the fifth call, they all went straight to voicemail.
This son of a…I tried taking a few deep breaths before calling him back, again and again. I tried every five minutes the entire trip to the hospital with no answer. After an unanswered call, I sent a text message. I never called him, ever. For anything. He knew I didn’t care for him much, and after what we found out about a few weeks ago, he should have been on his best behavior and answered the fucking phone!
But with how little I spoke to the pest, you would think, something was wrong just by the number of calls he was getting from me! You would think he would answer, or text back, or something!
