-"A SOCIAL WORKER? Oh my gosh..."
Nico nodded at the computer monitor slowly. His eyes were heavy with the dread which had kept him up all night.
"Yeah," he breathed, "and the police. They're coming back with the social worker. They said it was routine."
"Gosh... I mean–" Hazelle's yawn interrupted her response. Nico hadn't expected her to pick up. It was late— for her. Regular wakeup time for him. Six A.M in Maryland meant three A.M in California, but it was the weekend, and he'd lucked out by catching her just as she was coming in from a night out. She rubbed at her eye, further smudging the fading liner."—I mean... is it?"
"How should I know?" Nico whined, "I mean I don't... I've never had to...," He let out a sigh as he just shook his head. He didn't even know where he was going with the thought. The same way he didn't know what he was doing with his younger siblings, or how he was going to avoid the worst of worst case scenarios. He didn't even want to think of it.
A long groan escaped him as he put his head in his hands, elbows resting on the desk as his palms slid down his face hopelessly.
"Zee-zee, what am I gonna do?"
He hoped she had an answer. Something. Anything. What he really hoped was that she'd tell him not to worry about it, that she was getting on a plane immediately and coming home, and they were going to figure it out together. That she had his back, and everything was going to be okay.
But instead, after a long pause, she only asked, "How's Mama?"
Nico gave a grave look to the computer monitor. And after a few moments of buffering, he saw the understanding register on his sister's face as well.
"You've checked on her?" She asked.
Nico gritted his teeth at the question. It was a stupid question. "I check on her every day." He shrugged. It wasn't like he had a choice.
-"And?"
"And nothing? She's... she's the same as she always is." He took another beat before adding. "She's alive? If that's what you mean?"
-"She talks to you?"
Nico scoffed, "No." And thank fucking God for that. He blinked, shifting in the large leather seat before adding, "I... I usually check at night. Before I go to bed. She's usually out cold."
Usually.
-"Well... look, I know you don't want to, and I get it, trust me, I get it, you know I do,"
Nico huffed something of a bitter 'hmph' under his breath as he waited for her to continue. She was right, he knew that she got it. In fact, Hazelle was the only other one who got it when it came to Mama, and here she was leaving him to deal with the woman by himself. He knew why she stayed away. Heck, he wanted to do the same thing after the funeral. But, Cas and Claud, and Ellie and Gus— and Leena, they needed him, so he had to stay. He had to be there— for them. It hadn't been the same for Hazelle. She flew back to Berkeley the same night of the service. And he tried not to be too bitter about it. But couldn't she see that he needed someone too?
-"Nic-nic you gotta go talk to her. Get her out of bed, get her to get up. Tell her what's goin' on."
Tongue in cheek Nico frowned as he fiddled with his watch, "She's not gonna care."
-"Yes, she will. Look, I know it may sound lil' far fetched but I promise you she doesn't actually want all her kids going into Foster Care, yeah?"
That made a new lump form in Nico's throat. He'd been trying so hard not to think it, not to manifest the very real potential outcome of tonight's visit. Of his mistake.
-"Awww, Nic-Nic don't cry. It's gonna be okay. You're overthinking it, I promise. It's gonna be okay."
He hiccuped, "What if— what if they get, like, taken away? And like, y'know, separated?"
-"That's not gonna happen."
"But it could," He sniffed. "Zeezee, I don't know what I'm doing out here,"
-"You're doin' fine. You're gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay."
A shuddered breath escaped him as he nodded. He tried to internalize her words. I'm doing fine. It's okay. I'm okay.
He swallowed, "Are you uh, still gonna fly in for Gus and Ellie's birthday?"
-"Umm, I'm gonna try... I should be able to though, yeah?"
Nico nodded, sniffing again as he wiped his face, "Okay."
She smiled a little, "You okay?"
He nodded, "I'm fine."
"Mmkay...," A bittersweet look, "Anything else you wanna tell me about?"
Nico shrugged, he shook his head as he adjusted in the seat again. "I need to, go and get everybody up soon. And um, start breakfast."
And clean. And put together a grocery list. And talk to his mother, and some way or another convince the authorities tonight that this was indeed a functioning household. It wasn't. Clearly. But maybe if they tried hard enough, they could pretend for an hour or two.
-"M'kay.... you talked to Charlie recently?"
Nico shook his head. He hadn't had much time for friends lately. Between taking care of his siblings and the house, and cramming in studying and schoolwork during what little free time he had, a social life was pretty much nonexistent.
He had never been much of one for partying, and he didn't drink. Never understood the hype about clubs, but he'd tagged along to a few with his friends. Although the nights usually ended with him and Charlie splitting from the rest of the group to do their own thing. He missed it, the freedom of college. Having no one to take care of but himself. Nothing to really worry about aside from getting good grades. It felt like a first for him. And it was nice.
But like most nice things, it didn't last.
"He and his mom, they came by a couple nights ago, with some food."
Charlie's mom was always trying to feed someone. Charlie was an only child, so it was just him, his mom, and his dad. Mrs. Robinson loved to cook, and insisted there was always more than enough to go around. She'd been a God-send those first few nights. They brought dinner to Nico and his siblings for a whole week straight. Casseroles, baked zitis, even a whole roast chicken. And despite the insistence that it was all made with love, Nico swore he could taste the bits of pity in each bite. But it was alright. Wasn't like he had much of an appetite.
The creak at his bedroom door and the little voice which asked, "Ni-co?" made him turn in his seat.
"Hey Ell-lie," he smiled. "You wanna come say hey?"
-"Hiiiii Ellie Bean!"
"Zee zee!" The girl's face lit up and she ran into the room and hopped onto his lap. Her head stuck obnoxiously close to the screen, face filling up the camera as she waved, excitedly, "Hi Zee zee!"
"Heeeey! Hazelle grinned back at her, "You just woke up?"
"Mm hm!" Ellie gave two assured nods before suddenly sitting back. The rock-hard skull of her noggin hit Nico in his bottom lip.
"Ow— fuck!"
His little sister gasped, "Nico, don't say bad words!" to which his older sister was quick to co-sign, "Yeah, Nico don't say bad words!" and he cut a glare at the both of them. A hand went to his lip, and he looked in the camera to see if he was bleeding. He wasn't.
"Zee zee, when are you coming home?" Ellie inquired.
-"Mmm, I dunno! Buuut... I might be there on your birthday!"
The word gave Nico pause. Might. He knew in his heart that it was a soft no. She wasn't coming.
"Hey Ellie, are you gonna help me make breakfast?"
The little girl turned to him and scowled. "Are you gonna make Breakfast for breakfast again?"
A laugh escaped Nico's open mouth as he scoffed, "I mean, I was planning to—,"
"Can we go to the store now, so that way we can have uhh, poptarts for breakfast? And lunch foods for lunch? And mac and cheese for dinner? Please?"
"Well, I have to make a list first."
"I'll help you! I can make the list!" Nico cringed internally at the idea of trying to decipher the child's scribbled ramblings in addition to having to corral her and the others around some crowded store. And they still had a whole day's worth of cleaning to do. The living room couldn't remain in the wartorn state it was in when their visitors arrived this evening.
"That would be very helpful," He lied. She beamed a missing tooth smile, all too proud of herself. "Alright, Zee," he leaned over at the computer, "We're gonna let you go."
"Bye Zee-zee, I miss you!" Ellie waved.
-"Bye-bye Ellie Bean! Bye Nic-nic! I love you!"
"Love you," Nico waved with a weakening smile.
The call ended, and Hazelle's face was replaced by the white screen with the blue Skype logo in the middle. Nico clicked to close the window, and Ellie hopped down from his lap as he shut the screen.
"Al...right," He mused as he browsed his desk for a moment before taking a small notepad and a colored pencil from his desk. "Here you go."
"Can I have pink?"
"Pink coming right up," he clicked his tongue as he swiveled back around and plucked the pink pencil from the cup, "Pink." He handed it back to Ellie, sharp side down.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Nico watched as she drew the word 'List' at the top of the page. A helpful reminder in case he got confused.
"Alright!" She said, "What's first on The List?"
"Write Pop-Tarts. That's P...O—,"
"I know how to spell Pop-Tart! It's on the box."
His mouth clamped, "It is on the box...," He waited as she wrote slowly, taking her careful time with each letter. "Just like everything else that comes in a box."
"There! See?" She held up the notepad proudly. "What's next?"
"Yeah, great job," He smiled a bit, "and let's see... next, I want you to write—,"
"Wait! How do you spell medicine?"
Nico frowned. His brows drew together, "Who needs medicine?"
"Oh," Ellie looked up at him, "That's what I was coming to tell you.
I think Gus is sick."
⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫
"E....D...I...C—,"
-"Wait, start over!"
Nico exhaled as he climbed the stairs up to the third floor of Floyd Manor. Ellie trotted behind him, still diligent in her list taking tasks.
"M...E...D...I...C...I—,"
-"Wait! ...Okay, go."
"C...I...N—,"
-"Waaaaiiit!"
Nico rolled his eyes at the child behind him. He rounded the corner to where Gus and Caspar's bedrooms were. A short rap of his knuckles knocked against the younger boy's door, "Hey Gus?"
-"What's after N?"
"N- E," he answered before twisting the knob and opening Gus' door. "Gus? You up, buddy?"
There was a small lump curled up under the covers on his bed. It shook twice with a cough, and Nico frowned as he approached.
"Hey," he said softly, "What's wrong, buddy? Not feeling good?"
The boy's olive skin appeared more muted than usual. Two whimpered groans and another cough and a sniffle were the only responses Nico received. Weepy eyes remained closed as if they were in pain.
Nico sighed. The back of his hand touched gently against Gus' forehead.
"Well, you're not too warm," he said, "Does anything hurt?"
The boy sniffled as he nodded, "My throat," he rasped.
"Your throat hurts?"
Gus nodded, and he coughed again— harsher this time, and Nico took a small step back.
"And it's—," another barking cough, "s'cold."
"You're cold?"
"Hm mm," He whimpered.
Well, this was great. Empty fridge, wrecked living room. Social worker, cops, and a sick kid. It was going to be another shit show of a day, Nico could smell it already. He sighed as he picked up Gus' stuffed giraffe toy from where it had likely been discarded during the night, and he placed it beside the boy.
"I'll get you some more covers. Just take it easy, buddy. Okay?" Nico pulled up the comforter bunched at the foot of the bed, and he tucked it over Gus, who seemed to relax, if only just a little. "Just go back to sleep."
He turned to walk out of the room, nodding for Ellie, who had scribbled down two more items onto the list: 'Cheez' and 'noodels', to come along.
"Feel better Gus!" she said, "I'll bring you back some candy from the store!"
Nico sighed as he shut the door behind them, and he looked to Ellie. "Go brush your teeth. Get dressed, and meet me down in the kitchen. Okay?"
"Okay!"
He watched as she ran off in the opposite direction. His eyes closed, and rest his forehead against the wall. He needed to think. He needed to come up with a plan, and he was good at plans. But it was the planning part which was easy. Putting them into motion... it was there, that things often got complicated.
He went back down to the basement, back into his room, and he unplugged the flip-phone from where it was charging on the nightstand beside his bed. His thumb clicked through his most recent calls, and he put the device to his ear as he waited, listening to it ring. It wasn't long before the familiar voice answered with the same easygoing warmth which Nico had gradually come to depend on.
-"Hey, hey hey. What's goin' on, man?"
"Hey, Charlie. Um. Look... uh," Nico paused to swallow, and he took a deep breath. He didn't know why this was always so much harder than he expected. "Are you busy today?
I kind of need some help."