Page 37 of The Incredible Ordinary

“Shut up,” I say.

He blinks at me and lets out a long, drawn-out, mock-dreamy sigh.

“For suuuure,” he says.

Aiden isasleep at the kitchen table when we get home.

His cheek is resting on the keyboard of his laptop, his mouth is open, and he’s snoring softly.

Rory stares at him like he’s never seen a sleeping person before.

“What’s wrong with him?” he whispers, looking at Aiden and then back at me with wide eyes.

I look at Aiden, then dubiously back at Rory.

“I’m not an expert,” I say, “but I think he might be asleep.”

Rory keeps staring at Aiden for a few seconds, then his eyes move over the table and the kitchen counters, and I see tension run through his whole body, every muscle braced all of a sudden. I’m not sure what that’s about.

His face tightens, and he grips the strap of his bag.

“Drunk or high?” he spits those words out with thinly veiled fear that makes his voice come out high and unsteady.

My eyebrows shoot up and my mouth drops open while I process. For an insane moment, I want to laugh.

Aiden? Drunk or high? That’s a good one.

“He’s been pulling twenty-hour shifts at the hospital for weeks. I found him nodding off in the shower a few days ago.”

Rory fidgets, clearly not convinced.

I tilt my head to the side. “He’ll get a crick in the neck like this.”

Rory blinks at me.

I shrug. “I’m just saying. It’s unfortunate. If only there was something we could do to prevent that.”

“Like… wake him up?” Rory offers hesitantly.

I nod as seriously as I can manage. “I don’t think we have any other options here. It’s the brotherly thing to do. Incidentally, has anybody ever taught you to whistle?”

His eyes shine, even as he presses his lips together as if to hide the excitement.

He nods.

“Gerard?” I ask.

He nods again.

“He taught me when I was twelve,” I say.

For a moment it feels like there’s an invisible string connecting us.

“So, like, we just do it?” Rory whispers, even though Aiden hasn’t shown a single sign of life other than the snoring so far. He puts his thumb and forefinger between his lips.

I shake my head and motion for him to follow my lead.

We both lean close to Aiden’s ears. I hold up three fingers and nod to Rory before I start to count down.