Chris dazed off at the TV screen as his body started to take in the effects of the drug he was just given by one of the many nurses. He glanced at the IV stuck in his arm and the wires and tubes coming out of his chest and nose. He was on his last few puffs of life and he knew it. He never got to see his parents, did they want to see him? Were they still mad because he ran away or happy that they knew he would die without his medication? He loved his sister Katie and wished he had gotten to say good-bye to her sweet face. He knew she would miss him that he was sure of.
Shelby reached the ER door she pressed her hand against the door but let her hand drop as she turned around and ran towards the nurses station. She reached a pouty nurse with red hair, the women looked up at Shelby pressing her lips together and then looking back down at the stack of paper work. "Excuse me nurse um…"
"Judy" the women replied not looking up from her work.
"Yes, nurse Judy may I use the phone I need to make a quick phone call." Shelby looked at the women with pleading eyes.
"Well, is it necessary, I mean we do……" the nurse started to say.
"Please, it's important." Shelby said reaching for the phone.
"Well…… I don't know Hon who are you calling? A boyfriend?" the nurse asked.
"I wouldn't say that…." Shelby said trailing off and picking up the phone. She looked at the flame haired nurse again with sad eyes.
"Fine sweetie, just make it quick, I have to call my neighbor to see if she's caught up with the latest Days of Our Lives episode." The nurse said sweetly returning to her work.
"Thanks." Shelby said in a soft voice as she punched in the numbers.
Daisy, Scott, Miranda, Ezra, David, Juliet and Auggie all sat in the lodge. Everyone was smashed onto one small sofa in the middle of the room. Daisy was sitting as far away from Ezra and David as she could. Juliet was sitting in Auggie's lap giggling. Scott was between David and Auggie. David was smashed on the other side of Scott and next to Ezra. Daisy and Miranda both site on the other side of Auggie and Juliet. The room was filled with silence except from the giggles and laughs from the only happy couple in the room. Scott let his neck bend back proping his head against the back of the sofa.
"I want to know if Shelby's okay." Daisy said with a worried voice.
"And Chris too." Miranda said.
"Man they'll both stick it out I promise." Auggie said kissing Juliet on the cheek.
"Cut the mush barrio boy." David called from the other side of Scott.
"Make me screw ball." Auggie called back.
"What's that supposed to mean?" David said standing up.
"You and Daisy, you know what I'm talking about don't play dumb with me."
Auggie said moving Juliet from his lap.
"I have to play dumb but you, you've got it covered." David laughed shoving Auggie back down.
"Watch it slick, your I'm going make you bleed." Auggie yelled back at David.
"You guys stop it." Miranda called stepping between David and Auggie. "This is not getting up anywhere and fighting is just going to make you both get on shuns."
"Fine R-A-N-D-A" David said hitting each letter with a beat. The two boys took their seats and waited again, no one spoke.
Sophie walked into Peter's office a huge stack of papers in her arms. "Hey mountain man?" Sophie said, walking over to his desk. "Do you think I could pull you away from your work to ask you a question?"
"Sophie I'm very busy, I'm trying to get in touch with Chris's parents, I want them at the hospital." Peter said dropping his head into his hands. He felt so horrible for Chris. He was a really good kid, a little troubled but aren't all the kids here like that? "He's not going to make it Soph. These are his last few hours." Peter said a tear sliding down his cheek.
"Oh Peter, that poor boy and Shelby is she okay has she called? You should go down there now and see them." Sophie said leaning across Peter's desk. She whipped the single tear from his left cheek and held his face in her hands. "Go Peter, go see Shelby and Chris. I'll contact his parents and work everything out you need to be there for Shelby and for him." Sophie said pulling back.
"Did you need to ask me something?" Peter asked getting together a few files and slipping them in a large folder.
"Well, it can wait." Sophie stuttered. "I'll she you later Peter. Have a same trip?" Sophie kissed Peter on the lips and left the room.
"I love you Sophie." Peter called.
"Thanks." Sophie called back and left the office.
Shelby sat in the waiting room trapping her foot nervously. She whipped a bead of sweat from her forehead and then focused on the main door. A few minutes pasted and Shelby looked back at the door and a smile flashed across her face. "I'm so happy you're here." Shelby called walking towards the door.
"Where's my brother?" called a little girls voice.
"Hey Katie, he's in the ER would you like to go see him?" Shelby asked taking the girls hand.
"Yes, please. Is he going to be okay?" asked Katie.
"Yes, Katie he'll be fine. Hello Mrs. Lowell and Mr. Lowell how are you?" Shelby asked turning towards the concerned parents.
"Shelby, I'm as happy as I can be in this situation." Mrs. Lowell said.
"Are you his friend from school?" Mr. Lowell asked.
"Yes, if you mean Horizon school. I was his girlfriend for a few weeks but now I'm his friend, and he means the world to me. You guys really have a great son." Shelby said leading the sad family towards there son's bed.
"Thank you Shelby. Thanks for being his friend." Mrs. Lowell said patting Shelby on the shoulder. The four walked into the ER. Mrs. Lowell burst out in tears as she saw a Doctor and nurse rush over to his side. A loud monitor started going off. "Clear." The doctor yelled sending shock threw Chris's weak body. "Oh God." Said his mother as she cried into her husbands shoulder.
"Daddy is Chris okay?" asked Katie as she hugged her fathers waist.
"No honey bunch he's not okay."
"Chris." Katie yelled slipping between the nurses. "Its me Katie." She leapt up on his bed side clinging to his side. "Don't leave us." She cried into his stomach.
"Katie come back over to mommy and daddy." Her mother cried pulling her daughter from her son.
"Doctor is everything okay?" questioned Shelby as she looked the doctor in the eyes.
"No, he's…. he's dead." The doctor quivered turning away from Shelby.
"No. Not now, he……. What." Shelby cried out.
"My son, what's wrong with my son." Scream Mrs. Lowell. She dropped to her knees crying in pain. Her hubby clutched his shaking wife as he coaxed her out of the room. Katie started at her brother in a trance not moving no speaking just looking at the dead body on the bed. "Shelby? Is Chris napping?"
