Chapter 2:ICU

This couldn't be happening to her. It had to be a dream. What if he's dead? Is he having a seizure? Has he stopped breathing? Jamie's thoughts rushed past her like horrible memories of when her parents died. No, Jamie, you can't think about that sort of thing right now. It's not true anyway. Think positively. Come on, Jamie, your brother needs you right now. Don't panic. He'd do the same thing for you. Just think about happy things. Girl, this is your brother we're talking about. Keep it together. He needs you right now, so be there for him.

She thrust the endless thoughts that her conscience sprung towards at her out of her mind and called out her little brother's name. Graham didn't respond. Jamie clumsily rushed to kneel beside his unmoving body, trying to find his pulse. When she felt a faint vibration coming from his wrist, she ran to her phone in the kitchen and hastily dialed 9-1-1.

"9-1-1! I need to report an emergency!" Jamie's voice was so abrupt and high-pitched that she could barely understand what she was saying, let alone expect the person on the other line to be able to comprehend her.

On the other side of the phone, a male voice replied, "What's the problem?" in a calm, aggravating voice. The man's voice unnerved every single ounce of patience that Jamie thought she could ever possibly have.

"My brother just collapsed on the floor!" Jamie said in an unusually shrill voice.

It's okay to be scared, seeing as how your brother is dead right now, Jamie's evil conscience lashed out at her. The voice on the other line flustered her thoughts.

"Is he breathing?" the tranquil, down-to-earth voice made Jamie even more restless than she already was.

"Yes! I found a pulse!" she shouted frantically, looking at her ghostly-white brother sprawled on the floor. How could the man on the other line act so calm about this? For all Jamie knew, her kid brother could be dying and she was wasting her time answering stupid questions.

"Where do you live, Miss?"

"4571 East Willow Lane," Jamie responded. She was surprised at how calm her voice suddenly sounded. She certainly didn't feel that tranquil.

"Someone will be over as soon as possible. Do NOT hang up. We'll go through some procedures together, so listen carefully."

Jamie didn't want to just sit around and wait for help. She wanted to do something. For all she knew, her baby brother could be dying right next to her while she just sat by his side and watched. She didn't want that to happen. She needed to help him when he needed her the most. That's what he would do for her. Against her wishes, though, Jamie stayed on the line and obediently followed all the instructions like a robot that the man on the other line gave. The processes she went through seemed to last for an eternity.

Finally, the emergency vehicle arrived at Jamie's house. Jamie watched as the emergency squad hoisted Graham up into the back of the van, and, with the help of a strong paramedic, pulled herself up after. She wasn't prepared to endure the seemingly endless ride to the hospital. She held Graham's ghostly hand tightly, trying to take her mind off of what was happening.

When they got to the hospital, Jamie followed the paramedics who were pushing Graham's limp body through the never-ending twists and turns of the hospital. The men eventually passed through a set of metal double doors with small, glass windows in them. Two guards standing nearby stepped in front of the doors just as Jamie was about to dash through them.

"You can't go in there, Miss," the taller, more husky of the two of the guards said.

"But my brother's in there!" Jamie desperately stood on her tiptoes and looked through one of the tiny windows in the door, trying to see her brother. She succeeded only in getting pushed away by the guards' strong and muscular arms.

"I'm sorry, but rules are rules. You will just have to wait until he comes out," the other man explained in a husky voice.

"How will I know when he comes out?" Jamie made another failing attempt to break free from the grip of the guards. Letting a withdrawn sigh escape from her lips, she stepped away from the doors willingly, her head hung with defeat.

"Go to the receptionists' desk and the woman there will tell you what to do."

Jamie didn't even bother to say thanks. She turned on her heel and half-waved behind her to the guards. She scoped out the receptionists' desk and sidestepped everyone standing in her way in order to reach her destination.

"Fill out these forms, and give them back to me when you're done," the lady, with a nametag that read Cindy, explained in a calm, relaxed tone after Jamie had reached the desk.

She took the large stack of papers with a heavy heart. She searched for a place to sit and found a few grayish chairs lining the wall across the hall. Once settled into one of the uncomfortable chairs, Jamie began to answer the endless questions written on the crisp, white paper. About twenty minutes later, Jamie walked up apprehensively to the receptionists' desk with the fully filled-out papers in hand.

"Here, I filled all the questions out," she said as she shakily handed the papers to Cindy.

"Okay," Cindy paused as she looked through a file full of papers. "Let's see, you can wait here until the doctors get your brother situated in a room."

"How long will it take? Is he okay? What happened to him? Is he alive? Where is he? When-" Jamie was cut off.

"I'm not a doctor, sweetie. But I'm sure the patient will be fine. It won't take long for the doctors to get him situated in a room. Don't worry dear. Everything will be all right. I'll let you know where your brother is as soon as he is in a room."

"Thanks," Jamie regretfully went to sit down in the same line of chairs that she sat in before. She wished she could believe what Cindy said about everything being okay, but she had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach that it would be otherwise.

She sat, waiting attentively on the edge of her seat, glancing from the receptionists' desk to the clock to the nurses and doctors passing by, her hands tapping nervously on the chair's armrest all the while.

Finally, after an eternity of waiting, Cindy ushered Jamie over to the receptionists' desk.

"Sweetie, your brother is in room 201 on the second floor. He's in a special unit of ICU, so you won't be able to go in to see him. A doctor's aide will be waiting for you when you arrive there. He will tell you more about your brother's condition."

Cindy went on to tell Jamie about where she could get refreshments, go to sleep, and get food, but Jamie's thoughts were already jumping into action.

Your brother is dead. That's why he's in ICU and you can't go in to see him. The doctor there will only break your heart by telling you that your brotherâ–“s on life support, in critical condition, and will probably make it. Just face it. You are your own family now. So get used to it, her thoughts angrily lapped at her soul, tearing away every last drop of happiness.

Suddenly, Jamie plunged back to Earth when someone behind her tapped her on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, but are you in line?" a medium height, gray-haired and balding, potbellied man with glasses asked.

Jamie glanced self-consciously around her to find that she was still standing in front of the receptionists' desk, where Cindy was already busy typing away at her computer.

"Oh, no, I'm not in line. Sorry," Jamie stepped out of the path to the receptionists'desk to let the man by. Then she set out to find her brother's room.

A/N: I hope this was better! Please review! Next chapter will be up within the next week or so.