'Hey Nan, hey Dad

'Hey Nan, hey Dad. How's it all going?' Emma asked in a happy and cheerful way.

'Hello sweetheart, I'm very well thanks and how about you?' replied her dad smiling a less than reassuring smile.

'I'm ok, dad. Where's Nan.' Emma whispered while searching the kitchen where her dad stood and the lounge, where her Nan usually sat in a big arm chair reading the daily newspaper.

'Umm… she's gone out to BINGO, partying with her girlfriends', he started to dance round the room cheerfully before resuming to being less than happy.

'Why do you seem so sad dad? You're not acting like yourself,' she frowned.

'I'm fine... … Ok. I'm not. Your Nan is in hospital. She was admitted last night with kidney failure or something like that.' Emma's dad looked down at his feet before looking up again with a frail smile.

Emma couldn't believe it. Apart from her dad, her Nan was the only person that had been there her whole life. She was in a state of shock. Emma felt dizzy. She nearly fell over but was caught by the chair placed behind her from her dads quick reflexes.

'She will be ok won't she dad?' Emma asked trying to squeeze out a smile. 'Dad?'

He didn't reply. Instead he stared, like a hypnotist was making him still as a rock. Emma slowly stood up and fumbled herself and her shaky legs over to her dad. She stopped just 2 feet away from him and raised 1 hand from the shiny marble surface. She gently put her hand on his right shoulder and shook him carefully, afraid she might break him. There was no response. Emma shook her dad 1 more time before releasing her gentle grasp and sitting down in the living room.