Chapter 9
Hi everybody! I want to thank you for the words of encouragement after the last chapter. I really needed that! I'm glad you all are enjoying my story. Thanks so much for the kind words. I really really appreciate them! Enjoy :)
"Are you sure we can't stay home again today?" Emma asked as Mary Margaret was helping her put on her coat.
"Yes, Emma. We have to go back to school today," Mary Margaret said with a laugh.
"Okay," Emma said as she reached up to hold her mommy's hand as they walked out the door. She didn't actually mind going back to school today, she just had so much fun yesterday that she wanted to do it all over again.
Emma had a much better day at school. She got to go to art class, which was her absolute favorite. They had been working with clay for the past couple of weeks and last time they were there they got to paint their projects. This time they would be dry and Emma would get to take hers home. She was very proud of the little bowl that she made, and she couldn't wait to give it to her mommy. She worked really hard on it and really hoped her mommy liked it. Emma also got to finally be the fish feeder today. Miss Andrews had special jobs for the students to do. There was a line leader, a paper passer, a chalk board cleaner, and a door holder too. Emma had been waiting and waiting for so long to finally be the fish feeder and today was her day. Emma just loved their cute little fish, Pudge. She loved to watch him swim over to the side of the bowl and make fishy faces at her. Emma was careful to sprinkle only a few pellets of food into the bowl. She then watched closely as he ate them right up. Between that and art class, her day was going great! However, Emma did have to sit out at recess for pushing Marta and knocking all of the other kids down the other day. Emma didn't mind so much though because Marta had to miss her recess too for calling Emma stupid and teasing her. Marta was not very happy about that.
After school, Emma could hardly wait to get upstairs to where her mommy's classroom was to give her the little bowl she made. She wanted to run so badly, but she didn't. Emma had to remind herself several times to use walking feet in the hallway…well today she was going to use super fast walking feet.
"Mary Margaret! Look! Look what I made you," Emma said as she came into the room and ran over to her mommy. She wasn't in the hallway anymore, so she was allowed to run now.
"Oh my goodness. It's beautiful Emma," Mary Margaret said as she knelt down in front of the excited kindergartener and admired her gift.
"See the little flowers I painted on the sides? Do you like them?" Emma asked with a big smile.
"I love them, Emma! Thank you," Mary Margaret said as she pulled her in for a hug. She was truly touched that Emma chose to give her special art project to her.
Emma wrapped her arms around her mommy and held on tight. She was so glad that she liked her little bowl and that she was finally able to give it to her. Keeping this project a secret was really hard. Emma wanted to tell her mommy about it so badly, she almost let it slip a few times.
"Miss Blanchard, we got the art supplies from the closet," said one of Mary Margaret's fourth graders as she entered the room.
"Oh thank you sweetie. Just set it down there for me," Mary Margaret told her.
"Paige!" Emma said as she ran over to her friend. Paige was one of the big kids that stayed after school to help Mary Margaret sometimes. Emma loved it when she was here. "Is Tessa coming too?" Emma asked excitedly.
"Yeah, she's coming. She's just getting some more stuff from the art closet," Paige told her. "Are you coming to the hospital with us today?"
"I don't know?" Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders. Then she got a little nervous. Why were they going to the hospital? Emma didn't want to go there. She hated it there. She quickly ran over to her mommy to make sure she didn't have to go to that scary place.
"Mo…Mary Margaret, are we going to the hospital?" Emma asked.
"Yeah babe we are," Mary Margaret said as she was sorting through the papers on her desk, not noticing the slight panic in Emma's voice.
"No…no…why? I…I'm not even sick. I promise," Emma said as tears started to well up in her eyes. She didn't want to go there. She didn't want to see Dr. Whale again.
Mary Margaret looked up after hearing Emma's terrified voice and saw the tears in her eyes and the look of fear on her face. She realized what Emma must be thinking.
"Oh…no, Emma, I know you're not sick," Mary Margaret said as she picked the little girl up in her arms. "We're going to the hospital to decorate with my class."
"Really?" Emma asked, still not trusting the fact that she wouldn't have to see a doctor or get a shot or something.
"Yes, Emma. See all of the art supplies my students are bringing in?" Mary Margaret said as she pointed to her students, who's arms were holding varies supplies from the art closet down the hall.
"Oh, okay," Emma said with a smile. She was feeling much better now.
"We're going to hang streamers and all kinds of pretty pictures. Do you think you can help us out?" Mary Margaret asked Emma, already knowing what the answer would be. This little girl loved arts and crafts.
"Yes, yes. I can help you!" Emma said with excitement as she wiggled down from her mommy's arms. She ran over to Paige and Tessa, her favorite fourth graders, and helped them pack up their boxes of supplies.
They finally got all of the decorations together, and they made their way over to the hospital.
"Well hello there Miss Emma," Dr. Whale said as they walked in.
Emma just clung to her mommy and didn't look up. She did not want to talk to him.
"Emma, please don't be rude. When someone tells you hello, you need to say it back," Mary Margaret told her.
"Hello," Emma said very quietly as lifted her eyes towards the doctor.
"Nice to see you Dr. Whale. We better be getting upstairs. Have a good day," Mary Margaret told him as she left with Emma and the rest of her class.
Emma was having so much fun helping all of the big kids decorate the hospital. They were really nice to her and let her do lots of things. She got to paint some pictures and help hang them up. When it was time to clean up, Emma became a little distracted and wandered towards the end of the big room they were decorating. She saw a small room with glass walls. She peeked inside and saw a man lying in there all by himself. Emma thought it was sad that he was in there all alone. She didn't know why he couldn't be out here with everyone else. She went to find one of the pictures she made and brought it back to the small room. She was going to hang it on the wall for him.
Emma held the picture in her hand and tiptoed over to the side of the bed…he looked like he was sleeping and she didn't want to wake him. Emma was curious and stood up tall to get a better look at the man.
Emma gasped and covered her mouth with her hands when she saw who the man really was. He had the same hair, the same mouth, and he even had the same scar that Prince Charming had in the storybook. This was Prince Charming. This was her daddy. Emma couldn't believe it. It was him. She found him. Finally, after all this time, he was right here. She had to wake him up. Emma slowly moved her little finger towards him. She poked his arm a few times, but that didn't work. She gently nudged his shoulder, then shook it a little harder when he still wouldn't wake. Why wouldn't he open his eyes? Why wouldn't he wake up? Emma didn't know. She didn't know what was wrong with him. She had to wake him up. She just had to. She was starting to panic, when her mommy walked into the room.
"Emma, all of the kids are gone. It's time to go home," Mary Margaret said as she walked into the room where neither she nor Emma were suppose to be.
"Wh-what's wrong with him?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy.
Mary Margaret noticed the look of worry in Emma's little eyes. "Oh sweetie, I don't know. He's been in here for as long as I can remember."
"Is he going to be okay?" Emma asked as she looked back at her daddy.
"I don't know, Em. He's in a coma."
"What's a coma?" Emma asked, she didn't know what that word meant, but she knew it didn't sound good.
Mary Margaret sighed as she thought about how she was going to explain what a coma was to a 5-year-old. "Well, his brain got hurt and it makes him stay asleep."
"Will he be asleep forever?" Emma asked, her voice becoming shaky. She was scared that her daddy would never wake up.
"Sweetie, I don't know he…"
"But he can't. He has to wake up. Please, please wake up," Emma said as she shook her daddy's arm even harder.
"Emma, honey, you can't do that," Mary Margaret said as she grabbed Emma's arms, stopping her from shaking the John Doe.
"No, we have to wake him up. We have to," Emma said as she reached out for him once more.
"Emma please don't do that," Mary Margaret said as she picked up the little girl.
"Don't you know who he is? You have to wake him up," Emma said desperately as she looked into her mommy's eyes.
"Emma, I don't know who he is. I can't wake him up," Mary Margaret told her, confused as to why Emma was so concerned with this man she didn't even know.
"You have to try, please!" Emma begged.
"Emma, we need to go home. I think it's time for bed," Mary Margaret said. She figured Emma must be tired. That was the only explanation Mary Margaret could come up with for her behavior.
"No!" Emma shouted over and over again as she wiggled herself, trying to get out of her mommy's arms. She wanted to stay with her daddy. He was all alone.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret said with shock as she tried to hold onto the squirming child in her arms.
"Put me down. I want to stay here. Put me down," Emma shouted as tears began to stream down her face.
Mary Margaret didn't know what to do. Emma had never thrown a tantrum like this before. She didn't know what had gotten into her. "Emma talk to me. What's the matter?"
Emma just continued to shout and attempt to get herself out of Mary Margaret's grasp. She was kicking her legs and throwing her arms around, doing anything she could think of to get down. Mary Margaret knew Emma was beyond talking to at this point. She was having a full on temper tantrum.
"Emma stop," Mary Margaret tried, but it didn't work. She knew her only choice now was to carry Emma out of here just like this…kicking and screaming.
Mary Margaret made her way out of the hospital, trying to avoid the staring eyes of all of the doctors and nurses. She made it to the car and had to fight Emma into her booster seat. When Emma's leg made contact with her stomach, that was when Mary Margaret lost her cool.
"Emma that is enough! You stop this right now," Mary Margaret said, as she held onto Emma's kicking feet.
Emma snapped out of it when she heard her mommy yell at her. She had never done that before. Emma looked up at her mommy and her eyes looked mad. Emma realized what she had just done. She didn't mean to throw a big fit like that. She just didn't want to leave her daddy. Emma got really scared that her mommy wouldn't want her anymore and would send her back. What had she done? Why did she kick and scream like that? Emma couldn't help it when she burst into tears.
Mary Margaret hated to hear Emma cry like this, but she was glad the kicking and shouting had finally stopped. Now she was able to get Emma buckled into her seat, the kicking had been making that very difficult.
"Emma, just calm down sweetie," Mary Margaret said as she brushed the hair out of her face.
Emma's cries subsided a little bit and Mary Margaret went to her seat. She started the car and drove home. Emma was still crying as they drove away from the hospital, but she was definitely more calm than she was a few minutes ago.
Mary Margaret was relieved when the car was quiet as they arrived home. She looked back to find Emma fast asleep…her cheeks stained from all of the tears. She even let out a few little sobs, her breathing hadn't quite caught back up with her yet. Mary Margaret sighed. She had no idea what had just happened. What about that man and made Emma get so upset? Mary Margaret couldn't figure it out.
