Hello everyone! Sorry for not posting sooner, I kind of got side tracked. Thank you to everyone that reviewed, favorited, and followed, and a special thank you to the guest that shared her journey with me, and also to her comments and ideas. Also, I would just like to say thank you to everyone that has supported this story, I never thought it would get to where it is. Without further ado, I give you Chapter 12. I hope you enjoy!

Emma's POV***

We walk through the halls of Ocean Park, pass the Nurses' Station and into "The Swamp." Leo sits on the couch, flipping aimlessly through the assigned reading for class next day, Jordi is laying on his bed, strumming quietly on his guitar, and Dash and Kara were arguing in the corner. Good, everyone is here.

I clear my throat, everyone looks up to see who was there and they were all surprised to see who it was. "Guys, this is Macy. She's my new roommate." I explain. Macy waves at the crowd, while nervously twirling a piece of golden hair around her finger. Jordi looked pleased, Leo had a small, welcoming smile on his face, Dash looked confused, and Kara looked disgusted.

"Macy, this is Leo, Jordi, Dash, and Kara," I gesture to everyone as I say their name, Macy smiles in their direction.

"So what are you in for? Another anorexic?! You and Emma could form a tag team and outnumber us all!" Kara shouts, I shoot her a dirty look, so does everyone else. Dash slaps her on the shoulder, but Macy doesn't miss a beat.

"No, actually I have chronic myeloid leukemia, they discovered it last week, but good guess!" she says, plastering a smirk on her rosy cheeks.

Kara slumps slightly, and starts picking her fingernail, upset that her rude comments weren't efficient.

"How long are you going to be here?" Leo asks.

"Not long. I'm due for one round of chemo, then a bone marrow transplant before I will be sent home to recover." I can sense the hesitation she has when saying the word 'home,' most likely because she has never had one, but I still can't help but feel upset because she won't be staying for very long. I mean, I would never want someone to be sick, but I finally found someone who is like me.

"What about you guys, why are you in this wonderful place?" Macy asks.

"Cystic fibrosis, basically crap lungs." Dash explains.

"Ewing Sarcoma, in like, my whole body." Jordi says, motioning dramatically at his body.

"I have an enlarged heart," Kara says, receiving a mumbled 'if she even has one' from Jordi, which makes Macy laugh quietly to herself.

"And I, Leo Roth, had osteosarcoma, I am in remission."

"Wow, a remission boy, congrats." Macy says, giving Leo a thumbs up.

"Yea, it's not as great as it seems. I lost this because of the wonderful amusement park we call Cancer." Leo jokes, attempting to hold up the rest of his amputated leg.

"Well at least the cancer is gone, right?" Macy tries to reason.

"Yeah, I guess," Leo agrees, "But I will still miss it."

"I know, but having two legs is overrated anyways." Macy says, waving her hand like it was nothing.

"Plus, I got this rocking souvenir," Leo says, holding up his prosthetic triumphantly, like it was a trophy.

The room erupts into a fit of laughter.

"See, it wasn't all bad, "Macy exclaims, "However, I do hope that once this is over, I never have to visit the amusement park again."

"Ditto." Jordi agrees. We all giggle again.

"So where are your parents? Usually when someone new is admitted, they are bombarded with relatives you never really knew you had." Jordi asks. Macy looks uncertainty at me, I give her a reassuring smile.

"I am actually in the foster system. My parents died in a house fire when I was five. Been in foster care ever since." Dash looks at me, a glint of hope in his eyes.

"Cool," Jordi says, but stutters out, "I mean not cool that your parents died or that you're in foster care but- never mind." He quickly stops himself, his ears turning pink.

Macy laughs, "Its fine. Don't worry about it." She reassures him.

Shifting uncomfortably on my feet, I say, "So, what are you guys doing tonight?"

"Probably some homework, we have that test tomorrow. You guys?" Leo explains.

"Well I start chemotherapy tomorrow, so just resting and maybe some unpacking." Macy says.

"I have to study and get ready for a therapy session for tomorrow." I say.

"Cool." Another awkward silence.

"Well it was nice meeting you guys, but I better go start unpacking if I want to have a bed to sleep in tonight. Emma, you coming?" Macy asks me.

"Yeah, see you later." I say, and Macy and I walk out of the room.

Flashback***

General POV**

The halls were empty, except for the occasional nurse running to a room. Emma Chota slowly wheels her IV pole down the linoleum floor, desperately looking for anyone to talk to. For the past week, she has been here alone. Nobody would make eye contact with her, let alone talk to her. Everyone was too occupied with their own diagnosis, and their own treatment to become friends. The nurses and doctors were okay, but they weren't kids. Not that she had friends before she came to the hospital, but still, it would be nice to have someone to talk to.

Emma watched as the clear liquid dripped from the bag into the tube, pumping her body with unnecessary fluids and nutrients. The doctors insisted that she needed to be hydrated and get additional supplements to nourish her already failing body- they warned her that if it got worse, she would have to get a feeding tube, so she willingly agreed to let them attach her, in an effort not to get any more food in her body.

For it might disappoint Her.

As Emma makes her way through the ward, there was a crash, before the familiar shouting of the nurses, trying to calm an unruly patient. Emma hurried her walk, determined to find out who was causing the ruckus. Perhaps it was her foster parents trying to bring her back home, or maybe Thomas, coming to bring her to a new foster home- but the nurses wouldn't let him come in. As Emma neared the location of the noise, she saw a boy, around her age, struggling against about five nurses, as they try to lay him on the gurney. The boy had darker skin, and a baggy sweatshirt- not the usual hospital attire. In fact, Emma had never seen this boy before. A new patient!

The boy's hat was on crooked as he struggles against the accumulating staff trying to hold him back, but finally he wriggles from their grasps, running out from under them, and toward me, pushing a cart in front of them. The nurses fall to the floor and the boy comes up to me.

"What's your name?" He asks.

"Emma." I say, glancing back worriedly at the fallen doctors and nurses.

"I'm Dash." He says, shaking my hand. "Want to help me?" he asks casually, as if he hadn't just sent about ten staff members to the ground. I shrug my shoulders.

"What do I do?" I ask.

Dash grabs my hand and now looks back at the nurses. A sense of panic crossing his face. "Run."

So…. How was it? Hope everyone enjoyed it and don't forget to review your thoughts, comments, ideas, etc. and also to follow/favorite if you liked the story! I wish everyone a safe and Happy Holidays and I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thank you sooooo much for reading and until next time, bye for now!