Twenty eight

Alana ran out of English and down the corridor to geography to pick Oscar up and take him to detention. Rick was standing outside the door with Oscar's bag and supporting Oscar. Alana ran up to him. "Finally, I can do my bit to help you," she said as she took the bag off Rick's shoulder and threw it over her own and then taking Oscar. Rick laughed.

"It's for your own good that you aren't looking after him all the time," Rick told her, sternly but with a grin on his face. Oscar smiled and elbowed his sister.

"Come on get me to detention then before Mr Week has a go at us for being late," Oscar told Alana. Alana shook her head and led him down the corridor. They were five minutes late to detention but Mr Week didn't actually say anything to either of them. Alana led Oscar to a chair and then sat next to him. Alana opened her English book to do her homework while her brother got out the catch-up work he needed to do. Alana looked at the small pile of work and her eyes widened. Mr Week came over to the pair.

"get on with it then. You've got catching up to do Oscar, and you've got homework Alana. Just because of the situation it doesn't mean that you can get away with not doing it," he told them quietly. Alana nodded. "oh and Alana you need to write an apology to molly." Alana leaned back in her chair and sighed. She pulled a piece of paper close to her and started writing.

An hour later, Alana had one completed apology letter to Molly and her homework finished. Oscar had completed his catch-up work but still had homework to do when he got back. The two walked out of detention and to the playground. Tracy was waiting to take them back. Once back at Elm Tree Oscar sat at the kitchen table with Elektra and Rick doing their homework and Alana went into the living room. She curled up next to Tyler on the sofa. She didn't know where Cassie or Tee where. She laid her head on Tyler's chest as he watched the TV. He wrapped his arms around her and she closed her eyes.

Alana was laying in bed in hospital. She was about to have her kidney and bone marrow removed. In the bed next to her Oscar was laying down. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity of nurses around Oscar's bed. Alana couldn't see her brother anymore. She lay there not knowing what was going on. The curtains were pulled around him and Alana felt her heart rate increase. Something was wrong. A nurse came through the curtain and headed straight to her. "Alana. I'm sorry. Your brother... he's... died," Alana screamed.

Someone was shaking her awake. She was screaming and was laying on the floor shaking. "Alana, Alana wake up," Tyler was shaking her. Tee, Cassie, Jamie, Rick and Oscar were all standing around watching her, nervous. Mike was standing over Tyler.

Alana looked round and saw her brother. She jumped up and hugged him as she cried. "You died. In my dream," Alana sobbed. "I can't do this." She ran out the room and up to her bedroom. She lay down on her bed and hid under her covers. She heard someone enter the room but she ignored them. They sat down on the end of her bed. Alana felt a hand brush and smooth her hair. The covers were being pulled back slowly. Oscar was peering down at her concerned.

"Alana, I'm perfectly fine. I promise. Nothing is going to go wrong," Oscar told her. Alana sat up and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. They sat there in silence for ages.