".and JT was all, 'I'm so sick of you doing this!' Can you believe
it?" Liberty looked over at Emma and waited on a response.
Emma sat in silence and stared at a spot on the wall where the paint had chipped off. She had gotten lost in her thoughts while Liberty went on and on with her latest fiasco with JT. Emma knew she should be listening, but she just didn't feel like listening. Too much was on her mind.
"Emma?"
Again, there was no response-just an empty silence. "Emma?" Liberty screamed. "What-huh-oh, Liberty, sorry," Emma said, snapping out of her almost hypnotic trance. "Did you hear what I said?" Liberty asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, of course I did." "So, what do you think? Doesn't it suck?" "Yeah, it sucks, all right. I mean, who wouldn't think it sucks? I definitely do and I know everyone would agree." Emma hoped that answer was the one she should be answering with.
"Emma, do you even have a clue what I was talking about?" Liberty asked with a frown on her face.
Emma sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "No," she said, a guilty grin creeping across her lips.
"I didn't think so. Is it Mr. Simpson?"
"Of course."
"Not getting better?"
"Not that I can tell. The chemotherapy completely destroyed his system and he just seems so disinterested these days. He has no will to even move around in bed. He gets up to go to the bathroom, but that's it. It's been forever since he's spent more than two minutes with Jack."
"Wow, that is bad. You think he's just giving up?"
"I don't know. I can't imagine him doing it. He loves my mom, he loves me, he loves Jack, he loves teaching, but it seems like he's convinced himself he has no choice but to quit." Emma felt a tear start to drop down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.
"I can't believe it."
"Yeah, neither can I."
"How's your mom?"
"She's holding up, but barely," Emma said. "She's real strong- willed, there's no doubt about it, but I think she's running out of gas fast. Between the baby and working extra hours at the salon to make up the pay for the doctor's bills she's exhausted, and then, she has to take care of Snake. I try to help out as much as I can, but during the school year, I've had very little time. Hopefully, this summer, I can help out more."
"I hope you can."
"I do too." Emma blinked a few times as if to flush her eyes out and then wiped more tears away. She looked down at her watch and decided she should leave. She appreciated Liberty's listening, but felt that she needed someone else to talk to.
"Listen, Liberty," she started, "I'm sorry I wasn't much help with the JT stuff, but I need to get going. I have some stuff to do around the house and um, I just need some time alone. My thoughts are jumbled now."
"I understand," Liberty said. She got up off her bed and threw her arms around Emma's neck. "We've disagreed in the past, Em, I know that, but I'm always here if you need me. I promise."
Emma was almost sick of hearing that from people, but she knew Liberty was sincere so she smiled and thanked her. Then, she showed herself out of Liberty's house and made her way to the bus stop at the corner.
Emma took the short ride to the train station and then bought herself a ticket. She knew where she needed to be. She needed a place that was unfamiliar, yet comfortable and only one person could provide that type of relief.
After a lengthy train ride, she got in a cab, and made her way to her destination. When she arrived, she opened the doors to the unfamiliar hallways, and stepped up to the front desk.
"How can I help you?" the woman in the white coat asked, looking up from her computer.
"I'd like to see Shane McKay please," Emma said.
"And you are?" the woman asked, her eyes full of suspicion.
"I'm Emma Nelson, his daughter."
"Oh, well, then, I remember you from another visit." The nurse stepped out from behind her desk and led Emma up the stairs. "If you don't mind, Ms. Nelson, I'll have to check in first, to make sure everything is okay. You understand, I'm sure."
Emma wasn't in the mood to be talked down on like she was a child, but she wasn't going to talk back to the nurse.
"Yes ma'am, of course I understand," Emma said.
The nurse stopped Emma at the beginning of a hallway and told her to stay put. The nurse then made her way to a door few doors down. She lightly tapped on it and then pushed it open.
Emma could hear voices but was unable to make out what they were saying. She waited impatiently until finally, the nurse made her way out of the door, wearing a hint of a smile.
"It can't be long, but Shane would love to see you now." The nurse stepped out of her way and guided Emma into the room. She left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Shane was looking at the floor, staring at his feet, mesmerized by something about them. There was a mirror and the floor and Shane was startled when he noticed Emma's reflection in the glass.
"Em-Em-Emma? Emma? Is that-you?" Shane stuttered over his words but his facial expressions left no doubt in Emma's mind that she'd made the right choice in coming to see her father.
Emma reached out to him and touched his outstretched hand. He gave it a tight squeeze and for the first time in a long time, Emma felt a smile stretch across her face.
"It's me, Shane. It's me."
"Emma!" Shane cried. "It's Emma! It's Emma!" He began to do a little dance number, one where he spun in circles for a few seconds. Finally, he calmed down.
"What-what-what are you-you doing here, Emma?" Shane asked, his broken speech not bothering Emma much.
"I had to see you, Shane. Life at home isn't going very well for me right. I've been very sad."
"Aw, why sad? Why are you sad? Don't be sad!" Shane scrunched his forehead as if to think hard about something. He smiled and then reached behind him. He snagged something off his bedside table.
"Look, Emma! Look! Don't be sad, it's me and you!" It was the picture Craig had taken of Emma and Shane the first time they met. She'd given it to Shane when he left her house the day Jack was born. "Look, it's happy!"
Emma couldn't help but smile. She felt a battle with her emotions. She hated to admit it, but her dad's mental handicap absolutely crushed her. She couldn't help but look down upon for it even though she knew it wasn't the way he wanted to be. However, she also loved him. She'd only seen him twice since she was very young, both times being within a few days of each other, but she adored him. The child-like features the she disliked him for, she loved him for.
"Right, it's very happy. I love that picture." Emma took the picture from Shane's hands and held it to her heart.
Shane smiled at the gesture and then touched his heart too.
"Why-why-why did you come here?" Shane asked. "You don't come a lot."
"I know, but you do live an hour from me. That's a long way since I can't drive."
"I can't drive either," Shane said. "I was going to drive, but then, I-I-I hurt my head." He tapped his head much like he'd done the first day he'd met Emma. "Long way down."
"I know Shane, I know." Emma sympathetically looked at him and touched his knee. "I came here because I just need to talk."
"Talk? Talk? About what?" Shane asked.
"Snake's sick."
"Snake sick?"
"Yes, Snake's sick." Emma felt the tears start to well up in her eyes again.
"He needs medicine! I take medicine! Lots and lots of medicine!"
"He is taking medicine, but it's only making him feel worse," Emma said. She spoke slowly but didn't know if that would help Shane understand her anymore. She didn't care, though. She wanted him to understand her, of course, but even if he couldn't, she had someone to talk to, someone who seemed interested and someone who cared. That's all she'd wanted since Snake had gotten sick-someone to talk to.
"Worse? Is-is-Snake going to-to die?" Shane looked concerned but he obviously was unable to comprehend the entire conversation.
Emma looked down at her feet and a tear hit the toe of her tennis shoes. She breathed a deep sigh and felt her heart start to race, because she knew what the answer was and it wasn't what she wanted.
"Emma-Emma-Emma?" Shane started calling her name repetitively. "Snake going to die?"
Emma blinked a few times and felt Shane's hand reach across the gap between them and wipe the tears from her cheeks.
She raised her head and spoke softly. "Yes."
Emma sat in silence and stared at a spot on the wall where the paint had chipped off. She had gotten lost in her thoughts while Liberty went on and on with her latest fiasco with JT. Emma knew she should be listening, but she just didn't feel like listening. Too much was on her mind.
"Emma?"
Again, there was no response-just an empty silence. "Emma?" Liberty screamed. "What-huh-oh, Liberty, sorry," Emma said, snapping out of her almost hypnotic trance. "Did you hear what I said?" Liberty asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, of course I did." "So, what do you think? Doesn't it suck?" "Yeah, it sucks, all right. I mean, who wouldn't think it sucks? I definitely do and I know everyone would agree." Emma hoped that answer was the one she should be answering with.
"Emma, do you even have a clue what I was talking about?" Liberty asked with a frown on her face.
Emma sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "No," she said, a guilty grin creeping across her lips.
"I didn't think so. Is it Mr. Simpson?"
"Of course."
"Not getting better?"
"Not that I can tell. The chemotherapy completely destroyed his system and he just seems so disinterested these days. He has no will to even move around in bed. He gets up to go to the bathroom, but that's it. It's been forever since he's spent more than two minutes with Jack."
"Wow, that is bad. You think he's just giving up?"
"I don't know. I can't imagine him doing it. He loves my mom, he loves me, he loves Jack, he loves teaching, but it seems like he's convinced himself he has no choice but to quit." Emma felt a tear start to drop down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.
"I can't believe it."
"Yeah, neither can I."
"How's your mom?"
"She's holding up, but barely," Emma said. "She's real strong- willed, there's no doubt about it, but I think she's running out of gas fast. Between the baby and working extra hours at the salon to make up the pay for the doctor's bills she's exhausted, and then, she has to take care of Snake. I try to help out as much as I can, but during the school year, I've had very little time. Hopefully, this summer, I can help out more."
"I hope you can."
"I do too." Emma blinked a few times as if to flush her eyes out and then wiped more tears away. She looked down at her watch and decided she should leave. She appreciated Liberty's listening, but felt that she needed someone else to talk to.
"Listen, Liberty," she started, "I'm sorry I wasn't much help with the JT stuff, but I need to get going. I have some stuff to do around the house and um, I just need some time alone. My thoughts are jumbled now."
"I understand," Liberty said. She got up off her bed and threw her arms around Emma's neck. "We've disagreed in the past, Em, I know that, but I'm always here if you need me. I promise."
Emma was almost sick of hearing that from people, but she knew Liberty was sincere so she smiled and thanked her. Then, she showed herself out of Liberty's house and made her way to the bus stop at the corner.
Emma took the short ride to the train station and then bought herself a ticket. She knew where she needed to be. She needed a place that was unfamiliar, yet comfortable and only one person could provide that type of relief.
After a lengthy train ride, she got in a cab, and made her way to her destination. When she arrived, she opened the doors to the unfamiliar hallways, and stepped up to the front desk.
"How can I help you?" the woman in the white coat asked, looking up from her computer.
"I'd like to see Shane McKay please," Emma said.
"And you are?" the woman asked, her eyes full of suspicion.
"I'm Emma Nelson, his daughter."
"Oh, well, then, I remember you from another visit." The nurse stepped out from behind her desk and led Emma up the stairs. "If you don't mind, Ms. Nelson, I'll have to check in first, to make sure everything is okay. You understand, I'm sure."
Emma wasn't in the mood to be talked down on like she was a child, but she wasn't going to talk back to the nurse.
"Yes ma'am, of course I understand," Emma said.
The nurse stopped Emma at the beginning of a hallway and told her to stay put. The nurse then made her way to a door few doors down. She lightly tapped on it and then pushed it open.
Emma could hear voices but was unable to make out what they were saying. She waited impatiently until finally, the nurse made her way out of the door, wearing a hint of a smile.
"It can't be long, but Shane would love to see you now." The nurse stepped out of her way and guided Emma into the room. She left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Shane was looking at the floor, staring at his feet, mesmerized by something about them. There was a mirror and the floor and Shane was startled when he noticed Emma's reflection in the glass.
"Em-Em-Emma? Emma? Is that-you?" Shane stuttered over his words but his facial expressions left no doubt in Emma's mind that she'd made the right choice in coming to see her father.
Emma reached out to him and touched his outstretched hand. He gave it a tight squeeze and for the first time in a long time, Emma felt a smile stretch across her face.
"It's me, Shane. It's me."
"Emma!" Shane cried. "It's Emma! It's Emma!" He began to do a little dance number, one where he spun in circles for a few seconds. Finally, he calmed down.
"What-what-what are you-you doing here, Emma?" Shane asked, his broken speech not bothering Emma much.
"I had to see you, Shane. Life at home isn't going very well for me right. I've been very sad."
"Aw, why sad? Why are you sad? Don't be sad!" Shane scrunched his forehead as if to think hard about something. He smiled and then reached behind him. He snagged something off his bedside table.
"Look, Emma! Look! Don't be sad, it's me and you!" It was the picture Craig had taken of Emma and Shane the first time they met. She'd given it to Shane when he left her house the day Jack was born. "Look, it's happy!"
Emma couldn't help but smile. She felt a battle with her emotions. She hated to admit it, but her dad's mental handicap absolutely crushed her. She couldn't help but look down upon for it even though she knew it wasn't the way he wanted to be. However, she also loved him. She'd only seen him twice since she was very young, both times being within a few days of each other, but she adored him. The child-like features the she disliked him for, she loved him for.
"Right, it's very happy. I love that picture." Emma took the picture from Shane's hands and held it to her heart.
Shane smiled at the gesture and then touched his heart too.
"Why-why-why did you come here?" Shane asked. "You don't come a lot."
"I know, but you do live an hour from me. That's a long way since I can't drive."
"I can't drive either," Shane said. "I was going to drive, but then, I-I-I hurt my head." He tapped his head much like he'd done the first day he'd met Emma. "Long way down."
"I know Shane, I know." Emma sympathetically looked at him and touched his knee. "I came here because I just need to talk."
"Talk? Talk? About what?" Shane asked.
"Snake's sick."
"Snake sick?"
"Yes, Snake's sick." Emma felt the tears start to well up in her eyes again.
"He needs medicine! I take medicine! Lots and lots of medicine!"
"He is taking medicine, but it's only making him feel worse," Emma said. She spoke slowly but didn't know if that would help Shane understand her anymore. She didn't care, though. She wanted him to understand her, of course, but even if he couldn't, she had someone to talk to, someone who seemed interested and someone who cared. That's all she'd wanted since Snake had gotten sick-someone to talk to.
"Worse? Is-is-Snake going to-to die?" Shane looked concerned but he obviously was unable to comprehend the entire conversation.
Emma looked down at her feet and a tear hit the toe of her tennis shoes. She breathed a deep sigh and felt her heart start to race, because she knew what the answer was and it wasn't what she wanted.
"Emma-Emma-Emma?" Shane started calling her name repetitively. "Snake going to die?"
Emma blinked a few times and felt Shane's hand reach across the gap between them and wipe the tears from her cheeks.
She raised her head and spoke softly. "Yes."