Emma awoke at 4:00 in the afternoon. She was so thankful that it was
Saturday. She felt awful. The past day was a blur to her. As if none of it
had actually happened; a bad dream. But it wasn't a bad dream, it had all
really happened. The baby died and Sean was in the hospital. Emma had not
found a spare moment to grieve about the baby, until now. Just the thought
of her mom going through the whole pregnancy just to have the baby die...it
brought tears to her eyes. It hadn't really hit Emma till now that there
would not be a new baby.
Emma wanted to talk to someone but she didn't know who would understand a little how she felt. But then Craig popped into her mind. Emma ran to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. When she was done, Emma pulled on jeans and a top and ran downstairs. Emma knew that her mom and Snake would not get home while she was gone so she didn't bother to leave a note. Emma grabbed her purse and headed over to Joey Jeremiah's, Craig's step- father's. She got there and rang the door bell. The door opened, it was Craig.
"Emma! What's up? Come in." "Hey Craig. Thanks." Emma walked in and stepped over some of Angela's toys. "Sorry about the mess. Ang was having a fit and throwing everything everywhere! So what's up?" "My sister died." Emma said sadly, "She was a stillbirth." "What?" Craig and Emma both turned to look at Joey. "The baby died?" Joey asked. "Yeah..." "Emma, I'm so sorry." Craig said, pulling her into a big bear hug. "How's Snake and your mom?" Joey asked. "I...I don't know. They're at the hospital still." "Okay. I'm going to go see them. EM do you want a ride?" "No, no thanks. Actually I came to talk to Craig." "Okay. Later guys." "Bye." Craig and Emma said in unison.
"EM, let's sit down." "Okay." "If you don't mind me asking...why did you want to talk to me? Why not Sean?" "Sean's in the hospital. And...he hasn't lost a loved one like you have." "Wait, why is Sean there? What happened to him?" Craig asked, eyes full of concern. "He crashed on his bike." Emma said. "Oh...wow...I'm sorry I'm not focusing. So how is it I can help you? I mean...I can't make the pain go away." "I know. But...how did you deal with it?" Emma asked. "Well. It's hard. You just think that it was meant to happen. You have to keep living EM." "I know. I just don't see why a poor little baby dying is for the better." "I can't help you with that. You'll have to wait and see." "I'm sorry about your dad, Craig. And your mom." "That's alright. It's tough to accept but...I'm happy. Like really happy. I live with my step-dad who's great and my little sister that I love..." His voice trailed off. "I'm sorry EM, I shouldn't have said that." "It's okay Craig. It's reality."
Tears were starting to leak from the corners of Emma's eyes. Craig pulled her into another hug. Emma just let it all out on Craig's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright." Craig said, trying to calm her down. He didn't let her go until she did. "Are you okay?" Craig asked, looking at her. "Yeah. Thanks Craig. This helped a lot." "Anytime, EM. Anytime. Hey...do you want to go visit Sean?" Craig asked. "Yeah, sure." They got up and went out the front door.
AT THE HOSPITAL...
"Hey.." Joey said, knocking on the open door. "Hey Joey." Snake said, turning around to look at him. "Hi Spike." He said. He walked up and planted a small kiss on her cheek. "Hey Joey." Spike said in a dazed voice. Snake and Joey walked out into the hallway. "How's everything?" Joey asked. "Oh...it's all not good. One bad thing just keeps racking up on top of the other." "I'm sorry man. Just remember, I'm here anytime you need to talk or whatever, okay?" "Yeah, thanks Joe. I'll keep that in mind." "Well, sorry to cut this short but I have got to get Ang from a friends' house. Call me okay?" "You got it." They hugged and Joey left.
MEANWHILE...
Craig and Emma walked down Sean's hallway, Emma in the lead. "Which one is it?" Craig asked. "That one." Emma pointed to the third door on the left. "I don't know if he'll be awake." Emma said, trying to find a reason not to go in. "Well, lets go find out." Craig walked over to the door and opened it. Sean looked over to see who it was. This time, he had a cast on his left arm. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so on his left side, bandages wrapped around his broken ribs were visible. He looked better than he had the last time Emma had seen him.
Emma wanted to talk to someone but she didn't know who would understand a little how she felt. But then Craig popped into her mind. Emma ran to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. When she was done, Emma pulled on jeans and a top and ran downstairs. Emma knew that her mom and Snake would not get home while she was gone so she didn't bother to leave a note. Emma grabbed her purse and headed over to Joey Jeremiah's, Craig's step- father's. She got there and rang the door bell. The door opened, it was Craig.
"Emma! What's up? Come in." "Hey Craig. Thanks." Emma walked in and stepped over some of Angela's toys. "Sorry about the mess. Ang was having a fit and throwing everything everywhere! So what's up?" "My sister died." Emma said sadly, "She was a stillbirth." "What?" Craig and Emma both turned to look at Joey. "The baby died?" Joey asked. "Yeah..." "Emma, I'm so sorry." Craig said, pulling her into a big bear hug. "How's Snake and your mom?" Joey asked. "I...I don't know. They're at the hospital still." "Okay. I'm going to go see them. EM do you want a ride?" "No, no thanks. Actually I came to talk to Craig." "Okay. Later guys." "Bye." Craig and Emma said in unison.
"EM, let's sit down." "Okay." "If you don't mind me asking...why did you want to talk to me? Why not Sean?" "Sean's in the hospital. And...he hasn't lost a loved one like you have." "Wait, why is Sean there? What happened to him?" Craig asked, eyes full of concern. "He crashed on his bike." Emma said. "Oh...wow...I'm sorry I'm not focusing. So how is it I can help you? I mean...I can't make the pain go away." "I know. But...how did you deal with it?" Emma asked. "Well. It's hard. You just think that it was meant to happen. You have to keep living EM." "I know. I just don't see why a poor little baby dying is for the better." "I can't help you with that. You'll have to wait and see." "I'm sorry about your dad, Craig. And your mom." "That's alright. It's tough to accept but...I'm happy. Like really happy. I live with my step-dad who's great and my little sister that I love..." His voice trailed off. "I'm sorry EM, I shouldn't have said that." "It's okay Craig. It's reality."
Tears were starting to leak from the corners of Emma's eyes. Craig pulled her into another hug. Emma just let it all out on Craig's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright." Craig said, trying to calm her down. He didn't let her go until she did. "Are you okay?" Craig asked, looking at her. "Yeah. Thanks Craig. This helped a lot." "Anytime, EM. Anytime. Hey...do you want to go visit Sean?" Craig asked. "Yeah, sure." They got up and went out the front door.
AT THE HOSPITAL...
"Hey.." Joey said, knocking on the open door. "Hey Joey." Snake said, turning around to look at him. "Hi Spike." He said. He walked up and planted a small kiss on her cheek. "Hey Joey." Spike said in a dazed voice. Snake and Joey walked out into the hallway. "How's everything?" Joey asked. "Oh...it's all not good. One bad thing just keeps racking up on top of the other." "I'm sorry man. Just remember, I'm here anytime you need to talk or whatever, okay?" "Yeah, thanks Joe. I'll keep that in mind." "Well, sorry to cut this short but I have got to get Ang from a friends' house. Call me okay?" "You got it." They hugged and Joey left.
MEANWHILE...
Craig and Emma walked down Sean's hallway, Emma in the lead. "Which one is it?" Craig asked. "That one." Emma pointed to the third door on the left. "I don't know if he'll be awake." Emma said, trying to find a reason not to go in. "Well, lets go find out." Craig walked over to the door and opened it. Sean looked over to see who it was. This time, he had a cast on his left arm. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so on his left side, bandages wrapped around his broken ribs were visible. He looked better than he had the last time Emma had seen him.