CHAPTER 8: THE HOSPITAL
As soon as Haley could stop crying she called Joey. As the phone was ringing she started to cry again. "Hello" she heard from the other end. It was Craig's younger sister, Angela.
"Hi Ang, is your dad there?" Haley tried to ask without crying.
"Yeah, hold on." She answered. Haley sat there waiting for Joey and hoping she could talk without crying.
"Hi." A voice said from the other side of the phone.
"Hi Joey, it's Haley, Craig's.." her voice was hoarse because of the tears. "I'm sorry" she said.
"Don't worry about it. I know how you feel. You're his girlfriend right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I was just wondering if I could maybe see him or something." She managed to choke out.
"I'm taking Ang there tonight around six. You can come here or I can pick you up and you can come along if you'd like." He said.
"Ok thanks Mr. Jeremiah." She said being interrupted by Joey.
"Call me Joey." He said.
"Sorry, I'll come over a few minutes before six. Thanks Joey." She said.
"Sounds good. See you then." He said as they both hung up. Haley ran to her room and got some clothes. She went to take a shower not knowing why she wanted to look her best after all Craig couldn't see her anyways. As she was in the shower she began worrying about how Craig must look lying there helpless not knowing people are there to see him. She got dressed and looked at the clock. 5:00. She didn't realize how long she was in there. She ran downstairs.
"Mom, I'm going to Craig's, his step dad is going to take me to the hospital with him and Craig's little sister to see him." She said putting her shoes on.
"Why's Craig in the hospital?" her mom asked.
"He was in a car accident this morning." She said realizing she never told her mom about the accident.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead." Her mom said but Haley was already out the door. She walked to Joey's scared she couldn't take seeing Craig. She was thinking so much about it she walked right past Joey's house. Luckily Joey saw her through the window. He opened the door.
"Haley?" he asked.
"Oh sorry Joey, I was thinking about Craig." She answered.
"Don't worry about it. Come on in. We're almost ready to go. Ang just need to put shoes on." He said as they went inside.
"Hey Haley. We're going to see Craig." Angela said. She adored her older brother. When his dad was still alive and wouldn't let him see her she missed him a lot. Now that he lived with her she still couldn't get enough of him. If he died it would be torture for her.
"I know." Haley said through tears.
"What's wrong?" the little girl said innocently not knowing her brother could die any minute.
"Nothing Ang." She said and turned to look out the window. Angela was only five. She didn't know what exactly was going on. All she knew was that they were going to see Craig. That's all she cared about too. She wasn't aware that she was only going to see her brother lying in a hospital bed unable to play with her or even talk to her. "Ok ready daddy." She said excitedly. Joey didn't have the heart to take away that excitement. Haley, Angela and Joey walked out the front door and got in the car Haley once thought would be so cool to ride in, it being a convertible and all. But now she didn't even notice she was in that car. She noticed nothing until the car stopped. Then she realized they were about to see the worst thing ever possible, the sweet young boy she just talked to this morning unable to see or hear her. They walked through the front door and to the desk.
"We're here to see Craig Manning." Joey said.
"What's you're relation to Mr. Manning?" the lady at the desk asked.
"I'm his step father, both his parents are dead so I'm his legal guardian. This is his half sister and his girlfriend."
"Ok room 314" she said. "Down that hall and to the right." They walked down the hall and saw room #314. Joey knocked on the door and a nurse opened it.
"You must be Craig's father?" she asked.
"Step father, yes" Joey answered.
""Only immediate family are allowed to see him right now, I'm sorry."
"I'm the only family he has. Both his parents are dead. I'm his legal guardian." He said angrily.
"I'm sorry sir go ahead, but the girls must stay."
"They're his sister." He half lied knowing Haley wouldn't get in if he told the truth.
"Ok go ahead then, all three of you." she said as they walked in. Haley looked at Craig's lifeless body. It was too much for her and she quickly got up and ran out of the room crying. Joey started to go after her but thought better not to.
"What's wrong with Haley? Is Craig sleeping?" Angela asked.
"Haley had to use the washroom. Yes Ang, Craig is sleeping." He said unable to tell her the truth. Just after he finished saying that Craig's eyes opened. He looked around.
"Joey?" he asked.
"Craig!" Joey said surprised and left Angela with Craig to go get a doctor.
As soon as Haley could stop crying she called Joey. As the phone was ringing she started to cry again. "Hello" she heard from the other end. It was Craig's younger sister, Angela.
"Hi Ang, is your dad there?" Haley tried to ask without crying.
"Yeah, hold on." She answered. Haley sat there waiting for Joey and hoping she could talk without crying.
"Hi." A voice said from the other side of the phone.
"Hi Joey, it's Haley, Craig's.." her voice was hoarse because of the tears. "I'm sorry" she said.
"Don't worry about it. I know how you feel. You're his girlfriend right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I was just wondering if I could maybe see him or something." She managed to choke out.
"I'm taking Ang there tonight around six. You can come here or I can pick you up and you can come along if you'd like." He said.
"Ok thanks Mr. Jeremiah." She said being interrupted by Joey.
"Call me Joey." He said.
"Sorry, I'll come over a few minutes before six. Thanks Joey." She said.
"Sounds good. See you then." He said as they both hung up. Haley ran to her room and got some clothes. She went to take a shower not knowing why she wanted to look her best after all Craig couldn't see her anyways. As she was in the shower she began worrying about how Craig must look lying there helpless not knowing people are there to see him. She got dressed and looked at the clock. 5:00. She didn't realize how long she was in there. She ran downstairs.
"Mom, I'm going to Craig's, his step dad is going to take me to the hospital with him and Craig's little sister to see him." She said putting her shoes on.
"Why's Craig in the hospital?" her mom asked.
"He was in a car accident this morning." She said realizing she never told her mom about the accident.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead." Her mom said but Haley was already out the door. She walked to Joey's scared she couldn't take seeing Craig. She was thinking so much about it she walked right past Joey's house. Luckily Joey saw her through the window. He opened the door.
"Haley?" he asked.
"Oh sorry Joey, I was thinking about Craig." She answered.
"Don't worry about it. Come on in. We're almost ready to go. Ang just need to put shoes on." He said as they went inside.
"Hey Haley. We're going to see Craig." Angela said. She adored her older brother. When his dad was still alive and wouldn't let him see her she missed him a lot. Now that he lived with her she still couldn't get enough of him. If he died it would be torture for her.
"I know." Haley said through tears.
"What's wrong?" the little girl said innocently not knowing her brother could die any minute.
"Nothing Ang." She said and turned to look out the window. Angela was only five. She didn't know what exactly was going on. All she knew was that they were going to see Craig. That's all she cared about too. She wasn't aware that she was only going to see her brother lying in a hospital bed unable to play with her or even talk to her. "Ok ready daddy." She said excitedly. Joey didn't have the heart to take away that excitement. Haley, Angela and Joey walked out the front door and got in the car Haley once thought would be so cool to ride in, it being a convertible and all. But now she didn't even notice she was in that car. She noticed nothing until the car stopped. Then she realized they were about to see the worst thing ever possible, the sweet young boy she just talked to this morning unable to see or hear her. They walked through the front door and to the desk.
"We're here to see Craig Manning." Joey said.
"What's you're relation to Mr. Manning?" the lady at the desk asked.
"I'm his step father, both his parents are dead so I'm his legal guardian. This is his half sister and his girlfriend."
"Ok room 314" she said. "Down that hall and to the right." They walked down the hall and saw room #314. Joey knocked on the door and a nurse opened it.
"You must be Craig's father?" she asked.
"Step father, yes" Joey answered.
""Only immediate family are allowed to see him right now, I'm sorry."
"I'm the only family he has. Both his parents are dead. I'm his legal guardian." He said angrily.
"I'm sorry sir go ahead, but the girls must stay."
"They're his sister." He half lied knowing Haley wouldn't get in if he told the truth.
"Ok go ahead then, all three of you." she said as they walked in. Haley looked at Craig's lifeless body. It was too much for her and she quickly got up and ran out of the room crying. Joey started to go after her but thought better not to.
"What's wrong with Haley? Is Craig sleeping?" Angela asked.
"Haley had to use the washroom. Yes Ang, Craig is sleeping." He said unable to tell her the truth. Just after he finished saying that Craig's eyes opened. He looked around.
"Joey?" he asked.
"Craig!" Joey said surprised and left Angela with Craig to go get a doctor.