When Nori woke again, the sun was coming in though the window next to her bed. She looked out at the day to see snow slowly begin falling. Colsing her eyes, she smiled. Snowmen and snowball fights, what a great time of year. She knew that in just a few short days she would be making cookies with her mother...Nori was suddenly flashed back to reality.

Opening her eyes again she saw the dim room. The walls seemed to be colapsing in on her, with their ugly, white wallpaper. The window was closed and locked. No one walked outside the hall, and anyone that did had a depressed look on their face. It was almost as if the whole world was dying. A lone tear slipped down her cheek before a nurse came barging through the door, followed by a young man. The new nurses name tag was partially hidden by the yellow collar of her shirt, but Nori made out the name, Rachel, in gold letters.

Rachel was obviously oblivious to the fact that Nori was awake because she countined to talk to the young man.

"School is out for three weeks," Rachel flirtaciously began. "So I figured we could spend lots of time together." She gave the boy a very poor example of 'puppy dog eyes' and he looked hesitant.

"Rachel, I'm kind of busy," He muttered under his breath. In return Rachel stuck her bottom lip out to a point that Nori thought that it would have been humanly impossible. The boy sighed, as Rachel broke into a cheerleader grin.

"Hey, you remember that freak of a girl?" Rachel asked. The boy slowly nodded before Rachel began again. "Well here she is. I don't think that she will ever wake up."

"Sorry, I am awake." Nori replied tartly. Not that she was in the best of moods, but she did not like this girl. Flirty and fritty.

Rachel looked at her in shock. She took a tray off the cart in the hall, and sloppily dropped it on Nori's bed. Nori looked at the mess before calling out to Rachel's retreating figure.

"I hope you don't expect a tip!"

Rachel slammed the door and Nori started to eat while grumbleing. Halfway through her spongy toast the door to Nori's room opened again. Thinking is was Rachel again she responded with venom.

"Get out!" She yelled.

"Well it is good to see you too sweet heart," The tall man said to her in a mocking manner.

Suprised to hear a man's voice she quickly looked up. Her eyes opened in astonishment. The man wasted no time to come sit by the young girl. He gave her a grin before, Nori through her arms around the man's bulky frame.

"Daddy!" Nori exclaimed in surprise. Nori's dad looked at his daughter before pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"How are you?" He asked, pulling back just a bit to see her.

"As good as can be expected," she sighed.

"Sweetheart, I know that it is tough," He looked at her with tears in the corner of his eyes. "I am so sorry. Hopefully you can come home soon. Then you can meet, Alicia and her kids." Nori quickly pulled away from her father.

"Who's Alicia?" Nori asked. "And why do I want to meet her kids?" Nori's father dropped his eyes.

"A lot has changed," Her dad began.

"I knew I wasn't going to like this."

"May I continue?"

"Sorry."

"Alicia is my wife, your stepmother. That would make her kids, Natasha and Dustin, your step siblings. You'll meet them tomarrow, when we go home."

Nori wouldn't respond. No mother, asleep for over a year. Now this. She has two siblings and an evil step mother. She refused to meet her father's eyes. This was partially his fault. He left a few minuets later. Giving Nori all the time in the world to think about what he said. Maybe I should just think about it positively, she thought, it could be a good thing.