The Burning Of Confusion

Marco stormed through the sliding doors of the Emergency Room, Ashley and Paige trailing closely behind him. He rushed over to the nurses station, as his eyes searched frantically for any sign of Emma or anyone who would be here with Ellie. He looked at the nurse in front of him, as she sat on the phone, holding up her hand to signal she will be with him in just a moment.

"Marco!"

Marco turned behind him to Ashley and Paige. "What?" He asked them.

"Uh..we didn't say anything. She did." Ashley said as she signaled over his shoulder.

Marco turned around as he saw Emma walking towards them. He pushed himself away from the nurses desk as he rushed towards her, stopping short a few inches within colliding with her. "I got your message. Where is she?" He asked quickly.

"She's in room 215. But they won't let anyone in. They're still trying to stop the bleeding." Emma replied.

"Bleeding?" Paige asked as she stepped up beside Marco, Ashley stepping up on the other side of him.

"Yeah. She cut a vein.." Emma said, as she lifted her hand and brushed at her tear stained face.

"I knew it." Paige mumbled under her breath as she sighed deeply.

"Has she woken up? Can they stop the bleeding? Is she going to be ok? WHAT DID THEY TELL YOU!?" Marco demanded.

"Nothing, Ok? They haven't told me anything. They've been in there doing whatever it is they're doing for the past hour." Emma said.

Marco looked over Emma's shoulder as he walked around her and down the hallway she had motioned too just moments ago. As he walked down the hall he stopped at room 215, the shades were down and all he could here was the muffled sound of the doctors talking. He pushed his ear up against the door as he tried to make out what they were saying, but even if he could hear them there is really no way he would be able to understand a word they were saying.

"The doctor said someone needs to contact her parent-her mother." Emma said.

"No." Marco said as he pushed himself away from the door and walked back over to the three girls.

"You can't tell her mom." He insisted.

"Why not? She has a right to know." Emma said.

"Marco's right. Her mom would just make things worse then they already are." Ashley said as she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket.

"Who are you calling, then?" Paige asked as she looked to Ashley.

"My moms been like a mom to Ellie as it is, I'll just call her." Ashley said.

"I can't just stand around here and do nothing." Marco said as he looked down at his watch, realizing he just skipped out on a day of school. Of course that was not important right now.

"I'm going to go down to the café to get some coffee. You guys need anything?" He asked them.

The three girls shook their heads as Marco nodded, turning around he walked down the hallway and around the corner, headed for the elevator to the cafeteria.

"Uh..I have no service in here so..I'm going to go outside. I'll be back." Ashley said as she turned and headed for the door.

Emma looked beside her at Paige, feeling a sudden wave of discomfort washing over them. The two girls had hardly spoken since the Rick incident. Paige had pratically warned her, she had told her that Rick was a psycho but Emma just didn't consider the fact that if he can put Terri in a coma, then there really is nothing he can't do. She knew she should have backed off and let Jay and Alex beat Rick up, maybe then she wouldn't have attempted to befriend Rick, and he would never have even been on the game show and then none of this would be happening. Sean would still be in town and Ellie wouldn't be where she is now.

"I knew it." Paige whispered softly as she walked over to a row of chairs, sitting down.

Emma followed her as she sat down beside her, not sure what to say next as she tried to make sure she chose her words carefully.

"How could someone do that to themselves.." Emma asked, more to herself then to Paige.

"She was hurt. She wanted to find another way to deal..makes sense I guess." Paige replied as she looked beside her at Emma.

"Yeah but..cutting...bleeding...she must have felt..so.."

"...Alone..." Paige finished softly.

Emma looked at Paige, something about the way she said Alone, made Emma wonder if there was something going on with her as well, She had heard about her breakup with Spinner. Of course this is not about Paige and it's not about Emma herself, this is about Ellie. And what she has done to herself.

"I just thought they were rumors." Emma said.

"I thought she stopped. She TOLD me she stopped. I should have known she was lieing. I should have followed her when she ran off today." Paige said.

"She probably would still deny it." Emma said.

Paige looked at her, her eyes widened a little bit as if she was actually just noticing Emma sitting beside her for the first time. She looked a little bit surprised.

"Why were you at her house, anyways?" Paige asked her. "I mean face it hun...you two aren't exactly best buds." Paige said.

"I heard about her dad. And I saw her running out today. I guess.." Emma stopped, as she tried to think about why she did go over there in the first place. Of course she had a reason before, but now she can't even think about it. She scanned her head, trying to think about a real reason but kept coming up empty.

"I don't know. I just...found myself there I guess." Emma finished.

"Well whatever reason it was..you saved her life." Paige said.

"Yeah...saved her life.." Emma repeated.

Emma stood up as she walked over to the door, looking in at the window which still had the shade pulled down, she just wished she could see something, or at the very least she wished someone would come out and tell them what was happening...but sadly there was no indication of that happening anytime soon.

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As Marco stepped off the elevator he searched the crowded hallway, looking around for a payphone. Finally he spotted one off in the distance. Knowing just how rare it is to find a vacat payphone in a crowded hospital, he rushed for the phone, grabbing it from the hook just as a man stepped up behind him.

"Excuse me-" The man said.

"I got it." Marco snapped as he looked behind him at the man.

The man threw his hands up in defeat as he backed away and continued on down the hallway. Marco took a deep breath as he rested his head against the wall beside the phone, still gripping on to the phone tightly. His heart was beating a mile a minute, he couldn't remember the last time he felt this afraid. Ellie is his best friend and right now she is hanging on by a thread, if that. If one of those damn doctors would just come out and tell someone what was going on then maybe he would be able to feel at ease, at least a little bit.

Digging around in his pocket Marco pulled out a fistful of change, opening his palm he searched through his hand trying to find some quarters so that he could pay for the call. Knowing it will be a very expensive one.

Finally he found about two dollars worth of quarters as he dropped the rest of the change on the little table beside the phone.

He put all of the quarters in the little change slot and dialed Sean's cell phone number. Good thing he has such a fresh memory or else he would have just wasted two dollars.

Putting the reciver to his ear he tapped his foot nervously as he listened to the ringing, praying someone would pick up.

"Comeon Sean. Pick up.." Marco mumbled impatiently as he could feel the anger boiling inside of him. How can he not be answering his phone?

"Hello?" Sean's voice came on the other end of the phone.

"Sean! You need to come home Now!" Marco yelled into the phone.

"Wh-Marco?" Sean asked, clearly confused to hear his voice.

"Look there's no time to explain just come home now, please." Marco insisted.

"No." Sean replied simply.

"No Sean, this isn't just a simple call pleading you to come home for the hell of it. Ellie needs you, ok? She needs you and she needs you now." Marco said.

"I called her, she wouldn't talk to me. She hung up on me." Sean said, clearly he was pained by that.

"Sean, there's no time to explain just please come home. Now." Marco pleaded.

"What for? Ellie doesn't want anything to do with me. She won't even talk to me. There's no point." Sean said.

"She's in the hospital." Marco said finally.

He had not planned on telling him over the phone, he actually thought that if he pleaded enough then Sean would just come. Of course he never stopped to consider what if Sean really didn't want to come back. But knowing that Ellie is in the hospital..it has to mean something.

"I-" Sean froze. "I'm...I'll be there in a few hours." He said as he hung up the phone.