Blaze Of Glory

PikaDarkness

Chapter 6

Hard Nights End New Days Begin

"Hello? Yes I'm calling about a uh an ad you put in the newspaper." Jeff's voice was business like. There was a few more minutes before Jeff spoke again. "Oh ok… no its fine I understand, thank you!"

Jeff hung up the phone and icily flicked another page from the work section of the newspaper.

Emma was watching The Simpson's on television her eyes flicked from Homer eating doughnuts to her distressed father. When Jeff slammed the phone back onto the receiver, punch the table and bury his face into the palm of his left hand, Emma decided to get up and talk to him.

Jeff didn't notice that his daughter was standing behind him.

"Dad?" Emma asked cautiously.

"What!?" Jeff snapped. He immediately regretted it once he saw Emma's reaction.

Emma was taken aback she flinched and walked backwards shaking her head saying "D-don't worry about it its not-not important." then tore to the lounge and crashed on it, Jeff was morose when he saw her wipe a few tears away. Jeff got up and walked over to her. She ignored him as he bent down and placed his hand on her arm.

"Emma I'm sorry…" Jeff looked at her with emotion. "I didn't mean to snap at you…"

"Do you regret quitting?" Emma asked suddenly, looking Jeff straight in the eyes.

"No!" Jeff said, sounding as though he was gasping. "No I don't I'm glad I am not working there its just… getting a job isn't as easy as it may seem… you saw how I was about it… its stressful stuff."

Emma nodded, Jeff began to rub her arm.

"And finding an open job is tough because there are so many unemployed people desperate to earn a living and supply for there family like me. You have to be quick about it otherwise someone else is going to get it." Jeff explained.

"Open Job?" Emma asked quizzically.

"One that was open but some lucky person managed to get to it first." Jeff clarified.

Emma looked away for a moment. Jeff watched her intently.

"Remember what I said today… before you quit… about not caring where you worked and stuff?" Jeff nodded, gazing at her with adsorption "also I said I didn't care if you took a job at a fast food restaurant"

Jeff looked confused, then it clicked.

"I need a well paying job sweetie, fast food companies don't really pay much." Jeff cringed.

"Then just get a part time job while your searching for another job, you'd be getting payed." Emma explained "I'm sorry I'm not old enough to get a job yet, then I could help you."

Jeff smiled at her. "You're a bloody genius!" He cried pulling her up and into a hug. Emma hugged back, glad she was of some use. "Now I'll just see what fast food restaurant wants a 29 year old single parent of a very mischievous kid!"

Emma opened her mouth and scoffed in insult. Jeff smiled dodging the punch Emma sent his way.

"Too bad!" Jeff mocked, then ran as Emma chased after him. Jeff grabbed the phone and chucked it at her jokingly he didn't really throw the phone that hard, it was a cord phone so it sprung back at him. Emma doubled over with laughter as it struck his stomach he fell back onto the ground. Emma then walked over to him and gave him a sympathetic look. Emma cringed as Jeff lifted his shirt up to see what he had caused himself. It was instant bruising it was black with blotchy bits of red surrounding it. Jeff groaned again and laid back on the ground, hands over his face. Emma touched it lightly and he yelped.

Getting up Emma went to the freezer and got a packet of vegetables then grabbed a tea towel and covered the vegetables with it then walked back to Jeff and placed it on his stomach. Jeff gasped with pain and he closed his eyes, he attempted to pull it off but Emma blocked his hands off.

"Keep it on there" Emma instructed. Jeff was breathing heavily, He pointed to the table. Emma looked up and saw his asthma spray. She got it and gave it to him and he took two puffs from it. "Alright now?"

Jeff nodded, in to much pain to talk.

"Can you at least say something?" Emma asked almost pleadingly.

"G-o ahea-d l-laugh." Jeff stuttered. It looked as if it was an effort to talk and Emma instantly regretted asking him too.

"No I'm not gonna laugh." Emma smiled sincerely "Why would I?"

Jeff smiled and shrugged, he cringed.

"Don't move!" Emma ordered holding Jeff down by putting a hand on his chest. Jeff nodded.

The phone rang, Emma answered it.

"Oh hello Delia!" Emma said pleased, Jeff lightly beckoned her to hand him the phone. "No he's not able to come to the phone."

Jeff looked at her angrily Emma looked back apologetic.

"He hurt himself he is at my feet and cant get up nor speak for that matter…no, no, no! You don't need to come down its not that serious, maybe he wont be throwing cord phones again!" Jeff chuckled and shook his head then howled with pain.

"I have to go… yes. Yes I will call if its important!" Emma said quickly.

Then she hung up. Jeff tried to get to his feet but fell back. He was gasping and whimpering in pain.

"Sit down and stay down!" Emma scolded. She sat back down and looked at him mournfully. Jeff gingerly raised his arm and rubbed her face gently before letting his arm drop back to the floor. Emma put a comforting hand on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff wished he could hug her, she wasn't gloating or making fun of his misfortune like he thought she would. She was kind and supportive exactly what he needed from her.

Jeff yelled in agony he didn't move or touch his stomach so he wasn't sure of the cause.

"Oh my fucking god! Uhh!" Jeff screamed, he used swear words in circumstances when he needed to - like now. "I cant take much more of this!"

"Are you ok?" Emma asked worriedly. Jeff shook his head, gasping in pain. "Shall I call the hospital?" Jeff shook his head again.

Emma grasped his hand and it was squashed as another wave of unbearable pain crashed on Jeff. Emma was confused, why was Jeff in that much pain over a phone? Emma got up and examined the phone, seeing as they had a new one Emma hadn't held this one in ages, it was incredibly heavy. Emma remembered Jeff telling her once that it was a steel one, one of the oldest ones. Jeff used it for work sometimes. Like tonight.

"Dad I really do think you need to go to the hospital!" Emma urged him. Jeff refused. "Dad just please go! If not for yourself then do it for me! Your in pain and I don't like to see that!"

Jeff looked up into her eyes, his eyes wide from the pain, he was gasping heavily. He then nodded. He couldn't take much more anyways.

Emma got up and grabbed the non-steel phone and dialled 000. Within a few minutes she came back and her eyes widened as Jeff was grasping the leg of the chair, his knuckles incredibly white.

"Dad…!" Emma cried. Jeff was panting, making a futile attempt to stop himself from moving. He screamed in excruciating agony. His pain was making Emma's heart hurt.

The ambulance arrived 6 tormenting minutes later. Three out of five had to hold Jeff down with Emma's help. The other two took a look at him. Jeff couldn't stop yelling, the stabs of pain were coming every second. Emma was now crying silently.

"We have to get him to the hospital" One of them announced, Emma looked up the paramedic looked at her. "we're not sure of the cause but we suspect its something very bad."

This wasn't helping. Knowing there could be some damage to his insides made Emma feel dreadful.

They managed to load Jeff onto a stretcher. Jeff was noticeably trying not to squirm to much.

The ambulance was speeding playing chicken with fellow drivers. Emma was being jerked around, Jeff held his hand out which Emma grasped. The two paramedics in the back with them were amazed at their connection, it was obviously one they never seen before.

"Are you his…?" One of them asked, the male one.

"Daughter." Emma smiled at them, Jeff nodded before he gave in to more of the pain.

Emma was detached from Jeff almost immediately when they entered the hospital, it was almost like de-ja-vu but the tables had turned.

Instantly reminded of her promise to Delia she pulled out her mobile phone she had grabbed from the kitchen table before they left.

"Hello?" Delia's voice asked sleepily, checking her watch Emma found out it was 9pm.

"Delia.." Emma said but was interjected.

"Is Jeff alright? Is he ok?" Emma was smiling slightly at how much she cared about him.

"We're at the hospital, I made him go thankfully because they reckon something serious has happened to him."

"I'll be right over"

"No, no. I'll call you to tell you how he is. I don't want you to wake Ash and the others." Emma reassured.

"Alright, fingers crossed that he's ok."

"I'm hoping on more then that." Emma admitted glancing to where they took Jeff.

"Well we should actually." Delia confessed.

"I have to go I'm sorry…" Emma didn't think she could remain stable much longer.

"Alright… talk later sweetie… bye" at 'sweetie' Emma began to sob as she remembered that was what Jeff called her sometimes and there was a chance she might not hear it again.

The waiting room is always a pain in the ass. Injured people made to wait, the families of the hurt also had to wait torturously as Emma was doing.

One hour turned into seven…. Emma was getting tired.

10 hours… she couldn't remain conscious for much longer. Half an hour later she was roused from her sleep. Emma looked into the face of the same doctor she had seen when she came in. Emma was about to jump from her seat when some uplifting words made her slump with happiness.

"He's going to be fine… he had a ruptured appendix caused by the phone. But we managed to rid the poison from him."

Emma sighed with relief. "May I see him?" The doctor nodded and told her the room number. Emma practically ran there.

Emma then regained control of herself and walked through the door slowly. Jeff was wired and the oxygen mask Emma once had to wear was on his face. Emma was gratified that his pain was alleviated, that he was resting peacefully.

Placing a seat beside the bed Emma grasped Jeff's hand, then not long later she fell asleep.

Something was moving, no rubbing her hand gently. Emma woke up and drowsily lifted her head. Looking at her father she was stunned to see he was looking back.

"Dad!" Emma stopped herself from hugging him. But Jeff held his arms out anyways and she hugged him. Jeff closed his eyes as he hugged her.

"Thank you." Jeff's voice was hoarse.

Emma looked at him baffled. "Whaddah ya mean?"

"You made me agree to come here, if you didn't I might've had a time restriction on my life and I'd be wasting it lying on the kitchen floor in agony." Jeff brought her head over and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I owe it all to you"

"Thanks dad." And then she was enveloped in another hug.

Jeff yawned widely. Emma smiled and ruffled his hair, which he returned.

"Get some sleep" Emma told him, Jeff nodded. Within a minute he was asleep. There was another bed next to him, Emma went to ask if she could sleep on it, the nurses said it was ok and they'd wake her if they needed it. So Emma slept for seven hours straight.

***

"Emma? Emma?" Someone was shaking her awake.

Emma sat up once she saw it was a nurse. "Oh sorry! Do you need the bed?"

The nurse shook her head. "I was wondering if you wanted lunch." The nurse stood aside to reveal a tray. Emma nodded with a smile.

"By the way your fathers up, making quick progress, he didn't want me to wake you though."

Emma pulled back the curtains she had pulled around, she wanted privacy. Jeff was sitting up eating with a thoughtful expression, every time he moved around he'd wince, but other then that he didn't show any signs of undergoing surgery 9 to 11 hours ago.

The nurse picked up the tray and deliberately caught Jeff's attention. Seeing the nurse walk to the bed he saw Emma in, he looked at her questioningly and she nodded. Jeff smiled widely.

Emma sat up fully and matched his grin. Jeff shook his head still smiling. Emma knew what that meant.

The nurse placed the tray on this hold out table thing and left that's when Jeff struck up conversation.

"Couldn't remain awake could ya?" Jeff gave another cheeky grin.

Emma's mouth opened in outrage. "I stayed up for hours why you were in surgery! Did you expect me to wait longer?"

"Yeah I did!" Jeff joked. Emma threw a small piece of bread at Jeff and it hit him on the head. Jeff threw a bit of egg at Emma amazingly it missed. Jeff cringed as a sharp pain tore through his mid section. Emma's smile vanished to be replaced by mixed looks of alarm and concern.

Jeff looked up after the pain was gone. He gave his daughter a reassuring smile. "Don't worry! Its nothing to fuss about the doctor said it was to be expected." The smile came back to Emma which pleased Jeff.

"Oh crap!" Jeff threw more food at her with his left hand now at her swearing, "I promised Delia I'd call her and tell her how you are!"

Emma grabbed her mobile and called Delia, the phone rang just once before Delia answered it.

"Delia!"

"Emma how is he?" Delia asked quickly.

"Ask him yourself." Emma said and chucked her phone to Jeff and it landed on his lap. He picked it up and was in a deep conversation his voice so low Emma couldn't hear.

Jeff hung up three minutes later.

"You owe me credit." Emma told Jeff as she put her phone away. Jeff looked at her seriously. Emma instantly looked worried. "Dad? Are you ok?" Emma got up and walked over to him.

"Dad?"

Jeff took a heavy breath.

"Delia… she-she…." Emma grasped his hand looking at him inquiringly. "She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"What?" Emma seriously thought she misheard.

Jeff took a deep shuddering breath. "She said as long as I continue to act stupidly and hurt myself she cant see me. She also doesn't want Ash fraternizing with you."

Emma was appalled. "I cant believe this!" Emma walked out of the room grabbing her phone from her pocket and called Delia.

"Hello?" Delia's happy voice made Emma sick to her stomach.

"Where do you get off saying that to my dad?"

Delia's tone chilled a little. "I did what I had to do."

"Do you seriously believe that? Dad doesn't deliberately get himself hurt! And you tell him you want to forget him hours after surgery?!"

"I couldn't see a better time." Delia admitted.

"That's bullshit!" Emma cried, "You couldn't care less if it was hours after his surgery or hours before he died! Your just so insecure because he's a wild but kind person and you're an uptight son of a bitch!" Then she hung up.

Jeff had heard every word Emma had said because she was just outside the door. Emma stormed in looking very, very incensed.

"Emma…" Jeff said, Emma halted then looked round at her father. "Did you mean everything you said?" Emma's mouth fell open.

"You heard…?"

"Yes I heard… did you mean it?"

"Yes I meant every word!" Emma nodded hands on her hips. "I don't let anyone speak about you or anyone I care about like Delia did she didn't seem to have any remorse!" Emma spoke very quickly and was getting more and more infuriated.

"Emma…" Emma didn't seem to hear him. "Emma!" she jerked and looked at Jeff. "Look you didn't have to call her, she sounded like she had her mind made up." Jeff was sounding despondent " But I do appreciate you trying help but I don't want you getting involved."

Emma was going to fight back, but then decided to respect his wishes. Emma hugged Jeff feeling like he needed one.

Jeff hugged back tightly. It took all of his efforts to not break down, he now lost two women, Andrea and Delia. He was going to keep the third no matter what he had to do to keep her he'd do it, she was in his arms right now.

"So." Jeff sighed when they released each other. "I cant wait to get outta here, its like a prison for bad memories." Jeff sighed and shook his head looking up a the ceiling then down at Emma again, who looked at him sadly. Suddenly Emma's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Emma?" It was Ash, he didn't sound angry with her about how she told his mother off.

"Ash?"

"Yeah its me" Ash sounded … sad? "Look I'm sorry for how mum treated Jeff. How is he?"

"He's fine… I think. Do you wanna talk to him?" Emma asked.

"If its ok with him." Ash replied. Jeff accepted the phone as Emma held it out to him.

"Hello?" And the conversation went on from there, Emma pressed speaker phone so it was a three way conversation. Brock and Misty joined in as well. An hour later Ash had to go because Delia had gotten back home from her shopping, they said cheery goodbyes and hung up.

"Well that went better then I expected.' Emma said heartily, then they broke out into laughter for some reason. When they finished laughing they felt considerably much better.

"So how come this is a prison for bad memories?" Emma asked, she was reminded of the conversation they had before the phone rang.

Jeff looked melancholy.

"Well when I was 20 I owned a motorcycle." Emma gaped with disbelief. "Remember when you first asked me what the mark on my back was?" Emma nodded. "Yeah I do"

"I crashed the motorcycle into a parked car and landed onto another car." Emma cringed. "Yeah… it hurt more then last night. "

"Ow! So that's why you despise motorcycles!" Emma gasped, Jeff nodded. "Not that I can blame you!"

Jeff laughed. "Your grandmother did her nut when she found out, started ranting and raving and she was escorted out."

Emma laughed "Good old grandma!… but what about mum?"

"What about her?"

"You had to be at least 15 when mum had me. So obviously she had to be worried."

"She was, wouldn't let me out of her sight for weeks! And to tell you the truth I was about 14 and a half while she was 16" Emma laughed incredulously them looked down at the ground.

"Why did mum have to die? Why not me?"

"Hey!" Jeff cried, he was surprised she would say something like that. "Don't you ever, ever say anything like that! You hear me? Don't say it and never ever think it!"

"But its true, I should've died not mum, then you'd be happy."

"Emma!" Jeff grabbed her chin and made her look at him. "Don't think for a second I wouldn't miss you if you died! I would be mourning exactly the same way I am about your mother."

"No you wouldn't."

"Where is this all coming from!?" Jeff cried exasperated and mad. "What on earth has made you think like this?!"

"Because I know it's the truth! You wouldn't miss me! In fact you'd probably forget my existence"

Jeff glared at her, he would never ever have forgotten her and he definitely would have missed her, but why was she doubting that?

"Emma I want you to listen to me and listen good. I would never ever have forgotten your existence and I would certainly miss you!" Jeff spoke calmly "Don't beat yourself up because you survived and she didn't, its not your fault. I'm just thankful that one of you is around-"

"The wrong one."

Jeff was becoming irate, he didn't know why this was coming from her now but he was determined to put a stop to it.

"There was no right or wrong person Emma! Both of you were the right person, your mother- she probably died trying to get you out of harms way! Look I know your still grieving because I am too, but there is no need to beat yourself up like this!"

"Mum didn't exactly die saving me…" Emma said disgracefully, Jeff gawked at her. "Do you wanna know what happened?"

Jeff nodded.

"Then I'll tell you."

To Be Continued…

Ooh cliff hanger! Now we finally get to know what happened the night of mothers day! How will you guys react? I'm not sure but I shall find out… when you review!!! And someone please send my profile around so people will actually read my stories! Only FemaleSpock is actually reviewing all my stories! Come on people where's your enthusiasm?!

Anyways gotta go I'm writing the next chapter!

Keep reading!

PikaDarkness

(Do you feel left out when I deliberately keep you hanging?)