Hey all! I'm sooo sorry for the delay! I kind of lost my motivation for the story, but recently found that passion again! I've been writing a ton of chapters so I can post almost daily. I hope you guys keep reading this, I have a few fun twists planned and can't wait to continue the story!

Chapter 8

Emily

"You can go see her now," the kind woman at the desk said. She gave me a reassuring smile as I got up from my seat, pointing me in the right direction. I felt like I was going to throw up right there on the porcelain tile floor, my stomach tied up in knots. I didn't want to see my mother like this… I wanted my strong, lively mother who kept me going after my father died and always knew exactly what to say when I was making dumb decisions. I wanted my comforting mother who held me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. I didn't want to remember her as weak and incapable of simple tasks.

When I opened to the door to her room, it took every ounce of strength in my body to stay standing. Before me lay my mother, connected to so many IV's and tubes it looked as if she was more medicine than human. Her eyes were closed and the monitor was beeping at a seemingly normal rate, but when the door snapped shut, I saw her eyes open and the beeping start going faster. I put a smile on my face as I sat down at her bedside and took her hand in my own.

"Hi, Mom… I've missed you so much," I started, trying to keep my words steady and slow. "I uh… I heard Alison came to visit… that was nice, wasn't it?"

After I left Alison, my mom was more angry at me than she was pitiful, and I understood why. She loved Alison like a daughter, and even when she tried to convince me to come back and fix things, I didn't listen. My mother crinkled her eyes as if to smile and gave my hand a light squeeze, bringing me back to the present.

"Mom, I… I'm so sorry… I should never have left and I…" I couldn't get my words right, my sentences coming out in pieces. A silent tear rolled down my cheek. "I should have come home to visit you more, I should have fixed things sooner, I should have-" She squeezed my hand tighter this time, looking at me intently as she tried to speak.

"E-e-e-emi-l-ly… I f-f-f-forg-i-i-ve y-y-you…" She forced the words out of her mouth, relaxing back into the bed as she finished. The pain she was going through was too much to bear.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mom?" I watched her carefully, trying to find a response. She simply smiled up at me, moving her head side to side as if she was shaking it "no". All I could do was nod my head and sit there beside her, talking to keep her company.

"Well, I guess I'll tell you what's been going on in my life… coaching at Stanford has been amazing. I mean, it's my dream job. I just wish it was closer to home so I could keep the job and visit more. In other news, I have been seeing Paige again…" A look of confusion and disappointment crossed her face, making me smile a bit.

"Yes Mom, I know, Alison is so much better for me… which is why I'm going to break up with Paige. I just… when I ran away from my problems three years ago, I wanted to put up a barrier between me and my feelings about Rosewood, so I threw Paige right in the middle. Horrible, right?" I saw her smile a bit, knowing she was glad I was there talking to her.

"Yeah, so I'm going to stick around Rosewood for a while, maybe look for a new job, I'm not entirely sure yet. All I know for sure is that I will be here with you every second I can be… I love you, Mom," I said, trying hard to keep my voice from cracking and the tears from falling. It was my turn to be strong for her.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes and I watched her close her eyes slowly, glad she would be able to get some peaceful sleep tonight. I held her hand until her breathing slowed, but when I got up to leave, something changed. The beeping on the monitor was speeding up and I saw my mother start to shake.

"Doctor! We need a doctor in here! Help!" I called, my voice trembling as I ran out into the hall and waved my arms. The shaking became more violent now, the beeps getting faster and faster. I whipped my head between the hallway and my mother, still shouting. "Someone, help! She's convulsing!"

I heard doctors start to rush down the hall, their footsteps making loud slapping sounds as they ran to my mother's room. Two males pushed past me into the room, one tall and lanky and one short and built, grabbing onto my mother's shoulders, trying to hold her down.

"This looks like a seizure," the tall one said.

"She's a brain tumor patient, just had a stroke two days ago that left her with brain damage. We were unable to remove the tumor due to how extensive it was," the second doctor said. I stood in the doorway, unable to breath.

"I need more morphine in her system to try and sedate her. If we don't get this under control she might flat line," the taller man said, moving to add more liquid to her IV. I was flustered, trying to figure out what they were saying.

"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to clear the room," the short doctor said, clearly talking to me. I was too anxious to respond.

"I-I… w-w-what is…" I tried to understand what was happening but I couldn't even get a full sentence out.

"Ma'am, I know this is hard to watch, and we will explain it all as soon as we can, but please, for your mother's safety, you need to wait outside." The taller doctor had his hand on my arm now, escorting me out of the room and into the hallway. As soon as we stepped out, he let go and rushed back in, closing the door behind him.

I was breathing so hard I had to put my hands on my knees, trying to slow down my heart rate. What was happening? I had seen my mother for fifteen minutes and I might be about to lose her.

The nurse I spoke to earlier came over to me, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, why don't you come over and sit? I have some information about your mom and I'm sure you would like to hear it," she said, her voice kind and endearing. I followed her out to the waiting room and sat beside her, using the armrests to stabilize myself.

"It's Emily, right?"

"Yeah…" I replied, my voice weak and tight.

"I'm Iris," she said, smiling at me warmly. "The first thing you need to know is that what happened in there is not your fault. Do you understand? That was just unlucky timing," she pressed, her hand resting on my arm in a comforting yet professional manner. I could tell she had done this many times despite how young she looked. I nodded, motioning for her to continue.

"Your mother experienced a seizure, which is common in post-stroke patients. However, what makes this more complicated is the tumor in her brain. Because of this tumor, your mother has gone into a coma, meaning her brain is not responding at all." I was looking at the floor, my hands gripping the armrests to avoid shaking uncontrollably.

"Stay with me, Emily, I know this is hard to hear… I have to warn you, your mother is not likely to come out of this coma. From what we have gathered, this tumor is only going to grow, and now that her brain isn't active, it will grow much faster. She may only have a few days left… I'm so sorry, I know how hard this is," she said, her hand still resting on my arm. Tears were coming at a steady rate now, and I couldn't even begin to think of the words to say, so I just nodded to let her know I heard her.

"Is there someone you can call, maybe a friend who lives close by? You shouldn't be alone right now. We are going to work to keep your mother stable for the next few hours, but we can't promise anything past twelve hours. I know this is a lot to process… again, is there someone I can call for you?" I just stared at the ground, reaching up to my face to wipe away the flood of tears on my cheeks.

"I-I c-c-can d-d-d-do it… t-t-thanks…" I said with a trembling voice, pulling out my phone and immediately typing in Alison's number. I didn't want to call her in this state, so I sent her a simple text.

Hey Ali, it's Emily. There were some complications at the hospital… can I stay with you?

I turned the phone off as soon as I was done, surprised to find the nurse still sitting there.

"I'm f-f-fine… y-y-you can g-go back t-t-to w-work…" I stammered, looking at her this time.

"Alright ma'am… but I will be right at the desk if you need me. Please, let me know if you need anything," she said, her voice sincere and soft. I smiled weakly at her, hoping she knew how much I appreciated her right now. She nodded as she returned to her desk, my phone buzzing in my pocket.

Yeah, is everything okay? Do you want me to come get you?

With shaking hands, I typed a vague response, knowing I needed to talk to her in person.

Can you come to the hospital? I'll be here for a few more hours and the doctors don't think I should be alone… I know we still have a lot to catch up on but Hanna's not here yet and I don't have anyone else to call. Please?

I felt horrible for having to drag her into this mess, but I was utterly alone in the world. With Hanna still not in town and my relationship with Paige on the rocks, I didn't have anyone to turn to… except Alison. She replied quickly.

Of course Em, you don't need to explain. I'll be there in ten.

I sighed with relief, sliding my phone back into my pocket and leaning my head back against the chair. I closed my eyes, trying to hold back tears. Just as I felt myself starting to calm down, everything went black.

Alison

I jumped of the couch as soon as I got her text, rushing to put on some sort of normal clothes. I settled for jeans and a t-shirt, throwing them on quickly and sliding on my tennis shoes. I ran frantically around the house looking for my keys, not being able to remember where I had left them. Because of the crazy couple of days I had, I couldn't even remember the last time I sat in my car. After running around my house in circles, I found them sitting in the bottom of a drawer in my kitchen. It had been too long. I had to get to her.

As soon as I found my keys I rushed to the garage and pulled the car out into the street, closing the garage door before speeding down the road. My Ford Fusion hummed softly as it accelerated, squeaking as I flew around the turns. While I knew everything was moving faster than I had planned, it felt so normal to be rushing to Emily's side. During her breakdown after I miscarried the twins, it became routine for me to rush home from work at a moment's notice.

The final bell rang as I closed "Great Expectations," the book I was teaching to my sophomore class. The irony was not lost on me, considering Pip really did get Estella in the end.

"Well, make sure to finish Chapter 4 for tomorrow. We'll continue our discussion on Pip's relationships with the other characters in the novel," I announced to the class, beginning to pack up my things. When I was finally able to check my phone, I saw two missed calls from Emily and six missed calls from Spencer, along with a slew of text messages from her boyfriend Toby. I called Spencer as I rushed out of the building. She picked up just as I was throwing my bag into the passenger seat.

"Alison, thank god," she began. "Emily is having a full-blown meltdown. I mean, there's stuff broken all over the yard and she won't stop screaming." Tears stung the back of my eyes as I imagined my beautiful fiance trashing our home.

"What… what did she break?" I stammered, thinking about all the picture frames and old decorations my mom had stored in the attic.

"It's hard to tell. I tried to calm her down but she just kept going… it looks like picture frames, some lamps, maybe a few things from the nursery? I really tried to stop her, Ali, but she threatened to hurt me if I didn't leave… I'm outside the house right now but I'm scared for her." There was a knot in my stomach. Emily had only threatened two people in her life… Sara Harvey and Jenna Marshall, two people who had, at one time or another, been involved in A's murderous plots.

"I… I'm on my way home now… is she still going?"

"I don't think so… the house got quiet right before you called. I'll wait for you outside but I think it's best if you go in alone," Spencer stated, the tremor in her voice evident. None of us could have predicted that Emily would be the one to break.

"Ok, thanks Spence," I replied, ending the call before she could hear me crying. Emily had always been the strong one, and I knew I couldn't show my emotions around her at a time when she felt so weak.

I rolled up to the house and stopped my car, sprinting out to meet Spencer. I didn't stop to exchange pleasantries, I simply nodded in her direction and continued towards the front door. The door was slightly ajar, small pieces of glass scattered in the grass and a ceramic lamp trashed on the porch. I flew inside, scanning the room. It looked in tact, for the most part, but the nursery was a mess, just as Spencer had said. Sitting on the floor in a ball was Emily, her hair fallen in front of her face. I rushed to her side, putting my hand on her back as I pulled her to my chest.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here..." I said, wrapping my arms around her. It had been the first time in weeks she had let me hold her, and I had missed her scent. The moment didn't last long. A few minutes later I felt her pulling away, trying to collect herself.

"Ali, I-I'm s-s-sorry… I j-j-just d-didn't want to l-look at their r-room anymore…" she stammered, her voice caught in her throat. It hurt me to see her like this, more than she would ever know.

"It's alright, Em, really… just come to bed, we can take a nice long nap," I said, reaching out to grab her hand. She wavered, looking at my hand and then at my eyes. She finally took my hand, reluctantly, and I lead her upstairs. I barely had time to change before she was dragging me down and curling up into my side, her shoulders still shaking as she cried. I let her sleep for who knows how long, but when she woke up, she was back to shutting me out again. That was the last time she had let me in before she walked out.

Tears were streaming heavily down my face by the time I got to the hospital, but I knew this was one of those times I needed to be strong. So I wiped my face on my sleeve and parked the car quickly, getting out and rushing inside. I already knew that Emily would be on floor three, and to save time, I took the stairs.

I arrived at the waiting room, looking around quickly before finally spotting that long, dark hair spilling over her knees. She had pulled her knees to her chest and was curled up in a ball in one of the chairs, and I could tell she was crying. As I walked closer, it became more evident, her shoulders shaking violently even though no sound came out. I knelt down in front of her, putting my hands on my knees.

"Hey, Em… come on, let's go somewhere more private, okay? I'll talk to that nurse up there and figure out someplace for us to go, you just wait here for me," I said in the softest voice possible. She hadn't raised her head to look at me once, so I stood and headed for the front desk.

"Hi… I was wondering if you had a private room somewhere that we could sit in?" I motioned back to Emily, who she seemed to recognize. She nodded, her face seeming to drop at the sight of Emily.

"Y-yes, it's just down the hall to your left… second door on the right. It should be labeled… and uh, let me know if there is anything I can do, alright?" She looked sincere, her eyes darting between me and Emily. I simply nodded and rushed back over to Emily. I reached for her chin, lifting it up slowly.

"It's gonna be okay, come on babe…" My eyes widened at my use of the word so easily, but I acted as if it didn't happen, considering Emily was in no position to notice. I stood up and reached for her, looping my arm through hers and nearly dragging her to the private room recommended by the nurse.

I opened the door to a nice living-room type space, with a couch, chair, table, and television. I pulled Emily to the couch and sat down, immediately bringing her to my side and wrapping my arms around her. She didn't protest, wrapping her arms around my waist and tucking her head into my shoulder, her sobs audible now. I kept my left arm around her shoulders, using my right hand to stroke her hair.

"Shhh, it's okay, I'm right here with you, everything's gonna be just fine…" I wasn't convinced by my own words, but I said them nonetheless, doing anything I could to calm her down.

It broke me, seeing her like this, but all I could do was sit here and hold her. She continued to cry, slowly quieting down to a silent, steady stream of tears. She clung to me with such a desperation that it made my heart ache, my eyes brimming with tears just at the sight of the woman I loved falling apart all over again. After about 10 minutes of her holding so tight to my side, she looked up at me, her eyes puffy and read.

"I… t-thank y-y-you for b-being here…" she was still shaking, her arms still around my waist. I smiled at her, my hand still running through her hair.

"Of course I'm here, Em… I would never let you go through this alone, you should know that by now." She shook her head, her eyes trained on the floor.

"She's gonna die, Ali… she had a seizure, she's in a coma, and then she's gone." Tears were falling silently on her face, and I held her tighter, taking my hand from her hair so I could wrap both arms around her shoulders. "I had three years I could have spent with her, and now I only get three hours… if I would have never left-" I stop her mid sentence.

"Emily, stop, you didn't cause this. Sickness, death… they're horrible things, but you didn't know this would happen three years ago, and you surely didn't know it would end like this when you came back to Rosewood." I stopped talking, looking down at her and trying to figure out what she was thinking. Before I could truly figure her out, she leaned up and kissed me. It wasn't like the when she first got here, timid and scared. This time, it was passionate, sad, and desperate. I didn't push her away this time, instead I kissed her back, my hands getting tangled in her hair. We stayed like that for a few moments, her hands cupping my face like they always did, until I pulled away, just looking into her eyes. She didn't say a word, just cuddling back into my side, where we stayed until she was stable enough to see her mother one last time.