XIII.

Happiness

"Leah, Leah, wake up!" someone was shaking me harder than was needed. "Leah!" the voice said again. Why couldn't these people just leave me alone? Shouldn't they be sleeping too? It's night. I opened my eyes and saw Seth by my bed.

"Seth, if you don't know yet, night time is when people sleep. I'm one of those people so good night," I groaned.

"Leah, this isn't the time to have a smart mouth," he said.

"Yeah, well this isn't the time to wake someone up Seth," I retorted back burying my face under a pillow.

"Mom's having the baby! We need to go to the hospital, now!" Seth said dragging me up. That made me bolt out of my bed and grab a bathroom robe.

"Why didn't you say so? Come on!" I screamed half jogging, half running down the stairs.

My mother was by the door screaming her lungs out while clutching Charlie's arm. By the look on Charlie's face, that arm was going through torture right now. If this wasn't so serious, I would have laughed. Charlie was urging her on towards the car but she still wouldn't move.

"He's early, Charlie! He's too early to come!" she was screaming to him even though he was just ear to ear to her.

"No, he needs to come now. If he doesn't, he's going to die inside of you. We don't want that do we?" he asked soothingly but I could tell he was panicking himself. He turned and saw us. "Kids, a little help?"

I wrapped my arm around my mom while Seth grabbed the keys to Charlie's police car since he couldn't escape mom's clutch on his arm. I helped Charlie guide Sue to the police car while Seth started it. They exchanged places since Seth couldn't drive Charlie's car. I don't think anyone can drive a police car unless they were actually a police. We all got in the car and sped away. Seth was in the front seat with Charlie driving while I soothed my mother at the back.

Thank goodness it was only three in the morning so the road was empty. The hospital was only a few minutes away so in no time, we were already there. The nurses were already helping her out of the car while she screamed her throat. We were asked to wait outside while she was in the emergency room. Seth looked horrified, since he was the younger one and he has never experience our mom giving birth but then I was too young to know what was going on when Seth was born so I really didn't remember much. I could tell Seth was real worried about what will happen to our mom.

The hallway outside our mom's room had long rows of chairs. We were alone except for a young girl waiting at the far end of the hallway. She was about sixteen, with long black curly hair. Compared to her, Seth looked calmer. She was pale and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. She looked as if she was going to break down to tears or even faint. The door opened and Carlisle came out of the room where she was waiting. For a moment, she was blocked from view by Carlisle.

Seth looked over to them and said,"Leah, that's Carlisle. I didn't know he works here."

"He's a doctor, Seth, duh."

"Why don't we go and say hi?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't think it's a good time right now. I think he's giving a bad news to that girl," I told him, pointing at that girl who was still covered from view. I could hear the girl wailing already which means that whatever it was that she feared the most just happened.

"I'm really sorry, Lexi. If you excuse me, I will give you privacy now," he told the girl as he turned towards us. He looked surprised. His face was sad and solemn but he greeted us with enthusiasm.

"Charlie, Leah, Seth, how are you tonight?" he asked as he shook each of our hands. Charlie didn't say anything but just nodded. I think he was going to puke if he opened his mouth.

"We're fine, thanks," I replied since there was no one talking. I wasn't sure why Seth wasn't speaking. He usually speak to Carlisle.

Carlisle looked at the girl who was still wailing. "She lost her mother tonight. I was operating her for brain tumor but she had multiple organ failure even before I could get the tumor out."

I looked at her, pitied. This girl was on the floor, crying her eyes out. She looked as if she was going to faint sooner or later. I wish I could do something to comfort her but I wasn't sure myself what to say. Then I imagined if my own mother would lose her life giving birth tonight. I was getting more and more afraid. I didn't want to lose my mother. I've lost my father before and I don't want to lose my mom. If that happens, would Seth and me be considered as orphans even if Charlie was our step father.

She lifted her head and I could see that she was actually quite pretty. She has high cheek bones with round blackish-brown eyes that were bloodshot right now. Her thin lips were curved in agony. She had a tint of yellow in her skin which meant she must not be a Native American. I was guessing Hispanic or Pacific Islander, maybe Hawaiian. I looked at Seth who was staring transfixed at her. I don't think he even lifted his eyes off her ever since Carlisle stopped blocking her from us.

"So, Sue must be having a baby now?" Carlisle asked and Charlie nodded. "Well, I best be going. There are still alot of paper work that had to be done. Good luck with the baby," he said and he was off.

"Seth, are you all right?" I asked. Seth still didn't take his eyes off her. Was he worried that the same thing would happen to our mother? Then without warning, Seth stood up and crouched low at the girl, whispering words of comfort to her.

Charlie looked at Seth who was now with the girl and then looked at me. He was silently asking me the same question that I was asking myself. What is he doing? A nurse came out of my mom's room. Charlie and me stood up nervously. I knew she was going to announce something and I was overwhelmed with anxiousness. We looked at her expecting the worst.

"Are you the father?" she asked to Charlie and he nodded. He was paler now. "You need to come with us. It's usually more comforting if the father is there."

I was mad. Why would Charlie be welcomed to my mother's room? I am still her daughter and he's not even her husband. "Why can't I come?"

"Leah, it's going to be ok. Don't worry about it," he said soothingly.

"What? Why shouldn't I worry? I want to see my mother myself!" I screamed. I can't believe Seth wouldn't back me up with this. Instead he was with that girl.

"Calm down. She's going to be fine. You'll see her in awhile. We just need the father. You don't really want to be there when your sibling is born. They'll be covered in blood and guts," the nurse softly said to me as if she was explaining things to a little girl. I wanted to say something but I just nodded. Fine, as long as my mom's going to be fine.

"Lexi?" another nurse asked as she approached the girl that was now weeping in Seth's arms. She looked up, her eyes were swollen now. Poor girl. But I was still irritated with Seth. What was he thinking? "As your mother's only living relative, we need to talk to you about the arrangement for the funeral."

The girl nodded and unwrapped herself from Seth's arms. I should have realized that the girl was not supposed to be talking to Seth at all. He was a stranger to her, right? Why would she let him wrap his arms around her? The girl walked away, her head bowed while silent tears dropped from her face. Seth was still looking at her, a weird blankness in his face. I stood up and grabbed his arm and dragged him to a standing position.

"What the hell are you doing, Seth?" I hissed at him. He blinked, confused.

"What? What did I do?" he asked innocently.

"Why in the world are you picking up a girl whose mother just died?!"

"I am not picking her up, Leah. I..." he said, trailing of.

"You what?" I asked suspiciously.

"I imprinted on her," he said whispered. I looked at him with disbelief.

"Oh my gosh, Seth! I am so happy for you!" I squeaked. I hugged him fiercely.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, unsure.

I looked at him. I know what he was thinking. "Seth, I think you need to give her some time to heal. Her mom just died."

"That's why I think I need to be with her," he said, still unsure.

"Maybe don't break things to her right away. Maybe you need to let her know you well first before you tell her about our pack," I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He nodded. "Just for now, Seth, be there for her."

"Kids! Come here quick!" Charlie said excitedly, peeking his head out from my mom's hair. We exchange a quick look and ran towards the room. We were both afraid of what we will see. The baby was still a few weeks early. We were afraid that our baby sibling would be too weak to survive.

When we entered my mom's room, she was cradling the baby in her arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks but she wore a wide smile. Sweat made her clothes and her hair stuck to her skin. She looked worn out but she had that weird glow that you only get when you have a baby. I held tears back. I knew I probably wasn't going to experience that even if I imprinted. My mom looked at me and I immediately smiled, pushing the grief in the back of my mind.

"Congratulations, you have a new baby brother," a nurse told me. My mom's smile got wider that it looked painful. I smiled. I was happy that I have a new brother. If I couldn't have a baby, then I decided to take care of this baby as if it was my own.