Thanks to GleeJunkie007 for reviewing.
I would have to admit though. That no matter how much "Well done Emma Peterson" it was over that water fight. The routines had been kind of shaken by it and at ten most of the children, including the youngest ones were in the living room watching TV. And only Emily, Ella and Shawn had gone off.
All of them had gotten each warm shower so hopefully I wouldn't have gotten them all ill after everything. But at least now they were warm and dressed in warm clothes, having made sure their hair was completely dried off and they had all gotten grilled cheese sandwiches and hot chocolate.
Although I couldn't help but to notice that even with almost everybody in one room without any fighting. Well that didn't happen often in a place like this!
I was supposed to quit about now so maybe I should go before someone had started something. But they wouldn't right? Not with this little left of the day and all of them exhausted after the water fight and late night.
Well. I just had to jinx it didn't I?
"Emma?" Jim looked up on me where he sat on the floor. "What date is it today?"
"Oh ehrm…" I had to think for a second. "November the first. Why?"
"I just wanted to know if it's November now. Do you know that November is Epilepsy awareness month? Everybody knows October is for breast cancer and many know that November is for prostate cancer and diabetes. Almost nobody knows November is also for Epilepsy. But of course. I have Epilepsy in December and January and all the other months. But it isn't the other months. It's November. So maybe before November is over I could, kind of do something to get money and… give the money to some kind of charity that is for Epilepsy."
"Well…." Marley seemed to be thinking hard about something. And I had a bad feeling about this. She had seemed cold and rude to Jim all week since he "Snitched". And it didn't seem like the water fight had made it any better. Not yet at least. "There are loads of different diseases and stuff that has its month. If we raised money for everything at least I wouldn't have any money left. There are like a million different ones." Marley went back to watching the TV show, but Jim wasn't going to give in so easily.
"But I don't have a million different ones. I have epilepsy. But I don't want to have it. So I'd really like to…."
"Boo-hoo then. I'm allergic to like everything but you don't see me going out crying to people about it do you. Brielle, you're like constantly anemic and nothing helps. And Ashton, you have something, something, something too. Right?"
I had a feeling I might want to stop it right there and then. But something kept me from doing just that while I watched Jim trying to stand up for himself.
"Yeah. I have something called PCOS. But nobody really cares about that even though it's really common. Maybe because only girls can get it." Ashton shrugged, then she too returned to the show they were watching.
"Girls gets epilepsy too." Jim tried. "And boys, and loads and loads of people. Sixty five million people in the whole world has it and that is a lot. But nobody does anything about it. But I want to. And I don't care if you want to help me or not."
"Well I don't." Marley was sounding more and more rude. "I don't care at all. So go cry it out to somebody else." Jim pouted. But I could see that even if he wasn't crying now, he was on the verge of tears.
"I'm not crying…" Jim stepped up and pointed to his side. "Walk the plank." Then he turned and stomped into the hallway and up the stairs.
I really felt bad for Jim and for not stepping up when I should have. I would have to tell Mike about this and maybe get some tips about how to take discussions like those. Although, maybe this one in between Marley and Jim should have meant something.
I too had had Epilepsy from when I was seven to when I was twelve. And even though it had been years since then. That fear when your body is suddenly out of your control was something that couldn't be forgotten in a hundred years. That way your whole body hurt when you woke up on the floor, or the constant fear of next time. Because most likely there would be a next time and it wouldn't be a smidge easier than the last.
With memories flashing by of all of those times of mine I ignored what Ashton and Marley had said. Stood up trying not to catch any attention and went after Jim. Just as I heard the door slam behind him as he went into his room. Maybe there was something I could do to help him to raise awareness or whatever. If so even ever so little.
"Emma." I heard Mike's voice behind me when I moved towards the stairs and turned. "Can you come with me into the office? I have to talk to you about something." Mike turned back into the office and I followed. Then sat down in the couch as Mike were in the two desk chairs.
"There is…" Mike leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "…A new boy. The first thing we've got to do now is to sort out the rooms. David has now moved permanently in with Wheezy as you know. Because we thought that Shawn with all of his school work could need his own and David was whining… yeah, you know. All of it. But all the boys are now sharing, and that's everybody except for Shawn."
"Mike…" I tried. "…Maybe… You could start with telling me his name? And when will he be here?"
"Oh yes, yes. Of course… His name is Aryan Pandya. And he'll be arriving tomorrow morning." Mike sighed deeply. "I'll go talk to Shawn."
So. Jim wants to raise awareness for Epilepsy but so far it's not going too well. Emma wants to help him though, but not Marley. And now there's a new kid arriving.
This is a very short chapter and only a filler. But I kind of needed it done for future chapters and I wanted it this way. So I hope you can live with that.
Random fact
People who know me are probably super-duper-mega-very-über-tired of hearing about Epilepsy and Epilepsy awareness. But as some of you know, and I put in an A/N before. I do have Epilepsy myself and do everything I can to raise awareness. Although I hate to admit I never gave it a second thought before I was diagnosed in 2015.
Everyone who reviews gets a shoutout