I woke up to the sound of people chattering and feet shuffling on the ground. My eyes were fuzzy, but I finally came to enough to look around for familiar colors and shapes. There was none, but there was a younger blonde lady messing with a machine next to me.
"Oh, hello, there," she said as she wrote something on a clipboard. "My name is Shelby. Do you know where you are, or why you are here?"
I looked around and groaned softly, "Where is my husband? My kids?"
"They are in the other room. Getting questioned. Well, not really questioned, just trying to fill out your information as to why you are here and stuff."
"So where am I, exactly?"
"You're in the hospital. Apparently, you fainted at the park, and someone called the ambulance, and you're here now. When was the last time you ate?"
Shit. "I ate earlier today," I lied.
"Good. Do you know why you fainted?"
"Heat exhaustion? Stress?"
"Mm-hmm. Alright. Well, I will bring in your party and we can go from there." Shelby left as I pushed the button on my bed, causing it to lean up so I could sit and see more than bright lights on the ceiling.
Not too long after, Jack and Rose came running in with my babies. Jack hugged me tightly as I patted his back. "Oh, my god. I am so glad that you're okay, Emily. What happened?" I just shrugged, my kids looking at me with confusion and fear.
"Hey, guys... come up here..." I said as they walked up towards me slowly and climbed up on my lap. "Mommy loves you, you know that?"
"What happened, mommy?" Jessica asked.
"What is in your arm?" Xavier followed.
"Mommy is just really, really tired, that's all. There's been some issues that's been going on, and I just... haven't had time to rest. This is a needle, Xav. It's keeping me... hydrated? I think is the right word. It's keeping me from going back to sleep at random times."
"Oh," Xav said. "I still love you, mommy," he said as he gave me a hug. Jessica joined in my hug as I hugged them both tightly, a tear falling down my face. I was afraid of what was going to happen next, but I knew that it was inevitable.
Rose sat in the corner, being awkward as I looked to her and gave a questioned look. "Why... How did she know to come here?" I asked.
"You called her before you passed out. You said you weren't feeling good," Jack said. I looked him over after I took my focus off my kids for a moment. He looked perfectly fine. Well fed, clean clothes. The last I remember, he was just thin and seemed like flies would have loved to be circling him. Why his appearance would have looked so exaggerated is beyond me, but there was something not right in my head.
"What else did I do? Because all I remember is telling you about how Allison and Sarah were plotting against me to get us to break up--"
"Sarah and-- that's preposterous! They stopped by and were acting weird, but why would our friends do such a thing?"
Just then, an older man, mostly bald, entered the room and cleared his throat, "Jack... may I speak with you alone for a moment, please?" He nodded as he left the room, leaving me alone with Rose, Xavier and Jessica.
"Are you going to be okay?" Xavier asked.
"Yeah. Mommy will be alright. No matter what happens, I'll be okay. I'll still love you guys. You're my family. Family stays together."
Jack came back and talked to Rose for a moment before her and the kids left, he sat next to me, rubbing my hand. "I... I had to do what was best for us... and they want to send you to a... rehab facility."
