My promise to him

Chapter 13

10 minutes later, the doctor comes in smiling softly, "How are you feeling?" he asks me. I take the mask off, "Better but why do I keep losing breath all the time?" I ask, breathing heavily back into the mask. 

He checks my pulse, "I don't know," he replies, "you shouldn't still be having trouble with your breathing, but I would keep the mask on and lie back so you're not hunched up for now and I will run some more tests, but it shouldn't be anything to serious," he assures me. 

I feel light and I smile "Where am I?" I ask, the doctor. "You're in Shrewsbury Hospital," he says adjusting one of the machines on my right. I smirk, "Why?" I ask laughing. He looks at me confused turns over to me, "Emma, could you tell me how you're feeling?" I look up at him confused but he doesn't look like he's joking. Weird. 

"I'm fine, can you get my dad please?" I ask looking back over to the door. It's a funny shape, too pointy, I think, why can't doors be round, why are they so square? "Emma, I think you're getting a bit confused," he says to me. I look up at him, laughing, "Where am I?" I ask him. 

The doctor doesn't answer instead he looks back at the machines, then picking up his clipboard and writing something down. "I'm going to run a few more tests," he says turning back to me and putting back this mask on my face before walking out.

A few minutes later, or maybe its hours. "I don't know," I laugh to myself. Dad smiles at me and then suddenly fades away. "Hey, come back," I laugh, reaching forward for him. I hear the door and open and I see Louie and Olly step in. "Hey sis, who are you talking too?" Olly asks wrapping his arm around me. 

He grins at me, in his cheeky Olly grin which make other girls melt. I can see why. He looks a lot like mum with his long blond fringe, rosy cheeks, dimples and startling blue eyes, whereas Louie looks a lot more like my dad with his wavy light brown hair, tanned skin, dark greyish blue eyes and a deep, concerned look. Both gorgeous in different ways. 

"Louie comes up to my side squeezing my hand. I look around the room, where did he go? "Dad, you have to wait," I say to myself, "There must be a secret door." I notice Olly looking at me with this weird look on his face. "Em, what are you talking about." I try to get up but for some reason I have this pain in my chest and in my head. 

I must have fallen over again, I am so clumsy. I look at Louie, "Can you tell Louie that I'm going out to get him?" I ask him, not waiting for his response but just as I'm about to get up the pointy door opens again and a man in a white jacket with some kind of clip board one hand walks in. "Doc, what's wrong with Em, what's she talking about?" Louie asks.

Louie's P.O.V

"Emma's brain isn't getting enough oxygen, it's making her delusional and confused, we are in the mists of running some tests that should hopefully give is some more information as to why, but it shouldn't be serious and shouldn't last more than a couple of hours," the doctor explains. I relax a bit. I look at Em, she is smiling but concentrating on something that's not there in front of her. 

The doctor walks over, "Emma, how are you feeling?" he asks watching her response carefully. "I have to get to him," she responds trying to get up, I catch her quickly, as she nearly collapses to the floor. The doctor lies her down and puts this mask back on her face then after checking her breathing rate, leaves. She pulls the mask off, "What's happening, is he not coming?" she asks. 

"Hey, put that back on," I say but she doesn't listen. "He was here a minute ago, he doesn't usually Miss Christmas." I look at her unable to think of what to say. "Who?" Olly asks. She looks round, "Dad," Olly looks awkward and squeezes her arm, "Remember he-he died, 2 years ago Em?" I say. She looks at me strangely, "You're being really weird," she says, then goes back to focusing on something in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Olly asks. She looks up confused like it's the most obvious think in the world, which it probably is to her. Some part of me feels happy because I can tell she's completely forgotten about Frank and now I think back, after everything, I can't remember a time in years that I've seen her this relaxed and happy.

"I-I'm opening our-our presents, why aren't you-you opening yours, its right in front of you," she says breathing quickly and laying back a bit. Olly looks up at me worriedly. "I n-need to go," she says looking up at me, but she looks tired and weak and fortunately not like she's going to try and get up again which is good. 

"Where are you going?" I ask her sitting on the other side of her. "I have, have to go with my mum to meet her, her old friends at this hotel they've apparently rented, rented out, my, err, my, my brothers, Louie and Olly, are coming in the morning because they are older, I-I d-don't really see them as much anymore but they are nice. Anyway, I-I didn't want to go but this guy my, my mums dating, I-I c-can't remember his name, he-he told me, told me I had to other, otherwise, I-I err," I feel a stab in my stomach but Em is carries on, "W-what was I t-talking a-about?" she asks increasingly weak and breathlessly and now laying back, unable to hold herself up anymore. 

 I notice, "Where you are going," Olly responds. "Oh-oh y-yeah, so I-I have to go after school on Friday and-and Zack is g-going to be there. He-he's r-really...err, really a-annoying b-but...I l-like... h-h-him now," she says, her voice trailing off and her hand dropping from mine. I put the mask back on, but she doesn't move instead her eyes start to shut.

"Hey Em?" I say trying to shake her awake. "Louie," Olly says quietly pointing at one of the machines, his voice desperate and urgent and face suddenly pale. I turn back looking at it, "That's the breathing monitor, right?" he says his voice sounding increasingly panicked. "Yeah I think-"I stop as I see it start flashing and then notice beeps are getting increasingly slower. 

I look back at Em, I notice how pale she is and see her eyes closing. "No, no, no. Em stay awake, c'mon," I quickly turn to Olly, "I'm going to grab the doctor, try and keep her awake." He nods, and I rush out the door, returning seconds later with the doctor. He comes up to Em and feeling her pulse. He frowns looking at the machine, "Hey Emma, stay with us," he says, putting the mask back on and fiddling with the machine connected to it. 

He takes her hand, "Emma, squeeze my hand if you can hear me," he says looking at her carefully, but she makes no sign of any response and my heart starts pounding in my chest.

Then opens the door, "Can I get some help in here?" he shouts and immediately nurses come into the room. Olly and I stand back as they crowd round Em, "Let's get her to resus, I want monitoring on all her obs and let's order a scan." The machine stop then suddenly makes a constant beep and the nurses stop, "Okay, she's stopped breathing, start CPR." 

I then stop breathing, what? "Hey, what's happening?" Olly says urgently, pacing up and down. I've never seen him like this before. The doctor looks up sighing but not saying anything. The machines attached to Em start making loud noises and then the doctor is shouting orders about injections and shocks. I see the door open and mum and Zack walk in. 

Olly catches mum before she collapses to the floor at the sight and Zack stands there unable to move. Em's words echo round my head, "He usually just hits me or pins me up against the wall," "My brothers are older, so I don't see them as much." 

Then my dad's, "Louie, promise me you'll look after Em for me, keep her safe, and your mum." "Don't let anything happen to them." I try desperately to shake the thoughts out of my head and focusing what the doctor is saying.