"At this point, I'll be grateful for your pieces."
*****
Jessica Franklin is at her wit ends, literally. With two sisters depending on her and a mountain of debts on her neck, she needs a way out before she breaks down...
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(Three years ago.)
I am sitting in the kitchen area, poring over the overwhelming stack of bills we have to pay when suddenly, a loud thud echoes through the house. Within moments, I hear a piercing scream, and Sophie rushes towards me, her eyes wide with panic.
"Something's happened!" She screams at me, pointing to the bathroom. "Emma has fainted and she won't wake up!"
Without waiting for her to finish her statement, I'm already up on my feet, running to the bathroom and flinging the door open. There she is, lying on the ground, her hands on her stomach, a small gash on her forehead, and her skin as pale as a ghost. The bathroom smells of the cereal we ate this morning, and I know she has already thrown it up.
I drop to my knees beside her, cradling her fragile head against my chest, my heart pounding in my ears. Emma. Sick, frail Emma. She's always been sick, but I've always put off her check-up for a later time, mostly because I'm afraid of what I will find if I take her to the hospital. Patting her cheeks softly, I call her name over and over again, tears filling my eyes, and my hands trembling uncontrollably. Is it too late now?
Please, God. Don't let it be. I won't be able to bear it. All of a sudden, I feel like throwing up, but I hold it in, doing my best to wake her up. I let out a sigh of relief when I feel her move, her eyes fluttering open before closing shut again.
"My stomach... It hurts," she whispers, tears leaking out of her eyes.
"Call the ambulance! We need to take her to the hospital!" I yell at Sophie, who immediately rushes out of the bathroom to get the phone.
Still frantic, Sophie does as she's told, and the ambulance arrives, driving Emma to the hospital. She's wheeled to the emergency room where they run a series of tests on her before taking her to the intensive care unit.
"What's going on? Why are they taking her to the ICU?" Sophie asks me, her voice shaky. I shake my head, still looking at her through the window. The doctor with her steps out of her ward, and I immediately rush to meet him.
"What's wrong with her?" I rush out, startling him.
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I'm her sister. What's wrong with her?"
The doctor sighs, multiplying the dread in my body. "I need to speak with you. Come with me to my office,"gesturing for me to follow him. My heart clenches in my throat, and I exchange a worried glance with Sophie before mustering the strength to trail behind the doctor, my heart in my throat.
I enter his office and gingerly take a seat, my gaze fixed on him. He briefly skims through the documents in his hands, and I resist the overwhelming urge to stand up and snatch them from him.
"We've conducted some tests on her, and I'm afraid we have a diagnosis," he begins, his tone serious.
"What is it?" I ask, my worry intensifying. "Is she going to be okay?"
