With Love, Silvia. [✔️]

Chapter 12 Sisters Forever

We sat in the hospital waiting room for a long time, and it felt like when I sat in the police station for hours. Erica was in Rodger's room talking with the doctors. They told me and the other kids to stay out, his burns were too much to handle. I'd only gotten a glimpse of him before they whisked him away in the ambulance. I caught some of the doctor's conversation with Erica when they whispered outside the door before entering Rodger's room.

Third degree burns....

skin graphs...

survival rate....

All the things I heard only made me worry more. I had never had a real emotional connection to Rodger, considering he wasn't too found of me, but I felt so scared for him. Emma was preoccupied with Emily, showing her how to color Disney Princesses in her coloring book. Owen sat in my lap asleep calmly. I longed for my journal, but it was still in my room. I hoped that it wasn't burned up. My hair smelled of smoke, and I was still traumatized by the images of the fire lapping up the stairs as we stood helplessly.

Erica came out of the room with a sad expression on her face. She was wordless as she sat in the char next to me. She was chewing on her index finger fighting back tears. Emma came over to her.

"What's going to happen?" She asked.

"He has a pretty bad burn on his arm. He's also unconscious. They think he might have suffocated with all the smoke. The doctors are checking for lung damage right now." Erica responded emotionlessly.

"When can we see him?" Emma asked hopefully.

"After the test. The burn is gruesome, I don't know if you need to see it..." Erica trailed off as the doctor came back. He had a straight face, and clutched his clipboard as if his life depended on it.

"Miss. Hanson, we have concluded Rodger's tests and it appears that he has suffered extreme lung damage and must undergo intensive surgery. His lung system seems to be failing." The doctor said obviously ignoring Emily's stunned face.

Erica burst into tears along with me and everyone else. Owen woke up and cried too. The doctor nodded at us and went back into Rodger's room. We were all a mess, and the nurse offered us a room near the intensive care unit that we could stay in for the night. We gladly excepted and shuffled into the room. It was very small. There was a hospital bed, a fold out couch, and a small gurney that the nurse had placed near the window for someone to sleep on. Erica took the hospital bed and shared with Owen and Emily. Emma took the couch bed and I was left with the gurney.

I looked out the window into the night sky it was 1 am, so I was only asleep for 2 hours when the fire started. The small town of Hollow Springs sat calmly, only a lone lamppost provided light in the motionless city. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't, no one could. So we all got up and sat on Erica's bed. Emma went and got some food from the cafeteria, (which was surprisingly open!) and we all ate as we watched a movie on the little T.V in front of the bed. It was supposed to be a comedy, but no one laughed. Everyone was too worried about Rodger.

Morning rolled around and everyone was still awake. The doctors came in to inform us that after preparing Rodger through the night, they were ready to begin his surgery. Erica signed some papers and rejoined us in the little room. Owen and Emily sat and watched Nickelodeon while Emma and I went to get breakfast downstairs. Erica didn't make us go to school that day. We didn't even want to go anyway.

I sat at the little table with Emma as I ate my pancakes. Hospital food was pretty tasteless, but it satisfied our growling stomachs. I looked around at the other people in the cafeteria. Mostly doctors eating on their break. I saw some people that looked like they were visiting a patient get some chocolate milk and head back upstairs. We finished our food and walked back upstairs.

"Silvia. I'm so glad you came to live with us." Emma said as we pushed the button on the elevator.

"Thanks." I said smiling a little.

"I probably would've died in that fire without you helping me jump out of the window." She continued as the doors opened. We stepped inside and pressed the button for floor 4.

"You're the best sister ever." Emma said squeezing my hand.

I was touched at her comment. I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

"Everything's going to be good as long as you're here. I always felt so different and left out in my family. You are the only one who understands me." Emma said as the doors slid open and we walked down the long corridor to our room.

"Sisters forever." I say as I hugged Emma.

And at that moment, my rubber bands magically fixed themselves and pulled everything left of me back together again, despite all of my tragedy and sadness.