Unexpected

Chapter 11: Drugged

Sitting silently in the waiting room, Emily and Mingus sit close together as they worry about Norman's health. It was scary for Emily- having to see the same thing that killed her granfather, harm someone she so dearly cares for. She promised herself she wasn't going to think about that day, but it's hard not to, when her favorite person in the world died on this day 24 years ago.

**October 28th, 1991***

With the fall leaves gathering around the base of the trees and the Nebraska sky graying, Emily pounces from pile to pile as her sisters try and catch her. Being the middle child wasn't always fun, but when Sara and Katie chased Emily through the leaves- she felt almost special. Fall was always her favorite season, it brought about her favorite holiday- Halloween! The small girl loves scarying people and loves being scared almost to the verge of wetting herself. With Halloween two days away, she is in the mood for scarying.

Now being five, Emily is very naive in her scaring tactics- which involve jumping out at people from obvious places, saying boo, and even sneaking up on people. So as she jumps into one pile, she doesn't resurface until she hears her sisters getting closer.

"Boooo!!!!" She yells as she springs from the leaves- knocking Katie flat on her bum crying.

"Jees Katie! She's only three. Why would you scare her." Sara scolds her as she picks the baby up. Her sister walks towards the house with her little sister swaddled in her arms, leaving Emily to sit in the leaves by herself.

"Hey, Emmy- what's going on?"

"I scared Katie and she gots upset. And Sarie yelled at me." Emmy whines as her Grandpa sits beside her in the leaves.

"Oh they're no fun. Come on. Scare me." He says happily as he gets up and starts jogging away from the child. Emily stands and rushes after them. After a few minutes her Grandpa stops and puts his hands on his kneee.

"Booooo!" She yells and her Grandpa collapses to the ground holding his heart. "Grandpa? Grandpa!!!"

She's frozen as she watches him clutch his chest for minutes- unable to form words to the small child.

"MOMMY!!!! DADDY!!!!!!!!!" She screams and finally her parents come to her aide, but when they got there, they were too late. Her father tried CPR on him for almost a half an hour while they waited for the ambulance. But nothing they could do could bring her Grandpa back.

***Present Day***

Emily blamed herself for the longest time for killing her Grandpa, when really he experienced the heart attack from the running. Now sitting in the waiting room, Emily feels terrible because she once again caused someone she cares about to have a heart attack.

"Norman's family?" The Doctor comes over and Emily and Mingus stand up. "Norman suffered a minor heart attack. This was due to stress whoch was linked to an ulcer in his stomach. Now I'm instructing you to monitor him and make sure he is stress free. No smoking or drinking is strongly advised and I suggest he takes about a month off of work so not to pile on more stress and labor. Other than that he should be fine. We have him on some morphine to dull the pain of the ulcer."

"Can we see him?" Emily asks for Mingus and the doctor agrees to their request. Going back to Norman's room, they enter the dimly lit room and Mingus rushes over to his dad.

"Dad! You okay?" Mingus asks.

"Do you have change for a penny... I want to buy a nickle, but my penny isn't that much." Looking at Emily, Mingus giggles a bit and she softly smiles but still feels like a terrible person.

"Dad, do you know who I am?"

"Of course I do, Manxus... Yer sy don....hee heee, that didnt sound right." Norman chuckles like a little kid and looks at Emily, becoming aggrivated. "What's that doing here?"

"Dad!"

"I told that nurse to remove that vase! The flowers should run free!" Now following Norman's gaze to the flower vase right beside Emily, bith Mingus and Emily calm down.

"Dad, you know Emily right?" Emily slowly walks over to Norman and takes his one hand, holding it gently in hers.

"No...noo..." He says like an ornery child until he looks in her eyes and starts to find the calmness in him. "Yes... Come. Come're."

Pulling Emily so her chest and stomach are close to his face, he nuzzles her and she feels ackward with Mingus watching.

"I'm gonna go get coffee- you want some?" Mingus asks as he refrains from watching his father rub his face all over Emily's front.

"I'm fine." Norman has both of Emily's wrists gripped tightly in his hands as he he nuzzles harder againat her. "Norman...?"

He just holds her closer, causing her to get in bed with him. His body is thight around her, but not as strong as it used to be. It takes her by surprise when he strokes her belly, leans forward and whispers 'Boo' in her ears. Pulling back she looks into his eyes and feels pain throughout her body. Getting off the bed, Emily backs far away from him and shivers run through her skin.

Tears spring in her eyes and she covers her mouth and wraps her one arm around her own waist. Sinking to the floor, she curls in on herself and can feel her body begin to panic. Mingus comes back in and when he finds Emily unjered in the corner crying, he goes to console her, but she gets up and leaves the room immediately.

"What just happened?" Mingus asks but Norman is passed out sleeping.