The Ghost In the Cabin

Joe's Point of View

I ran out of Emi's hospital room and did not turn around as I ran to the bathroom. "After all that I was doing for her and she repays me by almost succeeding in committing suicide," I thought angrily. Then I found myself thinking about Em; her weak body, her pale face that never has color anymore, her setting in that wheelchair, her trying to force herself to walk, and eyes lighting up when she showed us how she had been practicing.

"Gosh dang it," I yelled punching the sink feeling a sharp pain after. Nick was behind me watching me carefully; I turned around and looked at my younger brother.

He slowly opened his mouth to talk, "Why don't you come with me to get a bite to eat?"

I slowly nodded too upset and too frustrated to say anything; I let him lead me out and straight to the hospital's cafeteria. I sat down and watched him grab a bottle of water and an apple for himself and a sandwich, chips, and a soda for me; he paid and walked back over with the food. He handed me the sandwich and chips and set the drink on the table; I wasn't very hungry but knew if I didn't eat it that he would tell Emi and I didn't need her mad at me for doing anything that could harm myself.

"Dude she'll be fine; you know that right?" He looked at me. "She shouldn't have tried to kill herself, but I probably would have done the same if I was in her situation, and you know you would to," he added when he saw the half mad look on my face.

"I know she will be fine; I just hate thinking that she would kill herself. I can't stand her being in that wheelchair either," I pushed aside my half eaten sandwich and laid my head down tears streaming down my face. Nick walked over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder as Kevin walked over to us holding a bottle of chocolate milk.

"Logan is with Emy right now and she is resting, the doctors had to put her on the feeding tube. She refused to eat the food they brought to her, she feels so bad for the whole trying to kill herself and she is afraid you are extremely mad at her."

I looked up at him, and then slowly picked at the sandwich. "I'm not mad at her, I'm just worried," I replied after a few minutes.

I stood up and grabbed the bottle of soda; I walked back to Emy's hospital room and Logan looked at me when I walked in. He looked tired like he hadn't gotten sleep in a few days; Emy was, although asleep, holding his hand tightly. Her thin pale hand was clamped so tightly onto his that he couldn't let go of hers even if he wanted to. She was pale and so fragile looking; she heard my footsteps and slowly opened her eyes.

Her words were rushed, but I could make them out, "Bro I am so sorry, please forgive me. I should never have tried to...," she choked up her last word and started sobbing. I walked over to her and sat down on the edge of her bed and slowly pulled her into a hug. She looked so weak and scared; she tightened her grip around me as she sobbed.

"Sissy it is okay, I'm not mad at you. I would have done the same thing if I were you I wouldn't want to be stuck in a wheelchair either," I told her as she slowly looked at me.

She looked down and catching a glimpse of the long cut on my arm she gasped, "What did you do?"

"I fell," I replied a little too quickly.

"You are lying, I would know, I have said the same thing when Kevin asked me before." She replied turning pale. She crossed her thin arms across her chest; I could practically see her bones. Kevin walked in behind me and also saw my arm; he asked me the same thing Em did.

"I fell," I replied again as Nick also walked in; Emy glared at me her thin face pulled tight against her already showing cheek bones.

"Tell the truth," She replied angrily, "Don't lie to them. Tell the truth." Her words stung like a knife bade as I looked at the ground.

"If there is something you are not telling us Joe, please tell us." Kevin replied as I looked at Emy who had passed out from her anger spout that left her weak.

"Fine I cut it, alright, there I said it," I replied quietly then fiercer when they did not reply, "What no comment? No replies? You flip out when Emy does it, but you go silent when I do." I turned on my heel and walked out of the room.

I ran in the bathroom and slammed my fist into the wall; I then turned and slid down the wall until I was sitting on the ground. A second later Kevin walked in and sat down next to me, he looked at me for a second before looking at the ground, "Bro are you okay?"

I nodded, "What do you want to come lecture me or something? I'm sorry I didn't mean that."

I went back into Em's room and sat down by the bed and looked at her pale face, then taking her hand in mine I replied, "Sis, please you have to make it for me." I laid my head on her bed, while still holding her hand; later that night I heard the heart rate monitor go flat, then in a blur doctors rushed in and Kevin and Nick walked in and pulled me out of the room.

"Em," I muttered, I saw the tears running down Nick's, Kelsey's, and Dominique's faces. I sat down on the floor outside of the room and could not contain myself. I started sobbing and couldn't stop, "No she can't be dead, and she just can't be." I stood and ran to the bathroom and slammed my fist into the wall as hard as I could and heard a crack and felt pain start and radiate through my arm.

Kevin entered and looked at me then saw my wrist that was now broken and led me out and straight to one of the other doctors to look at it as I sighed. I got a cast on it because it was broken, then he took me back to Em's room where she was setting up now looking around the room with a blank look on her face like she couldn't see anything.

I walked over to her bed and replied, "Hey, Emmy, how are you feeling?"

She reached her hand out and touched my cheek, "Joe? I'm okay, I can't see anything, I'm afraid everything is dark." I took her hand and held it.

"Emmy, you'll be fine, I'll tell you about everything you can't see, I'm here for you," I replied. She smiled and held my hand tightly in her thin hand, she looked so fragile, I was afraid that the slightest thing I would do would make her shatter. A week later she got to go home; her weight was back up and she would eat, but I had to help her. I would set in the living room with her and we would have the television on and she would listen to the voices and laugh at random parts; her eyes would light up whenever Zach was over and he would talk to her and she would reply back, but she wouldn't look directly at us unless you turned her head at you.

We couldn't do that to her much or else she would get frustrated and upset, and when that happened she would lock herself in her room and cry. Nick replied at dinner that night, while Em was in her room crying, "There has to be something that can be done to get her eyesight back."

Emy came in the kitchen with her eyes red from crying; I looked at her and then stood and rolled her over to the table and replied, "You hungry, Emy? We made your favorites." Her eyes darted around trying to see in the dark, she reached her hand out to the table.