Why My Family?

Chapter Four

One Week Later
    
"The Sheriff is making me stay at his house for the rest of the month. So that's where I was when I answered the call that had me driving at least 100 miles an hour to the hospital.
   
"Dad?" I asked sinking into the the chair next to his bed. "Dad. I'm here. I love you. Adam loves you. If it's time then it is time. I understand that but please don't leave me here alone." I said grasping his hand as the heart monitor went silent and the doctor's ran in.
   
"Miss Sinclair. You have a choice. I need it now. Leave him hooked up to the machines or unplug him." His doctor said and I felt the tears begin to pool in my eyes.
   
"Unplug him. He never wanted to be hooked up to useless machines anyways." I said watching as the doctor didn't hesitate just reached over and pulled the plug out of the wall. But nothing happened. Dad kept breathing.
    
The doctor leaned down and felt for a pulse and then shouted, "He's still alive get him back on the machines!!! NOW!!!"
     
"Is he still in the coma?" I asked worriedly wiping the tears from my eyes.
     
"Yes. Miss Sinclair I'm not sure that he is going to make it through this. I'm sorry to say that in such a frank way but I'm just not sure anymore." The doctor said turning to leave.
    
"Okay. Hey I do understand. I'm going to spend the night here. Could you bring a cot that I could sleep in?" I asked causing him to turn and look at me.
    
"I'm sorry but we are short on cost right now. Could you sleep in the chair tonight?" He asked and I nodded. He flashed a grateful smile and left.
    
In minutes the room was empty and I was alone. "Thank you, for staying Daddy. Oh goodness you are not going to believe this! I got asked out today by Daniel! He is super nice and cute. He does good in school and he is a good friend. So I told him yes." I told my dad unaware that Bella had come in.
   
"Why didn't you tell me?" I'm happy for you. What was wrong when you left?" Bella asked sitting next to me.
   
"Dad was having a seizure. It was lasting way to long. They called me. By the time I got here it was over. I hadn't been here five minutes when his heart stopped beating. I made the choice to unplug him. So they did. But his breathing continued and slowly began to beat again. He came back to me." I said tears rolling down my cheeks.
    
"It's okay Ali. He stayed because he doesn't want you to be alone. I believe that he will wake up." Bella said giving me a hug.
    
"I hope so. Bella I just feel as if I'm all alone. The only person I can turn to is you. Hopefully I will have a boyfriend that I can trust. I haven't told him that Dad's here." I said just as my phone rang. I recognized the number instantly and answered it. "Adam! How are you!!?" I ask just glad to finally hear from him.
    
"Ali. I'm going into battle in a few hours. Tell dad that I'm going to be fine. But I'm going to be honest with you. I might die today. I didn't want to without telling my family that I love them. Got to go bye." Adam said and hung up. I sat there shocked.
    
"Dad. Adam sends his love." I said and looked at Bella. I nodded toward the door. We got up and followed each other into the hall.
    
"What's wrong?" Bella asked as soon as I closed the door.
    
"Adam's going into battle in a few hours. He doesn't believe that he's going to make it through this. Her told me not to mention it to Dad. But he wanted me to know the trust in case something happened." I said almost collapsing bug Bella caught me.
    
"It'll be okay. He'll make it through this. He's strong. Remember the time he jumped off the hayloft and broke his leg?" Bella asked and my lips twitched.
    
"Yeah. But that was because I dared him to. Even though he broke his leg he caught me before I could hit the ground when I jumped. He kept me from breaking my leg even though his got broke because I dared him to. But her didn't want me to go through what he had. I hope he comes home safely. I don't know if I will be able to make if he dies.
    
"If who dies?" Daniel asked from behind me. I slowly turned to face him.
    
"Why are you here?" I asked suspicious.
    
"Well you passed my house going at least 95 miles per hour. So I followed you. But once you came in I lost sight of you. So who is dying? And why are you here?" Daniel asked glaring at Bella. "Go away. You are not needed here." Daniel added.
    
"Hey! You can not talk to my best friend that way!" I said taking a step back from him and towards Bella.
    
"I'm sorry Bella. Can you leave us alone. I think that Alissa has some explaining to do." Daniel said and Bella looked at me questionably and I nodded. She walked back into Dad's room.
    
"What do you want to know?" I asked turning back to him.
    
"Why are you here? And who is dying?" Daniel asked.
    
"I'm here because a little over a year ago my parents had a car accident. Mom died on the scene but my dad was put into a coma. Today he had a seizure and died for a minute. But he came back." I said and he interrupted.
    
"Is he the one who is dying?" He asked.
    
"No. A week ago my brother- Adam- was drafted. Today he doing into battle. He thinks that he's not going to make it. But he has to." I said.
    
"Ali! Get in here! NOW!" Bella shouted from the room. I spun and ran in. Dad was having another seizure. I turned toward the door and screamed.
    
"Nurse!!! Get in here!!! NOW!!!!!" The nurse came running in followed by the doctor who made us all leave the room.
    
Finally, Daniel left twenty minutes later. And Bella left ten minutes after him to go home to bring me some fresh clothes and a toothbrush. And to tell her father what was going on.
     
About half an hour after Bella left the doctor came out. "He is stable but if he has another seizure we won't be able to save him." The doctor said sadly before I could even ask.
    
"I understand. Can I go in now? Thanks." I said when he nodded and as he left I went in. I called Bella's home phone figuring that was where she was. "Hi. Bells just wanted to tell you that dad is stable but if he has another seizure he will die." I said as soon as the phone was picked up.
    
"Um. Alissa. Bella is not here. Hasn't been all afternoon. I thought she was with you." The Sheriff said immediately assuming that it was me on this end of the phone. But he also sounded very confused.
    
"Oh. I thought she went home for dinner. At least that is what I thought she meant she she said she was going to go get dinner. Maybe she meant the cafeteria here. Oh never mind here she comes now. Sorry for bothering you. Bye." I said blabbing like and idiot and hung up, feeling bad that I had lied to the Sheriff. But she should have been home and on her way back by now. "Dad. I'm going to go find Bella." I say patting his hand before leaving the room. I decided to take the stairs. Bella liked to stay fit. I don't know why she loved food almost as much as me. When I got to the second floor I looked down the flight of stairs and lying at the foot of them was Bella.
     
I started running down the flight and fell to my knees next to her.  She was so still for a second I thought that she was dead. So, I felt for a pulse and thanked God that I found one. "Bella. Wake up. It s okay. Your okay." I said softly shaking her shoulder. Her eyes slowly opened. But her eyes were focused on something behind me.
    
"Ali! Look out!!!!" She suddenly shouted her eyes widening as she looked over my shoulder. It made me jump as I turned to look behind me just in time to be hit in the head and I couldn't even get a look at the person before everything went black. They say you have seven seconds than s true. Just had exactly seven seconds of thinking.  I had slipped Bella my phone when I first saw her.  I had tucked it into her inside jacket pocket that I had honestly always thought was a waste of material. Hopefully she was able to call for help. That's all I can hope. But as I sank deeper into the darkness I wondered if she was going to survive. She was beaten pretty badly. I wonder who would do this? And why? I thought to myself as I gave up the fight with my consciousness.