The Night They Came.

The hospital

Life had been seemingly good lately. Everyone was settling into our new routine, Mum and Clara would go off to work in the mornings and Darrel insisted in driving me to and from school. Mum even seemed to be getting better, the Dr was shocked at how well she was when she last went for a check up. I finally felt as if I'd found where I belong.
As usual my alarm woke me up at 630 sharp and I began getting ready for school. Mum was having one of her off days as she did every now and again, it made me worry but she still insisted on going into work. Darrel arrived not long after she left, as usual in the jag although he would sometimes mix it up and bring his Mercedes which got just as much attention if not more in the school car park. We had gotten a lot closer after the whole kidnapping thing, he was my best friend.
School was, well, school. Get in, go to form, then lessons, and lunch-my favourite part if the day, then more lessons and home. Except as I walked out of school I couldn't spot Darrel anywhere maybe he's stuck in traffic or something so I sat and waited, checking my phone every so often. After about 10 minutes I decided to ring him, it went straight to answer phone, so I tried again, and again, and a a fourth time. Still no answer he probably just didn't charge it again. I'd already missed the bus so tried his work phone. His assistant picked up after the second ring
"Good afternoon, Darrel Stevens office"
"Hi there this is Eve, Darrel's sister I was wondering if I could speak to him please, he's not answering his mobile?"
"I'm terribly sorry, but he's not here right now" she paused "he got a call about his mother"
I stood in stunned silence, what about mum?
"Oh, um, OK ... Thanks" I quickly hung up. What the hell is happening? Just as I sat back down to think my phone rang, I looked at the called ID and saw an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Hello is that Miss Eve Nightshade?" The lady on the other line asked
"Yes, who's this?"
"My names Lilith, I'm a nurse at heath hospital. I'm afraid your mums been brought in and is in bad shape. I think you need to get here now. Things aren't looking good"
"What?! What's happened?"
"I'm afraid only the doctor can tell you in person"
"Oh, OK... I'm on my way, thanks" I began raking my brain, how was I going to get all the way to the heath from here. And fast. I dialled Clara's number.
"Hey Eve, what's up?" She clearly didn't know what was happening
"I've just got a call from the Heath, they told me to get there quick. Something about mum." I could hear my voice cracking as I fought back a stream of tears "Darrel hasn't come to pick me up and I've missed the bus"
"I'm on my way, are you still at school?" I could hear her grabbing her coat
"Yeah I'm sat outside... Please be quick"
It took her 10 minutes to get to me and a further 20 to get to the hospital. We rush in to the front desk asking where she was. After getting directions we made a beeline to the room. As we walked in I noticed Darrel in the corner, his eyes red and puffy. He looked exhausted. I cleared my through causing him to turn and notice us.
"What's happened? Why is she here? Is she going to be OK?" I asked making my way towards him and my mum. She looked pale and sick as she slept on the hospital bed, various wires attached from her to different machines all beeping and causing noise.
"It's the cancer, she's..." He didn't even need to finish his sentence I felt the tears streaming from my eyes as I collapsed to the floor. This can't be happening. Not now, everything was going so well. Clara appeared with a chair for me. I sat holding mums fragile hand as if it were an ornament made of glass, capable of breaking with the slightest touch. I barely noticed the doctors and nurses bundling around, checking her stats, filling in her notes. For a moment it felt as if it was just her, Darrel, and me together. That she would wake up any moment and she would be completely fine and cancer free. But that was never going to happen. Clara decided to go home and pick up some things, Darrel and I just sat in silence, watching her hoping for anything, movement or improvement of any kind. We sat there all night, nothing changed. After a while I drifted of to sleep from the sheer exhaustion in my body, as I drifted off I felt a blanket being draped over me.