brave//5SOS

10

Emily

When I woke up, Ashton was gone. The room was empty and an eerie tone buzzed through the air. My head still hurt but I felt a lot better... I guessed I was in a hospital now. The whole point of them was to become better.

The computer had been left on which meant someone was bound to come back soon. How long had I been sleeping?

When I looked down I realised I was in a hospital gown now. I was staying over night. Taking my attention away from that, I noticed there was a lot of shouting outside.

Whenever I thought of shouting, I thought of when I was younger. Mum and Jack would always argue, and then I'd be left for chemo alone. For the first couple of months really, she found it hard to balance, but Michael always read me a story or Luke came to surprise me.

"What do you mean she is staying overnight?"

That would be my brother.

"She is too sick to go home! In fact, her being at your house is causing a lot of problems for her,"

I didn't know who that was. My head was still fuzzy.

"So you're saying you can do a better job?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. We aren't the ones throwing parties and arguing so much that she doesn't sleep and drag her way over to hospital every night- in the cold-just to get away from it,"

"There's nothing wrong with a walk Calum,"

I could tell his fists were clenched tightly while he spoke through gritted teeth. Funny, I thought, how I knew exactly which aggressive gesture would be Jack's next.

"It is when your body has been through torture like hers! Her coat is too small for her, it's a long way from school to here, and you know she has weaker bones and a weak immune system!" Calum cried.

"Why don't we ask Emily what she thinks?"

I froze. I considered pretending to sleep, but Calum would definitely know. Jack would hate me and if I had to go home with him then I was screwed.

The door burst open, startling me. Calum shot me a sympathetic smile while Jack stormed over to my bed.

"Emily, you like it with me right? It's much better than living with Calum isn't it,"

I stayed silent and looked down.

"Did you hear me Emily? You don't want to stay with Calum , do you?" he said gruffly, coming closer to me face. I gulped and leant back, reaching for Calum's hand.

"A-actually I do want to stay with Calum," I mumbled. I turned my shaking body away from him, not wanting to see the fury ignite in his eyes.

"Fine. Mum gave you the choice to decide who you'd be given to, but you won't be hearing much from me," he huffed. Calum glared at him.

Their hidden conversation woke me up, a burst of energy bolting through my body. No IV was attached to me so I sat up, biting my lip.

"I'm not an object to be given away Jack, what is wrong with you! You don't speak to me anyway, and what do you mean mum gave me a choice? She told me to stay with you, I didn't get to choose," I asked. Calum closed his eyes and went to speak but Jack got in first.

"Well she wrote a will didn't she? That tells us what to do with her money and everything once she's," -

"She's dead?" I choked, looking at Calum. He bit his lip and nodded.

I turned to Jack, waiting for him to say something. To be sorry. To be upset. To be nice. It was his mum too.

But when a smirk appeared, I slapped his face; it sure felt good. All this anger that had built up inside of me for years, I could finally let it out. Since I was no longer attached to any wires, I slowly climbed out of the bed. Calum was quickly calling someone on the phone but I didn't care.

I didn't care for anything right now. So much fire pulsed through my veins, rushing so much I felt slightly dizzy.

"You ignored me when I was sick, both times!" I said, hitting away the arm that he went to put on my shoulder.

"You've ignored me while mum has been in hospital, just letting me come here every night,"

"That was your choice," he said.

"But it wasn't! If it wasn't so loud that I couldn't do my homework to please you then I wouldn't have had to come! If you didn't throw so many parties that stopped me sleeping then I wouldn't have had to come! If you would've brought me to the hospital and actually let me speak to you,then maybe I wouldn't be such a mess right now," I shouted. He looked taken aback for a second but again, a small smirk came onto his face.

It was like the energy had popped, bursting over Jack. Calum might witness something horrible.

Jack scared me sometimes, and he had that look in his eye. Fury.

"You're such a brat Emily, you think everything is about you," he chuckled, lightly pushing my shoulder. I grabbed his arm and threw it away from me.

"You cost so much money, I couldn't even get an iPad for my birthday," he said simply.

I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. Was he telling me...he was.

"I'm an actual human, you know, and me living and getting the treatment is so high up the list that you can't even see getting an iPad for your birthday as a priority . Leave me alone," I sobbed, pushing him back. He went to speak but just closed his mouth again.

Ashton and Michael came into the room, Michael guiding me out the room as quickly as possible. I tried to resist but he held me tightly, everyone staring. The hospital floor was freezing on my bare feet while we walked to his office.

He kept his hand securely on my back the whole walk. It was a blur.

"What just happened?" he asked calmly as we both sat down.

"My brother is a idiot, I never wanna speak to him again," I cried, "He makes me so upset,"

Michael hushed me and wiped my tears, letting me lean on his side.

Then it actually hit me.

"And he just told me mum died,"