brave//5SOS

14

Calum

I noticed how tired she was when I arrived home, and knew it had been a rough day. She was quiet- too quiet- even while sleeping. She wasn't mumbling, or humming.

Ashton had his arm securely round her waist, also asleep, and when she started to wake up it bothered her.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" I asked her, Luke walking inside and seeing Ashton passed out too.

"Your bed is probably comfier mate, are you feeling ok?" Luke asked him, Emily looping arms with me. She stumbled and hit Ash, making him wake up for good.

"Huh?"

"Are you feeling okay?" Luke repeated.

"I'm fine, just knackered. Last night was a lot of work," he yawned.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna order a pizza in because everyone is tired,"

"Sounds good to me," Michael said, sitting on the chair. I took all of Emily's weight as we went upstairs. Since she started to lose her breath, I stopped her and picked her up.

"Calum?"

"That's me, you can sleep more of you want?"

I gently put her down on the bed. Gently. Everything we did round her had to be gentle.

She still didn't look like she wouldn't shatter.

"No,"

"Do you want to watch a film?" I asked, grabbing the remote from beside me. She nodded and hauled herself onto my chest.

We weren't even halfway through the film when she became distracted. A few tears ran down her face and I wrapped my arm round her- this made her start bawling her eyes out.

"Hey, hey, hey... what's wrong, you can tell me," I said quietly, holding her hand. She shrugged and kept crying.

It was clear to me that she didn't want to talk so all I could do was be there for her. I turned the film down and rubbed her back.

"You're ok, I promise. It's going to get better and you have all of us to talk to,"

She wrapped her arm round me and tried her best to breathe, using mine as her guide. It had always worked- throughout her treatment, her mum often couldn't stay over and I was the one there for her.

"Calum, you don't have to stay," she said quietly, wiping her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well you've had to comfort me for about 8 years now, and I know it's super boring,"

"I don't mind, it'd be worse if I just left you alone love... are you going to school tomorrow?"

She nodded and smiled, sitting up and pulling a face. Her head must've hurt but she quickly brushed it off and got up. I felt like she was striving for whatever she deemed as normal, but she really wasn't in that place.

"I want to sleep now," she said, trying to find her pyjamas.

"Ok, you brush your teeth and I'll find your pyjamas, then get you a hot water bottle. You can sleep in my bed if you want?"

"I'll be fine with Ashton, thankyou,"

She went to the bathroom and I found her pyjamas, before heading back downstairs. I put the kettle on and waited for it to boil.

"Is she ok?" Luke asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah, something was bothering her but she wouldn't tell me. I think she's very overwhelmed at the moment,"

"Me too, I'm not convinced she should go to school tomorrow,"

"You'll struggle with that one, she said she's gonna go,"

"She needs to stop working for once," Ashton said, looking back to us.

"She isn't gonna do that either," Michael sighed.

"Calum!"

We all turned to face the stairs where Emily was stood. She had a hand across her body with the other rubbing her eyes exhaustedly.

"I'll be up in a second hun,"

Luke smiled sympathetically and Ashton ran up the stairs to her. I carefully made the hot water bottle and followed Ash upstairs. Emily was quite relaxed in his arms, unlike before, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Here you go, if you need anything you can just shout us," I said, giving her the hot water bottle.

"Thankyou,"

Exhausted myself, I got settled down in bed too. Not only was I exhausted from work, but also the constant battle with worry about Emily.

The next day, she woke up early, wanting to go to school. We all knew she could do with staying off, and she only wanted to go because she couldn't bear to miss anything else.

"Emily, you look sick and I don't really want you going to school," Ashton said.

"Michael? Calum?"

She looked up at us desperately, her fists clenching. I watched as she turned away from us, stomping upstairs.

"You ruin everything," she shouted.

"Emily"- "Just shut up. You ruin everything,"

"We need to go to work, you're going to spend the day in Luke's office,"

She groaned and pushed past us all instead, heading for the car. I rolled my eyes and followed.

"She woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Michael muttered.

"I don't know if she woke up at all," Ashton said, looking over to her as she climbed into the back. I sat the opposite side to her while Ashton and Michael were in the front; Luke was already at work. We all entered the hospital.

"I'll take you to Luke's office, I'll meet you guys soon,"

I rested my hand on Emily's back as we walked through the hospital.

"I'm sorry ," she said, clearly annoyed with herself.

"It's ok, you just need a break otherwise school will not help you at all."

"But it's not ok. Not everything I do is ok, and you always tell me it is, but it isn't Calum. I shouldn't have said it,"

"It's what happens Emily, and you've been the bigger person and apologised. Don't stress about it, please," I begged, opening the door to Luke's office.

"Ok, I won't," she mumbled before hugging me tightly.

"Spend the day relaxing, watch Netflix or sleep,"

"Will do,"