Emma: Seventh Grade

Chapter 25: Rude Awakening

"Here's your phone," Emma's mom said, tossing Emma's cell phone on her lap. "I brought it to you cuz I thought you might want to text your little friends all about your Nyquil incident." Her voice had a mocking tone to it. She and Craig had come by to visit Emma that evening; Craig had brought a glass vase filled with colored daisies as a get well present for Emma, but her mom seemed like she didn't want to be there at all.

Emma slowly picked up her phone and turned it on. Unsurprisingly, there were no new messages from anyone. Even though she expected this outcome, Emma still felt depressed. Nevertheless, she was glad to have her phone back, so she could at least play games to pass the time. It was getting pretty mundane hanging out in the hospital, and Emma was bored out of her mind. The TV only had thirty channels, most of which never had anything good on them. She still had a sitter in her room with her at all times, unless her mom was in the room with her. However, Emma always dreaded her mom's visits because all she ever did was criticize Emma for putting herself in the hospital and wasting her mom's money. Emma already felt guilty enough the way it was, but her mom always made her feel much worse, sometimes to the point where she was suicidal again.

Other than her mental agony, Emma was beginning to improve physically. It was the third day with the feeding tube in her nose, and Emma had already gained two pounds. She wasn't so dizzy and nauseous anymore, and the achiness in her body was starting to subside. She was still hooked up to her heart monitor and her IV, however, but she was able to walk the halls with help from a staff member. The nurses had been changing the gauze wraps on her forearms once a day, and the cuts on her arms were slowly starting to heal.

In spite of her physical improvements, Emma had a lot of healing to do emotionally. She still had severe anxiety and panic attacks, which she was receiving Ativan for. She still mourned the loss of her friends, especially Josh. He was her first love, and the fact that he hated her broke her heart. She still cried constantly during the day, and even the littlest things would upset her. She was receiving Lexapro for her depression, but the doctor said it would take about a month for the full effects to appear.

"So how have you been?" Craig asked, genuinely concerned about Emma's health. It was the first time he had visited Emma in the hospital and he seemed clueless on what had happened.

"I don't know," Emma answered softly, picking at the gauze that was wrapped around her forearm. "I'm just sick of this place already."

"Well you're the one who put yourself here," Emma's mom scolded. "You should have thought about that before chugging that bottle of Nyquil, you stupid little girl!"

"I know! You don't need to keep reminding me!" Emma cried, on the verge of tears. "I know it was a stupid mistake!"

"Don't be so hard on her, babe," Craig told Emma's mom as he put his hand around her waist lovingly. "Everybody makes mistakes."

"Yeah, but she should have known better," her mom retorted. "All she ever does is waste my money. Ever since her dad stopped paying child support, I've had to work so hard in order to keep up financially, and she just doesn't get it!"

Emma felt awkward as her mom continued to rant about her as if she wasn't there. She already knew she was a burden to her mom and hated herself for it. She wished she would have died from the Nyquil instead of lived. Then maybe her mom would be happy for once. Folding her arms across her chest, she gazed out the window with tears in her eyes.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Lizzie enter her hospital room. She had her hands behind her back and a guilty look on her face. But the thing that stuck out the most was that Lizzie had dyed her hair blue.

Coming up to Emma's bedside, Lizzie gave Emma a hug. "I'm so sorry, Emma," she apologized with tears in her eyes. "I was a bitch to you and I realize that now. I should have never ruined your relationship with Josh, and I promise I will never do anything like that again. Will you please forgive me?"