Time is of the Essence

Seven

TOM

I turn around so I don't even turn the water off or dry my hands. "Rain darling. Can you hear me?" I cup her face and try to wake her she's boiling. She doesn't answer. My heart is pounding. I don't know what to do. I rush back to the main room and grab my phone.

"911 what's your emergency?" A male voice asks.

"M-my girlfriend." I stutter.

"What happened sir?" He asks calmly.

"She isn't w-waking up. Sh-she's in the bathtub." I run a hand through my hair and try to keep my breathing in check.

"Can you describe her?"

"Sh-she has red spots all over her like chicken pox. I can see her ribs." I crinkle my eyebrows she looks so thin. "Her nose..."

"What about it?" The voice is still calm.

"It's been bleeding." Tears begin to well up in my eyes. "There's blood in the tub from it." I struggle to get it out.

"Does she have any medical conditions?" I come to the realization I should have all along.

"Leukemia." Her cancer is acting up again.

His voice begins to sound panicky but less then mine. "Where's your location? I'll send an ambulance to you." I give him the address of the hotel and hang up.

I sit on the tile outside of the tub. I'm scared to drain the water or to do anything for that matter. My breathing starts to pick up as the panic rises in me. "Jake." I snap my head up and move to my phone. I press his number and it begins to ring. "Come on pick up!"

"Tom?" I hear his voice and get choked up. "Tom, are you there?"

I swallow hard. "Can you get to our room?" I ask trying to keep my voice normal.

"Sure why?" He sounds so normal and I don't want to take that away from him yet.

"Just do it." I end the call and let the sobs out.

A few minutes later there's a knock on the door. I get up to answer it. His smile disappears when he sees my face. "What happened?" I don't answer and just lead him to the bathroom. "Rain!" I hear the panic in his voice and I'm suddenly guilty. "Rain wake up!" He yells. "Call an ambulance."

"I already did." I hold my breath again.

"Tom go out there." Authority runs through his voice but I don't leave. "Go!"

"No!" I choke out. "I'm not leaving her."

"I said go!" He clenches his jaw and glares at me.

"I'm her boyfriend. I'm not leaving." I stand my ground.

"I'm her father god dammit!" He kicks the small trash can and practically screams. I jump at the sudden motion. "I'm her father." He whispers. He covers his face with his hand and paces back and forth.

The door bursts open and incomes two men with a stretcher. "I need you two to stand back." One of them says. We listen and watch them carefully scop Rain out of the tub and onto the stretcher. They cover her with a towel before hurrying down to the hotel lobby.

Jake and I follow and by the time we get down there a whole crowd of people and some fans have gathered around. Even paparazzi have started taking pictures. I'm tempted to punch one of them when Jake brings me back to reality.

"Come on!" We get in the car and follow the ambulance to the hospital.

Z, Jake, Jacob and I are all sitting in the waiting room waiting for an update on Rain. I'm getting notifications about the pictures the paparazzi have leaked to the news and websites. I'm sitting with my elbows propped up on my knees and my head in my hands. My whole body is shaking with anticipation.