Die In Your Arms

Chapter 6 - Orphanage

Alexa's POV:

I cry and stuff my face in Niall's chest, praying Emily will be okay. Niall tries to console me but it doesn't help because my mind is set on that little gray room. That little girl whose spark was sucked out by cancer. A doctor comes out and I jump up, praying she's okay. "We will have to preform the surgery early, the tumor is worse." I started bawling, grabbing the doctors arm before she walked into the room. "Can I please tell her something before she goes into surgery?" I asked through sobs. The doctor eyeballed me but nodded. I walked in and ran to her bedside. "No matter what happens I love you." I whispered in her ear. "Will everything be okay?" she whispered. "Yes," I said before I was pushed out the door.

The next day I saw sunshine out of the corner of my eyes. I sat up in my hospital bed. I walked up to a mirror and gasped. A speck of my hair was growing. I smiled in delight, wrapped in a hug by my doctor. "We've been happy about how strong you've gotten," she started. "we arranged for you to start school Monday. I promise you it'll be alright, I mean it's your last year. You haven't been in school since what -- 10, 11 years old? -- anywho, it'll be fun!" All the happiness drained from my face. "I can't go to school!" I said. "And anyway I'm bald! People will make fun of me! And what if I have to throw up? People will think I have an eating disorder or something!" She put her hands on my shoulders. "Look, your friend will be there to support you. You'll get your schedules Sunday. If anything happens, just call me." I sighed and plopped in my bed, shutting my eyes. I hear heels walking towards my bedside, "Oh, hello! Yes you're Alexa's doctor, right?" Her voice was stern and squeaky, really annoying. "Yup, you're the head of the orphanage, right?" I was in complete shock. Orphanage? I'm 17 for crying out loud! I sound like a child, I thought. "You are correct. Yeah, we can take her hmm, say, 3 days? Yes that should suffice." "What? You can't take Alexa. She's 17 years old, almost a legal adult." "Almost, Mrs. Dotson." "I thought you were here to take Halie!" There was a small pause for the woman to clear her voice. "Now, let's not get in a big fuss! We need her in 3 days or less. I could shorten it down, now." she snapped. I wanted to jump up and knock sense into this lady, but she could drag me away right now. "Good day to you!" she said and her heels clanked away. I heard my doctor walking every which way and I finally opened my eyes, sitting up. "You just heard everything, didn't you?" she guessed. I nodded. "I don't wanna go," I said. "you're my mother." She hugged me. I sounded like I did when I had to come here at the Cancer Hospital. I realize how I came to love this place, maybe that's how it will be at the orphanage. I pushed her away and laid down. "What?" she asked with concern in her voice. "I didn't want to come here when I was little and I said 'I don't want to go' and that's exactly what I just said. I ended up liking this place and that might happen with the orphanage." Tears stung out of her eyes. "Please, don't cry for me." I said. She just shook her head and brushed her hair out of her eyes. I never noticed her green eyes that had a hint of orange to it. I walked to my closet and pulled out a cut-off penguin shirt along with denim shorts. I pulled a pair of Toms out to pull it all together. I found a penguin hat to cover my head and I walked out, the warm, moist air felt great on my cold skin. I looked at a man over beside a brick wall that had a cigarette. I shuddered and thought of my father. I'm not ready for the outside world, I thought.

I walk into Emily's gray room. It was so lifeless without her running around here. She had a breathing mask on, eyes squeezed shut. She's so small and fragile, I thought. I took her hand and rubbed it with my thumb. Her hand shook to my touch. I frowned at that and kissed her hand, letting go of it. It plopped back into original form. I whisper, "Goodbye." I slip out of her room and sigh.

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"She's coming in a few minutes," Dr. Dotson warned. I darted toward my walk-in closet, running toward a huge pile of clothes. I dove into it, looking like I was part of the pile. I peeked out the cracked doors of my closet and waited. Suddenly, there was heels clanking to the hospital floor. "Hello, Mrs. Dotson." she greeted. She was an average sized woman, her heels adding 3 more inches. Her hair was completely gray, pulled up into a bun that sat on top of her head. Her face had wrinkles that lined up her eyes. Her eyes were piercing green and they could stare into your soul. Her lips were light pink, like a young woman's lipstick. They were locked up like she was eating a lemon and her jaws locked up. She had a formal gray overcoat on over a white top, with a gray skirt. She had gray tights on and black heels to go along with it. "Where's the girl?" she asked. My doctor shrugged. She looked at her like she was crazy and needed to be in a mental hospital. "She's here, I know it!" She looked under my sheets, quickly letting it go and running her hands on her skirt. "I'm coming back next week, she better be here!" she snapped and clanked away. I got out and breathed out heavily. A week until I'll be in the orphanage. I can't take it all in, though.

Emily Grace could be dead in that time.

So could I....