I Don't Understand It

Jake Cares

(JAKE)

I had a great time at graduation yesterday with Katie by my side, and Clare in the audience even though she's been sick recently. I drove her over to Bianca's after graduation so I could go party with Katie, Mo and Marisol. I knew Clare would be staying at Bianca's place last night, and be with Bianca, and probably Drew and Owen yesterday afternoon, and then the girls would be going over to Owen's early this morning to help set up for the grad BBQ his parent's threw for him and his friends. I got home this morning going straight to sleep, and was woken up early afternoon to my phone ringing.

"Hello?" I answer tiredly.

"Jake? It's Spinner. Emma went into work and found out Clare has been admitted at Toronto Western hospital," he tells me. I've only met this guy about three times, so it takes me a moment to register what he said.

"Is she alright? What happened? Why am I just hearing about this?" I start freaking out.

"All I know is she's been admitted and is very sick according to Emma. She has some friends there keeping her company, but your dad and step-mom aren't there and we felt she needed family. I'll be headed over there with Jay and Lucas, and I already called Peter who said he'd leave right away. Emma is there but has to work. And I called you as soon as I got off the phone with Emma, after calling Peter as he has further to drive," he tells me, and now I'm wondering if Bianca is with Clare, and who else is with them. I've heard of these other guys Clare thinks of as older brothers as she's told me, but I've never met them.

"I was asleep when you called as I was out with some friends after my graduation yesterday and got home late so I didn't see our folks. But I'll get up and leave right away to get over there. Thanks for calling me Spinner."

"No problem, you're her family more than anyone, and we thought that's what she needed right now," he tells me before he hangs up.

I get up and shower quickly, because I need it after last night, and then get dressed. I head downstairs and grab a water bottle and apple from the fridge. I'm about to grab my keys off the table when I see an envelope sitting there with my name on it. So I sit before I open the letter, reading it and am shocked by what I read and I can't even speak for a moment.

"How the hell could they do this?" I scream into the empty house, getting angrier by the second, then I picture Clare lying in a hospital bed, and am furious. I put the letter in my pocket, with no idea how to deal with this news right now, and try to calm myself down before I go see my sister. I sit for about 5 minutes, and then get in my truck driving to the hospital fast, but without breaking any laws. My little sister needs me, now more than ever, so I can't get in trouble driving to get to her.

I arrive and go in to the receptionist at the desk. Spinner didn't tell me which room Clare was in and I forgot to ask, so I ask this receptionist.

"I need to know the room number of Clare Edwards please."

"Are you family?" she asks, getting on my nerves.

"She's my step-sister," I tell the receptionist in annoyance.

After a moment checking her computer she responds, telling me, "she's in room 219." I look at her a moment as I don't know where I'm going. "Take the elevator there in the corner up to the second floor, and turn to your left toward the main hall. Go to the right down the main hall, and you'll see the numbers by each door."

"Thank you," I say as I rush toward the elevator, going up to the second floor, and follow the directions she gave me, finding Clare's room. I stop, taking a breath before I enter, to find Owen sitting on the hospital bed with Bianca and Drew sitting in a chair together by the bed. Spinner is sitting in a chair by the wall, with two other guys leaning against the wall beside him, but I don't see Clare anywhere.

I walk in to hear Owen telling the others, "...mad, slapped him and she left, only to run into Jake and Katie in the hall," and I know he's talking about Clare dealing with losing her co-op because of that lousy pervert of a boss she had and telling Dallas.

When he finishes speaking, and I see he's noticed me I speak up. "Where's Clare?" I question as she's the reason I'm here.

"She was taken for tests a little while ago," Spinner tells me. "Jake Martin, this is my best friend Jay Hogart, and this is Lucas Valieri. They both think of Clare as a little sister, just like Emma, Peter and I. Jay and Lucas, this is Jake Martin, Clare and Darcy's step-brother," he introduces us.

"Thank you all for being here for Clare," I tell them all as I shake both guys' hands and they nod. "I know she appreciates it," I say, turning to Owen. "What happened?"

"The four of us were at the BBQ my parents threw at my house, and Clare and I had been dancing when she fainted. I laid her on my bed and got her water. She awoke, and I was worried. I asked her to tell me why she fainted. She told me about what's been happening in her life, before and since she became friends with us. She got most of the way through the story, but didn't get to telling me what caused her to faint before she started having a seizure. I picked her up told my parents where I was headed, and yelled for Drew and Bianca to follow me, before rushing her here," Owen tells us.

I knew she was getting sicker, but had hoped that the medicine she had been getting would help her deal, and the seizures wouldn't start for a while yet.

"Thank you all for bringing her here so quickly. So have you been told anything yet?" I ask as I lean on the wall on the close to where Owen is sitting.

"No, the doctor that took her for the tests said they couldn't tell us anything until they had some definitive answers," Bianca responds to my question.

"I guess Clare had been telling you about Asher before she started seizing?" I comment to Owen.

"Yeah, and so I was explaining to these guys that part of the story, but I'm sure you heard where I got to," Owen says.

"Ya I did. Do you want me to continue what I know about that situation?" I ask him.

"Sure," he tells me. "I'm sure you have more details about what happened next than what Clare was willing to tell me."

~meeting_meghan

What do you think is going on with Clare and Jake's parent's? What do you think is causing Clare's seizures? How do you think Owen feels? Please vote and comment.