Blood Doesn't Make Family

Chapter IV

                                     Saturday came, Ben picked me up before we meet Anna at the Café. "Hey ready for the new hairstyle?" Anna asked excitedly. We all nodded including Ben.

We went to the salon to get our hair cut, I got shoulder length, Anna was perming her hair while Sophia was straightening her hair. A few hours later we met Ben at the car park, he looked at us before dropping his mouth open, "You ladies look amazing," he spoke after being speechless for a few minutes, we chuckled at his reaction.

"El, are you coming over for Thanksgiving lunch on Monday?" Ben asked me when we were on the way home.

"Yup, that is the plan," I replied, I always had thanksgiving lunch with Sophia's family. I always got them small gifts to thank them for the love and care every year. Little did I know that this Thanksgiving was going to change my life.

On Monday, I went over to Sophia's house to help them with lunch as I did every year. We ate lunch and played games, soon it was 5 pm I had to be home for dinner as my parents invited all my cousins over for dinner. I booked a cab, Ben wanted to send me home, but I assured him that I will keep updating him my location until I reach home. Then he allowed me to go, he was such a protective brother, Sophia was lucky to have him.

I was in the Cab, I am watching the cars on the roads, suddenly there was a bang and I was rolling over in the car, I blacked out. When I came to, the sky was darker, and I saw uniformed people rushing around. One of them saw me awake and rushed over to me.

"Can you tell me your name, age and who to call?" he asked me,

"Elsa Red, 13 years old and please call Ben he is on my speed dial one" I informed him, he took my phone to call Ben, my mind was still fuzzy and my who body was aching, I was in pain but I could not pinpoint the pain. I closed my eyes to access my damage.

I was sent to a hospital and they ran an emergency surgery as one of the ribs was poking my lungs. When I woke up again, I was in a white room, the doctor entered the room, he looked at my chart then looked at me.

"You can just tell me directly, I understand the medical terms and I am taking the courses for a doctor," I told him, he seemed shocked but he explained to me about my injury and surgery, with me asking him questions here and there, he left after telling me that I will have to be in the hospital for observation for a week. I nodded my head.

After he left, Ben and Sophia rushed in,

"Are you okay? Do you need anything, is it hurting anywhere?" Ben rumbled nonstop.

I repeated to Sophia what the doctor told me, and Sophia nodded understandingly.

"I don't understand a word you just said" Ben confessed,

"She has broken her arm and sprained her ankle. Her broken ribs poked her lungs almost causing a hole in her lungs. Now she must be under observation for a week to make sure the ribs mend well and lungs heal well," Sophia explained to her brother.

"Oh, I need to call your parents about this, you have been gone for the whole night," Ben said,

"I will call them and pass it to you," I told him while picking up the phone and calling my mum.

"My mum started to scream the moment she answered the phone. Ben heard it and I saw him turn red, he snatched the phone and walked out. Sophia and I heard him speaking but it was hushed as the door was closed.

Callen POV (before the accident)

It was Thanksgiving Day; I am on the way home to have dinner with my family. Ma and Dad called my cousins on both sides for dinner. It has been a few months since I came home. The school has been hard; I had a tough time juggling between football and classes. Now I had a week break I am going to rest up as much as possible.

"Hey Ma, I am home" I shouted while walking to the kitchen where I am sure she is at preparing dinner. "Welcome back sweetie how is school?" she asked, she always ask this when I am home. I told her the updates and looked proud of me. "Where are the rest?" I asked her as the house was quiet.

"Oh, the boys are in the gaming room, your dad is in the study as usual. And I think Elsa is at her best friend house, she should be on the way home now if I am not wrong" she answered but she seems unsure about my sister's whereabouts.

"who is her best friend?" I asked as I could not remember her having a best friend and how will I know, I do not even talk to her at all.

"Oh, I forgot the name," Ma chuckled, I shrugged and went to the gaming room to catch up with my two brothers. We played a few rounds of COD then mum called us for dinner. My cousins arrived and we ate our dinner having chats and catching up.

"Where is Elsa? It has been a long time since I saw her, why isn't she here?" Cole questioned looking around the table. That was when my family noticed that my sister is not at home.

"Oh, that she had plans and could not cancel last minute. She has thanksgiving dinner with her best friend every year" my Dad lied smilingly. Cole frown at the reply, he did not say anything, he just played with his phone for a moment. The dinner ended smoothly, we cleaned up the dining room and watched a movie while my mum was ranting about my sister rude behaviour for not attending dinner.

In the morning I came down for breakfast when my mum's phone rang and she answered screaming, "Where the hell are you? Do you know how embarrassing it was last night when you were not at home. You did not even inform us where you went last night!" she then went silent I think Elsa was telling her something. I made a toast and egg for breakfast when mum spoke again but much more calmly,

"I don't care if she was dying or not, she should have called me to inform me about it. If she could call you means she was well enough to come home for dinner" I was confused at the one side conversation something seems wrong. What is going on with Elsa I frowned having a bad feeling about this. Mum hanged up the phone, "what a rude guy saying that I don't care about my daughter" she mumbled. She then went on with her work.

I finished my meal and walked up to my room when I received a message from Ben, it had a photo attached to it. I opened it to see Elsa in a hospital bed hooked up to machines and she was sleeping. I was shocked to see how fragile my sister looks. I ran down back to my mum,

"Ma, Elsa is in the hospital!" I shouted,

"I know, Ben called saying that she was in an accident last night, she had a surgery or something" my mum replied calmly, I was shocked at the answer. What kind of mother talks about her daughter in the hospital like a normal thing. I ran to my parents' room to see dad coming out of the showers.

"Dad, Elsa is in the hospital, she had an accident last night," I said while showing him her picture,

"What? Your ma said she was sleeping at Sophia's house" Dad asked surprisingly like he too was unaware about it.

Dad ran down to talk to mum I followed him behind,

"Jane, El is in the hospital did you know about it," he asked mum who was sitting at the countertop and her shoulder is shaking,

"Yes, Ben just called and informed me" Ma answered while sobbing,

"Why did you not come to me right away?" Dad asked her,

"How could I? None of you paid any attention to her, you guys left her to fend for herself. When she had the accident, she asked the officers to call Ben and not us. It is all because this house is filled with idiots' males who ignored my baby, I cannot put up with this anymore. My baby girl is injured, and no one cares about it!" mum shouted, she grabbed her stuff and left the house slamming the front door.

"Is it true? Elsa is in the hospital?" I heard a voice, I turned to see Jason and Danny standing and from their expression, I can say that they heard the whole conversation.