Becoming Family

Chapter 12 The call

I looked  at the phone and saw that it was Katie's number.  "Katie I have another hour" I say annoyed when I answered. "I'm sorry this isn't Katie, this is Sarah from the hospital on 56th and Lincoln. Is this Ari Johnson's number?" The lady on the other end asks. "'Yes this is her.." I said slowly. "I need you to come to the hospital, your foster mother is in the ICU and is very unstable." Sarah says. I just hang up and my phone and it drops out of my hand. "Who was that? Are you ok" Emilie asked me. "Um is it to much to ask one of you to drive me to the hospital on 56th and Lincoln?" I asked  looking at Jen. "What's going on?" Asks Fred. "Well that was Sarah from the hospital saying that Katie is in the ICU and isn't doing well." I say with out emotion. " I can take you" Jen says right away. "We're coming to" Lana and Fred declared. We left the building and rushed to the hospital. On the way I just look out the window think that if somehow Katie doesn't make it I will be put back in the system again. Why is it that when everything seems to be going well something bad happens. I look at Lana and it looks like she is thinking about something and tries to hold the tears back. It was a silent ride but then we made it. I head to the front desk, this time I can't lollygag behind. "I got a call saying that Katie Johnson is in the ICU. I'm her foster child Ari." I told the lady. Buy this time everyone was was with me. I see Fred and Lana talk in the background but I can't tell what they are talking about.  We sit down in the waiting room and I see that they are still talking. "Must be something important" I thought. I sat there and Jen was rubbing my arm trying to encourage me. "Ari Johnson can you please come with me." The nurse said. I followed her into a room with a lot of chairs in it. Everyone followed me. The nurse stopped them from coming in but I told her that they were the ones that drove me and that they were my friends. So she let them in. "Ari, Katie got into a car reck and I'm sorry to have to tell this to you but your foster mother passed a while ago." The nurse said with a shaky voice. All I could do is sit there. "Do you have a place to stay?" She asked. "I um-" I started to say. "Ari will be staying with us." Lana interrupted. My head shot up and I just stared at her with shocked expression. I couldn't believe it. Then we all got in a group hug. I felt bad because I wasn't crying about Katie's passing. I just felt a little sad. I mean we didn't get that close but it was more of an 'oh she is gone' type of feeling. We head back to the hotel because the convention was over. All I could think about was how long will they let me stay. At one point they will have to let me go. When we walked in to the lobby the cast was there, but they were wearing scarfs and hats and didn't look or talk to people. "What's with the getup" I ask. "'We don't really feel like being swarmed buy fans at this moment. "Is everything  ok?" Josh asked. "We were to late.. She passed before we got there." I told everyone. They all gave me hugs and gave their sympathy. We walked to Lana and Fred's room and just sat around the room. After about 20 minutes of silence Fred left to shower. I sat on the bed and Lana was sitting on a chair across from me. Then I asked her a question.