Alex Carter: A Red Band Society Fanfiction

Get Better

Leo knocked on Emma's door, and she jumped, as if she didn't expect him. "Did you really have to end the day like that?" He sighed, exasperated.

"Oh, did I embarrass you?" she said with mock serenity. "I'm so sorry. Maybe you missed the part where I was being water boarded with a giant vat of melting sour cream."

"Okay, let's take a small reality check," Leo said evenly, moving to sit on the edge of her desk.

"Are you kidding me? That girl was attacking me."

"Oh come on, she wasn't. I'm not gonna pretend that Lauren isn't the most tactful person on the planet, but she was just trying to understand."

"And what were you doing, Leo?" Emma said, throwing down her work and looking up at him. "You didn't even try to defend me."

Leo looked at his girlfriend and saw the sadness and fear and anger that she felt because of him. "Cause I can't," he rushed, walking towards her. "I don't know how, and even if I did, I wouldn't to."

"I don't know what you're saying."

"I couldn't argue with Lauren because I agreed with everything she said. I don't understand how someone so cool, and smart-" Emma turned around and stalked to the other side of the room, trying to busy herself with tidying. "-and beautiful could do this to herself."

"Fine, you obviously feel like you've made a mistake, so why don't we just forget the whole thing."

Leo fought back the urge to throw something. She never listened, and he could never say the right thing. "Emma, I'm not going anywhere. I just want to--I want to help you." When she didn't respond, Leo tried a different approach. "I want us to get out of here, together. Don't you want that?"

"I don't know," Emma finally replied.

Her voice was quiet, but held meaning. Leo could practically see her slipping away from him, so he did the only thing he knew was right. He walked up to her, and kissed her cheek softly, reveling in the taste of her skin for just a brief moment. "I'm sorry, for today at the restaurant." He watched her features soften, and began to leave the room, not wanting to cause her any more pain. "And Emma?" he asked, before he left," tell me when you do know."

She nodded, and he walked out of the room.

...

"What the hell were you guys thinking? Sneaking into a sterile area?"

Alex stood next to Dr. Mc Andrew, looking bored.  The culprits shuffled their feet refusing to meet his gaze. Leo walked into the room then, obviously pissed off about something. However, the moment he saw Dr. McAndrew's expression, he realized it could wait. "What's going on?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out right now."

"Why, what happened?"

"You left!" Dash cut in. "That's what happened. And no one wanted to listen."

"How did you even get up there?" Dr. McAndrew asked, exasperated.

"I'll tell you exactly how we got up there," Dash stood glaring at the doctor. He opened his mouth to speak, and was overcome by a fit of coughs. "We got up there, because there was no one here to stop us. It's like Lord of the Flies in here. Not solidarity, every man for themselves. Nurse Jackson," he stopped to cough, but continued, with labored breathing. "Nurse Jackson is the one who held this whole thing together. But you fired her."

"Hey, hey, I didn't fire her," Dr. McAndrew said in a low voice.

"Well, suspended, whatever you wanna call it. For what? Because she tried to save Charlie's life?" Dash could barely stand up straight, and he wheezed repeatedly as he spoke.

"Dash, try to stay calm," Leo warned.

"And you don't eve care about that, do you?" Dash continued, "You think you're the only one here saving people, man?"

"Dash, take it easy. Breathe."

Dash coughed into his hand, and everyone was greeted with the sight of fresh blood.

"Oh my gosh!" Kara yelled, jumping onto her bed.

Dash feel to the floor, and everyone gasped. "Nurse, I need a gurney," Dr. McAndrew called.

"What's happening?"

"It's okay, it's going to be alright."

"Guys, stand back."

The nurses lifted Dash onto a gurney and made a swift exit.

...

"Emma," a chillingly familiar voice called.

"Hey, Lauren," she said, slipping into a fake smile. "I thought you guys had left."

"I left my phone in the bathroom, they really should issue warnings about texting and peeing." Emma couldn't help but be slightly disgusted by this girl, and would be just fine if she never had to see her again. "I'm glad I ran into you, I wanted to apologize about this afternoon."

"Oh, it's not your fault. It's just kind of embarrassing." Emma truly did believe that. She hated this girl because she hated herself. She knew that if she never had this disease in the first place, it wouldn't have been such a terrible experience. If she were just pretty and skinny, she could've eaten at that restaurant and enjoyed herself. She could've laughed about parties she'd been to, and friends she'd hung out with. She could've talked about her passions and her dreams; they would've thought Leo was lucky to have her. But no, she was stuck. Stuck and alone, and forced to have this awkward conversation that just made her feel...ugly.

"Well, everyone has something about themselves they don't like, like for example, I can't keep my mouth shut to save my life."

"You don't say,"

"Since you already know I have absolutely no filter, let me just say this. Leo is, like the most amazing guy, ever."

"I know," Emma said quietly, trying to stop a blush and smile from creeping up her cheeks.

"No, I mean he really is." Emma's smile dropped quickly, confused and a little uncomfortable by the girl's tone. "Not just because he's a great athlete, or smart, or cute, but because he's truly profoundly good. Do you know what I mean?"

Emma's concern grew as she watched Lauren gush about Leo, her expression mirroring what  Emma's had been, seconds earlier. "I think so."

"He's not the same. He might think he is, but, whatever he says, he's not going to stick around forever for you to get your act together. He'll try, but sooner or later, if you keep this up, you're gonna lose him."

"By being myself?" Emma replied, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"In the nicest possible way, yeah. So get better, okay?" She ran off, to catch the elevator leaving Emma in a worse place than she was before. Which, in her experience, was not a good way to leave people.