The Malady Advocate

Chapter 5

I wake up to find paramedics in my sisters bedroom. There's an ambulance outside. My mother is in Alenas room crying. I can't see her.
"Mom?" a question requesting so many anwers.
"Ami, it's... it's okay" she's trying so hard to sound reasurring, but it doesn't work. I can tell something really bad has happened, mother doesn't cry easily.
"What happened?"
"It's your sister,"
"Is everything okay?"
"Not really," my heart stops, "the luekeamia is bad again, she's being taken in to hospital for more intensive care and further treatment."
"Is she going to be okay?"
"The paramedics think so, they caught the next round of infections early, so they should be able to treat those and find the source again, although they suspect it's the exact same as before." my heart starts again.
"When can I go see her?"
"She isn't allowed any visitors for a few days, not even family." Shit. This is bad.
"Are you sure she's going to be okay?"
"Yes, it's just a precautionary measure, you know how they are." Possible, yet unlikely. All the times she'd been in hosipital before, we'd been able to see her.
"Yeah, I know."
"Your father is coming home to see her." Dad left a couple years ago, he had to go back to France for his job, mom and him couldn't handle a marriage living so far apart, so they split up, but they still got on really well and he came back whenever he could, which was very rarely. "Go get ready for school Ami, I'll call you if there's any news."

It took me an hour and a half to get ready today. What if something happens to her? What if mom calls and I can't answer? What if Alena calls and I can't answer? What if Alena... No. Don't think like that. She will be fine, the doctors know what they're doing, and she survived it in the past.
I put the thoughts to the back of my mind, an almost impossible task, and mom takes me to school, telling me how my sister would be okay all the way there, then, when we finally get there, almost an hour late, she tells me that if I need to come home, just say the word and she will be there, something she's never offered before, but it's nice to know that she's considering me with everything that's going on.
"Mel? Is everything okay?" Isaac asks as soon as he sees me.
"Umm... not really."
"What happened?"
"It's Alena..."
"Yeah?"
"It's back."
"Oh gods, I'm so sorry Amelie. I'm sure they'll try their best."
"Mom says the same. Please don't tell anyone."
"Not a soul."
"Thanks. Sorry, today was meant to be so perfect, I was going to have a group of friends and we were going to eat in the cafeteria and share stories of our weekends and gossip about who we thought was cute and what new outfits we liked and just be a group of friends. I ruined it, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, we can still do that."
"Really?"
"Yes, of course."
"Thank you."
"Want to introduce me to your new friends? You up for it?"
"Yes, it'll be a distraction."
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" and honestly, I don't want t wait for this, I need to forget what I'm thinking about, and maybe a group of friends can help with that.

"So he tried it on with you?" I ask Sofia, laughing
"Yes! It was wild, I only told him about four times that I wasn't into guys, and he still tried it."
"Sof has this special talent of attracting guys and being told she's 'too pretty to be a lesbian'"
"Because obviously that's going to change me."
"Guys are dicks," Lara looks towards Isaac, "sorry, I meant to say, most guys are dicks."
"Oh, no, you were right the first time, all guys are dicks. Do you know, we actually have annual Who-Can-Be-The-Biggest-Dick contests."
"It's true, he's shown me his trophies" 
"So, are you to, like, a thing?" Lara thinks we're dating? How?
I say "Hell no! Isaac is like a brother to me!" the same time as Isaac says "Ew no, Mel is like my sister!"
"Oh, okay, just thought that, since, ya know, you two spent every day together, just the two of you, that you might be dating. And that's what that April girl said too."
"April is full of lies, don't listen to a word she says" Isaac seems to sense my unease, so he jumps in and shuts the topic down, "Mel, do you need a ride home?" he catches me looking down at my phone, mom texted, telling me I need to get home A.S.A.P.
"Yes please."
"Something wrong?"
"She's got to go to help prepare for her dads birthday surprise." Thank you Isaac, mental note to buy him as many donuts as he wants later. "Come on Mel"
As soon as we leave the table we were sat at, and are back at Isaacs car, I burst into tears.