Fate's Choice (ON HOLD)

Chapter Six // Emergency Rooms and Mysterious Letters

Emergency rooms suck. They stink, they’re full of sick or crying children and E.R. doctors that always run around like chicken with their heads cut off.

The floor was cold. I looked down and noticed that I hadn’t put on shoes before we’d come to the hospital. I only had on my black socks with rainbow stars. They were really pretty but I still wished I’d put on a pair of sneakers. I hadn’t even thought to when we’d left – we’d just rushed out the door as fast as possible.

Xavier had taken off his sweatshirt and wrapped it around Roma’s bleeding arm. The doctors had come out to look her over but she refused to be seen until we knew that David was going to be alright. That had been the first and last time she’d spoken since we’d left my house.

At first, Xavier had tried to get her to tell her what happened. Then, when she just shook her head, I’d screamed at her for a good ten minutes. People had stared at me like I was insane and my throat had gone dry, my voice getting horse. She still didn’t say a word.

When the doctors came to ask what happened, she just shrugged and then buried her face in Xavier’s chest to sob uncontrollably for a half an hour.

The whole thing made my stomach hurt and gave me the urge to puke. Preferably on Roma.

I had weird stomach aches. David had said it was the only part of my powers that I had retained but I didn’t think much of it, really. I had never had a stomach ache that wasn’t followed by some kind of tragedy or loss.

After we’d been sitting in the E.R. for four hours, my stomach ache went away. Did that mean that everything was going to be okay or that he was…? I couldn’t force myself to finish so I just consulted Xavier to see what he thought about it.

“Well, I guess David’s chances are looking up after all, eh?” He grinned. His expression was happy but I could see it in his eyes. That bewildered shock and shear panic that Roma had in her expression when she first told us David was in trouble.

I knew he what he was thinking. What could hurt David so badly that he’d need to be in the hospital for more than four hours and undergo surgery? He was an angel!

We knew next to nothing, thanks to Roma. I could throttled her then and there, had Xavier not been a hundred times stronger than me.

When the doctor finally came out, his hair was ruffled, his surgical mask was around his neck and his hands were clasped tightly in front of him. I couldn’t get anything from his expression; he just looked tired.

“He’s going to be okay. He has a few broken ribs, a broken arm and…” He lowered his voice considerably. “One of his other extremities is damaged.”

“How damaged, Doc?” I asked, noticing that Xavier looked more concerned than before.

The doctor shifted, uncomfortable. “We gave him a sedative and he’s sleeping. He’ll be pretty weak for a few days while he heals a little and then we can let him out. Why don’t you follow me. It’s only family allowed in but he said you were his siblings…” He trailed off, looking towards Xavier for conformation.

I cleared my throat and nodded my head. He didn’t look like he believed it but he smiled politely anyway. “Being siblings, do you share, uh…unique bone structure?” He looked to me and I nodded.

“Well, just the boys have it. I think it’s a male thing.” I joked weakly, my eyes roaming down the hall. Which room was his?

“And what are all your names? We didn’t find any I.D. on your brother.” He looked at all of us.

Roma spoke up for the first time. “David, Michael,” She pointed to Xavier when she said the second name and then to herself and I, “Aphrodite and Athena.” She smiled innocently and I would have believed her myself, had I not known what my own name was.