Just Barely Hanging On(On Hold)

Chapter Three-This Is My Life, This Is Reality(Editing)

As we walked in, the head police man, Mark Cadwin, turned around.

"Miss. Marsh, I would like to have a word with you in private." I just looked at him.

"When?" I asked, I could almost predict what he would say.

"Now, if you will." He said calmly. I nodded my head at him before Hayden could protest about me going alone like I knew she would. As he motioned with a hand for me to follow, I could swear I felt her scowl at my back. That had me grinning a bit, knowing that she cared so much for me.

"Right here is good," Cadwin stopped us from walking any further and showed me to the small sitting area where patients and their families waited to be called in. "Please sit," he gestured to a selection of old chairs. I tried choosing one that had the least amount of crumbs and coffee-stains on it.

I never did like hospitals; in my eyes they were dirty and filled with sad faces, me being one. I sat quietly on the very edge of the stiff chair, waiting for him to continue.

He flicked his hand, signaling to the other two officers that they were dismissed for the time being. He cleared his throat before telling me what he had pulled me over for.

"Since we were rushing to come here, there was something important that we didn't tell you," I looked at him with one brow raised. I did notice that he looked as if he had to say more, but before he could my friends had cut in. "One of your sisters is still alive..." Surprised, I made a strangling noise at the back of my throat.

'One of your sisters is still alive...' those words echoed in my ears. I could feel my adrenaline pumping through my veins. I stood up.

"Where is she? Which one?" I started to hyperventilate.

"Wait, Miss. Marsh please calm down," Cadwin begged me. He knew I was going to make a scene.

I had too many emotions flowing through my head. I couldn't think clearly so I blurted things out that didn't seem appropriate for someone like me talking to someone who held more power and authority than I did...

"Don't tell me to calm down," I snapped at him. I know I was being rude, but I couldn't help it. "You tell me my family died, then you say one of my sibling's lives and you expect me to calm down?" I was raising my voice higher but I couldn't stop. I walked towards him, face red from anger. Before I could say anything else, I felt Masons arms cage me in holding me back.

My friends had heard the commotion I was making-I think everyone there did, and had hurried over. Hayden was talking animatedly to Officer Cadwin, clearly asking what happened. She didn't look too happy herself. Mason whispered calming words into my ears, getting my heart beat back to a normal rhythm. Once I was settled down on a chair, Hales started asking questions.

"Who is it, Officer Cadwin?"

"Marnie was it?" He asked us, not remembering her name. I looked up from my hands and took a deep breath.

"Marianne, my sisters name is Marianne." He nodded his head, deliberately avoided my eye contact.

"Yes, Marianne. And I can bring you to her before you see the rest of your uh-family-"

"Perfect, let's go now." Hayden told Officer Cadwin in a voice that clearly stated there was no more room for arguments. I got up out of the chair I was currently sitting on and followed behind the group. With Mason still holding my shoulders, we walked down the wide hallway to the elevators.

The other two police officers were already there, pushing the up button. The Elevator doors opened and we all stepped in the empty compartment. One of the police men proceeded to push floor three button. We all waited in awkward silence as the lift rose up. After a few minutes, it stopped with a jolt and the heavy metal doors slid open to reveal the floor in which my sister was put on. Hayden was the first out followed by Mason, me, Hales and the police officers.

As the police ushered us to her room, I slowly lagged behind. Did she want to see me? How was she? Oh god, I hoped she didn't hate me! All these questions swarmed through my head, almost making me feel dizzy. I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Hales standing beside me.

"You okay, Gracie?" she asked me looking concerned.

"No," I answered truthfully. I leaned in for a hug and she gladly wrapped her arms tightly around me.

"You know, she'll definitely want to see you, you don't need to worry about that." she whispered to me. I looked up.

"How'd you know I was thinking that?" I inquired.

"Hey, I've been one of you best friends since second grade, give me some credit!" she gasped pretending to sound hurt. "And by the way, I can read you like an open book." I playfully shoved her shoulder. She didn't retaliate but winked instead, causing me to stifle a laugh. "Com'on, lets get you to her room." I nodded and followed her as she tugged my hand to hurry.

I stood as still as a statue looking at my sister's room door. I knew I had to be brave, I had to be there for her yet I couldn't get my stubborn feet to move. 'Let's go brain,' I urged thinking to myself. 'Send a message to my feet.'

"Gracie, I think you should go now. Anyhow, you should be the one she sees first, you are the sister." Mason pointed out trying to coax me to go in.

"I know, I-like-but-feet won't move-and-and-like-yeah," I stuttered looking at my friends wide eyed as they chuckled shamelessly at me.

"No protesting, m'dear." Hayden smirked, gently pushing me in Marianne's' room as they all hung back. I sighed and slowly walked in chanting to myself, 'stay strong, stay strong'. But as I saw her I stopped yet again. She was lying on a hospital cot; I couldn't see all of her because the foot board concealed her from view. A nurse was situated beside her, holding two fingers up. I heard her kindly asked,

"How many fingers am I holding up, dear?"

"Three," a soft vice answered. I felt my tears almost brimming over. I wiped them away. I've got to be strong for her, I reminded myself. I then preceded the short walk to her bedside. I wiped my nose on the sleeve of my dress. I must have made a choking noise because her head turned towards me and when she gazed over at me, it looked as if she would break any second.

As her eyes held my gaze, a smile lit up her small face. When she looked at me with that much joy, I couldn't contain it any longer. My breath hitched and all the tears I had been bottling up fell from my eyes, cascading down my face. It felt as if my heart stopped, yet at the same time I knew it was beating ten times as fast, threatening to burst out of my chest.

I scanned my eyes over her burned body and hair. Her once beautiful soft brown waves were charred at the ends and some strands were missing. It made me cry harder, knowing that she was damaged. I barely saw the nurse quickly leave to give us privacy. All I saw was Marianne, burned and hurting-but still alive and that's all what mattered to me.

I promised myself right there and then that I would treasure her forever. I would put her first and make sure that she was never going to go through that kind of trauma again.

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I lied!! I do have time to post up chapter three!! Lol, so what I said at the end of chapter two about chapter three applies to chapter four...confusing I know.

What I mean is that now exams are coming up, so chapter four will be posted up later!!

Thank you for reading, and tune in later for more... :)

-JEMbookloverjs