In The Words of Ana Steele...Oh Crap...What Do I Do Now

~Twenty-Seven~

Dakota's POV

After what feels like an eternity, we are finally allowed in to see Grace. Even though my baby sister is 6 feet tall, she still looks so tiny in the hospital bed. Her green eyes are closed when we come in, and we're told she's not fully out of the anesthesia yet. Jamie gently guides me into an armchair, and I smile up at him gratefully because I'm starting to feel lightheaded.

I lean my head back, hoping it will help, but that only makes the feeling worse, and the edges of my vision are starting to go dark. I lean forward, putting my head between my knees, and the feeling starts to recede.

"Baby, are you okay?" I hear my Dad ask, sounding like he's in a tunnel.

"Gonna faint," I reply from between my knees.

"Her blood sugar is dropping," I hear Jamie say. I feel movement beside me, and suddenly, Jamie's voice murmurs. "Open your mouth for me, love."

Seconds later, I taste a Green Apple Jolly Rancher, and I have to fight my gag reflex. It's not been one of my favorite flavors since I was a child and not feeling well, and my brother Jesse breathed on me with one in his mouth; that was a fun afternoon...

Hanging upside down like this with something in my mouth isn't really helping matters either.

"I know that isn't the ideal way to eat a piece of candy, and it's probably making you feel ill, love, but it's the quickest way to raise your blood sugar until you're able to sit upright. I nod and try to focus on something else. Jamie is right; after a short time, I feel a little better.

"Why don't we go and get you something to eat while we wait for Grace to wake up?" Jamie suggests. I'm about to refuse him when I'm stopped by a stern look from Dad.

"He's got a point, baby girl...you need to get something into your system for my grand-babies."

I nod, and Dad turns to Jamie, asking. "How did you know Dakota's blood sugar was low?"

"My sister is hypo-glycemic, and when her levels drop too low, she has the same reaction that Dakota did," Jamie answers.

"Thank you for taking care of my girl," Dad tells him gratefully.

"No thanks needed," Jamie responds as his ears turn red. "I love her."

Dads face lights up in a wide grin, and Jamie and I finally leave the recovery area.

****************************

"Let's get you some orange juice to start with, love," Jamie says as he grabs a bottle from the cafeteria's cooler. "Now does anything else look good?" he asks.

"That's the thing..." I complain. "I'm starving, so everything looks good, but the question is, how long will it stay put?"

"So we start easy... scrambled eggs, a banana, and some toast," Jamie replies.

"Simple as that is, right now, it sounds amazing," I tell him.

"Go sit down, love... you look like you're about to pass out," he commands me gently. I do as I'm told, and when I reach the table, I fold my arms on it and rest my head in them. I'm so tired...

Jamie finally approaches the table, and I know instantly that he's forgotten and brought coffee with him. I feel bile rising into my throat and I stand up, putting my left hand over my mouth as I bolt for the doors of the cafeteria, grateful that we passed a ladies room on the way in.

When I make it back to the table, the offending cup is gone. I'm so sorry, love!" Jamie gasps in horror as I take my seat again. I cock my left eyebrow at him and begin to eat, not bothering to respond other than to thank him.

After I'm done eating, I feel a lot better, and Jamie and I head back to the recovery area, where Grace is finally awake.

"Hey, sweetie, how are you doing?" I ask as I lean down and give Grace a gentle hug.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Kota," Grace tells me.

"You're welcome, but you took care of me first," I state.

Dad gives me a puzzled look, and I explain that I was sick during the night. Then it dawns on me that Grace hasn't heard my news yet; good, she can tell the rest of my half-siblings for me...

"I have some big news to tell you, Gracie," I tell her as I sink into the armchair again.

"What's that?" she croaks.

"You're going to be an Auntie early next year; to twins," I tell her.

"You've gotta be fucking with me, Kota!" she says in disbelief.

"No, I'm serious," I reply.

"How could you be so stupid?!" she chastises me.

"Excuse you?!" I snap. "I'm twenty-seven, and plenty old enough."

"Yeah, but apparently not very bright..." she continues berating me.

"Atherton Grace Johnson, you had better behave yourself," Dad scolds her. I know he's furious, now...we don't use her first name unless she's committed some serious offense; she's only got that first name because it was my stepmother Kelly's grandmother's dying wish that the baby have her name when Kelly was pregnant with Grace. "Apologize to your sister," he commands her. Grace refuses and turns her head silently in the opposite direction. I'm reminded once again why she and I don't get along as well as Stella and I do; Grace has a tendency to be somewhat of an uptight little bitch.

"Let's go, love," Jamie murmurs as he offers a hand to help me up.

"Dakota, I'm sorry for your sister's behavior," Dad tells me as he gives me a hug goodbye. "I thought I raised her better than that, but apparently not; I truly am sorry."

"Not your fault, Daddy," I tell him. Why do I suddenly feel like bursting into tears? I turn and hurry from the room, because I can feel my eyes starting to water, and I don't want to give Grace the satisfaction of knowing how much she's hurt me. Jamie leads me to the rental car and drives us back to our condo, where we go back to bed with me laying in his arms, still crying.

A/N: I honestly don't know the origin of Grace Johnson's actual first name, but this sounded like as good an explanation as any. As for why she was a bitch? That was based on my next oldest sister's reaction when I told her I was pregnant. She and I don't get along the greatest, but my oldest sister and I are pretty much best friends. Go figure... Thanks for reading! I hope to post more soon, but for now, I have nothing.