"Sunshine? I have bad news." Elle said, coming in my room on a Tuesday morning. I was frantically trying to get ready for school. I sighed and said, "Who's in a coma today?"
"No one is, Sunshine, don't worry. We're just going to the hospital for a quick checkup." Elle said.
Don't worry? Yeah, right. I am sure as heck going to worry. I'm going to the hospital for goodness sake, my least favorite place on the planet. I started crying then I said, "What for?"
"Blood test." Elle said, and I froze up. I should be used to blood tests by now, but I hated them more than anything in the world. They hurt, and I mean really hurt.
"D-do I have to?" I said, trying to hold my tears in. "I don't want to go to the hospital...especially after what happened last time...I don't want to go into another coma..."
"Oh my God, Sunshine...is that what you're worried about?" Elle said, hugging me tightly. I nodded slightly, not wanting to come off as being a baby.
But the fear has been haunting me for days now. I already slipped into a coma and already died once, what if it happened again?
I sighed, pulling a hair tie out of my hair and twirling it on my finger. "I'm sorry Mommy...I'm so sorry..."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Sunshine. It's okay. I get it, you went through the most traumatic event you ever had to go through a couple of weeks ago. It was hard for me, too. I almost lost my daughter, my whole world." Elle said, hugging me tightly. "But it's highly unlikely that you'll go into a coma because of a blood test. We'll only be in the hospital for a half hour, that's it."
I sighed, hoping Elle was telling the truth. I was truly scared that I would go into a coma.
"We have to go in 5 minutes. Want to quickly pack your hospital bag before we have to go?" Elle asked. I nodded, feeling a bit of hope.
I ran to my room and grabbed the tie dye backpack on the floor. I was so used to calling it "my hospital bag" but then I realized what it used to be.
It was the school bag my dad threw into the street when I met Elle.
My heart ached a little, but I shook it off and kept packing. My blankie, my book, my phone charger and earbuds, everything.
I grabbed my backpack and threw it over my shoulder. "Ready!" I called to Elle. Elle dropped the book she was reading on the couch and we were on our way. To the worst place in the world.
_______
"I hate needles." I complained, for maybe the hundredth time this year. Or maybe even this month.
"I know, needles suck, but you always get through it with flying colors." Elle said, reaching over and giving my hand a loving squeeze. I sighed, no amount of hugs and hand holds can fix how scared I was.
I started playing with the ends of my hair mindlessly, it's a thing I do when I'm stressed. Elle seemed to notice and said, "Aw, I know you're scared."
"Scared? More like terrified!" I said, sobbing. Elle put me on her lap and I felt slightly better. But not totally.
The nurse came out and called my name, and I didn't feel like going. At all.
"Come on, Sunshine. You can do this." Elle said. I sighed, wanting to go and make Elle happy, but at the same time, I couldn't. Like I physically couldn't go without sobbing.
Elle took my hand and said, "Are you okay?" I shook my head, feeling a little irritated. It should be obvious to Elle that I wasn't okay. I sighed and said, "Yeah. I'm fine."
But I wasn't. When Elle wasn't looking, I ran out of her grip and to the bathroom, taking my phone and earbuds with me.
"Sunshine?" I heard Elle call, but I ignored it. All I wanted was to be alone, even if it was for a minute, at most.
I pulled out my phone and started listening to Spelling Bee.
"Mama, Mama, Mama!" I whisper-sung to myself. I missed those days. When Jess was in one piece. When Heathers was still playing. When I was still homeschooled. When I didn't know who Violet Gardner was.
Those days when I thought nothing would ever go wrong again. Boy, 12-year-old Catlynn, you are so wrong...
Suddenly, my phone rang. I didn't want to pick it up, or even look at it. It was probably Elle trying to track me down.
But all I wanted was to go home.
My phone then started vibrating with texts. I didn't want to look at them.
I finally picked up my phone and saw that Katie was calling me.
"Sunshine...I'm so sorry...I saw the news this morning..." Katie said once I picked up.
"Wait, what?" I asked. "What's going on? I got a bunch of texts and phone calls, but I'm at the hospital so I didn't check them..."
"You might want to check them now...I'm so sorry...I love you." Katie said. Then she hung up.
I checked my phone and opened my messages. When I did, I gasped.
I had just gotten the worst news of my life.
AN: BAHAHAHAHA! CLIFFHANGER! TheatreGeek1011 I AM SO SORRY! Hope you enjoyed! Catch ya later!