I was pulled abrubtly out of my sleep when I noticed that Em' hadn't done her usually nightly talk with me; for a moment I thought maybe I fell so soundly asleep that I hadn't noticed her when she started talking and now she's asleep as well. I looked over at the night stand for my alarm clock, '10:52 p.m' I said mentally and lied back down with a sigh. 'I did miss our night talk, hope she's not to mad at me, tomorrow.' That was my last thought before I went back to sleep.

It had felt like hours that I was asleep, but when I woke up to almost violent shaking, I saw that it was only 11:00.

Mom was shaking me until she noticed my eyes were open and then she through her arms around me with tears running down her cheeks onto my night shirt, and I knew something was wrong. "Ssshhh, it'll be OK, relax mom..." I tried my best to calm her but it seemed impossible she was crying hard. Her voice scared me at the sudden outburst and I jumped from the startle, it took me a while to figure out what she was saying to the point where Colt and Tum tum had awoken too.

"I'm sorry mom, I can't understand you. Try to calm down and tell me again slowly." I said in soothing voice to calm her nerves- like she had always done when ever something was wrong with one of us, she wiped her eyes and looked at me dead serious.

"It's Emily, sweety," she cried into her hand a moment but I was in a panic and couldn't let her not go on for a second.

"What? What about Emily is- she alright?" I was scared of what I might hear follow that question, but I had to know.

"She's in the hospital-...." she managed to get out as colt and Tum came from their beds to mine and held onto her as well.

"What happened to her?" Colt asked with his voice sounding as concern as a bestfriend.

"Come on, we have to go to the hospital. Get your clothes on and meet me out the door, okay?" She wiped her eyes again and walked out of our room.

"But mom?" Tum tum called after her wanting the whole facts as much as I did. Colt and I were getting dressed as quickly as we could, "Come on Tum!" I practically shouted throwing clothes at him. When we were done we raced downstairs and out the door, mom had the car started and it looked as though she had stopped crying long enough to get us there safely and when we hopped into the car we were on our way.

The drive there was quiet, but from the way mom kept looking at me I could tell that what was at the end of the road I wouldn't like. My heart was pounding so loudly in my ears I thought it had moved into by the time we started into the hospital to the moment we saw Emily's mother, Mrs. Hart crying her out in the waiting room.

Mom went over to her and put her arms around her for comfort, my brothers and I sat down next to them and tried to keep sane. I for one couldn't speak it was as though I lost my voice and it didn't ever plan to come back, I couldn't even swallow.

Mrs. Hart was talking to my mom in a low voice and then she turned to me with little sobs and hugged me close, repeating the same thing, "I'm so sorry honey, I'm so sorry...." she cried onto my shoulder and I rubbed her arm trying to calm her down too. 'Why isn't anyone telling me what's going on?' I wondered, it was very frustrating, but I remained calm, being upset wasn't going to help anyone through what ever might have happened to Emily.

Her father came from up the hall and stood infront of us- he didn't look like the news he had was going to be good.

"The-...." there was a snag in his voice and than he went on, "the doctor says we can see her now, but one at a time....she's resting now and we need to make as little noise as possible." He turned to his wife and took her hand. "Honey?" He said as if he were actaully asking her if she wanted to see her own daughter. Mrs. Hart took her husbands hand and walked down the hall with him.

Mom sniffled and wiped a few tears she looked as though she were ready to talk, so I rushed into a million questions with out meaning to.

"Mom? What happened to Emily? Is she gonna be all right? How come everyone is trying to be so quiet about it? what happened to Buster? And who called to let you know what happened?"

She looked at me kinda confussed, putting a hand through my hair which made me frown- she hasn't done that to me since I was a little boy who she was trying to keep all the bad away from. "Mom?" I said rather impatiently, I neeeded to know what I was going to be facing when I went in to see her. "Sweety, I don't want you to be sad-.."

she started but I cut her off. "Mom not knowing is what's making me sad, please tell me......."

She pulled her bottom lip in and then let out a sigh, "Emily was in a car accident with her cousin Buster, he came out of it with a few minor scratches, but, Emily........" she had a long pause and than started again. "she broke her arm and wrist and her face is messed up a little-.....she smashed right into the windsheild practically going through it...."

as mom talked I began to not hear her, my mind was racing rapidly to the point where I thought I was going to break into a fit of laughter at this horrible news. I ran a hand through my hair and got up to get some privacy incase I did start to laugh, but than a thought came to me and I stopped myself.

"Mom do you know where Buster is?" I asked calmly holding in the smile.

"No, sweety I don't." She said hugging my little brother for comfort for herself.

"Okay, I- uh......have to go, I'll be outside for a bit. Will you let me know when I can go in?" I asked and she nodded with a worried look on her face for me, but I shook my head. "I'm fine mom, everything is gonna be all right."

With that I left the hospital and stood out in the parking lot letting out huffs of air, I really needed some oxygen- my brain felt cloudy like I was going to tip over from anxioty.

'How could this happen to her?' I thought, than my mind jumped instantly to that jerk Buster. 'How can he get off scout free, when she's so banged up?' Emily and I are still taking "Drivers Ed." so she wasn't behind the wheel, putting the blame on one person- Buster. I was about to go back into the hospital when someone put their hand on my shoulder. I spun around to see Colt there, he put his arms around me, but I didn't hug back. I didn't feel a need to Emily was going to be fine, there was no need to get emotional.

"I'm really sorry bro, we liked Emily too." He said letting go, but leaving a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad, but Emily is gonna be fine- I ve broken my arm once before and it was fine with in no time, and she's pretty healthy so those cuts will soon heal and everything can go back to normal- no need to get histerical, cry, or worry, okay?" I said to him shrugging his hand off my shoulder.

"Rocky, are you blind? Do you have waxy build up? Emily is in the hospital and you're acting as though she came here by choice......what's the matter with you? You think you'd be crying your eyes out with mom and Mrs. Hart, not outside thinking about who know what." Why was Colt giving me speeches? He never showed emotion to anything that was serious, of course those were just break ups and I guess having an injured friend is completely different. He cried the first time I got hurt and broke my arm when we were at grandpa's cabin one summer; he thought he had done it, but I fell from a tree and broke it without knowing and when he and I went to spar together I blocked a punch and crack!

"I'm just looking on the bright side Colt, think positive and nothing bad will happen every one knows that." I said with a shrug and started back in to the hospital with him at my heals saying.

"I guess as long as you believe that, there's no harm in it. You wanna stop in the gift shop? Mom and Tum are already in there."

"Yeah, Em' loves stuffed animals. Come on." I said cheerfully and led him inside, I knew the hospital pretty well because Emily and I used to come in here alot and read to the children that were sick and could or couldn't get out of bed. Yeah as long as I look on the positive sides things will be all right.