Chapter Twenty-nine

Over the next few days, my family and I prepare for my surgery. Even though I can walk a little on crutches, it's only using my good leg, the rest of my weight on the crutch.

Joey and I switch rooms, my parents promising to repaint after the holidays. Its nice to not have to ask someone to carry me up and down the stairs.

"Hey," Ben says, his head suddenly appearing. He walks through the door, papers dangling in his hand. "I brought your work from school. I did not trust Aidan to bring them to you."

I smile. "Thanks, you can put it on my desk," I say, gesturing to the cluttered desk. Ben laughs, twisting his face at the mess. "Don't make that face, I'm unpacking still."

Ben sets the papers on the desk, raising his hands. He begins to leave, then pauses. He turns, facing me. "I have to tell you something," he says. "Whitney and I are dating."

I smile. "That's great, I'm happy for you Ben!" I say. "I didn't even know you liked her."

Ben shrugs a shoulder. "We started hanging out and actually devised a plan to get rid of Carla for good." Ben goes on to explain the plan to get Carla expelled. Afterwards, Ben leaves to do his own homework.

I smile, laying into the soft pillows underneath me, closing my eyes.

"Please," I say, folding my hands in front of me. "Let us go! Aidan will be there, nothing will happen!"

Tyler stands beside me, pouting. We want to go to a Simple Plan and All Time Low concert in London with Aidan, and his friends Austin, Henry, Stephanie, and Jenna are going.

"Its not fair mom," he say, glancing at me. "We like the bands more than them anyway. Aidan said he'd take us."

She sighs, running a hand through her hair. "Look, I have to discuss it with your father," she says, shrugging. "but if your brother doesn't mind-"

I scream, hugging Tyler. He embraces me back.

"Thank you mom," we attack her with a bear hug, squeezing her tight.

"Don't get to excited," she says, "your dad can still say no."

Tyler scoffs. "Please, we know we're his favourites," Tyler says, speaking the truth.

My mom rolls her eyes. "You know we don't have favourites. We love you all equally."

I chuckle, patting her arm. "Whatever gets you through the day mom."

What we didn't expect was that our dad actually saying no, telling us we couldn't go see the concert with Aidan and his friends. We didn't let that stop us from going anyway, sneaking into the truck of Henry's SUV, hitching a ride.

Tyler and I had the best time. We were grounded for a month, but it was worth it.

Tyler was always there and then he wasn't.

***

The date of the surgery looms, the days passing with an impeccable slowness. The Holidays creep up, my mom and Beatrice decorating the house with little Santa Clauses and snow globes. It brightens everyone's mood, except mine.

Usually, I'm excited for Christmas, but this year I feel a hollowing sadness pulling at me.

Mara, my physical therapist says with a condition such as mine, its normal. Though, I'm sure the entire Austin issue isn't helping either.

When the day of my surgery finally arrives, its three weeks to Christmas. I get up at five thirty in the morning to make the trip to the hospital. Jude, Aidan, and Quinn come with us to the hospital this morning, along with my parents. Everyone else stays home.

Once we arrive at the hospital, I check in, filling out paper work and the nurse at the counter puts a hospital id bracelet on my wrist. I change into a scratchy, uncomfortable gown,

The nurses who are on my prep team bustle around, attaching cords to machines all over my body and sure I'm as comfortable as they can make me. Mom, who is standing beside me, holds my hand in a vise like grip. She is the only one who's allowed to be in the sterilized room while I'm being prepped for surgery.

The nurses booted every one else out about ten minutes ago into the waiting room.

"Good morning!" Dr. Shover waltzes into the room, a big and bright smile on his face. "How are you this morning, Emma? And mom?" He shakes our hands and then starts checking the charts a nurse gives him.

"We're all set to go, if you are." A nurse, who introduces herself as Marie, says.

They already explained the procedure. Once I'm in the operating room, I will be put to sleep with a general anaesthetic while they open up my leg, and try to repair the damaged nerve.

I'm nervous about being put to sleep, the faint possibility that I will never wake up scaring me. 

"You'll be alright sweetie. I'll be right here when you wake up," my mom says, leaning down and kisses my forehead before she leaves the room.

She leaves, out of my sight and my heart starts beating faster than I can speak.

It's finally settling in, that this is it. In a few minutes, I will be going 'under the knife.'

"Hey Emma. You'll be fine, you'll come out a champ," Marie says and smiles down, noticing the rapid beeping of the heart monitor beside me. 

"I'm just...scared," I admit, and she pats my hand and adjusts the rails of the bed. Marie stays beside me as orderlies rolls my bed out of the room and down the hall, the machines and IV pole trailing behind me. Once we arrive into the operating room, which is even more sterilized than the last, Marie sits beside me.

"I can't blame you for being scared. You're brave. And you don't need to worry, we will take good care of you."

I nod, honestly believing her and the doctors professionalism. Marie helps me lay back and lifts mask.

"This is going to go over your mouth and nose, and you'll breath in the anaesthetic."

She puts the mask over my face. "Now, count backwards from ten, okay?"

"10."

"9."

"8."

"7."

"6."

"5."

"4."

"3."

"2."

"1."

"Ready or not, here I come!" I say and uncover my eyes, turning around to face the park, eager find Austin. I run over to the tree house that is built in the middle of the park, but before I am even half way there, movement catches my eye.

It's Austin, running toward the slide.

I take off towards him, intend on tagging him.

"I see you!" I shout, making him run faster. Austin beelines it for the slide, climbing to the top and sat down, waiting for me to arrive. Instead of following him up the latter, like he probably expects me to do, I wait at the bottom of the slide.

"You can't catch me up here," Austin says, laughing. He sticks his tongue out. I put my hands on my hip.

"You have to come down sometime. I can wait allll day," I say, grinning. After a few minutes, Austin finally makes his move. He kicks his legs on the slide and spins, jumping down off the latter. He runs in the direction of the the swings, me hot on his heels.

"Hey, that's not fair!" I whine as I run after him. He just laughs and makes it to the swing set. There are several older kids around them, laughing and pushing each other around. The swing beside Austin doesn't have any one on it.

Austin is already half way into the air when I reach the empty swing. Just as I go to climb onto it, I am forced to the ground, my hands and knees scraping against the gravel. I slowly stand up, clutching my sore hand.

"Hey!" I turn around and see that Austin sizing up the kid that shoved me to the ground. The boy is taller than Austin, but that doesn't seem to scare him off. "You can't do that! Apologize to her, now!" Austin clinches his fists as he speaks, when is what he does when he is angry.

"Make me," the older boy says mockingly, leaning into Austin. Before the boy can move away, Austin hauls back his left hand, punching the older kid in the face.

The boy falls to the ground and blood spurts from his nose.

Parents start to arrive, demanding someone explain what happened. Austin ignores them and rushes over to my side, dusting off my hands.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly. I nod and thank him, then ask him about his own fist. "Don't worry about me," He says, hiding his fist behind his back and putting an arm around my shoulder.

"You don't need to protect me like that you know," I say, figuring I have enough brothers to do the job.

"I'll always protect you," he says in response.

I wake up, looking for someone familiar.

My mom leans over the bed, smiling. "Hey, sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

"Tired," I say. "Is the surgery over?"

She nods, kissing my forehead. "It is, you did great Emma. Get some rest."

***

"Can you pass me those crutches?" I ask Jude who is sitting in the chair next to me, pointing to the evil things behind the sofa. He passes them to me, helping me stand up.

"Where are you going?" He asks. "mom told you to take it easy."

I roll my eyes. "It's been six days since the surgery," I say. Since getting out of the hospital three days ago, I've not done anything but sit on the sofa and watch cartoon reruns. "I'm tired of sitting around. So, are you going to come with me or not?"

He sighs. "Where are you going? It's freezing outside, Emma."

I struggle to make my way to the kitchen, Jude following me.

"What if you fall?" he say, trying to convince me not to go out as I put my jacket on.

I shrug a shoulder, trying to balance on the crutches as I pull on my winter boots. "The snow is soft," I say. "Jesus Jude, who put that stick up your ass?"

Jude begins putting his own jacket and boots on, before following me out the door.

"Emma-"

"Duck!" Someone screams, and I stumble away from Jude as he is pelted with snowballs. I laugh when he starts swearing and begins running to find cover. Ben and Aidan chase him around the yard but Owen ends up tackling him to the ground, shoving his face inter snow as Henry and Andrea come help me off the steps, walking me to their snow fort.

Logan and Cassie are having a battle with Daniel and Beatrice.

"Welcome to Casa de Andrea," Andrea says, waking into the curved wall of snow.

Henry rolls his eyes. "It should be Casa de Henry, Austin, and Tucker, since we built it."

Andrea shoves him down and they begin bickering. I don't pay attention to them as I try not to make eye contact with Austin.

He clears his throat. "Hey, Emma," he says and I look at him, my cheeks heating up. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh, good. I'm on some pretty strong pain killers, so I don't feel anything," I say, and notice there is an unfamiliar boy standing next to him. "Who is this?"

Austin glances over at the boy. "Oh, this is Tucker. He moved here from England."

Tucker and I shake hands. "It's nice to meet you," he says in an English accent, smiling. "I've heard plenty about you, from these guys." He nods to Andrea and Henry.

I chuckle. "All good things, I hope."

"Of course," he says, winking. I smile, blushing and refuse to look at Austin.

Andrea nudges my arm, smirking. "So, why don't we let the boys play and go have some hot chocolate?"

She helps me in the house.

"Why did you bring Austin here?" I ask, once we're far enough away.

Andrea sighs, placing her hands on her hips. "Look, I know you aren't talking to him right now, but we're still his friends," she says, "What do you think of Tucker though? Isn't that accent adorable!"

I shake my head but don't disagree. "A little bit, I guess."

What do you think of this chapter? Of Tucker? Of the surgery? Thoughts on Austin?

Also, please note, incase you get confused, I'm changing Daniel's girlfriends name from to Bea to Beatrice! Its not that big of change!

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