Chapter 16: The Sickness

When Dave got back from work, he didn't look too good. He eyelids were dark and his skin was pale. It looked as though his body was fighting a disease of some kind. When he walked in, he was dragging his feet. He saw his daughter run up to him trying to give him a hug. Before she reached him, he flinched.

"S-stay back, Em...s...I don't...f-feel so well," he said which made Emily stop.

"Are you ok, daddy?," she said in a worried tone.

"It's fine, E-Ems...I'm...I'm f-fine...just need to get...o-over th-this sickness. So, until then...s-stay away from daddy...o-okay?," he said. His wife then came to greet him. When she saw the awful state he was in, she immediately ran to him and helped him to the couch. She helped him lay on the couch.

"Don't force yourself...relax," his wife said to him trying to comfort him.

"H-honey...I...need to talk to you...a-alone...p-please," Dave said.

"O-Oh...," Emily's mother said looking at Emily. The concerning look on her mother's face made her heart sink.

"C-come on, Em. Lets go upstairs. Daddy needs to be alone, and you can play with all your toys since there is no school today," her mother said as she turned the little girl to start walking upstairs. Halfway up the stairs, Emily could feel the pit in her stomach begin to grow.

"I-is daddy gonna be...O-okay," Emily asked her mom. Her mom only smiled at her.

"Don't worry Em. Your father just got a little sick. He will be better in no time, you'll see," she said with a smile.

"B-but daddy doesn't look so good...," Emily said as they got to the top of the stairs.

"Oh, sweetie," her mother said kneeling down and stroking Emily's long brown hair. "It will be fine. Don't worry. Your father is strong, just like you will be too some day. It will take more than just some sickness to stop your father. So, chin up sweetie"

Emily felt a little better after hearing that. She was still worried but it felt like a little weight was lifted off her chest. She smiled at her mother. Her mom kissed her little daughter on the forehead and sent her into her room and closed the door.

When her mom closed the door she went and sat on her bed. She still had that feeling that something wasn't right. She knew it. She put her head down on her pillow. Usually at this point, she would start playing with her dolls like she always would but it was different. This feeling that rushed over her was too much. She thought to herself. Then, she had it. She just had to know what was going on.

She opened her bedroom door and looked downstairs. She heard whispering coming from the living room, where her dad was. She sat on the stairs, hiding behind the wall that separated the view of the second floor from the first. She sat and listened.

"...what are we gonna tell her? She is only ten years old Dave. We can't just keep pretending that everything is fine when its not," her mother said.

"...I know...I didn't say it was going to be easy...I wasn't planning on being like this...I would hate myself if anything happened to her and I could have stopped..." Dave trailed off as he had to roll over because of the pain in his torso.

"...and what about me? What about your job? Who is going to keep the house? Who is gonna feed us...because of this, you are out of a job"

"I know...I don't know what to do..."

"...don't worry, I will take care of you until you feel as good as you can get...but you might need to look for another job at least...okay, hun?"

"I will don't wor..." he trailed off as he turned again. She then left the family room to the kitchen. All Emily could hear now was silence followed by a sniffling sound coming from the kitchen. Her mother was crying, her dad wasn't doing well, and all she could do was sit there. Sit there in silence. Not doing anything. This made her mad. So mad she felt tears swelling in her eyes. She shut her eyes to stop them, but it was no use. They started streaming down her face. As tears stream down her face an overwhelming sadness washed over her. Soon enough she thought of one thing and one thing only.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!," she yelled on repeat. She ran to her father who was in pain on the couch of the living room. She was crying. She wanted to embrace him in her arms, but she couldn't. He said not to. All she did was stand next to him screaming the word "Daddy" as she cried. Her tears fell off her chin and hit the floor. This was bad.

"Hush, Ems," her father said putting a hand to her chin to wipe away her tears. "Daddy is not going anywhere. I'm always here for you. Remember, Ems?"

"B-but you said you will lose your job," Emily said in a confused tone.

"Ems, I told you not to worry...I'm f-fine," he said as he struggled to get his words out. The pain grew. His torso felt like it was going to explode, but no. It didn't.

"Look at me Ems," he said as he tried getting back what strength he had. Emily looked at her father and then he spoke, "I need you to be a very brave girl. I need you to smile and make a lot of friends, okay. Make the best friends you can. And whatever happens...just know that your dad still loves you Ems..."

She then hugged him.

"I love you, too. Daddy," Emily said.