Chapter 6 - Scarlet <Re-edit>

She had no idea how long it's been sitting outside the emergency operation room waiting, but it was long enough to make her skin shiver from her wet hoodie and jeans. She felt the droplet of water from her hair drip onto her shoulders, each sending waves of goosebumps up her arms. She sat sideways on one of the many benches that line the hall, with her knees pulled to her chest and her shoulder and head leaning against the wall. She must have looked rather ghostly from her shivering body and her pale face. She had gotten some pity and concerning looks from nurses that pass by. Some offered to get her some blankets and some offered her some hot drink, but she couldn't take any when her aunt was still in there clinging onto life.

She wanted to know what in the world happened, and why in the world was her aunt out there in the rain. Her only thought was if her father had called her aunt out to look for her. She wanted to call someone for comfort, like Maven or Yukankie or even Jamie but her phone has let her down, it felt like the world had turned on her. She tightly grasps her sleeves trying to keep warm and stay away, the cold was making it sleepy for her.

"Young lady." A rather young nurse said coming up beside her. She seem to be in her 30s, she held a paper cup of some steaming liquid she could not see due to the fact that she was sitting and the nurse was standing. The nurse had worried brown eyes as she offered the cup of liquid to her. "Here take this, you're shivering like crazy here." She said.

It took almost all her strength to simply shook her head, and when she did her head spin making her eyes fuzzy before it finally settled with her head pounding.

"Dear I know how it feels when you're about to lose someone you care about, at least hold this in your hand so you don't go down with a cold later." The nurse insisted.

She took the cup with her shiver hands, feeling that if she didn't the nurse would press on and the fact that she didn't want to shake her head anymore. The nurse didn't leave right away after handing her the drink, she stood their kind of watching her.

"Judging from the way the operation is going it'll take another hour or two why don't you take a nap? They'll wake you when the operation is done." The nurse said. "You still have your other friends and family."

She finishes drinking the small cup of hot chocolate, she wanted to tell the nurse that it was otherwise for her but she felt too tired and too cold to argue so she simply let the nurse say whatever as she slowly dozes off into an unsettling nap.

Somewhere along the way she thought she heard some shouting and the wheels of the cart squeaking against the polished floor of the hospital.

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She had no idea what jolted her awake but she sat up from the bench she somehow had lied down on. She noticed a thin soft blanket covering her from the stomach down, she felt like she had a massive headache as she moved the blanket aside and planted her feet firmly on the ground. She rubbed her eyes with her hand, she felt less wet from the rain and maybe a little bit better than before. She glances at the window behind her on the bench seeing that the rain had cleared and the sun was rising, casting its rays on the city.

She heard a beep to her side followed by a click, she turned to the operation door as the doctors walked out along with nurses pushing thin metal carts with tools. Right away her own fear came crashing back to her. A male doctor met her trembling eyes, he sighed as he took this mask off and step towards her.

"She's in critical condition, she had lost a lot of blood by the time we rushed her in, she also suffered a serious head injury due to impact." The more she listened to the man spoke the more she felt like God was giving her a slap. "Overall we did manage to save her life but her condition is not great for all we know she probably only has a few hours...." The doctor met her eyes and decided not to finish his sentence, he gestured towards the slightly open door of the operation room.

"She's not awake yet, I suggest calling all the family members here before it's too late..." The doctor said, he gave her a worried glance before looking back down to his papers and walked away. She glanced towards the door, every step she took brought pounding sadness to her heart. There was almost no light in the room beside the lamp of the operation table. Her aunt looked so pale and tired while lying there, attached by many wires that kept her alive for now. She couldn't bring herself to step into the room any further, her aunt was such a bright person so how in the world did her aunt end up lying on the bed of the operation room clinging onto life in the dark.

She fell onto her knees, large teardrops fell from her eyes onto her jeans making them a deeper color. She couldn't say anything but sob into her hands, even though her aunt was just a few feet away she felt like she was about to lose someone very important to her. She couldn't imagine what life would be like if it was just her alone without her aunt. Without her aunt's supporting presence and her comforting words when she feels down, it made her feel so lost and alone in the dark. She felt like her own emotion was drowning her, was choking her, she was lost for words of how to express herself.

"Scarlet?....." She heard a weak voice said.

She raised her head, her face a mess of tears. Her eyes met the warm eyes of her aunt, probably the only warmth left of her aunt. For a moment she thought her emotion was getting the best of her before she remembered the doctor's words. If her aunt was awake now does that mean there was still hope for saving her aunt, she quickly stumbles onto her feet.

"Wait, hang on I'll go call the doctor." She said.

"No...wait..." Her aunt broke off with a groan and a terrible cough. "No...the doctor is not what I need right now..." Her aunt said again in a weak and quivering voice. She bit her lips, if she doesn't go for the doctors now she was pretty sure her aunt's life would be at the mercy of death. She ignored her aunt's call and shouted for a doctor outside of the operation room. She heard a loud clanging sound follow why a thud inside the operation room which made her quickly rush back inside. Her aunt was trembling on the floor of the room with the wires all tangled up.

"What are you doing! Stop moving around the doctors will save you!" She shouted hurrying to her aunt's side. The floor was cold so she could only lift the upper body of her aunt into her arms, at this moment she realized how weak she was. She couldn't even save the person she cared about the most or even have the strength, she could only watch and cry.

"PLEASE SOMEONE COME HELP! I'm BEGGING YOU!!!" She cried as loud as she could, with her aunt battling between life and death at her chest she felt like she was the most useless person in the world. Why hadn't she gone to a college for doctors instead, she could have saved her aunt.

"Stop it Scarlet...it's my own body...I know my own condition..." Her aunt whispered. She wiped her tears away, she couldn't be weak now, if she was to be the weak one then who would her aunt depend on right now.

"You and I both know that even if the doctors do come there's no hope..." Her aunt reached for her face to help her wipe the dripping tears away. When her aunt's fingers brushed her face, she felt how cold it was. She grabs hold of her aunt's hand and held it to her face trying to warm it.

"There's something I've been keeping from you...but I don't think it's the right time right now..." Her aunt said with a bitter smile.

"I don't want to know I just want you to live, I'm begging you don't leave me alone...."

Her aunt only smiled and closed her eyes for a moment as if to rest. But then open them after a while looking more tired than ever.

"I was..looking for you last night...where did you go...I thought I lost you for good..." Her aunt with another smile on her face but this time with tears. "You don't belong in the dark...don't ever strive into the dark by yourself...." With each word that her aunt said her aunt's voice was fading. All the way till the end her aunt had a smile on her face. When the doctors finally do arrive she was a mess on the ground with her aunt in her arms, she felt like she lost the world as they prayed her arms off of her aunt. It was the worst feeling she ever had.

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She must have looked like someone who came out of prison or who just escaped from committing a crime, she received many looks from anyone that walked past her on the street. She didn't blame them, her eyes were probably still lifeless and red from crying, and the bloodstain on her hoodie from her aunt the other night was dried but very visible. Adding to that, the color on her face must have not looked well from being in the rain. She didn't know how she made it home but she did, it felt like one moment she was in the hospital and the next she was in front of her house.

Her father's car was still parked in the driveway meaning he was still home. When she laid eyes upon the house she felt some of her emotions returned. She went in through the front door to hear the sounds of plates against marbles. Everyone was in the dining room once more but they seem to have just finished breakfast. Her father held newspaper that covered him, her step-brother was relaxed on the seat beside him on his phone, while her step-mother was chipping away while doing the dishes. Outside the dining door frame, she felt like an outsider, and they're right before she was a complete family, a family in which she sees no role that she belongs in. At first, she felt sad but they were quickly washed away with anger.

"You guys seem like you're having a wonderful morning..." She said with a bitter smile.

Her words startled everyone in the kitchen. Her father lowered his newspaper and glance at her up and down before bringing it back up. He seems like he could care less about how she's doing, why she looks so terrible, or even whose blood it was that stained her hoodie.

"I don't know what puddle you've been playing in last night but go upstairs and change, don't dirty the house." He said moving his eyes over the rows of words written on the newspaper.

"You called my aunt last night didn't you..." She said, she could hear the rumble of anger in her own voice and it scared her. It reminded her of her 13-year-old self who caused trouble everywhere. Her father lowered his papers once more.

"Well of course I did, you cherish her so much so she should look after you-"

She didn't let him finish his sentence before rushing at him, ripping the papers out of his hand, and grabbing him by the collar. She had never felt so angry and disappointed in the man before her, the man that was supposed to be her father, the family member that killed her aunt...no....it was her fault if she hadn't run if she had just held it in.

"DO YOU KNOW WHOSE BLOOD IS ON ME RIGHT NOW?!" She didn't want to admit that it was her cause that killed her aunt, she just wants someone to take responsibility for her aunt's life. "IF YOU HADN'T CALLED HER SHE WOULDN'T....she wouldn't end up dead...she would still be alive...we promised that we would bake cookies together..." She broke off into a sob, she felt her grip loosen. She felt so weak right now with the most hated person in the world staring at her when she was in the most helpless state. She could almost She stood back, something else was cleared on her mind, and that was that she had no place in this household, she couldn't stay here without her aunt.

"Let's just end this...you have your beloved family and I am 19 already I am free, free from your grasp....father." That was the last time that word was ever coming out of her mouth, and so she ran.