20

Emily, a tall girl with curly red hair and a perpetually serious expression. Emily was the first to speak. "Terry, this really isn't the time. Jenny's in a lot of pain, and we're trying to figure out what to do.""Yeah, I can see that," I replied, trying to keep my tone calm. "But it looks like whatever you're doing isn't helping. We need to get her to a clinic. Now."Emily and Amanda exchanged a glance, and then Amanda sighed, nodding reluctantly. "He's right. We can't handle this ourselves.""Fine," Tanya said, still focused on her task. "But someone needs to keep an eye on this until we get there. We can't just leave it like this."I took a deep breath. "I'll drive. Emily, you stay in the back with Jenny and make sure she's okay. Amanda, you come too. We might need an extra pair of hands."The girls moved quickly, and we soon had Jenny dressed and downstairs. The drive to the clinic was tense, with Jenny's occasional whimpers of pain filling the car. Emily did her best to keep her calm, holding her hand and murmuring reassurances.At the clinic, the staff took Jenny in immediately, leaving the rest of us in the waiting room. I collapsed into a chair, exhausted and mentally drained. Amanda and Emily sat on either side of me, both looking equally worn out."Thanks, Terry," Amanda said softly, breaking the silence. "I know we don't always get along, but you really came through tonight."I nodded, too tired to respond with more than a grunt. Emily leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Let's just hope Jenny's okay."We sat in silence for what felt like hours, waiting for news. Eventually, a nurse came out to inform us that Jenny was stable and being treated for an infection. Relief washed over me, and I could see the tension easing from Amanda and Emily's faces as well."Thank god," Emily whispered. "She's going to be alright.""Yeah," I agreed, feeling a sense of camaraderie despite the night's chaos. "We all did what we could."As we headed back to the car, I couldn't help but think that, strange as it was, this experience had brought us all a little closer together. Maybe, just maybe, things would be a bit less tense in the house from now on.