I Won't Let Them Take You
Burn it up let's go for broke
“Emily, Emily. Wake up.” The noise stung her ears.
She opened her eyes slightly to an unfamiliar room. Something had happened. Where was she? Confusion struck her.
“Emily! You’re alive!” The girl yelled.
“Of course I am. What happened?” Emily asked, realizing she was not at home. Not with him, but instead safe. She was in a bed with a metal railing and an IV injected in one arm and a cast over the other.
“There was an accident. He was drunk and ran into a semi.” She stated.
‘He’ was simply that. They never talked about him with his real name. Emily was terrified of him and hated everything about him including his name. There was a faint knock on the door. The girl walked over to the door and answered it. A nurse walked in with a clipboard.
“Emily Smith?” She asked looking in the direction of the bed.
“Yeah.” Emily replied.
“…And?” The nurse asked now looking in the other girl's direction.
“Nicole Smith. Her sister.” Nicole replied.
“Are you two twins?” She asked. None of these questions were relevant to the fate of Emily and it was irritating the girls.
“Yes.” They replied in unison. They did that a lot. It seemed to scare a lot of people.
“O.k. then. Well did you tell her or do I need to?” The nurse asked Nicole.
“Well, I told her some of it.” She replied. This caused Emily to worry. Not all of it?
“Well I’m guessing she told you that Ter-“ She was cut off by Emily.
“Don’t say his name.” She warned.
“Alright.” The nurse hesitated, “He was drunk and ran into a semi.”
“Yeah I heard that part.” Emily zoned out. She didn’t want to talk about him.
“He’s dead.” The nurse whispered.
Dead. Dead. Dead. The word rang in Emily’s ears. She couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t have to take it anymore. No more yelling, no more fighting, and best of all: no more beatings. She was free.
“Will you be o.k.? Shall I leave you alone and come back to talk about you?” The nurse asked.
“No, that’s ok. I’ll be fine. What about me?” Emily asked.
“Well as you can see you broke your left arm in the accident and did some damage to your face. We also saw a lot of scars and bruises around the rest of your body that don’t look as though they came from the accident.” The nurse replied.
The room fell silent. Emily looked away. She knew, she knew. Emily would not talk; she would not answer questions. It was none of their business. They did not need to know.
“Care to explain?” The nurse asked. Yes she did care to explain. Emily lay quietly facing the opposite direction. The nurse took note on her clipboard. Emily rolled over and changed the subject.
“How long do I have to wear the cast?” She asked.
“At least four weeks.” She replied. Four weeks? She couldn’t be in a cast for four weeks. She played the drums with her sister and two of their friends: Chip and Kyia in a band. They weren’t big but they didn’t care. They all loved hanging out together. She couldn’t take this. She needed to vent. She rose up and felt a sharp pain in her arm.
“Ugh.” She groaned slamming down on the hospital bed.
The nurse walked out of the room leaving the two alone. Nicole walked over to the bed and sat next to her sister.
“Hey sis.” She said quietly, she was never quiet.
“Nicole. What am I going to do? You know just as well as I that I can not go a whole month without my drums.” Emily whined.
“I don’t know Em.” She said grabbing Emily and turning her to face Nicole. “I got it!”
“What?” Emily asked on the verge of tears.
“You remember. Dad told us about the drummer of Def Leppard, Oh gosh what was his name? Rick Allen. Well anyway, he learned to play one handed after his left one was amputated. You could do what he did. Minus the amputating your arm part.”
“You know how hard that would be?” Emily asked.
“You know how much of a better drummer you would be?” Nicole asked.
“I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.” Emily stated.
“Great! Thank you so much. You know how much this band means to me.” Nicole said giving her sister a hug. Another knock came on the door, but this one was much louder.
She opened her eyes slightly to an unfamiliar room. Something had happened. Where was she? Confusion struck her.
“Emily! You’re alive!” The girl yelled.
“Of course I am. What happened?” Emily asked, realizing she was not at home. Not with him, but instead safe. She was in a bed with a metal railing and an IV injected in one arm and a cast over the other.
“There was an accident. He was drunk and ran into a semi.” She stated.
‘He’ was simply that. They never talked about him with his real name. Emily was terrified of him and hated everything about him including his name. There was a faint knock on the door. The girl walked over to the door and answered it. A nurse walked in with a clipboard.
“Emily Smith?” She asked looking in the direction of the bed.
“Yeah.” Emily replied.
“…And?” The nurse asked now looking in the other girl's direction.
“Nicole Smith. Her sister.” Nicole replied.
“Are you two twins?” She asked. None of these questions were relevant to the fate of Emily and it was irritating the girls.
“Yes.” They replied in unison. They did that a lot. It seemed to scare a lot of people.
“O.k. then. Well did you tell her or do I need to?” The nurse asked Nicole.
“Well, I told her some of it.” She replied. This caused Emily to worry. Not all of it?
“Well I’m guessing she told you that Ter-“ She was cut off by Emily.
“Don’t say his name.” She warned.
“Alright.” The nurse hesitated, “He was drunk and ran into a semi.”
“Yeah I heard that part.” Emily zoned out. She didn’t want to talk about him.
“He’s dead.” The nurse whispered.
Dead. Dead. Dead. The word rang in Emily’s ears. She couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t have to take it anymore. No more yelling, no more fighting, and best of all: no more beatings. She was free.
“Will you be o.k.? Shall I leave you alone and come back to talk about you?” The nurse asked.
“No, that’s ok. I’ll be fine. What about me?” Emily asked.
“Well as you can see you broke your left arm in the accident and did some damage to your face. We also saw a lot of scars and bruises around the rest of your body that don’t look as though they came from the accident.” The nurse replied.
The room fell silent. Emily looked away. She knew, she knew. Emily would not talk; she would not answer questions. It was none of their business. They did not need to know.
“Care to explain?” The nurse asked. Yes she did care to explain. Emily lay quietly facing the opposite direction. The nurse took note on her clipboard. Emily rolled over and changed the subject.
“How long do I have to wear the cast?” She asked.
“At least four weeks.” She replied. Four weeks? She couldn’t be in a cast for four weeks. She played the drums with her sister and two of their friends: Chip and Kyia in a band. They weren’t big but they didn’t care. They all loved hanging out together. She couldn’t take this. She needed to vent. She rose up and felt a sharp pain in her arm.
“Ugh.” She groaned slamming down on the hospital bed.
The nurse walked out of the room leaving the two alone. Nicole walked over to the bed and sat next to her sister.
“Hey sis.” She said quietly, she was never quiet.
“Nicole. What am I going to do? You know just as well as I that I can not go a whole month without my drums.” Emily whined.
“I don’t know Em.” She said grabbing Emily and turning her to face Nicole. “I got it!”
“What?” Emily asked on the verge of tears.
“You remember. Dad told us about the drummer of Def Leppard, Oh gosh what was his name? Rick Allen. Well anyway, he learned to play one handed after his left one was amputated. You could do what he did. Minus the amputating your arm part.”
“You know how hard that would be?” Emily asked.
“You know how much of a better drummer you would be?” Nicole asked.
“I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.” Emily stated.
“Great! Thank you so much. You know how much this band means to me.” Nicole said giving her sister a hug. Another knock came on the door, but this one was much louder.