Innocence

"Manda, wake up. Your mom's on the phone," Brian said softly, shaking me awake.

I groaned, grabbing the phone. "Hello?"

"Amanda," My mom's shaky voice said softly. I shot up, fearing the worst. "Sweetie, you need to come down to the hospital."

"What? Why?" I asked, starting to panic.

"It's your Dad." Her voice broke and she didn't go on.

"I'm on my way," I said, throwing the phone on the couch and running out of the room.

"Excuse you." The bitch from last night sneered as I bumped into her and Matt, not really watching where I was going.

"I don't have time for your shit," I sighed, pulling my shoes on and looking for someone's keys.

"Don't act like that, Amanda. You're the one the bumped into us," Matt snapped.

"I'm sorry, alright?! I really don't care at the moment." Where were some damn keys?! Didn't anyone leave their keys around?

"Manda, what's wrong? You're going around like a chicken whose head just got cut off," Val said, grabbing my shoulders and making me look at her.

"She's probably just trying to find her brain," the bitch said, laughing at her own joke.

"Put a leash on your dog, Matthew," I growled.

"Why, because she's right?"

I looked up at him, my eyes finally starting to water. "I really don't need your shit right now, okay? I just need to find some god damn keys so I can go!" I sighed in frustration as I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Hey, what'd your mom have to say?" Brian asked, finding us in the front hall. When he saw how flustered I was and the tears in my eyes, he was immediately at my side. "What's wrong?"

"I have to get to the hospital," I said, my voice shaking.

By the look in his eyes, he knew what I meant. "It's okay, come on." He put his arm around my shoulders, before leading me outside. "You're in no condition to drive. I'll take you. Val, you coming?!" He called behind us.

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

"Tell the fuckers not to screw my house up while I'm gone." He sat me in the front passenger seat while he went around to the driver's. "What'd you have to get?" He asked Val confused as she slid into the back a few minutes later.

"A change of clothes for Manda. Their Michelle's, she won't mind," she said, handing them to me.

"Thanks," I said softly.

I quickly changed on our short ride. Thankfully Val knew that I liked comfortable clothes. Hell, we've been friends for how long? She should know me by now.

As soon as Brian pulled up out in front of the hospital, I was out of the car with Val close behind me. I had called my mom back on the way over here and asked her what room they were in, so we had gone straight up.

I ran straight into the room, not even noticing Papa Gates and Suzy were here, also. "Hey, baby girl," Dad smiled, his voice straining.

"Oh, Daddy," I tried to keep the tears at bay as I slowly climbed into the bed with him.

"None of that now," he scolded softly as he gently wiped a tear off my cheek. I simply buried my face into his chest and clung onto him.

Since the last time I had seen him, he had lost so much weight. He was like a bag of bones now, almost as if he was withering away to nothing.

"I should have been here more," I mumbled, shaking my head.

"Now don't you start that, I don't want to hear it." I couldn't keep the sob from coming out. "Shh, there's no reason to be crying," he said softly, rubbing my back.

But there was. I was losing the only other man that I could actually trust to catch me if I ever fell. The other one I couldn't count on anymore. It was as if they were both dying.

I had apparently fallen asleep, because I wasn't in the hospital bed anymore when I woke up. I sat up, glaring around the room.

Why the hell was I back at Brian's?

After hearing the voices in the kitchen, I got up and stocked my way to them. "Why the hell am I here?" I growled angrily at Brian.

He looked at me with sad eyes. "He didn't want you to stay there and see him like that. He asked me to bring you back here so you could actually get some sleep," he explained softly.

"I don't care! I should be there, not here!"

"Disrespectful much? Why don't you just stab someone." She was asking for it...

"Don't tempt me," I hissed.

"She's right. Just because you're upset, doesn't mean you need to take it out on anyone else," Matt said.

The words she's right were enough alone to push me over the edge. He just seemed to be saying that so much lately.

I was ready to jump and kick her ass, again, but Zacky held me back. "She's not worth it, Manda," he said softly.

I jerked away from Zacky and headed for the front door. "Where are you going?" Jimmy asked, not too happy with the idea of me leaving.

"Away from here, that's for sure."

"There she goes, running again," I heard Matt say, before slamming the front door behind me.

And you're the reason, yet again, Sanders.