My Un-'Cool' Half-Brother

*Rosie's POV*
We didn't do much. We just sat around at home, waiting for Jake to call. We had decided not to send Emma to school for a while, it wasn't really fair.

I looked at the clock. It was about midnight. We had taken Jimmy and Frankie up to bed five hours ago, and Emma was asleep on the couch. Jack was sitting on a bean-bag, eating Ben and Jerry's.

I got up. "Jack, I'm going to go to the hospital, OK."

"Yeah," he replied, not really paying attention. I grabbed my jacket and keys and went out.

When I got there, I couldn't see Jake, so I went to reception.

"Excuse me, could you tell me the whereabouts of Mrs Eleanor Armstrong?"

"Of course. Wait, I believe that's her husband there."

I turned round. Jake had just walked through the double doors. "Thanks." I ran towards him.

"Jake, are you OK?"

"Yeah, sorry for not calling, I fell asleep and I only just woke up." He yawned.

"How's Eleanor?"

"She's out cold. They're trying to figure out whether she's unconscious or in a coma. Also, she's got a broken spine, so she might never walk again, if she lives." Jake's eyes filled with tears. I hugged him and he hugged me back.

For a while, he cried, but then he stood straight and wiped his eyes.

"How's Emma?"

"She's OK. She's really worried though."

"Has she been to school?"

"No. We thought it might be a bit much for her, so she stayed home with Jack, the twins and I."

"OK. Thanks for not sending her to school. The holidays start in a week, she can stay off until then."

"OK. I'll go now, is there anything I can do?"

"Um, just tell Emma I'm sorry I didn't call, Mom is still being looked at by the doctors and I'll let her know when they tell me anything."

I nodded, gave Jake another hug and walked out to the car. I shivered as I thought of the car crash that had killed my parents. I was especially careful driving home.

*Emma's POV*
I woke up, shivering, cold beads of sweat running down my forehead. I had dreamt I was at a funeral, I don't remember whose, but I had a horrible feeling that deep down, I knew who we had been mourning.

I sat up. The room was empty. It was dark apart from a small light on the wall. I looked around. Where are Rosie and Jack? I saw a shadow in the kitchen. I got up and walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Emma," said Jack. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"Um, chocolate?"

"Sure." Jack got some chocolate out of the cupboard and we sat in silence, eating it.

"Uh, where's Rosie?"

"She went out."

I heard the door close, and the jingle of car keys. Jack walked out into the hall. I stayed in the kitchen. I heard them whispering. They walked back in.

"Emma, I went to the hospital. I saw your Dad. He's sorry he didn't call, but the doctors aren't telling him anything until they're certain and he'll let you know when they tell him anything," Rosie said.

"Oh." I got up. "I'm going to go to sleep."

"OK. Night night, Emma."

"Night Rosie, night Jack."

I walked upstairs and into Jack and Rosie's guest bedroom. I looked at a picture on the wall, Rosie and Jack on their wedding day, with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Mike, Mom, Dad, Tre and I. My eyes clouded with tears. We would never see Tre again. Now we might never see Mom again either. Tears rolled down my face as I curled into a ball and tried to get to sleep.

* * *

I woke up and heard the doorbell ringing. I shook my head to wake up and heard crying. I walked out into Jimmy and Frankie's room. Jimmy's face was red, his eyes were closed tightly shut and his mouth was wide open. How Frankie was still asleep, I had no idea.

I picked him up. "Dude, quiet!"

"No." He folded his chubby arms and frowned. "I wan' food."

"Are you too little for ice cream?"

He grinned broadly. He frowned and blinked. He opened his eyes wide.

"I be habing ice team evy day!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm. Are you telling tales?"

He looked scared. "No."

I tickled him. He shrieked with laughter and kicked his legs hard.

"Are you sure you're allowed ice cream?" I stopped tickling and looked in his eyes, a deep green, like Grandpa's. And Uncle Joey's, and Dad's and Jack's. And mine.

"Otay, I'm no' be habe ice team." He stopped laughing and looked so upset I thought he might start crying again.

"Hey. Let's go downstairs and get you some food, yeah?"

"Yeah!" He grinned and carefully slid himself off the chair. He ran out and I followed, making sure he didn't fall.

He got to the stairs and stopped. He had fallen all the way down the stairs yesterday, and he was obviously scared.

"Jimmy, do you want me to carry you?"

"No! I be a big boy!" He frowned and sat down on the top step. He pushed himself down a step, stopped, then continued shufflng down the stairs on his butt. When he was at the bottom, he looked up at me.

"Is fun. Twy it!"

I sat down and started to shuffle down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, we walked into the kitchen, where Rosie and Jack were sitting with my Dad.

I stopped and stood still. Jimmy ran forwards and tried to reach the refridgerator.

"Emma," Dad began. "I need to talk to you. About your Mom."