Chapter 3

                                    

                                          
           My Uncle Cam had been MIA since he got covid, and started this whole train, I don't blame him, it's not like he planned on getting sick. But he had been MIA since today, my grandma was coming home from the hospital, my grandpa had to still be there for a couple of days, but she was coming home today. My Uncle came over, which shocked me and my brother, to help or so we thought. He came over for about twenty minutes then left, saying something about his girlfriend. I didn't care. You couldn't be here when your mother came home? No, of course not. It's always been this way, he never helped with my grandma, I had to pick up his slack, from the age thirteen to now, sixteen, I had been helping my aunt bring her to doctor appointments, urgent care visits, ect. The one time he did help and watch my grandma, he asked me, a fourteen year old at the time, to help his mother go to the bathroom. I shouldn't have had to do that at such a young age, from that day was when I began to see him differently. I didn't see the Uncle Cam that would take me on car rides in his convertible with the top off, and take me out to lunch, I saw the Uncle Cam who was obsessed with whatever number girlfriend he was on. 
           Before I had any more time to dwell on my issues with my Uncle, my dad called me to come out of my room. 
           "Em, grandma's home, come help!" My dad yelled from the living room, when he spoke I heard a door close from outside in my driveway. I shot up out of my bed, grabbed a mask and rushed into the living room. Once I got out there my brother was already outside with my aunt and the paramedics, to help bring my grandma, who was laying on the stretcher, up the stairs. They decided to go through our house because our stairs aren't as steep as my grandparents, and we have less stairs. I was pulled from my thoughts when my front door opened, and I felt my eyes brighten seeing my grandma's face, although that happiness was short-lived. Once I saw her distressed and sickly looking face, all traces of excitement I felt were gone. Of course I was happy that my grandma was home, but seeing her state, it didn't feel right. But I swallowed my doubts, for my grandma. 
           "Well it's about time you got here grandma!" I spoke with excitement as the paramedics and my brother got her up the stairs. As they got up the stairs I saw her tired look in her eyes, I felt the tears suddenly pool in my eyes. I quickly looked the other way, and felt myself get choked up. 
           "I'll be right back, I have to use the bathroom." I spoke out, in more of a whisper. If I spoke louder I knew my voice would have quivered. I rushed quickly to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I slid down the door and cried silently with my head in my hands, and my legs up to my chest. I should be happy, my grandma is home, my grandpa should be home in a couple of days, my dad doesn't have covid; I should be happy about this, but I'm not. Something didn't feel right, maybe it was because my grandma looked so tired and sickly, or because my grandpa is in fact still in the hospital, or it was something else, I didn't know. All I knew was that I felt this heavy weight on my chest and I had to let it out. So I did, I sat in my bathroom for probably fifteen minutes and cried.
           I finally stood up off the floor, on shaky legs, I looked at myself in the mirror, I wiped my tears and took a huge deep breath in to calm myself down. When I finally thought I looked normal, and not like I had been crying my heart out, I opened the door and went to my grandparents' side of the house. 
           The paramedics had left by this point, they had put my grandma on her bed, I went in and saw her asleep, I assumed since her eyes were closed and I saw her chest rising. I smiled softly and walked back over to my house, leaving my aunt alone, which as much as I wanted to talk to her about what was going on, I wanted to be alone, and it was getting late and I was going back to school tomorrow. 
           I bid my parents goodnight and went back into my room, I mindlessly scrolled on my phone until I finally fell asleep. When I woke up to my mom shaking me awake and telling me to get ready for school, I let out a huge sigh. The last thing I wanted to deal with was any of the assholes at school, A.K.A Nolan. I got ready and made my way outside to wait for my bus.