Hailies Song

Chapter Six

Rated R

The next day, things only got worse for Hailie. 6 o clock that morning, Marshall knocked on her bedroom door, and opened it, flipping the light on as he walked into the room. Gently shaking her shoulder, he watched her stir in her slumber, and sighed.

"Come on Hailie, you gotta get up, you gotta take a shower baby, we have to leave soon." He said softly, as she groaned. "I know, I know," He shook his head. "Cmon. Get up." He stood back and watched her sit up, and squint at the light that shined into her eyes when she opened them.

"Talk about the asscrack of dawn," Hailie muttered, tossing the covers back, revealing her boxer and tee shirt clad body. Marshall nodded and watched her stand up. Almost Immediatly, her legs seemed to give out, and she reached for Marshall, falling as she did so, grabbing onto his shirt to support herself.

"Whoa," Marshall said, catching her and holding her up. "Whats the matter?" He asked, concerned.

"I dont know, I cant- I cant stand up. My legs feel really weird," She slurred, closing her eyes and leaning against him.

"No, Hailie, c'mon you gotta stand hun, you weigh like, 120 pounds, I can not carry you, your not 4 anymore." He said, holding her up.

"I, I cant," She whined, trying to move her legs. "They feel like, Jello or something.... Dad...." Tears were coming out of her eyes at this point, and Marshall, beside himself with worry, gently leaned her back, onto the bed.

"Shh, Shh, Okay, okay just, lay down for a minute," He said, picking her up like a groom would pick up a bride to carry her into their house, and set her on the bed. "Dont move, Ill be right back." He said, hurrying down the hall to his bedroom.

The bedroom was empty, and he looked around sighing. Where the FUCK was Diane?

"Di!" He called, leaving the bedroom and walking around in the hallway.

"Right here," Diane opened the bathroom door and stuck her head out, "Whats wrong?"

"Hailie cant stand, or walk, and I dont know why, or what to do." He explained quickly.

Dianes features softened, and she looked genuinely concerned. "I dont know," She said, biting her bottom lip. "Thats a really bad sign Marshall," She cleared her throat. "I'd call Saginaw, tell them we wont be there, and call an ambulence."

"No..." Marshall protested, knowing damn well that he needed to do that. He just never wanted to have to go through this, not with Hailie.

"Marshall," Diane sighed. "Baby, you have to, she cant walk. How are you gonna get her to Saginaw? She needs a doctor right now."

"Yeah," He rolled his eyes and crossed the hall to Hailies room.

"Dad, please, I really dont wanna go in an ambulence." Hailie said, she had overheard the conversation from the hallway, and she was crying by this point. "Dont make me, please?"

"Hailie, I dont know if I have a choice. You cant walk, Dianes right. You need a doctor right now." He explained apologetically, reaching for her phone.

"No, dad..." She cried weakly, tears streaming down her face. "I hate the hospital! If Im gonna die, I wanna die here!"

"Hailie Jade, your NOT going to die." Marshall said sternly, and walked back over to the door way, staring at the closed bathroom door. "Diane! Come here!"

Diane opened the bathroom door, toothbrush sticking out of the side of her mouth, and looked at him expectantly. "What?" She asked, her words coming out funny because of the mouth full of toothpaste and the toothbrush.

"Does she need an ambulence, or can we drive her?" Marshall asked, not liking the idea of putting Hailie in an ambulence.

"Ugh," Diane shook her head, shut the bathroom door, rinsed her mouth out and left the toothbrush on the side of the sink, wiping her face on a towel and opening the bathroom door again, crossing the hall to Hailies room and standing in the doorway.

"Please, dad, I dont wanna go at all..." Hailie pleaded. He was sitting on the side of her bed, cordless phone in one hand, his other hand was being held by both of hers as she cried.

"Hailie, hunny, the hospitals going to help you. If you stay here, your not going to get better." Diane said, entering the room and watching Hailie shake her head.

"Marshall, give me the phone, she needs an ambulence." Diane held a hand out, and Marshall reluctantly handed her the phone.

"No," Hailie sniffled, hearing the dialing of "911" from the phone.

"Its gonna be okay," Marshall assured her, squeezing her hand. "Ill go with you, okay?"

She didnt answer, just laid there and listened to Diane describing the situation to the phone, giving the address, thanking the operator and hanging up the phone.

"Lemme have it," Marshall took the phone from Diane, and dialed Kims number, standing up and walking into the hallway, closing the door after him. Diane took his spot beside Hailie and patted her hand reassuringly.

"Hello?" Kims voice croaked over the reciever and Marshall frowned.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked.

Kim sighed and wiped her nose with a tissue, "No, I was up all night, puking my fucking guts out."

"Your sick too?" Marshall asked, sighing.

"Yeah, I just got it last night, after I got home. I ate dinner, and whoa, that was a bad idea." Kim cleared her throat. "To what do I owe your call this early?"

"Uh, I went to wake Hailie up, to take her to Saginaw, a few minutes ago, and she couldnt stand up." He explained.

"Couldnt, stand up?" Kim blinked.

"She got up, and then she fell, and I caught her, and she couldnt stand on her own, so I put her back in bed, and Diane said to call an ambulence, and theyre on their way to take her to Detriot City Hospital." He said, quickly.

"Oh my god," Kim breathed. "Marshall, whats wrong with her?"

"I dont know," He wanted to cry, "Her tests arent showing anythings wrong! They think its either a virus, or food poisoning or something!"

"Well, that doesnt make sense!" Kim shook her head.

"Maybe it IS a virus, since you were here yesterday and you caught it..." Marshall reasoned.

"Then why dont you and Diane have it? Marshall, this is weird." Kim shook her head. "Maybe I just have a bug or something. Im just hoping Jake and Whit dont get it, I cant handle 3 sick kids... I cant even handle Hailie being sick."

"I know," He sighed. "Well, look, Im gonna go talk to her for a few, before the paramedics get here. Shes not happy about going to the hospital."

"I dont blame her," Kim rolled her eyes.

"Me either." Marshall admitted.

"Well, Ill be down at the hospital... give me like, 2 hours to find a babysitter, take a shower and get down there. Ill find you." Kim said.

"Alright. See ya Kim," Marshall said, hanging up after Kim said goodbye. He went back into the bedroom, and saw Hailie, laying on the bed in different clothes, and Diane shoving her dirty boxers and tee shirt into the hamper in the corner of the room. "Your moms coming down to the hospital, to see you."

"Yeah?" Hailie asked, sounding hopeful. Her eyes were still red from crying, and her hair was in a ponytail. Marshall assumed Diane helped her change her clothes and put her hair up.

"Yeah,.... Shes sick to." Marshall said. "Was throwing up all night."

"She is?" Diane looked up from the hamper quickly.

"Yeah," Marshall nodded. "I dont know, we gotta find out what this is. I cant take it anymore."

"I think the ambulence is here," Diane said, glancing out the window. The sun was just starting to come up, and she could hear sirens starting to get closer.

"About time," Marshall rolled his eyes and left the room, going downstairs to let the paramedics in.