"Has this ever happened before?"

Bobby shook his head, his profile barely visible beneath the sodium lamp. "When Dad had his heart attack no one was home. Laura was in college and I was at school. Mom said she came home from shopping and found him in the chair." Bobby continued to gaze out at nothing. "Laura was on her way home by the time I found out what happened. The two of them handled everything."

"You were pretty young then, weren't you?" she asked.

"Eleven. But I was so upset I just spent most of the time crying." He flicked the half finished cigarette into the darkness. "I guess I always figured they'd both be around to take care of everything. Look at me. My mother is dying and I have to call my sister for help."

"You don't know she's dying," Crystal said although from the little she had heard the comment might not be far off the mark. "And you did take care of your mom. You're the one who called the ambulance." She heard the sniffle and instinctively inched closer to Bobby. "What if you hadn't been there?" Crystal received another sniffle as an answer. "I know what it's like to have an older sister."

"You do?"

"Yeah." Dropping her cigarette to the ground, Crystal watched it slowly burn away. "I used to always depend on her to take care of everything but then one day she was gone and I had to take care of myself. I know what it feels like." Why am I telling him all this? Looking over at him, Crystal realized her answer. Because I know how he's feeling right now and he's Laura's brother. When she had been scared and alone, no one was there to help her. "I understand," she said softly. "You want another smoke?"

"Not now, thanks," he said, pushing himself off the half wall. Crystal hopped down and began walking with him back into the hospital. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her pack and mentally guessed how many cigarettes she had left. Maybe half a pack. Deciding he probably didn't smoke as much as she did, Crystal pulled four cigarettes out of the pack and nudged his arm. "Here. In case you want one later." She held her hand out and smiled slightly when he took the offering. "Just don't tell your sister I gave them to you," she added.

"No prob," he said, tucking the cigarettes into his shirt pocket. "Thanks."

Crystal nodded and followed him through the brightly lit entrance. As they turned the corner she saw Laura standing in the hallway talking with a man that Crystal assumed was the doctor. When Bobby saw them he ran down the hallway to join them. I think I'll wait in here, Crystal said to herself, stopping at the entrance to the waiting room. She was about to go in when she saw Laura and Bobby turn and walk toward her. I hope it's good news. "How is she?"

"They're admitting her," Laura said. "Let's talk in here."

They settled into a corner of the waiting room, moving the chairs so they formed a triangle. As Crystal took her seat, she noticed a change come over Laura. The dark haired woman sat straight up in her seat, her face betraying little emotion. When Laura spoke, it was in a very controlled tone. "They're calling in a cardiologist."

"Did she have a heart attack?" Bobby asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"No," his sister replied. "Doctor Stevens said it was pulmonary edema. She filled up with fluid. They have her on an IV and he said she has to stay here for a few days." Laura looked around quickly, then at Bobby. "You didn't bring Mom's purse?"

"No," he said. "I didn't think about it. The only number I knew by heart was yours."

Laura stood up and walked over to the table covered with magazines. "We have to call Aunt Elaine and Mom's doctor. I'm sure his name and number are in her address book." As she spoke, Laura's hands were busily straightening out the mountain of magazines. "I need her papers. They're in the top drawer of the file cabinet in the den. That's where Mom kept all the insurance and important papers."

"I'll go get them," Bobby said. "Can I take your car? I rode in the ambulance with Mom."

"Are you sure you're up to that?" Crystal spoke up for the first time. "I can drive you over if that would make it easier."

Laura stopped her frenzied stacking for a moment and looked at the two of them. "That's a good idea. Bobby, you can always drive Mom's car back here and Crystal can follow in mine. I'll make a list of the things you need to bring." She looked around again. "I need something to write with

Crystal, there's a daily planner in the glove compartment. Would you get it for me please?"

"Sure." Anything to help. Crystal stood up and felt her pocket to make sure the keys were in there. "I'll be right back."

Walking out to the car gave Crystal some much needed private time to think. While she had only a bare understanding of what was wrong with Laura's mother, she knew it was something serious and things would be crazy for the next few days. She'll probably want to call Jenny to come be with her. She's better at that stuff than I am. When she reached the car, Crystal unlocked it and quickly found the planner. Better make sure there's a pen in there in case she needs to write something down. Undoing the snap and opening the planner, Crystal confirmed there was both a pen and a pencil nestled in their appropriate slots. Should have known with her. As she went to close the glove compartment, Crystal noticed a roll of quarters. She might need those for phone calls or coffee from the machine. Shoving the roll into her pocket, Crystal locked up the car and headed back into the hospital.

When Crystal returned, she found Laura and Bobby in the waiting room. A quick glance around showed all the magazines neatly stacked on the various tables. "I've got it," she said, holding the planner up. "I grabbed a roll of quarters you had in there too in case you needed it."

"That's a good idea," Laura agreed, rising to take the planner and roll of change. The writer immediately opened the planner up and flipped through the pages. "I have to call Mom's sister and let her know. I should stop the newspaper delivery while she's here too." She paused briefly to rub her eyes. "There's so much to do. Someone has to take care of Bobby and the house."

"I can take care of myself," the eighteen year old protested. "I can pick the paper up morning and handle the mail."

"Let him help," Crystal urged softly. "You'll have enough to do."

"No, he shouldn't have to do it. I can take care of everything," Laura said, finding the page she was looking for. "I'd better get started on the phone calls."

"I'll take him home and we'll be back in a little while, okay?" Crystal asked. "Or do you want us to wait until Jenny's here?" "No, you two go on ahead. I'll be all right."

While Laura sounded confident, Crystal wasn't so sure. She debated about insisting but in the end nodded her head. "Okay, we'll be back in a little while." The trio walked into the hallway, stopping when Laura reached the pay phone. Unsure what prompted her to do so, Crystal reached out and squeezed Laura's shoulder. Moving closer, she leaned over and whispered in the writer's ear. "We won't be long." She felt a hand clasp over hers.

"Thanks," Laura said. "I appreciate it."

"Of course. That's what friends are for, aren't they?" Crystal asked, giving the shoulder one last squeeze before nodding at Bobby. "Ready?" "Yeah. Oh wait." He patted his pockets and frowned. "I was in such a hurry I didn't grab my keys."

"The one with the green ring on it is the key to the front door," Laura said. "I never gave back my key when I went off to school." The dark haired woman turned and began feeding quarters into the pay phone. "Don't forget the papers from the file cabinet."

"We won't," Crystal said, turning to follow Bobby down the hall.

The walk to the parking lot was a quiet one, broken only by Crystal pointing out where the Jeep was parked. Once inside with the engine running, she pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "I guess Fall is starting early, hmm?"

"Seems like it," Bobby replied. "Guess I'd better dig out my letterman jacket out soon."

"What did you letter in?" she asked, keeping an eye on the traffic as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Which way do I go?" "Take a left. I lettered in track just like Laura."

Crystal followed his direction and was soon zipping in and out of traffic. "I didn't know she was into sports."

"I don't think Laura really cared if she made varsity or not. I think it was just one of those things she did because her friends did." "Is that why you did it?"

"Well, I'm not the genius like Laura. She could get the straight A's. I hoped to be good enough to get an athletic scholarship. I just squeaked through. What about you?"

Noticing the drops beginning to appear on the windshield, Crystal fumbled around for the wiper controls. "Um

I didn't finish high school."

"Oh," he said. "I didn't know. Too much of a drag, huh?"

"Something like that," she said before taking a long drag of her cigarette. "I was never one for following the rules."

Bobby snorted. "Funny you hooking up with my sister then."

"Um" Crystal wasn't sure how much he knew about his sister's life. "We're just roommates."

"You know that's what Mom used to call them when I was younger. Like I wouldn't understand my sister is gay." Bobby laughed. "I figured she was with living with Jenny all those years and bringing her every time she came over to the house. I was probably about fifteen when I saw her and Jenny arguing and told them to kiss and make up. Laura looked like she swallowed a hot pepper and Jenny just laughed at her." He sighed and leaned his head against the glass. "Sometimes I think Laura thinks I'm still a little kid." He fished into his pocket and pulled out one of the cigarettes Crystal had given him.