Devils Roses 01 - Cursed

understanding she texted me back.
    “ ???”
    “ No time 2 talk get her dad he’s sleeping @ work. Tell him 2 bring the visa bill with the resort name on it his wife is staying @”
    “ ??OK??”
    “ U HAVE 10 MIN 2 B Here”
    “ KK”
    Then I sent Blake a message.
    “ U :* my sis??”
    He messaged me back instantly.
    “     His broken heart meant nothing, I decided. I turned my phone off. At least he never knew I liked him.
    I looked back at Giselle, who was sitting up staring blankly at the bed. I turned my phone back on and ignored the messages I was receiving from Blake. I Googled, Liver Disease. Not that I needed to, I could have told her everything she needed to know. Sometimes reading made people feel better, it did me anyway. I read for about half an hour looking for a bright side. I didn’t find one. I decided not to share my findings. Or focus on them.
    From the article it looked like we had drug-induced Cholestasis, which was likely to last a month or so in a worst-case scenario. In Giselle’s case, an allergic reaction triggered the worst worst-case scenario, which looked like an acute case of hepatitis.
    I looked at her. “This is going to be treatable at the hospital. In the city, they have resources we don’t.”
    Giselle smiled. “I’m glad you’re going to be okay.” The look in her eyes was killing me.
    She seemed to be coming to terms very quickly with her situation, which saddened me. Giselle should be screaming and having a fit, but she seemed to be used to disappointment. It was not how I would have imagined her.
    I saw Giselle's dad rushing for our room in his rumpled suit. My sister was hot on his heels. “Oh my God, Giselle—oh my God. Baby, are you okay?”
    He knelt at her bedside, crying. It disgusted me to see him. She was comforting him. Giselle had the most selfish parents I had ever seen.
    I got up from my bed and left them alone. The doctor stormed into the room; he looked very angry with Giselle’s dad. Evidently, leaving your eighteen-year-old to cope with liver disease alone was not cool, even to doctors with no bedside manner.
    I dragged my IV machine, squeaking the whole way to where my sister stood. She was holding the piece of paper I had asked for.
    “ He gave it to you?” I asked, looking at the visa bill.
    She smiled. “Yeah, I told him about Giselle being sick and the hospital trying to reach him. He's been drunk in Handley for three days, and before that in Portland on business. He went home a few times, but never checked the messages. He just thought she was out with friends. He's a douche.”
    I shook my head, taking the visa statement. “What an idiot.”
    I looked at the charge on the visa; “Grand PLDM White Sds Rst, $3200.00”. I punched the code into Google with the word Mexico in front.
    I felt like Nancy Drew. “Ha, look at that—Grand Palladium White Sands Resort in the Mayan Riviera. There is a number here.” I dialed, feeling hopeful.
    The lady on the other line spoke quickly and I smiled and spoke back to her in fluent Spanish.
    I hung up the phone as my sister crossed her arms. “What did you say?”
    “ I told her that I needed Pilar to come home, that her daughter was being taken to Children’s and was very sick. That’s what’s happening.”
    I looked into the room to see Giselle’s dad talking with the doctor and nodding his head with a blank stare. He understood what he was being told, but didn’t comprehend what it meant.
    Giselle looked off out the window. It troubled me to see her like this—my new friend who I had known my whole life.
    The stretcher came for her while we were in the hallway. The helicopter had arrived to transport her. Giselle’s dad kissed her hand and ran from the hospital.
    I walked back into the room as they were strapping her in for the ride. “I’ll get my dad to let me come see you next week when you’re settled in. Text me when you get there, ok?”
    She nodded. “See you soon then. My dad is going to drive to the hospital now.”
    I hugged her and felt her hands grip onto me intensely. “Be strong, ok?” I whispered into her ear.
    She nodded and the doctors took her away. My sister waved to her from the hall and blew her a kiss as they passed by. Giselle blew her a kiss back, but looked for me to wave once more.
    One more night in the hospital wasn’t so bad, but it would be completely alone. Not an exciting notion.
    “ So what exactly is going on, Aimes? What’s