I was able to remember what happened seconds before I passed out, and because of that, my body jerked awake. I sat up as my chest heaved.

"McKinley? Skylar?" I choked out the names.

Neither the first Monster Protector nor his granddaughter were in the hospital room. None of the Monster Protectors were. Well, Mr. Hawk was technically a Monster Protector, but he retired. He, Sarah, Margaret, and the monsters were standing - or floating if they are ghosts - in front of my bed.

"There goes that name again," Margaret commented. "McKinley."

I felt a hand on my arm and saw that Scarlett was on my right side and sitting in a chair. Her face was filled with fear, and I did not blame her. I had a severe heart attack. I would have died if not for my sister.

"Lie back down," my boyfriend Stanley instructed. He was standing to my left. "The doctor strictly said that you need plenty of rest. You need to rest your heart."

He and Scarlett laid me back on the bed. I was not in the very least shocked that my heart was what landed me in the hospital. Remember way back in book eleven when I thought that I dreamt of Mary Sue's father, Dr. Frost, "operating" on my heart? It was apparently far from a dream because Dr. O'Fallon confirmed that something was going on with my poor heart.

Dr. O'Fallon could not pinpoint exactly why my heart was not working the way that it is supposed to and prescribed me some medication. He said that it was too risky to go in and see what the problem was, but told me that it would be necessary if my heart caused any more damage.

"You had a really bad heart attack, Margie," Stanley finally admitted. "If Scarlett did not witness you collapsing, you would have most certainly died."

"S-seriously?" I stuttered. I glanced at my older sister. "Oh, Scarlett."

She stroked my hair with her thumb and asked everybody else if they let me and her have a few minutes alone. They all agreed and piled out of the room, leaving me and my sister in the quietness and stillness of the hospital room.

"Where...are Mom and Dad?" I asked. Just like the rest of me, I was weak. "Are they...still mad at me?"

Scarlett scooted closer to me. "Mom and Dad were never mad at you. They were just frustrated. Confused."

"Then what do you call it when our own mother stole my precious crossbow and burned it in the fire?"

She patted the top of my hand. "I am glad that you brought that up. Mom and Dad are in the hospital lunchroom and feel bad for putting you under pressure. Mom is even planning on apologizing to you and..." She bent over and picked up an object that had been lying on the floor.

My crossbow and arrow. My old crossbow and arrow.

They both were burnt, and some of the paint had peeled off, but the burns and lack of paint were only minor, and I tested the crossbow to check if it still worked.

"No! Margie!" Scarlett protested, knowing what I was about to do.

Too late. The arrow shot out and pierced the wall that was across from me. I set my crossbow on my bed and cheered. You cannot imagine how happy I was.

Scarlett got up and went over to the wall. "Glad that you managed to not poke one of my eyes out with that thing." She tugged on the arrow and successfully pulled it out of the wall without snapping it in half. "I hope that you are up for a chat, sis."

I slouched in the bed and eyed her with a serious look. "Depends. Are you going to lecture me on how seeing a therapist would do me 'good'?"

She walked back to the chair, plopped back in it, and gave me my arrow. "Margie...I want to apologize."

Dang. Did not see that coming.

"I was way out of line, and so were our parents. We considered that therapy would be good for you, but after seeing your reaction...maybe it should be our second or third option. We are sorry. We are treating you like a killer, and you are not. Could you ever forgive me?"

I immediately reacted and hugged her. She hugged me back.

"Thank you, Scarlett. I...I just wish that you and our mom and dad understood me."

She gently pushed me back. "Just because that we do not understand you now does not mean that we never want to understand you."

I pointed out that the only way that they would understand my side of the story was if they heard me out. You know. Give me a voice. My sister agreed and said that we could set up a time to do so when it was okay for me to leave the hospital for good.

Scarlett hugged me again. "You and that darn heart of yours gave me such a scare. I was so worried that you would not make it that I almost passed out."

"Good thing that you did not," I complimented. "You saved my life."

"It was not easy, Margie."

There was a knock on the door, and we said in unison that whoever it was could come on in. The door opened, and a man with a lab coat stepped in. Do not be alarmed. It was not Dr. Maxwell.

"Dr. O'Fallon," I said his name. "It is always nice to visit you. Well, when I am not recovering from something life-threatening."

"A pleasure to see you too, Margie," he responded. "Sorry that you had to experience a heart attack, but it is a fact that anyone at any age can get one."

"Will Margie's heart be alright?" Scarlett asked with concern.

He pushed up his glasses. "It will not last for long."