"How can you say it's a base?" Lily, my academic guru, asked pushing her purple spectacles up her nose. She didn't have any eye problem, but she only wore it to look nerdy when we studied together.

I was having a hard time to say if I was breathing properly, let alone that stupid base. I was still pondering if the message what Nick sent yesterday meant something.

He had come to pick me up the next morning, acting as if last night didn't exist. He smiled at me, the same one that made me swoon. He turned on the radio, as he always did with some random song playing to keep from the awkward silence.

Did he feel the tension just as much as I did?

"So how was the race track?" He had asked, just as I was checking if the message he sent was all my dream. My phone surely said that he did send it.

"Robert is a prick." I said, pocketing my phone. "He thinks he is superior or something."

"Sounds like a Jerk with a capital J." He smiled, as her turned the car towards the school.

He stopped the engine at our regular spot. I got down the car, plopping my bag onto my shoulder as he locked the car securely and took my hand in his as he always did.

"May be I could teach you to race?" He said, looking straight. "You know at least the basics."

I squeezed his hand in return. The mere thought that he volunteered to teach me, just so that I can avoid the jerk, make my heart thump a little louder. I looked at him if he was being serious.

"Yeah, seriously." He said, stopping in his track. "I know I sound crazy, but if it makes you feel better, I would be there."

"I would actually love that." I said, with a genuine smile. "But its professional racing. It's like dead or alive there. Remember if Dad was few inches bent towards the engine, it would have been his head, instead of his leg, right?"

"Yeah." He said, scratching his head. "May be I could stay with you while you learn then."

I laughed as I kissed his cheeks not wanting to think much about it. "I hope they will let you in."

Even after we had spent the whole day together, we had never once gone back to that text message at all. The butterflies in my stomach twisted and turned each time I thought about it.

"You don't know?" Lily shook me out from my daze.

"I think it has to do something with hydroxyl ions." I said, hitting my head with a pencil.

"That's right." Lily beamed. "The presence of OH- ions makes the compound basic, although there are many other factors that the professor hasn't done it yet. Well, we completed it."

"But you know it?" I asked, perplexed. I had just made a quizzical guess as I had remembered our teacher Mrs. McNally talk something about them.

Lily's face turned beat red. "I had some time yesterday, so I did some studying."

How much did I wish to have to some time? Last night when I had sat down to study, I had to wash my face seven freaking times to make sure that I was awake. The tracks were giving me a rough time and it became difficult for me to get adjusted to it.

I knew I had to learn about the races, but the final race was still six months away. What more could it be than a few twists and turns. I had seen my Dad's races and I knew exactly how they worked. As long as I knew how to drive, I knew I was fine.

"Hey, you okay?" Lily asked. She was kind and we shared most of the classes together. We were paired for most of the assignments too. "Did something happen with Everest?"

The name alone got my eyes hooked to her. "How... h... you..." I blabbered.

She laughed. "You like him, don't you?"

"Shush!" I whispered, just to make her laugh even more. "No, I don't." I bluffed.She rolled her eyes and I couldn't keep it from her. "Is it that obvious?" I asked her.

She smiled at me. "No, but being the smartest in the class has its own perks." She winked. When I gave her a glare, she continued. "You spend most of the time with him, it's not rocket science, you know? But the guy is what I'm worried about."

"Oh, shut up!" I said, whacking her with my chemistry book.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the class. We submitted the quiz sheets to Mrs. McNally and grabbed our bags for the next class.

"So, you going to that Brian party?" Lily asked, as we made our way into the corridor. "Maybe you could have some action with the mountain there."

"Lily!" I almost screamed.

"You should tell him." She said, with a smile of her own.

I rolled my eyes and showed her the texts. After what seemed like some investigation on the matter, she pouted at me.

"I think he meant it as friends." She said. "You know because he used the awe word. It feels like he's petting a dog, no offense though."

I reread the texts that we exchanged and I felt Lily was right. "Maybe." I sighed. I had to make sure that he got to know about my feelings for him before some other girl bagged him from me.

"So, you are going to the party, right?" Lily asked, expectantly.

"I might but only if Nick is coming." I said, calculating my next moves. "I'll ask him today."

"Yes!" Lily beamed, as we made our way into the next class.

---

It was four in the evening and I hadn't met Nick at all. I had started to ponder if it was because he had finally seen the subtle hints that I left all along. A small kiss on his cheeks. My involuntary leaning into his shoulder. Holding hands with him as we walked around the campus. Him catching me starting at him - wasn't that enough for him to notice my pleas? At least that was what the books and romance shows had taught me.

I heaved a sigh. Not wanting to be clingy on him, I took a bus back home, not waiting for him. The practice started at six thirty every day and lasted till eight at night. I wanted to get home, cook dinner for Dad and complete my assignments if possible before I ended in those stupid tracks.

As I reached home, to my surprise, the doors were unlocked and I was sure that I had told Dad to lock it securely when he stayed at home.

"Dad!" I yelled, but there was no response.

It is said that mind is the fastest traveler in all times. It proved itself true as my mind wandered about picturing the worst possibilities as I stopped in front of the door. The wooden door creaked open and I nervously led myself in.

"Dad," I called again, but the voice was not more than I whisper. "Please Dad."

There was no sign of him in the hall which was attached to the kitchen. The dishes and the couches were all the same, just as I had left them this morning. For a second, I was confused-it did not look like robbery or thieving. Did someone from the tracks, probably some of my Dad's enemies, come waltzing in?

The whole idea of it made me feel like emptying my stomach on the floor.

Tentatively, I paced towards his room, wanting him to be with the local newspaper, telling me that he forgot to lock the doors. But what I found in the room, made my bile rise up to my throat.

As I pushed the door open, I saw Dad fallen on the floor with the wheel chair laid on top of him.

"Dad!" I screamed, as I knelt next to him, taking the wheel chair away. He lay unconscious in my arms and that scared me. I tried lifting him up to transfer him to the bed, but he was too heavy for me.

I ran to the kitchen to get some water. I sprinkled some on him, trying to get him awake, but it was of no use. Hot tears ran down my cheeks, feeling helpless as I cradled his head on my lap.

It was not the time to waste. I had to call for help. I called Dan first, then Calvin and then Nick. All of them were busy to receive my call and each of them put me to the voice mail. I cried out of frustration and before thinking straight, I was dialing the number of the self praised jack ass.

"Hey, Scar!" He said. "Never thought I would live to see this day of you calling me."

There was no time to pull up arguments with him and tell him to shut his cocky mouth. So I let his snide remarks slide.

"Dad..." My voice broke and I hated myself for not being strong enough for me and my Dad. "He's unconscious.... I don't know what to do... I called Dan..."

"Scarlet!" He said, stopping my mumbling. "I'm coming over, alright? Everything is going to be fine. Just give me your address. And call an ambulance; I'll be there as soon as I can."

I did as I was told and cut the call, with my Dad lying in my arms.

For all the years I had known my Dad, he was the toughest guy I had ever see. But now, seeing him lying lifeless, made my heart clench. There was nothing I could do-I couldn't even move him to put him in his bed. His right leg, which was already broken, now had swelled up. I was scared to know what the Doctor had to say for that.

As promised, the ambulance arrived with Robert in tow. The stretcher was placed and the nurses put my Dad into the vehicle and I asked them if I could ride with them.

They asked me all sorts of questions about how long he was lying unconscious and what he had eaten and what was he was doing before. I told them all I knew and begged them not to let anything happen to him.

Robert nodded at me when I sat in the ambulance, with its sirens loudly hooting along the roads. The sound alone made my heart pound against my chest, echoing and reverberating in every way possible.

As we reached the hospital, they rushed my Dad to the other room, where they did all the examinations. The Doctor who usually examined, came to me.

"How long was he unconscious, Scarlet?" He asked directly, not giving in for a warm welcoming chat, for which I was grateful.

"I don't know." I sobbed, not able to control my emotions any longer. "I came back home from school, and found him lying in his bedroom."

It was a futile attempt to keep me from crying. It only seemed like yesterday that he was in that dreadful accident. With his leg all screwed up, I thought it was the worst possible thing that could happen to him. But my Dad was proving me false with every passing day.

"You tried to wake him up?" The Doctor asked.

"Y... yeah." I wiped my tear, calming myself. "I sprinkled water on him, but he didn't wake up. Then I called for help."

"It's good what you did." The Doctor said, patting my back, encouragingly. "He's under examination and we'll see what we can do."

"Thank you."

I stooped on the seats as he left. Robert came and sat next to me, holding me steadily. He had never spoken a word since he had come, but I was grateful for his presence. I didn't know if I could handle the whole hospital thing all on my own.

A few minutes later, Dan barged in, looking as if he had fought with someone. As soon as I saw him, I ran towards him for a hug, silently thanking him for his presence.

"How's he?" He asked as he released me.

"The Doc never says anything." I wiped my eyes clean as we walked towards the plastic chairs.

"Robert." Dan nodded at Robert and Robert did the same to him.

All three of us sat on one of those hospital chairs close to where Dad was monitored. We stood up, expecting the Doctor or the nurses that ran in and out every now and then into the door where Dad laid, to tell us something that will make us not to hold our breaths.

After what seemed like hours, the Doctor who usually checked on Dad, came with the stethoscope, smiling at us. I stood up first with Dan and Robert following me soon after.

"So?" I asked, before the Doctor had a chance to speak.

"You don't have to worry, he's fine." He said, in a strained smile. I was concerned that he too had a life outside the hospital and working here on a case on a Friday night must be very tiring for him.

"I sense there's going to be a but here." Dan muttered.

Listening to Dan, the Doctor smiled. "Yes."

"So?" I asked again.

I already knew his right leg had gotten the pressure that wasn't supposed to be there as the good Doctor had said a month ago. I knew the recovery might take longer than what we had anticipated. I knew it and I was keeping myself mentally ready for the moment like this. I could tell that Dan was surprised when I didn't jump at the Doctor for murdering him the very chance I got.

"May be we should take it inside." The Doctor suggested and we three followed him without another word.

The Doctor sat on his chair turning it towards us. I was sure that he was tired and was trying his best to put it in good words.

When Robert came in shutting the door for us, the Doctor spoke. "His right leg was already injured." He started and we nodded in unison. "From the swelling that I see, I can tell that he was lying on the floor for about half an hour."

"Oh God," Dan said, bringing his hand towards his forehead. "What does that mean?"

"There wasn't supposed to be any pressure on that area, so the recovery might be delayed." The Doctor said. I nodded my head - just as I had anticipated.

"Do you know why he fell?" I asked, not able to control my curiosity. "I mean, there was no robbery or anything. Nothing has been lost."

"Yeah." Doctor said, "I think I might have a clue."

The Doctor walked around his table and stood supporting the wall, just like Robert who was at the door.

"I think he overdosed." I gasped audibly as Dan held me. "The tri-hydrate levels were..." When we blinked at him, he corrected himself. "The medicinal drug levels were more at the time he was brought here. See."

He showed us some x-ray sheets that held colored portions. The Doctor said that it was the medicinal drug that was present in excess. If the levels were more than a certain level as he showed in the sheets, it would have reached the brain and Dad wouldn't be able to remember anything.

"It was all my fault." I said, as the Doctor finished explaining. Tears ran down my cheeks. How could I let this happen? While my Dad was suffering at home, I was at school dreaming about some boy. "I should have taken care of him."

He was not able to walk; I should have made sure of the tablets he was having, made sure that he took them on time. But what did I do? Nothing.

What kind of daughter did that make me?

Dan hugged me sideways, burying my face in his chest. "Scar, it was not your fault." He pulled me to look at his face, wiping my cheeks with his thumb. "You are still a kid and you are adjusting just like him."

"That doesn't solve it, does it?" I asked, more tears building up.

"Scarlet." The Doctor said, making me look at him. "I'm not saying it's all your fault. Edward is a big man, who can handle himself. I know it's a lot to take in when the only support you had in your life stumbles down, I understand."

The Doctor put his hand on my shoulders in a soothing gesture.

"Yes, you could have made sure of all that. But come think of it. Your Dad's been handling everything all his life." I nodded. "And when suddenly when you go babysitting him, he would have gone crazy, emotionally and mentally."

"He's right, Scar." Dan said, holding my hand in his.

I nodded, not able to say anything back to them. After the Doctor explained the new medicines that was supposed to be given to Dad, we walked back to the corridors. The nurse came by and said that Dad was awake now and would be discharged tomorrow.

"Um... okay then, I'll leave?" Robert asked awkwardly. It was the first time he had spoken the entire evening that we had spent together.

"Thanks man." Dan said, giving him a bro hug-a signal that told that it was okay for him to leave.

"Scarlet?" Robert asked and turned towards me.

"Thank you so much for coming when I called you." I said, gratitude in my voice was evident. "I couldn't have handled all this alone."

"No problem." He said, as he nodded at Dan one more time before heading towards the elevator.

I had never seen Robert so silent. Having seen him for around two-three days, he acted like an asshole that I wanted to punch in the guts. But today, he was different even though he was silent.

"Dan, one sec." I gestured towards the elevator and he nodded back at me, understandingly. "We'll go see Dad together."

"Yeah."

Robert was waiting for the elevator doors to be opened. He was surprised to see me and he raised on eye brow at me questioningly.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked, not beating around the bush.

He smirked, crossing his arms against his chest and leaning against the wall. "Your Dad was over dosed, you were the one crying your eyes out few minutes ago and now you ask me if I'm alright? I honestly don't know. You tell me, honey."

I rolled my eyes. I cursed myself for even thinking that he was different. The asshole was somewhere there, I should have known. "Good to know that you are still a jerk." I said.

"It's a long night, Stone." He said. "You should take some rest."

There was a ping, indicating that the elevator had arrived.

"You'll be covering today's loss of class tomorrow, Stone." He said as he climbed into the elevator and I could almost see him smirk. "No excuses this time."

"Robert, you son of a..." I stopped, when the doors closed.

---

A/N: Over usage of medicines can have adverse affects. Do you think Scarlet handled it well? Will she now go to that party?