I know it's very short, but I'm graduating soon and didn't have time to write anything longer.
P.S. The thing that everyone within the story has in common is that they are all patients of Memorial hospital.
And ( laugh out loud) I couldn't sleep till I fixed this a bit. It's 3 a.m.
Enjoy
Jonathan opened the car door for Cora. They were on their way to Sea World. Cora insisted on stopping at the Commerce Bank ATM to get her own money. Her fiancé waited impatiently inside the Toyota. Jonathan watched as the dark curls cascaded down her back. She swiped the card and typed in her pin. As she turned towards the car she saw his face. Jonathan had a look of sheer horror, his eyes landed behind her. Cora turned around and rammed into cold metal. The gun went off and the money scattered. Car doors slammed and footsteps jolted. He cradled her as the ambulance came (12:05pm).
As the ambulance raced Cora to Memorial Hospital another patient got the bad news. The cancer was spreading. It was Gina’s 30th birthday. Her daughter stood over her, brushing the faded auburn hair. Only month’s ago she was vivid and boisterous. Now she lay in a hospital her child giving her that last party she would ever see. Trish looked into her mother’s eyes the once bright blues now clouded grey. Only five minutes ago had the doctor given the test results. Her mother had 10 minutes to live. She hung the streamers and balloons. Every now and then she would catch her mother’s stare. Each time a small smile appeared. This was what kept her together; those were the last smiles she would ever see.
Mean while a patient that had checked out that morning was enjoying a trip to Sea World. Natalie skipped down the tiled flooring. She watched the huge sharks and manta rays above her. One inch of bullet proof glass protected them. Her mother, Amelia, watched her a few feet away. She wondered how Natalie could be so oblivious to the impeding danger. The doctor had called at 12:05 pm from memorial hospital. The words still echoed:
“If you bring her in now me may be able to prolong it.”
“And If I don’t?”
“If you don’t bring her in the aneurism will burst within ten minutes.”
It was now 12: 10 pm. A part of her was selfish enough to pull her daughter away from the enjoyment. But the reality set in why should she? Shouldn’t Natalie’s last few minutes be spent in joy not hooked onto a ventilator? They were hours from the hospital. Even if she left now they would never make it in time. She remembered the talk she had with her nine year old daughter. Natalie had pleaded her mother not to make her stay in the hospital again. The doctor’s constant prodding her with needles and spinal taps had already taken months out of her life. Amelia never truly told her what was wrong. She just simply said she was sick.
They had hoped to wait till their wedding night. But time found Jason hovering over Cora. Her fingers intertwined his dirty blond hair. This is how she wanted to use her last ten minutes, making love to her fiancé. Cora’s fingers traced the muscles impressions on her lover’s chest. Jonathan rocked his hips as if their motion was a melody on top of the Memorial Hospital Bed. The attacker’s bullet had punctured her main artery. As much as the doctor’s had tried the bleeding wouldn’t surpass. Jonathan held Cora in his arms their fingers intertwined. He leaned down and gave her one final kiss. Her lips felt icy cold. 12:15pm a lover lost.
Two doors down Gina blew out her candles. Her daughter left to the hall. She dragged the huge present behind her. Ten years ago she had asked for this present, a four foot Victorian doll. Trish unwrapped the package and turned to hand her mother the laced girl. As she brightened the lights she saw it. Her mother’s face was pale. The doll slid out of her hands and crashed to the floor. Its perfect porcelain face now ruined. 12: 15 pm a mother lost.
Back at Sea World Amelia watched Natalie as she raced around the pools of fish. She glided her fingers threw the water, touching the baby sharks and snails. A smiled plastered her face as she hopped around the manta rays. The floor clear acrylic was like walking on water, for below was a pool of ocean life. Amelia walked over to her daughter. Giving her a boost Natalie was able to see the tortoises. Natalie sat on her mother’s shoulders, her eyes following every movement. After a time she gently lowered her back onto the acrylic floor.
As Natalie pressed her face against the glass, Amelia fingered through her purse. The cell was ringing. Just as she was about to answer it she heard a crash. Natalie lay twitching on the see through floor. Amelia ran to her side and held her daughter. Tears streamed her face. The convulsion stopped and Natalie looked into her mother’s eyes. Amelia brushed the blond hair out of pale green eyes.
Natalie took one last look at her and smiled, “I love you mommy.”
As the ambulance came, Amelia flipped open the cell the caller ID read “Memorial Hospital."
12:15 a child lost.
