Short Story Collection

Little Bird

I flop onto the couch, I just got done with my second 20 hour shift at the trauma center. I curse the new doctor that was supposed to come and take over for me, they didn't show up so that means my normally 12 hour shift changed into my second 20 hours shift. My eyes droop and I am close to falling asleep when the shrill ringing of my phone brings me more into consciousness. I look at the caller ID and see it's my mom, why is she calling me at 3 am?

"Hey Mom," I say.

"Cora. It's Raven."Those words send spikes of fear into my body.

"Mom, what happened to Raven?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"She was coming back from college to surprise you for your birthday," she answers.

"Where is she? Is she okay?" the words are tumbling out of my mouth so fast.

"We are at the Golden Eagle Trauma Center. The doctors are trying to get her stabilized." I am on my feet and running towards the door, I stuff my arms into my jacket and grab my keys.

"Okay Mom, I'll be there in 20 minutes, tops," I say, hanging up as I run out my front door.

I curse myself for not paying attention to my family's gift of visions. I had had a vision leaving work, I had seen Raven coming in on a stretcher unconscious. I brushed it aside like a fool because I thought she was still at school. I am on the main road now and my foot is itching at the gas pedal, I look down at the speedometer and realize I am going 15 miles an hour over the speed limit.

Begrudgingly, I lighten the pressure on the pedal and watch the arm fall back down to 40 miles per hour. I'm there in 15 minutes. I run to the front doors, and when I don't see my Mom I assume that they got her stabilized and Moms with her. I walk up to the receptionist.

"Oh, welcome back Doctor Yovven. I thought your next shift didn't start until tomorrow night?" Cassidy asks.

"I'm not here for work. My sister was brought here in an ambulance." my words come out sharp. I didn't intend to but I am struggling to keep my emotions in check.

"Okay, what's her name?" she asks.

"Raven Jasmine Yovven." I respond. Cassidy's nails click on the keyboard as she searches for my sister's room.

"Room 417" she says.

I thank her and run to the stairs, the elevator is slow and old, I know that if I have to stop for even a second I'll lose my mind. I throw the door that is attached to the stairwell open and run up to the fourth floor, I crash through the door. I slow to a walk as I head into her room, my mom is sitting on the left side of the bed with Raven's hand. Raven smiles when she sees me, and she starts to sit up.

"No you don't, lay back down." I say.

"If fine, Cece." she responds.

I see the x-ray's hanging on the light wall, they are of her chest. I walk over to them. There were some hairline fractures across some of her ribs that didn't concern me too much, they'll heal. It was when I saw the one fragment of bone that was floating in her chest cavity. It was by her heart.

"No you're not, little bird." she smiles at the childhood nickname.

"What has the doctor told you?" I ask still looking at the X-Ray's

"Well she has a fractured disk in her neck and the few broken ribs, one of them splintered," Mom responds. I cringe at how calm she sounds. I sigh and go to sit across from Mom, grab her hand, and trace circles on the back of it.

"What are you thinking about Cece?" Raven asks.

"Nothing why?" I look up from her hand.

"No reason." She responds, I look at her face, she has a huge bruise across her right cheek and a large gash across her forehead.

I don't remember falling asleep but I do remember being shaken awake by my mom.

"I'm going down to get me a coffee and a muffin, do you want anything?" She asks.

"Uh, sure can you get me an iced coffee and a plain bagel?" I answer. She nods and leaves the room. It's been about 15 minutes when Raven stirs

"Cece, I need to tell you something." I look into her eyes and can immediately tell she's had a vision of something.

"What did you see Raven?" I ask.

"I, uh, I, well, am going to die." the ground seems to give out from under me and I hear the spilling of liquid. I look behind me and see my mom standing there, she had dropped the coffee. My mom's grey eyes are wide.

"How long." my voice is weak. I am hoping that there was a clock in view of the vision.

"An hour." Those words seem to rip the fabric of my world apart.

I crawl into bed with Raven and pull her towards me, her head resting against my neck. The hard plastic of the neck brace is pressed into my collar bone. Mom is on the bottom of the bed with Raven's feet in her lap. I look down at my sister...my best friend...I press my cheek against the top of her hair. I stay like this until I hear my mom.

"T-ten minutes left." the tears I have been suppressing force their way past my guard and stream down my face, staining her black hair with my tears.

"Cece, there's something for you on the side table." Raven says. I look over and see her silver songbird necklace.

"No, Ravvy, I'm not taking this, it's yours." I protest.

"P-please. I want you to wear it." her voice breaks.

"O-okay." Her voice is sad, I pick the necklace up and clasp it around my neck. We sit in silence for a second.

"Five minutes." my mom's grim voice is low.

"Ravvy, my little bird. I'm going to miss you. First, we lose Dad to cancer now we're losing you to" I pause "That's not fair" I murmur. The previously gloomy mood in the room has shifted and is now so heavy it's hard to breathe. I pull her closer to me.

"Cece. I'm sorry. I love you so much. I'll say hi to Dad for you guys." Those are the last words my sister said to me. I'll say hi to Dad for you guys. After the words were said the heart monitor flat-lined.

"Fly high little bird, fly high." I wrap my fingers around the necklace. Tears falling down my face.

"I already miss you." I stand up and walk over to my mom who is sobbing, I pull her to me and hug her. We sit like this for the rest of the day.