The Cure To All Disease

Chapter 5: Atonal

With such an announcement we needed to leave our old house a couple of weeks earlier than what we had planned. I wasn't prepared for any of this. I wasn't prepared to leave our old home nor was I prepared for being an older brother. Even though I promised Troy that I had no interest in the ocean, I had realized when driving away from it that it was a view that I long for. Maybe it was because a portion of me I had realized that it was more than just a place that I was leaving behind. The rest of me could only focus on the future and forever abandon the thought of running across the sand of that beach and feeling the salt water against my toes.

My closet was neatly condensed and packed into the brown boxes that populated the once full house and lively house. During this time I was home alone for long periods of time under the care of Nika as he left to check on Troy at the hospital and then return by the evening. Each time he would bear the same news, "Because she has been experiencing strong fatigue and she has had past health complications she won't be able to leave for a little longer." During this time of separation I had almost completely lost my energy and became overwhelmed with even the slightest bit of conflict.

One afternoon alone feeling fatigued and lonely had decided to investigate around the house with curiosity to see if there had been a room I had yet to discover. My life in this spacious house has been so confined to the places I needed for school and to live a proper life. Perhaps this was where the adventure I was longing for began,in the only place I could remember calling home. Of course that would all change soon but still I was curious.

Every hall and every room looked the same and empty plane scattered with boxes. In one of the far off rooms far far away from the kitchen there was a box that almost seemed to be glowing through it's cracks as it hadn't even been sealed yet. I ran my finger across the cardboard trying to understand its texture but nothing exactly came to mind other than cardboard. So I flipped the box open, almost disappointed and unable to understand what they were.

I looked over into the box, it was filled with small mechanical chips, hundreds of them, but on top of all of that was another strange mechanical purple box that appeared to have a small screen with one large circular button and a rim around it. Small triangle-like shapes were painted around it and there were a few more buttons on it too. A white wire wrapped around it multiple times and it ended at a hole where it was plugged into the items. I snuck it away into my pocket just when I heard the system disarm, Nika was home now so I returned to the kitchen.

"So Ambrose, what adventures did you have yourself today?" Nika was washing his hands, which he always did in order to prepare for cooking food. I realized that it was already almost dark outside, yes it was already time to eat dinner now, I haven't eaten at all today and yet I wasn't hungry.

"I was just investigating around the house, it's really just all boxes now, but somehow I managed to get so carried away that I forgot to eat. What was it like in the hospital today, in the waiting room for hours again?" I wasn't really curious, I was more so just trying to hide the fact that I had stolen something from one of the boxes for further investigation. One that was suspiciously hidden away from me in a room I had never been in before.

"Actually they were able to get me in there a lot quicker than last time, and the nurse let us go on a walk, they say that she's well enough to return home by tomorrow, so this is your last night here." By now I had already been here for much longer than what was anticipated, but hearing those words, my last night here, I felt anxious now but there was no need for that.

"Really? This seems a little sudden, I mean I know it's not sudden but at the same time I was just hoping I would get more time but, I'm happy to hear that Troy is healthy and okay. I'm also excited to meet my younger brother too." I had never actively hidden something from my guardians with the intent of sneaking it past them, not even sure of whether I was actually supposed to have it.

"I knew you'd be excited, we'll go see Troy in the hospital tomorrow with all of our stuff packed." Nika looked back at the table and he must have realized my expressions portrayed anything but happiness. "Hey, Ambrose, you don't need to worry about anything, I know this is a long night it will all turn out okay when the sun rises at the end of it all." Nika hugged me even though it didn't feel the same, it didn't bring me any comfort.

I didn't respond to him for a while before I finally decided to speak. "I wasn't really worried, now that Troy is alright I have nothing to worry about anymore. I was a little worried about being an older brother but I'm sure that I'll do just fine." I concluded that would be the end of emotions, the ones that I didn't have words to describe, the ones that don't exist anymore.

That feeling continued to dissipate throughout the night and into my dreamless sleep. By morning there were no remnants of that feeling that was undefined by words as I arose. Even striding down the hall of the hospital only excitement could flood me. However, something had returned to me the moment the small life was in my line of view, he was real, this was real.

Troy was up and about pacing around the hospital room with the small child clutched in her arms, her gaze so loving one that I had never seen to a full extent. My heart began to sink into something despite feeling emptied. The moment she looked up her face was beaming with joy with an uncontrolled gasp she spoke, "My goodness! Thank goodness." It was delivered almost as a cry.

After setting Melokuhle into Nika's arms and making sure his grasp was secure before wrapping her arms around me, I was caught in her warm embrace. I was deeply comforted by her touch after longing for it for so long. I in return wrapped my arms around her too and we had rocking back and forth for a solid moment before we released each other.

"So, you probably got to spend a lot of quality time with Nika, right?" Troy had a lot of energy right now, either from being so happy to see me or the other option, which was that she had been cooped up in a hospital for so long she was longing for activity.

" Yes, I never knew that he was so good at cooking or sports or painting or anything other than driving." I recalled the many hobbies that Nika was able to showcase his ability with, I was impressed that he was able to do so much and impressed that I had known so little. As I spoke , a smirk arose on Troy's face as she looked between Nika and I.

"Well that sounds like the very talented man, a plain jane such as myself was so lucky to marry."She chuckled the same dry chuckle, it had been so long and hearing that brought back a steady flow of memories, most of them were happy of course.

"Ambrose, meet Melokuhle, your baby brother. Isn't he so precious?" Nika revealed the wrapped child before me, the tiny precious life, I could barely even describe the value I found within him. He hadn't done anything for me, he hadn't looked at me, we hadn't even laid hands on each other and yet I felt myself drawn to love him already.

"M-may I hold him, Troy?" I asked.

"Of course." In my arms that small being, it was one that I had felt an instant connection with.

Author's Note: FINALLY THE BBY HAS ARRIVED, Sorry that had no business being in all caps and all bold but we all know Melokuhle is destined to be a little gremlin that turns the world  (and story) upside down. Also who can't be at least a little bit happy when a new character is introduced into the mix. Anyways as per tradition we shall shower our little gremlin with all the love he deserves. I was struggling with trying to figure out how to describe a baby without making it sound edible because that is not okay. Which sounds like a really weird struggle to have but I'm sure my fellow writers understand the struggle of trying to not make something sound edible. On second thought ignore that last part and move on to the next chapter. I couldn't come up with a question of the chapter, so the question of the chapter isssssss;  What's a good question of the chapter?