To Keep You

Twenty-Five: Olive

She's awake...

It had only been an hour since Jackson and I, burst into the small hospital room to discover Stella had indeed awoken from her near-death state. My cheeks were still damp with the tears I'd shed at the mere sight of the self-centered girl. And now, as I sit in a chair only inches away from her bed, I still could not chase away the elation that she is awake and nearly fine.

Jackson sat in a chair next to me and watched through narrowed eyes at Stella who wore an oversized baby blue hospital gown. She sat in the butterfly position and was currently using a plastic spoon to poke at the generic Jello a nurse had brought her. Stella's face was contorted in utter disgust as if she could not understand the audacity the nurse had to bring her such a thing.

Jackson had hardly spoken a word to me nor Stella upon arriving, he'd briefly introduced himself and then promptly sat down. If I had not been overcome with shock and joy, I might have given his quiet demeaner a seriously valuation, but in my frizzled state, I barely even allowed it to settle in my mind before I batted it away.

In the last hour, I'd explained as much as I knew to Stella, I left out the more disturbing details such as what happened to Blanche. I grimaced and blinked, trying to ignore the gut-wrenching shame I felt. I did my best to describe what happened to Chaya and was caught off guard by the girl's pity that flashed across her eyes; she didn't dare speak a word of concern.

It was a nurse who had informed Stella that she had received multiple gun wounds to her chest and abdomen, which to normal Stella behavior, she just shrugged and dismissed the nurse.

"So, the baby is a girl?" Stella's question was spoken on distasteful lips as she lifted a spoonful of the red Jello and watched as it dropped back into the plastic cup with a hard jiggle.

I nodded slowly, to spare her any extra stress I chose not to tell her about losing the other baby. I doubted she would feel anything, however, it was better that she only knew about Rah'chayl.

"Yes, and she is healthy as any baby can be." I smiled softly, Rah'chayl was the definition of a dream. She never cried or was fussy. Her eyes always told me what she wanted, never her voice.

A part of me screamed that something is wrong with her, but I brushed those thoughts away for what is wrong with me? I have a perfectly healthy child and yet my mind is trying to find some fault with her.

Stella nodded and brushed a piece of pencil straight hair behind her ear, in the two weeks she's been in a coma-like-state her bob-like cut was now nearly down to her shoulders. Dark circles hung heavily underneath her piercing eyes and however hard she tried to pretend she was fine; I could tell something was bothering her deeply.

I wanted to pry about it, but I knew she would just rebuke me and shut me out. I wasn't her mother and even though I saw her as a friend and maybe at times, a little sister. She saw me as nothing more than a knot in her hair. I'd be lucky to get her to tell me she's hungry, yet alone what was unsetting her.

"Where is Nakawa, Lola, and Blanche?" Her words were laced with hidden emotions, but her eyes gave away the sadness and longing that her soul felt.

Like a fish out of water, I opened my mouth and closed it countless times as I did not know what to say about Blanche, how would I even tell a mere child that I sold her friend to a monster to save Chaya? She would never forgive me.

Shaking myself from my fish-like spell, I mumbled softly, "Lola and Nakawa are at the cabin with the baby. They're both utterly in love with her, and soon, when your strong enough, you can meet her to." However hard I tried to keep my voice calm, it wobbled and stuttered greatly.