Ephemera

Chapter 1

It started with the coughs.
It was the summer that Mila and Naveen would turn twenty-three. They were twins; Mila being the older twin (by six minutes). They lived together near their family—their mother, father, and eleven-year-old sister, Hope.
They were attending a college specialized for those who wanted to join the world council—geniuses from all around their planet who gathered to decide on important matters. In a few weeks they would be graduating.
One day, Hope started coughing; hard.
They figured she just had a cold, but after it didn't fade away even after two weeks, worry crept in their spirits.
Then she coughed blood.
They took her to the doctor.
"Ma, I'm sure I'm fine," Hope insisted as they dragged her to the hospital.
"You're not. It isn't normal to cough blood. Anyway, it's just a check-up. You can never be too sure," their Ma replied stubbornly.
Hope didn't say anything. She just furrowed her brows, crossed her arms and coughed again.
While they were walking on the sidewalk, they noticed many other strangers were coughing just like Hope was. Dry, rough coughs.
Painful.

Soon enough, the family arrived at the ER. They ran a couple of tests but didn't find much. There was apparently something wrong with her lungs, but it wasn't showing up in any of the scans.
    Their Pa was pacing around in exasperation while their Ma was arguing with the doctors and nurses about their 'incompetence.'
    "Ma'am, I understand your frustration, but we did all we could—" one of the nurses tried to say, but was stopped.
    "I need you to listen to me!" their mother shouted. "There is not a chance I'm leaving this hospital without knowing what's going on with my daughter!"
    Mila winced. Their Ma had a tendency to be pushy toward service and healthcare workers. It wasn't that she was a bad person, though; it was very much the opposite. She was just quite strict and 'no-nonsense' when it came to her children, whom she loved intensely.
    "Ma," Naveen said gently, touching her shoulder to try to get her to calm down.
    It did work. A little.
    Their Ma pressed her lips together and stopped shouting. She still looked enraged, but instead of continuing to reprimand the healthcare workers, she just let out an angry puff of air, grabbed Hope by the arm, and walked straight out of the building.
    Mila, Naveen, and their Pa sighed collectively as they followed her out the hospital.
    When they caught up to their Ma, she was muttering something vulgar about useless doctors.
   
"How do you feel, Hope?" Mila asked her younger sister as they arrived home.
    "Umm, I don't know if it was just my imagination, but"—Hope looked down at her feet—"I kind of felt...better when we got home? Like, when we were outside it was worse. I don't know. It doesn't make a lot of sense."
    At that, Mila tilted her head in curiosity. "Do you think it's the air outside?"
    Hope shrugged. "I don't know. I guess so, maybe."
    "It might be pollution," Naveen suggested as he walked inside the room.
    "I suppose so," Mila replied, looking off to the side in thought.
    "If I do have a respiratory infection, why didn't it show up in the scans, then?" Hope asked, pursing her lips confusedly.
    "Good question." Mila furrowed her eyebrows in thought.
    "Do you think their machines and scans are just faulty, and that's why it didn't show up for me?"
    "Mmm, not likely."
    "I'm scared, Mila. Really scared. Am I...Am I going to die?"
    Mila glanced at her little sister and realized she had an alarmed and worried expression on her face.
    Her insides practically crumpled at the sight of the state Hope was in. She wondered if she should deny Hope's question or not.
    "We'll find out what's happening, Hope. I promise, okay?"
    Hope looked unsure, but just nodded carefully in a way that implied she trusted her sister.

That night, Mila approached Naveen in his room.
    "I want to talk about Hope," Mila said hesitantly as she sat down on Naveen's bed. "I'm worried about her. I think it's something more than just a cold or an infection that'll just go away."
    "I know," Naveen sighed. "Me too."
    "I don't know if it's relevant, but I thought it might be worth mentioning. When we were walking Hope to the hospital...did you see the other people?"
    Naveen looked confused. "No...? I mean, yes, but what about them?"
    "A lot of them were coughing. The same kind of cough Hope had. Dry throat. Parched. No phlegm." Mila pressed her lips together. "Bloody."
    "Well, that doesn't necessarily mean they have the same thing Hope does. But your theory about the air outside could be right." Naveen motioned to the window. "I noticed that when the windows are closed, Hope coughs less."
    "So, then, if we're right about it being the air, then..."
    "We can't jump to conclusions."
    "Hey, it's just a theory." Mila pursed her lips.
    "After all, maybe it's just some sort of new virus going around that the cold air exacerbates." Naveen shrugged. "Probably harmless."
    She nodded. "Yeah, you might be right."

The next morning, Mila and Naveen did their usual morning routine (wake up, get ready, go to school), and then they visited their parents' and Hope's house, this time just a little more uneasy—and they both knew it was because they were anxious about Hope, even if they didn't admit it out loud.
    "Hi," Hope greeted as they entered through the door.
    Their Ma and Pa walked up to hug them each.
    "How are you feeling, Hope?" Mila asked, placing the back of her palm on Hope's forehead. "Any more symptoms?"
    Hope shook her head, to which Mila nodded in approval.
    "Anyway, I've scheduled another check-up for you today," their Pa said. "Later at two o'clock."
    Naveen replied, "We've already been to the ER, haven't we? And Hope's still not feeling well. In fact, they weren't able to figure out what's been happening to her in the first place."
    "Yes, but, I thought...just to be sure," their Pa insisted.
    Hope nodded. "Maybe they'll find out this time, because check-ups are usually longer than our ER visit last time, right?"
    Naveen sighed. "All right. Hope, get dressed in an hour."

Later, at the hospital, Hope swung her feet as she sat, elevated, on the chair. She couldn't hear what the adults were talking about. She hoped it wasn't too bad.
    Meanwhile, Mila, Naveen, and their Pa were intensely discussing Hope's supposed infection to the nurse.
    "She's going to be okay, though, right?" their Pa asked carefully, a concerned expression on his face.
    "We aren't sure," the nurse replied. "Her infection might not show up on the scans because of a mere coincidence. If so, she may have diseases like bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, et cetera."
    Naveen was worriedly ranting about Hope and her disease, praying that they'd be able to cure it.

An hour later, Hope's appointment was finished and the nurse was telling them about her treatment to help with her lungs. They walked out of the hospital, however, all still dissatisfied.
    Hope, understandably, was the most dismayed. She was pensive and wasn't her usual vibrant, chirpy self.
    "Are you okay?" Naveen asked.
    "Of course she isn't okay," their Ma butted in.
    "Okay, sorry," he said in reply, holding his hands up. He noted how his mother was unusually irritable.
    Their Ma sighed. "I'm sorry. I think I'm just worried about Hope, you know? I mean, of course I am, but it's just taking a bit of a toll on me because I have a feeling it's more than just...something small."
    Naveen nodded. "No, I know. It's okay. I'm worried too, I guess I just don't show it as much as you do."

"Maybe we can go to a restaurant for dinner to help you feel better, Hope," their Pa suggested.    
    Hope perked up. "Could we? We don't usually..."
    Pa nodded, smiling warmly. "If it'll help you feel better."
    Hope nodded and ran up to her room to get changed.

They arrived at the restaurant, faces somewhat bright.
    Brighter than they probably should've been, considering the circumstances.
    Nonetheless, they arrived at the restaurant.
    They ordered two pizzas, tension evident as they sat at the table.
    "I have to go to the bathroom," Hope said and stood up. She left.
    After a couple of minutes, Mila received a text message on her cellphone. It was from Hope.
    Please come to the bathroom, I need help, it read.
    Mila stood up as well to go to the bathroom. She hurried a little bit because she was worried.
    When she arrived at the bathroom, she saw Hope standing at the sink, looking dismayed.
    "What happened?" Mila asked, looking concerned. She walked up to Hope and saw blood in her hand.
    "What happened?" she repeated, a bit more scared this time.
    "I don't know, I just...I just coughed into my hand and there was blood."
    "Oh no. Okay, um...don't panic. I'll help you."
    Mila grabbed tissue paper from the dispenser and helped wipe the blood off of Hope's hand.
    "Do you want us to visit the doctor again?"   
    Hope shook her head. "I don't think they'll be able to do anything."
Mila nodded wordlessly.
It was silent for a while.