Raelyn's world is black and white. Shades of gray and dark shadows lurking in her dreams. She only ever sees the color blue. Blue in the eyes of her sick little brother. Blue in her own eyes staring back at her from the mirror. Blue in the sadness o...
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"Olivia, sweetheart, I can't see your pretty face if you hide behind the balloon." Rae laughs, lowering her camera. The nurse in charge of the room laughs quietly in the corner of her desk.
The little four year old girl, Olivia, is sat on her hospital bed, face hidden behind a purple balloon. She's probably the cutest little girl Rae has ever seen, with big, green eyes and short, curly black hair. She has a small gap between her two front teeth and two little dimples set in her round cheeks whenever she smiles.
She pops her head out. "I'm shy." She whispers, then giggles into her hand. "I don't like pictures."
Rae mockingly gasps in shock, smiling throughout her words. "Livy! Are you lying to me? Just the other day you tried stealing me camera. You were shy then, silly?"
Olivia giggles again, shaking her head. "RoRo was with me and he said," she takes a breath from talking too fast. "He said we could, that we could take pictures then."
"So why not now?" Rae questions animatedly, slinging the strap of her camera over her neck.
"He's not here and I'm shy!" She pulls the balloon back over her face.
Rae ponders this. She has to get pictures of Olivia; she is the last child for the set of pictures Rae has for this issue. Hummingbird Children's Hospice sends out a newsletter the last Wednesday of every month. They keep it light and cheerful, informing parents and other citizens of the hospitals work and amazing bedside manor. Since the hospital itself isn't as big or well know as others are, they have set aside a page asking for a donation of any kind.
They need some help for funding. One of the playrooms is stocked with wooden mini slides that wobble and creak too much. Most of the toys are broken or missing pieces and dolls are missing eyes. One of the computers at the nurse's station had finally died out after six years. Thankfully the information had been backed up, but the nurse still had to paid for it out of pocket, mainly due to the goodness of her heart. The set aside donations are mainly to keep the playroom clean and safe for the children, and to help fund research for new medicines, new treatments.
Rae all too willing offers to help with the photos for the newsletter without any pay. She just needs a few more of the little girl behind the balloon. They have to be sent in by tomorrow, Saturday, to make it by Monday's deadline, be sent out and delivered by Wednesday. If not, then the newsletter will lack any pictures, and people will more than likely just deem it rubbish and not give it a seconds glance.
"Alright, love." Rae begins sweetly, bending down to eye level as Olivia peeks out one green eye. "How about I ask if Ronan can play with you today, and I can take pictures of you both. Will you still be shy then?"
The bright smile on Olivia's face lights up the room. She releases the balloon, allowing it to hover in the air, weighed down at the string by a plastic weight. "No! He can play with me?"
