✓ Forget Me Not (Short Story)

Chapter Seven

"Felicity! Wake up!" I yelled for the tenth time, shaking her. She didn't even twitch and eyelid, just continued laying motionless. Oh god, this isn't normal.

I picked up my phone. "Nine-one-one, what's your Emergency?"

"My boss won't wake up, but she's breathing still. Something's wrong." I gave her my location, following her instructions and stayed on the line until the paramedics.

They asked me if there were any medical issues currently, and since I didn't know her that well, I couldn't give them a solid answer, just that she had been vomiting a lot.

"...probably pregnancy..." one paramedic murmured while the other nodded. I sighed, hoping they weren't right. Except if it wasn't a baby, then it could be something worse.

I followed behind in her car after packing us both up. Even with that small delay, I was still stuck in the waiting room for hours.

Who would've thought that a waiting room would have a lot of waiting in it?

"Are you family of Miss Donley?"

I shake my head. "I'm just a friend of hers. Why?"

"Please get a hold of a relative, please. We can't disclose her condition to anyone but family." He goes to turn away but I stop him.

"Is she pregnant?"

He sighs, looking away from me. "No...but I wish she was." And with that, he takes his leave.

Felicity's phone isn't locked, so I look for the contact 'Mom'. The lady picks up on the third ring.

"Felicity?! Where are you? Did you really go to India? Answer me right-"

"Mrs. Donley? This is Caleb, her apprentice. Felicity is in the hospital."

"Oh dear god, I thought we had more time..." she trails off. I knew she wasn't talking directly to me, just herself. "Caleb, I'll be on the next flight."

I picked up Mrs. Donley from the airport about five hours later. She looked almost exactly like Felicity, just slightly more plump and taller.

"Did the doctor say what was wrong with her?" she asks me. I shake my head. With a sigh, she sits down next to me in the waiting room, pulling one of my hands into hers.

"She has the human form of Mad Cow Disease, Caleb. They think she picked it up when she was in Africa. I mean of all the things to pick up in Africa, she gets Mad Cow's Disease." She chuckles to herself but the situation is far from funny.

"S-so," I stutter, my breathing getting heavier, "She's going to die, then?"

Felicity's mother nods in response. I stand up quickly, my vision getting spotty.

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

Breathe in,

Breathe out.

"Honey, calm down. You'll put yourself into a panic attack if you keep breathing rapidly like that."

I snap at her. "I just found out that someone I have come to care for is going to die. How am I suppose to react!?"

She's unfazed; instead, she digs through her purse, pulling out a worn chapter book. It looks like something a kid would read. The book is placed in my hand.

Bridge to Terabithia.

"I don't understand..."

She smiles sadly. "Read it, you'll understand." I feel  a pat on my shoulder before I'm alone in the waiting room.

Well, since I have nothing to do.

I open the book to the first page.

"Property of Felicity A. Donley. Please don't steal. It's not nice."

I smile, going to the next page.

"Ba-room, ba-room, ba-room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripity. Good. His dad had the pickup going. He could get up now..."