Starlight (Book 1)

6: Paper Cups Can Be Pretty Useful Sometimes

As I walked through the automatic doors of the hospital, I played a sort of game with myself. I was trying to stay in the collective shadow of my dads, and it wasn't really working.

I nearly crashed into Papa as he stopped, and my surroundings eclipsed by the two of them. The information desk sprawled in front of me.

"Is Nurse Jyotshi in today?" Riley asked the younger man behind the desk.

He looked up from the computer screen. "What's the name?"

"Janacek," said Riley. "Here to see Nia Roseveare."

"Are you family?"

"Can you get Nurse Jyotshi down here, please?" Kieran asked. "We can wait."

Finally, the nurse nodded, and we went to sit in the waiting room.

The clock on the wall ticked. Somebody a few chairs down opened a bag of chips. I went to get a glass of water from the front, then sat down next to Riley. The only other free seat was across from us, so Kieran took that one.

I plucked at the material of my chair, peeling back a layer of fake green leather and pushing my nails into the foam. I began to study the abstract painting on the wall, trying to discern what it looked like.

I nudged Papa with my elbow, gesturing at the painting. "What do you think it is?"

"A bird?"

"I think that looks like a sun," I said, pointing to the dot of orange in the corner. "And that's a smiling whale."

"Hmm. I think the dot is the eye of the bird, see?"

I saw nothing of the sort. "Hmm."

The door opened, and I turned towards the sound. Priya walked towards us. Her nurse scrubs, a black shirt and pink pants, were decorated with tiny flowers. The hijab covering her head matched, a soft red colour.

"Nice to see you again," she said, her voice light and airy. I'd always thought she would have a wonderful singing voice. "I'm sorry for the hold up."

"It's no trouble," replied Kieran. "It was only ten minutes. That's a new record."

Priya led us out of the waiting room and down the hall. Lines painted on the floor, red and blue and yellow, arched off in different directions for the separate sections, making it easier to navigate. She took us to the left, down the red path, and I watched the yellow line turn around a corner and disappear.

"I imagine you're here to see Nia."

Dad nodded. "Who else?"

"She's in a bad state," Priya said, pulling open a set of double doors at the end of a hall which led, unsurprisingly, to another identical hall. The blue line was also gone now. "Her arm is sprained."

Riley bit his lip.

"How did that happen?" Kieran asked.

Priya slowed her steady pace to match Dad's. "It may have been when she fell, at the end. The weight of her body, plus"—she dropped her tone—"her armour, all slumped on top of her arm at an odd angle."

"That's not good." Kieran shook his head. "I need her back."

"You're lucky it isn't a fracture, or a broken arm. Sprains sometimes take weeks to heal. We could have been talking months."

"In that case," Dad said through gritted teeth, "I guess I am thankful. How is she, though? Is she awake?"

"Oh, yes." Priya pressed her lips together in a gentle smile. "She's been a great guest. Just wonderful."