Open Heart: Second Year {On Halt}

Chapter 3- Prognosis

I woke to the sound of ceiling falling upon me.

Or so what my still dozing brain translated.

I jerked up suddenly from the bed and regretted it. A flare of pain shot through my head, reminding me that I had slept very late in the night and woke very early for my brain to accept the mean slumber period. When I glanced at the clock, it was almost 4:30.

More rumbling and screeching sound followed which seemed to be coming from the living room of our shared apartment. I rubbed my forehead and grumbled, then put on my fluffy penguin slippers and walked into the living room. The scene there jolted me to remember that today...Aurora was moving into our apartment!

Uh-oh.

My hair was tussled and resembled an improper built of a bird's nest. Thankfully, rest of the party was up and were helping our new roomie to shift inside Landry's old room. Whenever I passed his empty loft, I spat on it. Most of the stuff had been moved in while Sienna was in the kitchen, doing her usual cooking duty.

"That's everything." I heard Aurora saying from the room.

I went near Sienna and mumbled a good morning. She touched my hand to get my attention and said in a low voice, "Charlotte, that woman has a lot of stuff. I really wonder how everything would fit in there."

"I am sure she will find the distance and quietness of that room pleasant." I replied, drawing in a coffee mug for myself. Caffeine and I were life partners, soul mates whose bond was nearly unbreakable.

Sienna shot me a mischievous smile, "Wait for it...any moment now."

I raised my brows at her line when suddenly I heard Aurora screaming as if a horde of flying monkeys have appeared inside her bedroom. Sienna pulled me along with her as we dashed to the newly occupied room.

"What the hell is that!" Aurora shouted.

When I reached near the door, I found her shaking close to Jackie and pointing a very startled look at Mitch, our adopted turtle whose scaly head poked from one of the boxes. The turtle gave a sheepish grin, having now grown to a size of frying pan with equal attitude.

"Good morning, Aurora." I smiled, "That's Mitch, our box turtle. Did we fail to mention that?"

Her face was alarmed as if Mitch was a radioactive hazard, "Yes! You failed to mention that there was a free range box turtle here!"

"We have a fennec fox, Ivanna and a chinchilla named Andi too." Sienna informed, "They're probably curled up in someone's bed."

Aurora tried to put as much distance as possible from the animal, grumbling, "Are you planning to open a menagerie here as well apart from being doctors?"

With a sly glance, I said, "Yes. We have a list of more babies to adopt. Among them being a killer whale, a puma, an ice dragon and a goblin." Seeing her wistful look, I laughed, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

I left her with others and did the morning business. I left my hair to dry naturally because my hair had already gone really thing and the dryer was an evil which had planned to take the rest of them. At 5:10, Sienna's magic wafted from the kitchen and dragged me back outside like a moth to flame. Elijah had arranged the table and Jackie was pouring coffee from everyone. I walked in, wearing a fresh set of PJs and brought the dishes in. Whatever Sienna had cooked, it made my mouth water immediately.

It had become a daily routine for the four of us ever since Landry had left. We worked in silence, each of us knowing what followed next. I cleaned the dishes in the sink and wiped them dry. Elijah took them from my hands and laid them on the table. Jackie arranged the steaming coffee mugs beside the plates and then by the time Aurora arrived with a gobsmacked expression, me and Sienna were carrying the appetizing breakfast to the table.