The Brightest Stars

Annabelle

I'm alone right now. It reminds me of the day I found out my mother tried an abortion when she was eight months with me. At first, I thought it was a joke. But then it all made sense. The feeling of abandonment or misplace I've always had. It all adds up to this.

I was never supposed to happen.

I look out the large window in front of me and watch as nurses and doctors pass by. My sister had left about an hour ago before Zack could get home. Now I'm left with Kristen. She decided to stop by the gift shop to see if there were any tools to fix her camera. Before he could give me a goodbye kiss on the cheek, AJ gave Kristen the broken camera saying that a boy named Luke had given it to him. Just like everything else, guilt filled my empty heart for destroying such a precious thing.

Now, I sadly sigh at the thought that I'm still in this cold hospital. My chest still hurts and I want to run. Run away from it all. Run away from myself.

My thoughts are interrupted by Ainoha's voice coming into the room. She speaks in Spanish with another doctor and they both share a laugh before they can give me that expression that almost everyone in this place gives me. Pity.

Ainoha sits on the edge of my bed and takes a hold of my hand, quickly filling my body with warmth. I return her smile as she says, "Sweetheart. This is going to be your doctor from now on." She turns around and in her Spanish accent she says, "Doctor Aaron Melchoir."

When she says this, the lady comes by my bed with a warm smile and takes out a hand for me to shake. I give her a firm shake that makes her chuckle with surprise. She has a normal Spanish accent similar to mine as she says, "My. Such a firm handshake."

They share a chuckle and Ainoha gives me a proud smile. "Watch out. She's going to be a future lawyer soon." Her blue eyes shine bright as she says this.

Dr. Melchoir nods with a smile. "That's good! Us doctors need people like you nowadays." Dr. Melchoir then takes the clipboard at the end of my bed to quietly read it.

I study her for the first time. She must be like my sister. They were so smart that they graduated early from college and Med school, and became interns in their early twenties. She has to be a year or two older than my sister.

Dr. Melchoir speaks to my sister about procedures and her voice reminds me of Hannah's. So tender with a hint of sternness. When they make a joke, her smile makes her hazel eyes shine beautifully and her laughter shows perfect teeth, making her face light up.

She seems like a kind person; almost like Julia. But she carries that professionalism similar to my sister's when nurses come in.

She seems so familiar. No. She reminds me of someone...

"So my sister tells me you go to the same school as my brother and my sister?" She looks up from the clipboard and gives me that tender grin again.

"Really?" I say. "Who are they?" Just as I say this, Kristen walks in with a small bag that probably contains a few tools for her camera. She seems surprised by the doctors' sudden appearance, but she then returns their smiles and sits on a small couch on the other side of the room.

"Well, my sister's name is Nayeli. You probably know her because--"

My eyes grow wide at this name. "Nayeli?! No wonder! I mean.." I do a chuckle and fix my composure as I say, "She's an amazing dancer. She's on my list for next year's Junior Captain."

"Oh," Dr. Melchior says. Her pretty eyes show a quick glimpse of sadness before she says, "So you're in Colorguard, I suppose?" I give her a nod and she gives me a tight smile. "That's very good. My sister is always dancing around the house. I don't know how she can stretch so far." She does a light laugh with Ainoha. But it's a laugh that tries to hide something in their looks. Kristen seems to sense it also as she shoves it aside by giving me a small smile.

I shake it off and nod at Dr. Melchior at the memory of our exercises. "Yeah. We have to have body strength in order to resist all that time of dancing. But...you said you had a brother at our school as well?" I look at Kristen and she shrugs at me.

Dr. Melchior gives me a genuine smile and nods. "Yes. I believe he's your age. You're a senior this year?" I nod and she says, "Then you must know him. His name is Nate."

The moment she says this, Kristen looks up from her camera in shock and looks at me. I look at her and try my best to hide my surprise.

Dr. Melchior continues on as she says, "He's not much of a talker. He tends to observe more than he talks." She laughs at this comment and shakes her head. Kristen quietly sips from her cup as she listens to this; her eyes glowing with interest. Dr. Melchior looks at my sister this time and says, "He has been seeing someone recently. You can't imagine how much he talks about her--"

Kristen snorts in the middle of a swallow and starts coughing. I do a quiet giggle as my sister and Dr. Melchior furrow their brows at her in confusion.

"I'm sorry," Kristen says in between coughing and clearing her throat. "I just...uh..wow." She recovers her composure as Dr. Melchior looks at her for the first time. "I...wow..you're a doctor. That's really cool." She does a nervous chuckle as her eyes land on mine; showing a glimpse of embarrassment.

Dr. Melchior gives Kristen a smile; finally realizing who she is. "You must be Kristen." Her voice is soothing and almost excited as she says, "It's a pleasure finally meeting you. I wish it could have been in other circumstances, but--"

"No! I mean...I'm very glad to meet you, too Mrs...er...Doctor--" Kristen quickly puts her camera to the side and runs up to shake Dr. Melchior's hand.

She chuckles at Kristen's sudden nerves and says, "Please. Call me Aaron. You two don't really have to call me doctor or anything." Aaron gives us both a tender smile; making her hazel eyes show a glimpse of green in their shine.

Kristen falls in her warmth and her chuckle becomes more relaxed as she says, "Well. It's a pleasure meeting you, Aaron. Your brother has really been...something." I smile as I watch her eyes shine with a new kind of happiness at the mention of Nate.

Aaron nods in agreement. "He really is something." And with one last gentle chuckle, she erases a name on the whiteboard on the side of the room and puts hers. She looks back at me and says, "You will be going home tomorrow morning and I want you to stay home for a day. On Wednesday, I want you to come to see me at the clinic so we can talk a little bit more about your state, okay?"

Despite the pain in my chest and the sadness in my heart because of these words, I still give her a firm nod. She then goes back to speaking with my sister and then gives her a hug goodbye.

Just as she's about to walk out of my room, she turns with a tender smile and her gentle eyes fall on Kristen. "You know...I'm glad he found you. He's...changed a lot in the last few years and we've been through a lot as a family."

For the first time since I've met her, Aaron's eyes lose their pretty shine and sadness makes them distant. Her expression becomes firm as it reflects years of pain.

I know Kristen sees it as her blue eyes show sympathy and is almost intrigue by these words as Aaron gives us one last small smile and leaves the room.