Irreversible
Coral
Walking through the bleak halls of Sacred Heart hospital, my heart is put through a twisting pain as I try to remember how to breathe. The smells accumulating from the hospital are that of medicine, death, and loss; smells I know that no matter how many times I wash myself, will never leave my nose or skin.
Looking around, I see the old and young wandering the halls looking a bit lost and as if they are in need of guidance. One older man sits on a bench outside of a room wringing his hat and murmuring to who I believe to be God.
I hurriedly glance away as he turns to me.
The walk to my sister's room is like a cold fog filled with silence and dread, the worst part being that Sylvia has come with me to visit her instead of Edmund. I don't know why, but if Edmund had come with me the walk to my sister's hospital room would have been easier than it was with Sylvia.
As we turned down a hall, we saw a doctor standing outside of the room that my sister was staying in.
I practically ran over to him so I could get to her room, but I walked steady (or attmepted to) as I faced him.
"Hello there," he extended his hand to Sylvia. "My name is Doctor Bells and I have been assigned to Olive G. Howard's case." He turned to me and I started to shake. "I assume you are her sister; am I correct?"
I nodded, "Yes sir. Coral Plath, pleasure to meet you." I tried to peak into the room then turned to him. "How is she? Is she alright?" I asked anxiously demanding the answers.
He exchanged a glance with Mrs. Maple.
"What? What's wrong?" I panicked at their looks to each other.
"Well, Miss Howard..."
"Plath; it's Plath."
He nodded, "Miss Plath, your sister is seriously... 'ill'."
"How ill is 'ill'?"
"Maybe, ah," He cleared his throat as he adgusted his glasses. "Maybe you should see her for yoruself."
I gave a swift head bob as I pushed him aside to see my only living family member.
My eyes bulged as I took in the sight of her attached to all of those machines, and I wanted to scream as I saw the IV stuck into her beautiful skin.
"Liv, Liv," Tears flowed freely down my face. "Dear God, no."
Just as I was about head over to Olive, Sylvia put her frozen, dead hand on my shoulder again.
"You shouldn't touch her Coral," she tuted upon seeing my sister like that.
I ripped her hand off of my shoulder. "Leave. Me. ALONE!" I turned to face her with my hair whipping in front of my eyes. "She's the only damned thing I have left in the world, and I'll touch her if I damned well like!"
Right then and there I wanted to slep the woman across the face, but I resisted. I knew the my case worker, Tessa Hayes, could easily transfer me to a place farther away from my sister's side.
Shoving the woman away from myself, I rushed to Liv's side and picked up her hand.
"Hey there Liv," I kissed her forehead as I sat down in the chair next to her. "How're you feelin' sweetheart? Have any nice dreams?"
I paused and acted as if I could indeed hear her response.
"Good, I'm glad you're feelin' better. As soon as you're all better we can do whatever you want, anything. Okay Olive?"
I so desperately wanted my baby sister to open her eyes, crack that stupid little grin she has, and say 'yes' but she didn't.
I didn't know how much more my heart could take.
"Please Olive, please don't leave me." I said softly into her ear as I held her hand tightly. "Olive please, if you can hear me squeeze my hand." I pleaded with her. "Please Liv, please."
... Nothing.
Only the beeping of her heart monitor and her ragged breathing from the tubes stuffed down her throat told me that somewhere in Olive Green Howard's small ten-year-old body she was still alive.
I must have fallen asleep in the cahir by Liv's bedside because before I knew it I was being shaken awake by Sylvia.
"Coral it's time to go. Coral, wake up now." she sounded annoyed but I didn't care.
Opening my eyes, I looked right past Mrs. Maple to Olive.
"Has she...?" I looked to a nurse who shook her head sadly. "Oh."
"There, there Coral," Sylvia helped me up as she handed me my coat. "You can see her next week. Come along now."
"No.... no!" I looked at her astounded. "How can you say that? My ten year old sister is in a fucking coma and all you can say is that I can see her next week?"
"Why... yes, next week is fine." She truly did seem confused by my outburst.
"No! No, it's absoutely not!" I wanted to scream like when I was two and my Dad had to go away for the military while I wanted him to stay.
"What on Earth do you mean?"
"I mean, I will be here everyday so that my sister knows it's okay. You will not make me a full week to se her!"
Mrs. Maple didn't know what to do for a pure second, "Young lady if you refuse to obey my rules, I will see to it that Ms. Hayes transfers you to another household." She seemed pleased with herself.
"Fine with me," I snapped as Mr. Maple came to stand in the doorway. "Mr. Maple, please. I have to visit my sister more than once a week."
He nodded before turning to his wife, "I agree with Corrie, she can come every other day after school."
Mrs. Maple looked as if she wished to argue with her husband but didn't, I on the other hand was ecstatic.I mean, ideally everyday would have been the best but I could live with every other day.
"Now come on you two, Sylvia you still need to make dinner and Corrie you need to rest." He beckoned for his wife to come with them, then motioned that I had a minute before I was to join them.
I waited until they had left. I brushed a piece of hair out of Liv's closed eyes.
"Be good and do whatever Dr. Bells tells you okay? I'll be back in a few days," I looked at her sleeping face, then kissed her forehead. "I love you."
Looking around, I see the old and young wandering the halls looking a bit lost and as if they are in need of guidance. One older man sits on a bench outside of a room wringing his hat and murmuring to who I believe to be God.
I hurriedly glance away as he turns to me.
The walk to my sister's room is like a cold fog filled with silence and dread, the worst part being that Sylvia has come with me to visit her instead of Edmund. I don't know why, but if Edmund had come with me the walk to my sister's hospital room would have been easier than it was with Sylvia.
As we turned down a hall, we saw a doctor standing outside of the room that my sister was staying in.
I practically ran over to him so I could get to her room, but I walked steady (or attmepted to) as I faced him.
"Hello there," he extended his hand to Sylvia. "My name is Doctor Bells and I have been assigned to Olive G. Howard's case." He turned to me and I started to shake. "I assume you are her sister; am I correct?"
I nodded, "Yes sir. Coral Plath, pleasure to meet you." I tried to peak into the room then turned to him. "How is she? Is she alright?" I asked anxiously demanding the answers.
He exchanged a glance with Mrs. Maple.
"What? What's wrong?" I panicked at their looks to each other.
"Well, Miss Howard..."
"Plath; it's Plath."
He nodded, "Miss Plath, your sister is seriously... 'ill'."
"How ill is 'ill'?"
"Maybe, ah," He cleared his throat as he adgusted his glasses. "Maybe you should see her for yoruself."
I gave a swift head bob as I pushed him aside to see my only living family member.
My eyes bulged as I took in the sight of her attached to all of those machines, and I wanted to scream as I saw the IV stuck into her beautiful skin.
"Liv, Liv," Tears flowed freely down my face. "Dear God, no."
Just as I was about head over to Olive, Sylvia put her frozen, dead hand on my shoulder again.
"You shouldn't touch her Coral," she tuted upon seeing my sister like that.
I ripped her hand off of my shoulder. "Leave. Me. ALONE!" I turned to face her with my hair whipping in front of my eyes. "She's the only damned thing I have left in the world, and I'll touch her if I damned well like!"
Right then and there I wanted to slep the woman across the face, but I resisted. I knew the my case worker, Tessa Hayes, could easily transfer me to a place farther away from my sister's side.
Shoving the woman away from myself, I rushed to Liv's side and picked up her hand.
"Hey there Liv," I kissed her forehead as I sat down in the chair next to her. "How're you feelin' sweetheart? Have any nice dreams?"
I paused and acted as if I could indeed hear her response.
"Good, I'm glad you're feelin' better. As soon as you're all better we can do whatever you want, anything. Okay Olive?"
I so desperately wanted my baby sister to open her eyes, crack that stupid little grin she has, and say 'yes' but she didn't.
I didn't know how much more my heart could take.
"Please Olive, please don't leave me." I said softly into her ear as I held her hand tightly. "Olive please, if you can hear me squeeze my hand." I pleaded with her. "Please Liv, please."
... Nothing.
Only the beeping of her heart monitor and her ragged breathing from the tubes stuffed down her throat told me that somewhere in Olive Green Howard's small ten-year-old body she was still alive.
I must have fallen asleep in the cahir by Liv's bedside because before I knew it I was being shaken awake by Sylvia.
"Coral it's time to go. Coral, wake up now." she sounded annoyed but I didn't care.
Opening my eyes, I looked right past Mrs. Maple to Olive.
"Has she...?" I looked to a nurse who shook her head sadly. "Oh."
"There, there Coral," Sylvia helped me up as she handed me my coat. "You can see her next week. Come along now."
"No.... no!" I looked at her astounded. "How can you say that? My ten year old sister is in a fucking coma and all you can say is that I can see her next week?"
"Why... yes, next week is fine." She truly did seem confused by my outburst.
"No! No, it's absoutely not!" I wanted to scream like when I was two and my Dad had to go away for the military while I wanted him to stay.
"What on Earth do you mean?"
"I mean, I will be here everyday so that my sister knows it's okay. You will not make me a full week to se her!"
Mrs. Maple didn't know what to do for a pure second, "Young lady if you refuse to obey my rules, I will see to it that Ms. Hayes transfers you to another household." She seemed pleased with herself.
"Fine with me," I snapped as Mr. Maple came to stand in the doorway. "Mr. Maple, please. I have to visit my sister more than once a week."
He nodded before turning to his wife, "I agree with Corrie, she can come every other day after school."
Mrs. Maple looked as if she wished to argue with her husband but didn't, I on the other hand was ecstatic.I mean, ideally everyday would have been the best but I could live with every other day.
"Now come on you two, Sylvia you still need to make dinner and Corrie you need to rest." He beckoned for his wife to come with them, then motioned that I had a minute before I was to join them.
I waited until they had left. I brushed a piece of hair out of Liv's closed eyes.
"Be good and do whatever Dr. Bells tells you okay? I'll be back in a few days," I looked at her sleeping face, then kissed her forehead. "I love you."