Living With Animals

Chapter 41

Hiccups and sobs echo through out my room.

Breathe and breathe out.

My legs are pulled up to my chest- as I'm curled ina ball, relaying the events of my dream.

"Ruby," I yell, reaching for her hand. Her hand disappears and I'm in a hospital bed, layer out straight.

Both Jacob and Ruby walk out.

"Claira?" Jacob calls.

"I'm right here!"

"Claira?" He looks right through me as if I'm invisible. My heart monitor stops beeping and becomes a flatline. "She's gone," he sob, falling on to the floor, and grabbing a piece of metal. He breaks it and there is a sharp point to it. Before I can realize what he's doing, he stabs himself, and blood drains out of his body. In an instant, as I want to look away but can't, he disappears.

Ruby's walking closer towards me now. She's ina hospital gown and looks just as she did the night she died.

"Claira? Why'd you let me go?" she asks. Visions of the car crash run through my head. She looks like she did that night.

She has huge gash across her forehead, and he eyes are bright red. Her arms are filled with tiny cuts all throughout and I shutter at it.

She walks closer and her hand touches my arm.

"Claira?" She asks.

"Ruby? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She shakes her head.

And collapses to the ground.

I scream.

The dream was gruesome.

It's not real.

It's not real.

It's not real.

It feels so real. Like I can feel the touch of her fingers on her skin. Smell the hospital.

I don't even want to think of Jacob.

He thought I died so he killed himself.

That's the scariest part, if i'm being honest.

"Would he actually kill himself, of today goes wrong?" I ask aloud, to no one in particular, through struggled breaths.

It'll all be okay.

Today will go fine.

I'll make it through this.
****
Jacob's P.O.V.
****
I sit in the hospital waiting room, as I have been for the past 7 hours.

A nurse in scrubs walks out. I jump out of my seat.

"What's going on?" I exclaim.

"We have an update. The transplant is thoroughly finished. Her brothers cells have been transplanted into her body. There are very few cancer cells left, and the new cells have already started attacking them, the cells that need to be attacked as they are foreign to these new cells, which is good. Her brother is awake, and has been, for over an hour now. The only complication, is that we've to heavily sedated Claira, and she is not waking up."

I think my eyes bulge out of my head.

"But she's okay, right? It's all just because of sedation? There is no problems with anything else?"

"Well, we're not quite sure why exactly she's not waking up. We gave her the average amount of sedation so we are afraid something else we may not have seen is going on. I'm very sorry if you don't have any more questions, I will be leaving now." I nod and she leaves.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" I yell, slamming my hand on the table. My brother looks over at me, hesitant as to whether he should relax me. But he only stays away.

***

14 hours after speaking to the doctors

***

"Okay," the doctors says, walking out with a clipboard in her hand. "She is awake." i jump out of my seat, ready to dart down the hall. "But we have a few side notes. First of all, one person at a time. Second we have an idea of why Claira did not wake up. As of right now, she can not move her arms or legs. It's a temporary paralysis, from a condition called 'Neurological Conversion Disorder.' It isn't too hazardous to her health, but it does cause, temporary paralysis, blindness, numbness, dizzy spells, Seizures or episodes of shaking and apparent loss of consciousness (nonepileptic seizures), Episodes of unresponsiveness, and abnormal movement. There are few other symptoms, but they are of lesser importance.

"Common treatments are behavioral therapy, physical therapy, stress management, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, but we will take about that later with you, after you go and see your daughter, as I assume you two will want to first."

"It's alright. You can just talk to us now," Julie says. She looks over at me and motions for me to go to see Claira. "He's going to go first." The nurse nods, and motions for me to follow.

WE reach her room and she tells me I can walk in. When I do, I find Claira laying on the bed with her eyes closed. I go and sit down next to her, careful not to touch her as it looks like she's asleep.

"I'm not asleep," she says, ever so quietly. A big smile plays on my face, and I grab her hand holding it in mine. I expect her to squeeze my hand as she always does, then I remember she can't and I frown.

"I'm so happy you're awake."

"Me too." We sit there in a silence for a moment.

"What day is it?"

"January 13th. Why?"

"No reason."

"Your brother asked the same question when I went in there to check if he was okay and thank him for helping you. What's going on Claira?"

"Nothing."

"Claira. Please tell me."

"It's nothing, Jacob. I don't feel like talking about it." She looks guilty as she says this. "I'm tired and I think I'm just going to try to fall asleep or something. You can come back later or something." I nod and look at the ground. I get up and head to the doorway.

"'kay. Love you."

"Love you."

***

I hear heavy breathing and wrangled sobs, causing me to wake up, in the chair I fell asleep in earlier.

I walk over to Claira's hospital bed, and I hear her hiccuping and sobbing. I wipe the tears from under her eyes, and then lie next to her, wrapping her in my arms protectively.

"Hey," I whisper. "What's wrong?"

"Ru-" She breathes. "Ruby."

"Ruby? Who's Ruby?"

"She's go-gone.

What does she mean? Who's Ruby, and what is she talking about 'gone'?