Hide And Go Seek

One

A/N: Remember, if you notice any mistakes - please tell me!!!

  

         One

   “Run through it again,” I sigh quietly.

   I can’t help but stare, fixated by the form lying in the hospital bed.

   The woman who had gave birth to me and raised me for the first sixteen years of my life had been the strongest, fiercest – and scariest woman I’ve ever met in my entire life.

   I’ve met horrifying creatures with deformed faces who aren’t nearly as half as terrifying at my mother.

   Now, this frail woman lying before me is supported by wires and machinery. Without them it’s likely she’ll die. Not something that’s definite – but it’s likely. One glance at her grey skin and weakly fluttering eyelids are enough to see that.

   “She was out...” Janine pauses and glances around as if someone might be lurking in the corner, listening in to our conversation. “She was out doing her thing. But there was some kind of ambush. She took out several... but there were too many. She did call me but... by then it was far too late.”

   “Why did they ambush her?” I raise an eyebrow.

She rolls her eyes in an increasingly infuriating manner and sits back in her chair with enough attitude to impress a pre-teen.

   “Oh, I have no idea Ana – maybe because she’s a Seeker?”

   I grind my teeth and glare at the bed. I can’t be angry right now – I need a clear head... but it’s harder than I’d like to admit. It’s just being back here – my emotions are already all over the place.

   “What I meant was has she pissed anyone off lately?”

   She pauses, pursing her lips, her brow furrowed. “Not any more than usual, not that I know   anyway.”

   I pause to pinch the bridge of my nose, a headache gathering force at the back of my head. “Something about this doesn’t feel right.”

   “No shit Sherlock,” she sighs.

   “Would you stop?” I snap. “What is your problem?”

   “You!” In one fluid motion, she stands. “I miss you like hell and I’m bloody scared – and you come in here and... and you act like all this is just some kind of burden!”

   I stand too. For a second, I don’t know what to do; I’m lost. My mouth opens and closes. Then I see the tears in her eyes and I step forward, folding my arms around her.

   It’s a little weird – adopting the big sister role, Janine has always been such an unmoving person. As long as I was living with her and mum, she never broke down once – mainly because her life was basically perfect. Nothing went wrong for Janine.

   Star pupil, favourite child – she was a smug kid, that’s for sure.

   Not knowing what else to do, I stroke her hair and murmur soft, soothing words – words that are pretty much gibberish.

   “I love you and mum, okay? It’s just it’s taken me a while to sort out a pattern with my life – and finally I have. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time.”

   “I – I – I just don’t know what – what to do! She’s gonna... die! What will I do without her?” She chokes out from in-between sobs.