Fledgling
Authors: Natasha Brown
| Fledgling |
| Shapeshifter Chronicles [1] |
| Natasha Brown |
| Natasha S. Brown (2012) |
Fledgling
Natasha Brown
Copyright (c) 2012 Natasha Brown
All rights reserved.
ISBN
-10: 0615591736
ISBN-13:
978-0615591735
To my family, who supported my dreams; my mother, who helped tutor me in prose, my daughter, who displayed the strength and inspiration for my story, my son, who is one of my biggest fans, and my husband, who’s my #1 fan.
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Lost Chapter
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Chapter 1.
Familiar sterile white walls surrounded Ana, providing a form of anesthesia, leaving her numb. Her legs dangled above the linoleum floor as she sat on the exam table, her hands folded in a neat pile on her lap. Even though she was eighteen and technically an adult, she felt like a six-year-old again; totally powerless.
“Good thing we don’t pay Dr. Wilson by the hour.”
Ana glanced over at her mom, and watched her busily fidgeting with her watch. Permanent worry lines creased her otherwise attractive features, aging her appearance.
“Mom, you should know by now that it always takes longer than you expect. Nothing moves quickly here.” Ana gripped the edge of the padded table and shrugged. A long strand of dark hair slipped over her shoulder and she watched it move like a pendulum until it grew still.
A knock rose from the door and it swung open revealing a tall man with glasses. “Hello ladies, I’m sorry I’m running late today.”
Ana’s mother jumped up, almost knocking her purse onto the floor and reached out to shake the man’s hand.
“Hello, Melissa. Nice seeing you again.”
“Hi, David. It
was
only the other week we were here. Only difference is, I don’t have a job now.” The strain on Melissa’s face was evident. “Layoffs.”
Dr. Wilson frowned, creating dark shadows under his eyes and cheeks. “I’m sorry to hear that. Any hope for a new job?”
Ana’s mother shrugged, “Well, my sister talked to my old boss and can get my job back at Clark Bend Bank.”
Ana shot her a glare, which she conveniently avoided and kept talking, “Eva’s usually game for anything, but I’m not so sure about dragging Ana to Idaho. What do you think, Dr. Wilson…is it too risky?”
“Well, like I’ve said before, it couldn’t hurt going down to a lower altitude. More available oxygen there-it could make Ana a bit more comfortable.” Dr. Wilson turned around to face Ana, who was tapping her toes together in a nervous rhythm.
“Hi, Ana, didn’t mean to ignore you. How are you feeling?” His frown was such a familiar sight she considered it was probably one of the first faces she saw when she was born. Why did everyone always have to feel sorry for her? She was sick and tired of it. She wasn’t pitiful, like a stray dog dying of starvation you give scraps of food to. Or was she? Ana stared into his eyes and saw the answer.
“Fine.”
“Baby, weren’t you complaining about shortness of breath? You
were
having problems the other day with carrying the laundry upstairs.” Melissa blinked and swallowed hard.
“How is that different from three weeks ago?” Ana whispered.
Dr. Wilson nodded sympathetically and sighed. “Well, things don’t look good. I know you don’t want to hear the word transplant, but I’m afraid that
is
where we’re going. Your heart is hardening much more rapidly now, and I’m worried you’re approaching congenital heart failure. It could only be weeks now at this rate.”
Silence fell. With each breath Ana took, she counted away the seconds that she would never get back. Each breath closer to surgery, or worse.
Dr. Wilson breached the quiet room with his softened voice, “Although moving may be a bit of an adjustment, it could give you a little more time in the waiting game. When you are placed on the transplant list, it could take a day or a year. Idaho doesn’t have any transplant centers, but Washington does, and I know the division chief at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Where was it in Idaho you were thinking of moving?”
Melissa cleared her throat and answered, “Clark Bend in northern Idaho. It’s not too far from Seattle.”
“Well, it’s up to you ladies. But I would support the move. As long as Ana takes it easy. No carrying heavy boxes or arm chairs. And as long as you get in to the cardiology department within a couple weeks.” He grinned and squeezed Ana’s shoulder.
His wire rimmed glasses gleamed from the florescent lighting and Ana’s reflection stared back at her blankly. It felt like she was having a worst case scenario kind of day. Then she considered it was more like a worst case scenario kind of life.
Her mother caught her eye. The worry was written all over her face. Ana knew her mom only wanted the best for her, and it had just gone from hard to worse after the layoffs. A job with insurance was necessary. With no family nearby, going through a transplant would be a challenge. Melissa needed her sister’s support.
It never felt like she had the leisure to make decisions based on what she wanted. She never seemed to have a choice. A choice would imply there was more than one option, and there never was. Not really.
As her doctor told her mother all about the state-of-the-art facility in Washington, Ana dropped down to the floor and slipped over to the window. Her long pale fingers tightened into fists and she closed her eyes tight. She was tired of the constraints of her body and the never ending fear that plagued her. She hated her heart. It always ruined everything. Peering from the third story window down to the cars driving past on the streets below, she wished she could trade places with any anonymous, normal person. Boring would be great. If her biggest problems were cars and boys, she would be overjoyed.
Normal. But she would never have the opportunity to be normal.
Chapter 2.
Ana adjusted in the backseat and yawned, drawing her mother’s attention.
“How’re you holding up back there?”
“Fine. Just tired of sitting,” Ana responded, arching her back.
Long strands of chestnut hair fell loose from her ponytail and she watched them flicking in the breeze from the open window.
Each hair so free,
she thought, and for a moment a ribbon of jealousy wove its way through her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs.
“We’re almost there, shouldn’t be much longer,” her mother replied, concerned.
Ana rested her head against the window and watched the passing scenery in silence. Evergreen forests shrouded the mountains with dense growth and fields of butter yellow grasses waved in the breeze. The postcard landscape would have soothed her nerves at home in Colorado but instead, with each passing mile she felt isolated and alone.
On the passenger seat was a haphazard pile of food wrappers, magazines and a lumpy pillow that had seen better days. Ana’s
reprieve from navigating for her mother up front provided only a fleeting break from those watchful maternal eyes. As she
glanced up at the rearview mirror, she noted the familiar creased frown her mother wore when she didn’t think Ana was watching, and sighed. Always under surveillance.
“Clark Bend’s only a little further ahead. We’ll be able to stretch our legs as soon as we get to the house,” her mom said adjusting her frown into a strained smile.
The flash of sun glinting off a metal sign caught her attention.
“Welcome to Idaho…thanks,” she mumbled.
“What’s that, Baby?” her mother’s voice asked from the front seat.
“Nothing,” Ana murmured.
Ana didn’t think Idaho looked any different from Montana, from where they had just traveled through. The same mysterious dark river curled alongside the highway for what felt like hours now. As it grew wider she knew they were drawing closer to town. Its source, the Lake Pend Oreille was just beyond Clark Bend, a place Ana remembered from her childhood.
“Hey, girls? You want me to drive by your schools real quick?”
Ana sucked in her breath and gave a warning glare at her sister, who had lifted her eyebrows at the prospect. Ana retorted, “No, we
definitely
don’t need to do that.”
A pain in her chest made her flinch and her heart sputtered. Heat radiated from her face down to her fingers as she thought about the inevitable staring on the first day at school. She drummed her fingers on her leg and shook her head, as if the action could shake her fears free. She tried convincing herself it was an opportunity for a fresh start, but it was a hard sell.
How was it a good thing beginning in a new school at the end of her senior year?
Ana grasped the silver chain around her neck and admired the gift her mother bought her along their travels, a regal bird with wings outstretched. If she could pick an animal that represented freedom, it would be a raptor. She would give anything to fly away and be free.
Her green eyed gaze fell on her sister, who was squirming in her seat. “Eva, you okay?”
Eva’s turquoise eyes crinkled in a frown. “I gotta
go
.” She tilted her head to the side, squinting at her mom through the rearview mirror, and her tangled brunette hair tumbled over her shoulders.
“Hey, Mom. I don’t think it can wait-better pull over. Quick.” Ana knew her sister had a very weak bladder, and when she said she had to go, it was best to listen.
“Can’t hold it Miss D?”
“It’s an
emergency
. And Mom, I’m not six anymore, you can stop calling me that now. I’m not a
diva
.” Eva rolled her eyes.
“Sorry, D. Here we are-there’s a turn out just ahead.” Melissa drove ahead a little further and pulled off the road.
Eva wrenched open her door and got out, and began wandering into some grasses toward a grove of trees.
“Hey, Ana, would you mind getting out and keeping an eye on her? Your sister isn’t at home in the wilderness like you are.”
Ana nodded and slipped outside, walked slowly around the back of the car and sat on the bumper. She could see some movement behind the trees to her left and she heard a loud snap, followed by a startled yelp.
“You okay, Eva?”
“Yeah, this tree is grabbing at me. Give me a minute. Any cars coming?”
“Don’t worry sweetie, I can
barely
see you. I haven’t seen a car in a bit.”
Ana grabbed a stalk of long grass that rose up at her feet and twisted it around her pointer finger. Movement from the field on the opposite side of the highway caused her to look up. A tuft of red fur flashed from between some bushes. She squinted her eyes and tried to find it again but couldn’t. After another moment of waiting the small furry creature crept out from under a log, and paused.
Ana sucked in her breath. It was a fox. The patch of white fluff on its chest made her imagine how silky soft it was. She wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through its fur. As she was musing about touching it, it darted across the field, sloping down out of view. When it came back into her line of vision, it leapt up a hillock into the air. It arched down and when it was nearly to the ground a large bird swooped up, taking flight. The dying sunlight allowed her to discern the pointy ‘horns’ of an owl. It appeared unsteady as it rose through the sky and she soon lost sight of it behind the tall trees.
Frowning, she searched the ground for the fox and couldn’t find it. It just disappeared.
Whatever, Ana. You’re just tired.
It was her mind playing tricks on her. The fox was probably just hidden in the grass.
“Well, that’s better.”