Fledgling (19 page)

“Ready?”

The words whispered in her ear brought featherlike chills to her skin again.

He led her to a rocky embankment, reaching far above them, forming a high craggy peak.

“Hold on…wait here a second-I see something I want to get you.”

Chance climbed up the rocky ledge behind them. Ana watched him scale the embankment like an experienced mountaineer, quickly scaled an upper precipice thirty feet above her.

He examined something at his feet, leaned down and picked it up. Then turning to climb back down, he descended the rocky face. The sound of tumbling rocks suddenly caught Ana’s ears. At the same time Chance flung himself aside from the falling shale, chunks just missing his head but hitting his forearm before ricocheting off.

“Careful, Chance!” Ana alerted too late.

He continued his descent, and made his way down to Ana within moments. She rushed over to him, grabbing his arm to inspect his injury.

“Are you hurt?” Ana grew anxious.

“Oh, don’t worry-it’s nothing.” Chance tried to pull his arm from her grasp, but she wouldn’t relinquish her hold. Her strength surprised her.

She straightened his arm to determine how bad the injury was. A long scrape ran along his forearm, the top layer of skin was razed off and blood covered the wound. The sight of blood made Ana weak.

“We should go back so we can dress your cut. Maybe your mom has something to put on it,” Ana said, trying to pull him back up the trail.

Chance held his ground grabbing her arm. “It’s okay, Ana. Don’t worry. It’s really not that bad. I’ll be fine. I heal fast. Plus, I have something for you.” He held out his hand. In it was a long feather. “It’s a golden eagle feather. The nest is up the mountain. Sometimes feathers drop down.”

She accepted the gift, admiring it. “Thank you.”

Then she glanced back down at his arm and crinkled her brow. “Um-that looks like it hurts. Are you
sure
you’re okay?”

“Yes, don’t worry about me.” Chance kept a cool expression on his face and shrugged. Then he leaned in and kissed her sweetly on the nose before rubbing her back and asking, “So, are you up for seeing one more thing? No more injuries, I promise.”

Chapter 26.

Early the next morning Chance waited for Ana at the kitchen table with a full plate of toaster waffles, banana, yogurt and a tall glass of orange juice.

Melissa showed her appreciation with a cornucopia of food. She pushed him down into the seat giving him no option, assuming all teenage boys ate ravenously then smiling, waited for him to begin. Chance was restless but decided it would be easier to placate Melissa rather than reject her kindness. He reached out for the banana and began forcing down a couple bites before Ana appeared.

“Want some breakfast? I have plenty,” Chance asked, not wanting the responsibility to clear his plate to fall wholly on him.

“I can’t,” Ana said cringing.

Chance cursed himself, “Damn. That’s right-I’m sorry. I forgot you can’t eat anything.” He felt like an insensitive jerk, forgetting she couldn’t eat before anesthesia. As punishment, he force fed himself while Ana went over the paperwork with Melissa. They both checked to ensure they hadn’t forgotten anything. Melissa handed Ana a credit card to use for gas and to cover the payment at the clinic.

She somberly hugged them both and gave Chance a grateful smile before rushing upstairs before her eyes welled up.

Eva clomped down the stairs one at a time and emerged with a sullen look on her face.

“Don’t worry Eva, everything will be fine. I’ll see you tonight. I promise. Have fun at school today and say hi to Aunt Tera-I love you.” Ana tugged her little sister into her and gave a long embrace. Eva wound her long arms around Ana’s waist and snuggled in for a moment and whispered, “I love you too, Ana.” Eva released her and wandered to the stairwell with a despondent backwards glance.

Ana and Chance stood staring at each other with barren expressions. Chance closed the gap between them and held her against him, caressing her back, tracing little circles. He inhaled Ana’s delicious fragrance, imagining himself in the forest with her. Away from there.

Ana procrastinated while she gathered her bag. As she walked through the living room her eyes lingered on the painting over the mantle. She walked over and adjusted it, then touched the eagle soaring over snow-tipped mountains.

Ana closed the front door behind her and stepped outside to join Chance. Too early for the sunrise, the dark morning beckoned her silently. Chance’s ebony truck shined in the dark, the lights flashed on and the engine fired to life.

As they turned out onto the highway Ana had a thought, “Hey, how about a game of I Spy?”

Chance nodded, “Yeah. I warn you though-I’m good.”

After half an hour of playing, Ana lost severely, unable to spot any of the things Chance had.

“Ugh! You’re impossible-I can’t see anything that matches your description! You have
way
better eyesight than me. I think I need to get my eyes checked.” She crossed her arms then her eyes lit up. “Maybe it’s time to play a spelling game.” Ana lifted her eyebrows in a playful challenge.

While Ana thought about the next game she glanced at Chance’s arm. “Hey…what happened to your scrape? It’s gone…” She touched his arm in confusion.

Chance remained silent, grimacing at the highway ahead. “I told you, it was nothing. Mom put something on it and it cleared right up.”

Chance continued staring at the black asphalt that curled through the wilderness. Ana thought he tensed in response to her question.

“Nothing heals that fast. I saw it-you had like a four-inch scrape on your arm, where’d it go? You don’t have a mark of any kind on you.” She frowned at him.

“What can I tell you? I’m fine-obviously.” Chance sounded irritated with her questioning.

“Geez, if I healed as fast as you…” Ana cut herself short, unable to continue.

Chance closed his eyes, wincing. His breathing slowed and he reached out blindly, grasping for her hand.

“I wish you could, too.” His strangled voice caught her up short, making her feel sympathetic, but not understanding why.

For the remainder of the drive they sat in silence. Ana slid over so Chance could wrap his arm around her. Their quiet spoke volumes.

At the heart clinic, they walked hand in hand to the admissions desk. Chance sat in silence beside Ana as she signed forms and completed the necessary paperwork. He watched the people passing by with a blank expression.

As Ana rose he joined her, clutching her cool limp hand, and walked with her into the elevator. An awkward hush fell in the cold iron vault and they rushed out when the doors chimed, and opened.

She approached another desk where a girl, who looked barely older than herself, was sitting. The girl smiled and appraised Chance with her eyes as she asked for Ana’s name. “If you go sit down, someone will be out to get you soon.”

Ana abruptly turned and wandered over to the outdated seating area. She was pleased Chance seemed oblivious to the receptionist’s attention. Then she noticed he seemed oblivious to everything, standing in a fog, his eyes unfocused. She wanted to comfort him, but felt too numb to try, and leaned against his chest. He wrapped her in his limp arms, and they took a deep breath in unison.

“Ana Hughes?”

Ana’s head snapped up and saw a woman dressed in blue scrubs holding a clipboard. The nurse smiled at them and Ana reluctantly withdrew from Chance’s arms.

The nurse led them down a hallway illuminated by windows that blinded them with morning sun light. She pulled a badge out, pausing at an indistinguishable door and swiped a security sensor, unlocking it. She stopped Chance, inquiring, “Are you a family member?”

His shoulders slumped as he stared down at the blue Berber carpeting and answered, “No.”

“I’m sorry Honey, I can only allow family in now. I promise I’ll come update you as soon as there’s news. I wouldn’t expect anything within the next two hours though. There’s a TV down in the lounge and free coffee if you’d like. You can come see her in recovery once we’re through.” She reached out to touch his shoulder, then with sympathetic eyes, said, “Ana, I’ll give you a minute to say goodbye. Come into room two-it’s just there on the left after you enter-I’ll be waiting for you. ‘Kay?”

Ana nodded, holding the door open watching the nurse disappear down the hallway. She lifted her face, peering into Chance’s deadened eyes.

“Oh, that’s right.” She dropped her head and unclasped her necklace. “Would you hold onto this for me…until I wake up?” Slowly lowering the chain and pendant into his palm, he closed his fingers around the cool metal.

He moved into Ana, catching her up within his tight embrace, lifting her off the ground.

Incapable of repressing a giggle, she laughed, thankful Chance was with her. A part of her heart that had never been reached before felt alive, even if it was clumsy and irregular. No doctor could heal her the way he had.

She gazed into his deep hazel eyes, and let her cool lips brush against his. Chance seemed to wake from his distant exile and returned the attention she initiated. Ana’s chest squeezed tight, caught up with excitement and she gave in, figuring the heart clinic was the best place for a kiss like this. She grew lightheaded and faltered. Chance pulled back suddenly, the fire still present in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I got carried away.” He stared at his feet and his brows furrowed.

Ana watched a shadow cross his features and drifted her fingers across his temple, shrugging carelessly. “You can carry me away any time-Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” With a mischievous smile she added, “I’ll beg the nurses to let you in as soon as I wake up.” She looked down at the ground. “I really appreciate you being here. See you soon. And, thanks-for everything.” She lifted up on her toes and kissed his eyelids.

When his eyes opened she was already gone, the door swinging shut with a loud and final,
thud
.

Chapter 25.

Blurry shapes phased into view as Ana blinked her eyes. She moved her head around, trying to see where she was. Her limbs were heavy and sluggish and an unpleasant metallic taste filled her mouth. Consciousness returned to Ana like the sun creeping above the horizon, slow, but intense. As the anesthesia wore off her eyes cleared and she remembered where she was.

“Welcome back.”

A cheerful voice echoed in her ears and she tilted her head on the table, focusing hard on a bright face above her.

“Hi, I’m Jenny. You’ve been out for a while. Everything went well. They didn’t have any problems going in through the femoral artery. I was just checking the entry point on your leg now. How’s it feel?”

Cool air touched Ana’s legs and she realized she was uncovered as the nurse carefully lifted the edge of her gown to peek underneath.

“Ouuch, ewww, that hurts,” Ana winced.

“Well, it looks good. I’ll get you something for the pain.” Jenny patted her arm and added, “I think Sue just went to go bring in your-boyfriend? Brother?”

Ana cleared the bitter gravel from her throat and weakly answered, “Boyfriend.” That was a first. The first time she used the title. That’s what he was, right?

Suddenly apprehensive she touched her face with her deadened hand. How did she look? Ill probably. How would Chance react to her pale skin and gaunt eyes? She normally didn’t care how she looked, but worried that this could be the final straw. He may not have realized what it would really be like, to see her go through…all of this. Hospitals made even the strongest people quake in fear.

“You don’t…have a mirror I can use…do you?” Ana stammered noticing Nurse Jenny’s strong pension for cosmetics.

The nurse disappeared then scurried back with a circular black compact. “You’d better hurry up! He’s on his way in.”

Ana grabbed the mirror and opened it to asses the damages. She readjusted her gown and combed through her hair with her fingers, flattening the strays against the bed. She rubbed her puffy eyes and pinched her cheeks to brighten her color. Well, there wasn’t much she could do but hope her appearance wouldn’t rattle Chance. She tossed the compact back to the awaiting nurse and whispered, “Thanks.”

Chance followed a plump nurse through the long recovery ward, past curtained cubicles while listening to the low murmur of voices and intermittent beeping. Disinfectant tangled with a metallic smell made him queasy. It felt bleak and unnatural there, leaving him hollow inside. He wasn’t sure how his mother stayed so positive working in a place like this.

As Ana came into view, sickness and elation rushed to his stomach. Immobilized and very pale, she lay weakly smiling up at him, holding her hand out. It had been the longest three hours of Chance’s life. His anxious pacing in the waiting room provoked equal parts of understanding smiles and annoyed glances.

He approached her swiftly and stopped at her bed. His hand found hers without looking and like two magnets, snapped together.

By adopting a peaceful expression on her face, a calming energy exuded from Ana. She took a deep breath, visualizing her body sinking into the bed beneath her. Punch-drunk with drooping eyes, she opened them wider trying to appear alert. Her heavy body felt like it was submerging into the mattress, and she noticed the nurse injecting something into her IV. She fought to keep her eyes open, wanting to stay with Chance, but found the back of her eyelids particularly soothing.