Fledgling (20 page)

Soon she was floating through the clouds with Chance by her side. Everything slowed and grew heavy and her consciousness fell into darkness.

When Ana woke again, Chance was sitting beside her with his hand resting on her arm. The pulse of her blood pounded just below the weight of his fingertips.

Chance squeezed her arm. “Hey, there. Just when I was beginning to miss those green eyes,” he breathed.

Ana turned her head and regarded his calm face, his amber eyes glimmering in the florescent lighting. All traces of worry and fear that were visible earlier had been replaced with a serenity that surprised her.

She cleared what felt like rough debris from her aching throat and winced as her groin flamed up in pain, “What’d…I miss? Has…the doctor…come by?”

“No, not yet, but your nurse says it should be soon.”

Ana watched him glance down the table toward the source of her discomfort, and followed his gaze suspiciously.

“What
else
happened?” she said narrowing her eyes.

Something dark visited his face, and then disappeared as quickly as it came. He shrugged, his body growing tight. “Well, you started bleeding. They had to put pressure on it for a while.” He frowned and studied his limp hand, resting on her arm.

“Are you…okay?” she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

He sat stone still, then with only his lips moving he said, “I don’t want you to worry about me, Ana. I’m fine.” He shook his head in bewilderment. Then he turned to gaze at her eyes.
“
What about you? You seem sore.”

Just then she realized her hands were clutching at the bed, her body taut. With effort, she released the tension in her limbs and smoothed a smile across her face. “No. I’m good.” The soreness at the entry point was radiating down her leg. She tried boxing it up, keeping it away from her thoughts. It took all her effort.

As convincing as she was, Chance didn’t believe her.
Does she really think I can’t see through her?
Although, if he were the one lying on the table, he’d probably say the same thing, he thought. But the only difference was-he would never wind up on the table.

Chance adjusted in his seat and pulled out Ana’s necklace from his back pocket. He fumbled while reaching around her neck to fasten the clasp and it took him a couple of tries. Smiling at her he said, “Much better. I missed seeing it on you.”

She lifted her hand to touch the cool metal shape. “Thanks…I missed it too.” Then she curled her cool fingers around his. “So, how about Mom? Have you…talked to her?”

Chuckling, Chance answered, “Oh, every hour since we got here!” His eyes traced her face. “It’s hard for her not being here.” His eyes softened, and he breathed out while considering Melissa’s predicament. He thought about the day he was left to himself and his anxieties. If it were him, he’d be up a tree already.

“How much more time…do we have to wait? What time is it…anyway?” Ana searched the walls for a clock.

“You came out from the procedure at quarter after one and its five o’clock now.” As he spoke, Chance noticed a woman walking toward them. “Is that your doctor?”

She lifted her head off the bed and nodded.

Chance watched a woman with curly hair approaching with a kind, creased smile. It looked like her day was unfolding much more slowly than she wished, each hour adding a dark circle to her tired eyes. As she stopped at the bed she unwound the stethoscope from her shoulders and began to warm the metal end in her hand.

“Hi Ana, how are you feeling?” she inquired, with a softened grin. “I understand your entry point opened up a while ago? Let me take a peek.” Chance focused on Ana’s face as the doctor lifted her gown.

“I feel fine. I’m ready to go!” She delivered a bright grin, which turned into something like a grimace. Ana forcing a smile was unfamiliar to Chance. It was unnatural.

“Well, the entry point looks good. If you can keep some liquids down, then we could have you out of here within the hour.” The doctor patted Ana’s leg and covered her up with a folded blanket. She called over to a nurse for some water and ice chips before refocusing on Ana. Her expression changed and Chance felt a piercing jolt in his chest.

“So, Ana. We got some very clear images of your heart. We were able to confirm the thickening and hardening to an extent I’m not happy with. How have you been feeling with the increased dosage of medication?”

Ana frowned, “Well, I haven’t really noticed a difference…”

Dr. Tilgan nodded, her face growing serious. “Hmm, okay, I plan on presenting your case to the board, and we’ll see if we can come up with another approach. At least your lungs aren’t congested. I want to keep a close eye on you, Ana. I don’t want you getting to the point of transplant.” She frowned, concerned for her patient, and looked between Ana’s and Chance’s faces.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

Chance sat numbly trying to register what the doctor was saying.

“When do you want me back?”

“Come back in one month-no more. I want to continue monitoring you closely. Keep up on your medication. And it’s
very
important
you don’t overexert yourself. Don’t push yourself, your heart can’t take it.”

The doctor distractedly glanced down to the other end of the recovery ward where loud voices were raising above the beeping machinery, adding, “I’m sorry, but I need to check in with another patient-I’ll get your paperwork going so you guys can get out of here quickly.”

They watched the doctor walk away in silence.

Ana was afraid to look at Chance. Although she had grown to need him, like air to breath, she would rather not see him suffer through the heartache ahead. If this dose of reality was too much, she would understand.

His fingers entwined hers and she closed her eyes as a wet stream began to flow down her cheeks.

He wiped away her tears and kissed her eyes.

When he met her gaze, she was alarmed. What she saw reflected in Chance’s normally benevolent features made her think of a wild animal.

On the drive home Ana sat and sipped at the clear soda the nurses gave her. His fierceness had faded, phasing back into the kindhearted, tender person she knew.

For part of the drive she fell asleep. It had been a rough day.

While Ana’s eyes remained closed Chance held her hand, tracing his thumb rhythmically along hers.

She awoke as they approached her home. Ana was relieved she didn’t have to face her family when she told them the news. She had called her mom from the clinic before they left to tell her what the doctor had said. Melissa took it in stride over the phone, but left her daughter questioning how well she had taken the news.

When they drove up to the familiar blue house, the inside lighting illuminated the windows as though the house had been watching for her arrival. The front door was thrown open in a flurry of movement.

Melissa wrenched open Ana’s door and hugged her before she could get out.

“Mom! You could at least let me out first!” She laughed weakly, attempting to free her legs.

As she climbed out of the truck, hands reached past her retrieving her bag. Another set of hands touched her shoulders, and she was pulled into another hug. Lilac filled her senses, Aunt Tera’s favorite perfume.

“Oh, Sweetie. We love you.” Her aunt’s tough as nails demeanor broke as her voice cracked with emotion.

Ana was led slowly inside by Melissa and Eva, both clutching her protectively. Aunt Tera and Uncle Jace positioned themselves alongside Chance as they escorted him through the doorway. Tera gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

A feast awaited them, filling the room with smells rousing Ana’s deadened appetite. She felt mildly hungry for the first time that day. Although she was only moderately interested in eating, she sat down and allowed her loved ones to shower her with attention. Chance sat beside her, unwilling to leave her side.

“I made the Focaccia bread with Aunt Tera today and I helped make the soup.” Eva said, lifting up her chin and pointing out the food she contributed.

“It looks delicious, Eva,” Ana congratulated her, noting how much she had grown since the move.

“We don’t want to tire you out Baby, but we wanted to show you how much you mean to us. Plus, you should really try the soup-it’ll be mild on your stomach after anesthesia.” Melissa eyed Ana with a troubled look and added, “Eva and Tera worked on it all afternoon,” she encouraged.

Ana noticed her mother’s face seemed flushed.

Thankfully, no one mentioned the results of her procedure and she settled in, letting her worries ease from sight.

Chance sat like a silent mute throughout dinner, accepting the gratitude and food that was offered. Ana noted how his mind seemed elsewhere, his distraction evident only to her.

Around her, the family kept the evening chatty and light, so she leaned in to Chance, questioning, “Are you okay?” She grasped his hot hand within hers and noticed faint creasing on his forehead, marking his otherwise smooth skin.

“Sure. I’m just tired. I’m fine.” He patted her hand and offered a canned smile, throwing Ana into immediate suspicion. Something was wrong. He was clearly concerned, but there was something more. Something had been awakened in him that startled her, a new, ragged edge that had never been exposed before.

Familiar with painful secrets, she sensed he was withholding something. And it was beginning to bite at her.

Chapter 27.

Melissa swung open the door at the end of the hallway, peering in. Sunlight flooded the room and shone on a tangle of sheets, covering a still body beneath. She craned her neck and tilted her head. Her anxiety subsided after identifying soft rhythmic breathing, leaving the room once assured Ana was just groggy from the previous day.

At nearly eleven o’clock, the door reopened and Ana emerged. She wandered slowly, reminiscent of a zombie to the bathroom. The sterile odor from the clinic lingered on her skin and she stumbled into a hot shower, rinsing the aroma from her body, satisfied only when the shampoos fragrance remained.

Ana came downstairs refreshed and heard Melissa announce as soon as her foot touched the bottom stair, “Chance called checking up on you-maybe you should let him know you’re okay.”

She walked through the kitchen and gave her mother a peck on the cheek. Melissa wore yellow rubber gloves and was busy cleaning the cupboards. All the dishes and glasses were piled along the counters awaiting their spotless resting places.

Ana arched her eyebrow, shocked at her mother’s cleaning madness.

“Well, I haven’t given them a good scrub since we moved in. I don’t want other people’s dust on our things.” Melissa wiped her forehead with the back of one glove.

Ana gave her mother another bewildered expression before walking out onto the back deck to call Chance.

He picked up following the first ring; answering with a casual tone Ana thought sounded a little put on.

“Hey. Mom said you called. I’m fine-just sleeping off the anesthesia from yesterday.” She paused to yawn and asked, “What’ve you been doing?” She extended her arms above her careful to avoid a head rush.

“Oh, uh…I’m just out taking a walk with my grandfather.”

“That sounds nice. Well, I heard you called earlier checking up on me and wanted to let you know I feel fine today. Much better than yesterday.”

“Good. Wanted to check that everything was okay. Say, why don’t I call you later when Grandfather and I wrap things up. You rest, maybe hang out with Eva a little and I’ll see you later today.”

Ana had the distinct feeling she was being told to sit down and stay put. She didn’t mind it coming from Chance; she knew how much he cared, although he was the exception. She didn’t like anyone telling her to rest, she resented it.

“Alright. I should hang with Eva anyway, it’s been a while. Have fun and I’ll talk to you later.”

Ana closed her eyes letting the sunlight warm her face, and took a deep inhalation of the brisk fir scent before going inside to sit beside her sister. The two snuggled on the couch beneath a blanket and watched their favorite animated movie and ate popcorn.

Afterwards Ana decided to go upstairs when Melissa pulled out the broom and began dusting the ceilings.

She sat at her computer and remembered the images she had saved to her desktop weeks ago. With the drama of her doctor’s appointments, she had entirely forgotten about the photographs. Or maybe she had purposefully forgotten them.

She inspected them again, assuming her memory had been off. After all, at the time she had a lot on her mind and probably mistook what she
thought
she saw. The silver glint at the fox’s white chest hadn’t changed, the bear pendant still dangled from the animal’s neck.

The fox’s eyes pierced through her. She frowned and began to pick at her desk with her fingernail.

She felt agitated.

Why would an animal outside her back door have Chance’s necklace on?
Albeit elaborate, this had to be some kind of silly prank he had played on her. That was the only logical reason. That she could think of.