My sister and I walked into the ICU with our eyes streched open. We scanned each bed, taking awkward steps as our neck cranked every direction trying to find her panther tattoo on the inside of her rightleg.
Her bed was at the very end of the ICU. When we saw her, her mouth was open, holding a humid breathing tube. Her mouth was a perfect black oval. On the left side of her pillow, five thick, tangled strands were spread out like black wildfire. The flourescent light above her lit a gray circle on the right side of her head revealing the small prickles of hair. She was half bald. My nose immediately started to run. My younger sister took two small steps and hesitatnyly touched her right arm.
"Glennys?"
...
"We're here for you."
I blinked twice.
...
I found myself chewing on words.
"We l-uh-vuh...you..Glennys" I said pronouncing it for the first time. I looked at my younger sister until her eyes shaped in approval and we both cried on cue. One second she was clear, bloated in her gown and then everything looked like it had been trapped inside a drop of water.
She started to move her restricted arms in circles and then slapped them back down to her sides and re-circle them again. She held out her index finger and I noticed her acrylic nail painted with gold streaks and flowers. I wanted to think that she was tracing a rainbow but I hadn't stopped raining in the room.
She circled her arms over and over again. I watched her over and over again inside a drop of water as my older sister tried to say "I love you too", again, for the first time.
Words that I had chewed with the back and sharpest part of my teeth, swallowed hard after I waited for my saliva to rise under my tounge till it touched the corners of my lips, and digested to brown-hate acid never to be spoken again were building and re-grouping again in my throat.
The doctor came out of the ICU and pulled her blue mask down.with me as I walked closer to her and the blue mask that was once covering her face,For some reason, I wanted to say it with a sense of question. But I meant it. I meant it and I don't think I had a choice.
Her bed was at the very end of the ICU. When we saw her, her mouth was open, holding a humid breathing tube. Her mouth was a perfect black oval. On the left side of her pillow, five thick, tangled strands were spread out like black wildfire. The flourescent light above her lit a gray circle on the right side of her head revealing the small prickles of hair. She was half bald. My nose immediately started to run. My younger sister took two small steps and hesitatnyly touched her right arm.
"Glennys?"
...
"We're here for you."
I blinked twice.
...
I found myself chewing on words.
"We l-uh-vuh...you..Glennys" I said pronouncing it for the first time. I looked at my younger sister until her eyes shaped in approval and we both cried on cue. One second she was clear, bloated in her gown and then everything looked like it had been trapped inside a drop of water.
She started to move her restricted arms in circles and then slapped them back down to her sides and re-circle them again. She held out her index finger and I noticed her acrylic nail painted with gold streaks and flowers. I wanted to think that she was tracing a rainbow but I hadn't stopped raining in the room.
She circled her arms over and over again. I watched her over and over again inside a drop of water as my older sister tried to say "I love you too", again, for the first time.
Words that I had chewed with the back and sharpest part of my teeth, swallowed hard after I waited for my saliva to rise under my tounge till it touched the corners of my lips, and digested to brown-hate acid never to be spoken again were building and re-grouping again in my throat.
The doctor came out of the ICU and pulled her blue mask down.with me as I walked closer to her and the blue mask that was once covering her face,For some reason, I wanted to say it with a sense of question. But I meant it. I meant it and I don't think I had a choice.
