surgery?” Mr. Clark asked forcefully.
“The CT scan revealed an aneurism in your mother’s brain. We had to perform emergency surgery to save her life.”
“I don’t…I don’t understand.” Mr. Clark started to mumble. “We brought her here for stitches. The other doctor, he said she might have a slight concussion. That was all.”
“Honestly Fullerton, that’s what saved her life. I’ve never seen anything like it. The onset was immediate, it developed so quickly. If you hadn’t brought her here tonight she would’ve certainly died. As it is she has a tough road ahead of her.”
“Can I see her?” Mr. Clark asked with tears in his eyes.
“Most certainly. She’s in an induced coma right now, recovering from the surgery.”
Mit grabbed Mr. Clarks arm and started to walk him down the hallway.
“Nurse.” Dr. Novacks called. “Can you escort these gentlemen to room 306.”
“Right this way sir.” The nurse said.
*********************************************
Nickie slowly cracked open the door to her stepfather’s office. She glanced behind her ensuring the coast was clear then disappeared inside.
The office was dark except for the faint glow from the computer screen. Tiptoeing, she made her way across the laminate floor to the bookshelf on the far wall. She ran her fingers across the book spines trying to remember where she’d last seen something about elementals.
A light flickered on in the kitchen and Nickie whipped her head around. The cadence of footsteps headed in her direction clicked loudly. She dropped to her knees and crawled under the metallic desk.
The door to the office eased open. From under the desk Nickie could see a pair of hairy feet rocking back and forth in the doorway. Slowly, they marched towards her and stopped just in front of the desk.
Nickie’s heart beat like a battering ram threatening to tear loose from her chest. Her whole body vibrated from the pounding metronome. She wiggled her nose fighting the sensation to sneeze, squishing her upper lip and shaking her head.
The wrapping of nails on the top of the desk made her hair stand on end. Each nail sounded like thunder as it collided with the metal surface. She watched in horror as the feet started to move around the side of the desk.
Nickie closed her eyes and pulled her legs to her chest, clenching into a tiny ball. She held her breath and tried to ease the thundering of her quaking heart. The sound of rustling moved closer and closer and then suddenly stopped.
There was a long silence and she didn’t move a muscle. Her ears soaked up any noise like an owl. Eventually she had to pry her eyelids open. The dark office was stale and empty.
Hesitantly, Nickie poked her head out from under the desk. The office door was closed and she was alone in the dark. She pulled herself back to her feet and quickly ran to the bookshelf.
As she started to scan the books again, a twinkle caught her eye. She turned around and the computer that was on the lock screen earlier was now sitting open with the cursor blinking.
She walked back to the desk and grabbed a pen and pad of sticky notes. Sliding into the chair, she started searching through the computer. Within five minutes she’d written a small novel and was headed out of the door.
Nickie closed the office as quietly as possible and crumpled the sticky notes in her hand. She started to walk off when she felt a set of cold fingers settle on her shoulder.
“Ah!” Nickie screamed. “Jesus you scared me Mark.”
“I’d prefer it if you called me dad.” Nickie’s stepfather declared, striding out of the shadows.
“Yeah, and I’d prefer it if I didn’t.” Nickie said, rolling her eyes.
He glared at her suspiciously then forced an awkward smile. “What were you doing in there anyway?”
“Oh, I needed to borrow your charger…lost mine.” Nickie smiled
“The CT scan revealed an aneurism in your mother’s brain. We had to perform emergency surgery to save her life.”
“I don’t…I don’t understand.” Mr. Clark started to mumble. “We brought her here for stitches. The other doctor, he said she might have a slight concussion. That was all.”
“Honestly Fullerton, that’s what saved her life. I’ve never seen anything like it. The onset was immediate, it developed so quickly. If you hadn’t brought her here tonight she would’ve certainly died. As it is she has a tough road ahead of her.”
“Can I see her?” Mr. Clark asked with tears in his eyes.
“Most certainly. She’s in an induced coma right now, recovering from the surgery.”
Mit grabbed Mr. Clarks arm and started to walk him down the hallway.
“Nurse.” Dr. Novacks called. “Can you escort these gentlemen to room 306.”
“Right this way sir.” The nurse said.
*********************************************
Nickie slowly cracked open the door to her stepfather’s office. She glanced behind her ensuring the coast was clear then disappeared inside.
The office was dark except for the faint glow from the computer screen. Tiptoeing, she made her way across the laminate floor to the bookshelf on the far wall. She ran her fingers across the book spines trying to remember where she’d last seen something about elementals.
A light flickered on in the kitchen and Nickie whipped her head around. The cadence of footsteps headed in her direction clicked loudly. She dropped to her knees and crawled under the metallic desk.
The door to the office eased open. From under the desk Nickie could see a pair of hairy feet rocking back and forth in the doorway. Slowly, they marched towards her and stopped just in front of the desk.
Nickie’s heart beat like a battering ram threatening to tear loose from her chest. Her whole body vibrated from the pounding metronome. She wiggled her nose fighting the sensation to sneeze, squishing her upper lip and shaking her head.
The wrapping of nails on the top of the desk made her hair stand on end. Each nail sounded like thunder as it collided with the metal surface. She watched in horror as the feet started to move around the side of the desk.
Nickie closed her eyes and pulled her legs to her chest, clenching into a tiny ball. She held her breath and tried to ease the thundering of her quaking heart. The sound of rustling moved closer and closer and then suddenly stopped.
There was a long silence and she didn’t move a muscle. Her ears soaked up any noise like an owl. Eventually she had to pry her eyelids open. The dark office was stale and empty.
Hesitantly, Nickie poked her head out from under the desk. The office door was closed and she was alone in the dark. She pulled herself back to her feet and quickly ran to the bookshelf.
As she started to scan the books again, a twinkle caught her eye. She turned around and the computer that was on the lock screen earlier was now sitting open with the cursor blinking.
She walked back to the desk and grabbed a pen and pad of sticky notes. Sliding into the chair, she started searching through the computer. Within five minutes she’d written a small novel and was headed out of the door.
Nickie closed the office as quietly as possible and crumpled the sticky notes in her hand. She started to walk off when she felt a set of cold fingers settle on her shoulder.
“Ah!” Nickie screamed. “Jesus you scared me Mark.”
“I’d prefer it if you called me dad.” Nickie’s stepfather declared, striding out of the shadows.
“Yeah, and I’d prefer it if I didn’t.” Nickie said, rolling her eyes.
He glared at her suspiciously then forced an awkward smile. “What were you doing in there anyway?”
“Oh, I needed to borrow your charger…lost mine.” Nickie smiled
Similar Books
