The Aneurysm
"Bye, Zelda!" Hilda called as she headed out the door. "I don't know if I'll be back for lunch or not."
"Good luck with your audition!" Zelda called.
"Hey, what does a cat have to do to get fed around here?" Salem said as he came into the kitchen and jumped up onto the table.
"You had a bowl of cat food an hour ago." Zelda said as she walked over to the counter.
"But I'm hungry again!" Salem whined. "Come on! Just a little tuna?"
"Oh, alright." Zelda muttered just as a wave of pain washed over her body and she grabbed the counter for support. "Just a minute. I'm not... feeling... feeling very well."
"Zelda?" Salem said as the witch's legs gave way and she crumpled to the floor. He jumped off of the table and ran over to her. "Zelda?" He put his front paws on her shoulder and started to shake her. "Zelda, are you okay?"
Zelda lay there on the floor not moving at all. Salem put his face by her mouth and he could feel her weakly breathing though. "Zelda?" Salem cried as he pawed her face but she didn't move. "What do I do? No one will be home for hours! Zelda, wake up!"
"Okay, Salem. Calm down. Just call Other Realm 911. They'll come help Zelda." Salem thought as he jumped back up onto the table and grabbed the phone with his teeth. "Okay, Zelda. Help will be here soon." He muttered as he started to dial.
"911. What is your emergency?" the operator said a minute later.
"My witch's dying! That's the emergency!" Salem called as he jumped off of the table, accidentally knocking the phone to the floor. Then he padded over to Zelda and sat down beside her to wait for help. Her skin was dead white and her fingernails were starting to turn blue.
"Oh, blue isn't good at all." Salem whispered. "Just hold on, Zelda. Help's on the way."
**********
"Zelda, I'm home!" Hilda called as she came into the house. "Would you believe the conductor fell and broke his leg so they cancelled the audition? I have to go back in two weeks when he gets a walking cast!"
Hilda headed for the kitchen thinking a nice snack would cheer her up. The first thing she noticed as she stepped in was the phone on the floor.
"How did that get...." she said as she started to pick up the phone and then saw her sister laying crumped on the ground with Salem sitting beside her face. "ZELDA!!"
"Zelda, wake up!" Hilda cried as she ran over and rolled her sister into her back. Zelda was totally limp and barely breathing. The skin around her mouth was starting to turn blue too. "Zelda?!"
"I called Other Realm 911." Salem said. "They may still be on the line."
"Hello?" Hilda said as she snatched up the phone.
"This is 911." the operator said. "Ma'am, do you have an emergency?"
"Yes! I just came home and my sister's lying in the floor! I don't know what's wrong with her. Please send someone quick!"
"An ambulance is on the way. We traced the call. Who was that who spoke before?"
"Our familiar. The first thing he's done right in weeks," Hilda murmered as she started to stroke her sister's face. "How long will the ambulance take?"
"They should be there in just a few minutes. I can stay on the phone with you if you like."
"That's okay. I'll be fine. Thank you for your help." Hilda said as she hung up the phone and turned to face Salem who was laying by Zelda's head with his front paws resting on her cheek. "Salem, what happpened?"
"I don't know! She was just about to feed me when she said she wasn't feeling well and then she collapsed! I called for help as fast as I could but there's only so much one kitty can do!" Salem said as he looked at Zelda who's breathing was practically none existant. "Hilda, she isn't doing too good."