Starry, Starry Night
Starry, Starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
The hospital room was silent and dark as dusk settled upon Athens. The pale florescent lights on the low ceilings didn't help anyone, as they kept their heads so low they were about to fall off.
Stella and Mac were too worried to sleep, so they leaned on each other while holding their daughter's hand. It was cold and pale.
"She's lost too much blood, we may not be able to save her." A doctor mumbled in Greek as she and a team of doctors rush to emergency. "What's her type?"
"Type AB, positive."
"Alright, we need a donor. It looks like she hasn't been affected by the blood loss like normal." The doctor left the gurney for a moment and looked back to where the people who brought the girl in stood.
A Greek woman, a Caucasian next to her, four other young Greek women and four other Caucasians.
"Excuse me, are you the family?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes, we all are." The older Greek woman replied quietly.
"Your daughter's blood type is AB and we need two donors with the same type to even have a hope of saving her." She said evenly. She wasn't Greek--actually she had an English accent.
"We're both AB, actually." The Caucasian man with short brown hair said suddenly.
"Alright, right this way. Getting this blood is the only chance your daughter has, Mister and Missus... "
"Taylor."
"Hard to believe that was only four hours ago." Mac whispered, the hallow ticking of the clock filling his ears and mind.
"What if-"
"No, Stell, don't go there. There is no what if." He said firmly.
"I can't, Mac. I can't let all of my hopes ride on this. I-we need her to wake up and be okay, but if she can't do that... " Tears hadn't stopped flowing from Stella from the minute they stepped into the ambulance. Now she knew how Nami could cry without realizing it; she was too numb to feel anything. "God, I can't let go."
"You don't have to." Whispered Mac.
"Mr. And Mrs. Taylor? We need to run some tests, and I need you to step out of the room for about ten minutes." The same English doctor from before said gently, sympathetic for the adoptive parents.
"Yes, of coarse. Thank you." Stella nodded at the older woman.
"Let's go see Talia and her family." Mac suggested. Stepping out they saw Angell, Flack, Lindsay and Danny sitting outside, having not been allowed in the room just yet. "Come on, guys."
"Yeah." They nodded and went to the next room down. They were going to have Talia and Nami share a room, but Talia was not fatally injured in the least. Besides, with her three sisters, the small room was the perfect size. "Hey."
"Oh, hi." Elena looked up and whispered with a weak smile. There were bags under her eyes and her sisters were actually asleep themselves. "Talia's fine, just resting. Her shoulder will be in a sling for a little bit, but other than that, she'll be back to normal in no time."
"Oh, good, we're so glad." They filed in and tried to be as quiet as possible. Danny bumped into Daniella, asleep on Amanda's lap.
"Mm... " She frowned.
"Oh, geez, sorry kiddo. Um, go back to sleep." Danny cringed, really not wanted to be the one waking young girls from much-needed sleep.
"Relax, Danny." Lindsay smiled at him lovingly. "Go to sleep, sweetie."
"M'kay." Dani chirped softly.
"I can't believe it's finally over." Elena whispered, referring both to the latest turmoil, and her personal experience of the kidnaping. "The man, Denver? He took us in the middle of the night, almost a month ago, and brought us to the abandoned St. Basil's that's now destroyed."
"I'm sorry." Said Lindsay.
"We were actually treated pretty well, for being kidnaped. We were fed and able to bathe and stuff. The worst part was the scare at the beginning, and knowing how worried Tali would be." She shook her head.
"Well, it is all over now. I can't imagine the impact this has had on you girls." Stella said sympathetically, impulsively reaching a hand to smooth Elena's dark curls.
"Thank you. Something I have been wondering, though... "
"Apparently, my mother, Selene, stayed with your parents, Eleni and Lambros, while she was pregnant with me. After I was born, we stayed there for a while before we went to New York." Explained Stella.
"Oh, I see. So that's why mom and dad always said we had a cousin-or-sister-or something-Stella. You're the daughter of our "aunt" Selene." Elena said with comprehension in her voice. "Small world."
"Very." Stella nodded happily.
"Excuse me." The doctor, with the name tag reading Dr. Endy, stepped in. "You can go back and see Nami again."
"Thank you." Stella said deeply, again. She paused for a moment and looked to her friends. "Why don't you guys see her for a few minutes? We'll be right behind you."
"Sure." Flack nodded, guiding a solemn Angell out, followed by Danny and Lindsay.
"Thanks, guys." Stella waited until they closed the door to sit down. "I'm very sorry about this. All the trouble it's caused you and how much grief you've gone through."
Elena simply nodded, noticing Amanda and Daniella begin to wake up. "Morning."
"Hi." Amanda grumbled; not a morning person.
"Hello, sweetie." Stella greeted Daniella with a smile.
"Morning." She smiled back. She felt she knew Stella's face but hadn't the faintest as to why. Maybe from a picture or something.
"I'm glad you're awake." Said Stella.
"Hey, what about me?"
They looked to Talia with smiles. "Taila, we're so glad you're ok."
"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you." Talia said to Stella and Mac, her eyes droopy and face sleepy. "Tired, but otherwise, fine. How's Nami?"
"Th-they're not sure, but they don't think she has much o-of a-a chance." Stella managed to say without bursting into tears again.
A silence cut through the room and settled heavily in their minds.
"Hey, Nami." Flack spoke softly, as though his voice could break her fragile body. "Not out of the woods yet, huh?"
She didn't reply, though a beep on her heart monitor was heard.
"Right... I'm sorry. I let you get away from me that day, and because of me, you could be dying now." He shuddered, tears stinging his eyes, though he didn't let them fall. As he sat, arms on his knees, leaning forward, he could feel himself shaking. "I saved you just now, though, so I hope you can forgive your Uncle Don for screwin' up."
"Don." Angell put her hand on his shoulder for support. "Nami, honey, your Uncle Don is really sorry, and I know you're not mad at him. You could never be mad at him, could you?... no, I didn't think so."
"Hi, Nami." Said Danny from the other side of her bed. He leaned on the rail and looked at her pale face sadly. "It's your favorite Uncle Danny. How y'doin', Princess? Listen, now; you gotta wake up. For ya mom and dad, and all of us here. Me, your Aunt Lindsay and Aunt Jess, and especially your Uncle Don. We're all worried sick about'cha, so why don't you just open those big beautiful eyes o' yours and tell us you're okay? I know you can, girl, so please don't make us worry."
"Nami? Uncle Danny's right. We all want you to wake up. You've changed us so much, we can't imagine what would happen now if you were gone. We've always been a family, and maybe you've made us complete, now."
"Okay, Nami, Aunt Lindsay's bein' cheezy, so-"
"Let me finish!" She scolded, hitting him on the chest lightly. "As I was saying, before this goofball interrupted me... please wake up. You can't die. There are so many people here waiting to take you home."
"Sh... " Danny rubbed her shoulders as she started to cry.
"Look at her!" She hissed, holding out a hand. The girl's face was pale and lifeless, framed by long black hair which had clotted blood tangled in it. Her small body laying under the sheet made her look smaller, and even more delicate.
"I know, Linds." Whispered Danny.
"I wonder if she can really hear us... "
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
"What?"
Nami awoke in a field... or perhaps something more like a meadow. The grass under her blew in the warm breeze, gently tickling her skin. It felt strange though, like she was feeling it, but not actually feeling it. Like in a dream... was this a dream?
She sat up, seeing everything illuminated by a light so soft but bright it made it all look foggy. If all of this was a dream, she wasn't in a huge hurry to wake up. The grass was soft, the sun warm, and...
Where was everything else?
She could see she was on a hill, looking down on a field of yellow flowers, but nothing really beyond that. The horizon, hazy as it was, had nothing. The sky was still blue, but there was nothing around for miles; no mountains, no water, nothing! Just those flowers as far as she could see.
Looking behind her, down the other side of the hill, the same flowers stretched on in the other direction. She couldn't understand just what was going on or where she was, but she couldn't complain.
Oh, wait, she was supposed to have two gun shot wounds and be dying.
She preferred this.
A field of flowers with a blue sky as apposed to dying in Greece?
Which would you prefer?
She paused for a thought; was she already dead? Was this paradise just where she had ended up? As morbid as the thought was, she couldn't help but think that maybe this was for the best. She was fine, and... what had happened?
What had happened to... she couldn't remember. She felt there were some people she wanted to remember, but she couldn't.
Okay, now she wanted out!
"Hey! Anyone!" She shouted. No response. "Hey! Where am I?!"
"I'm not entirely sure myself, dear."
Nami turned to see a woman sitting on the grass next to her. She was a beautiful Greek woman with elegantly defined features not at all effected by any age. She looked to be in her thirties or so, and had the air of a mother. She looked awfully familiar, but Nami couldn't quite place it. "Do... do you know me?"
"I've been here long enough, sweetheart; I know who you are." The woman said sagely, looking back at the flower in her hands. She held it so gently it looked like it was suspended in the air between her cupped hands.
"Then... " Nami sat next to the woman cautiously, looking at her for permission, which she received. "Then maybe you could tell me... ?"
"You're Nami." The woman said kindly in a straight-to-the-point way. She turned and looked at the girl with a knowing smile. "Nami Taylor. You were adopted; your father is from Chicago, and... "
Nami simply waited, testing how her name sounded in her head.
"Your mother is Greek."
Nami nodded. She was starting to think about it; the Grecian woman sitting before her and her supposedly Grecian mother, as well. She was starting to see how she recognized her, but still didn't get it.
"I can see the gears in your mind working. You're a smart girl." The lady reached one of her hands in her absolutely magisterial way to brush some hairs away from Nami's eyes.
"You know my mother." She stated impulsively, not thinking before speaking, for possibly the first time in her life... ? She waited, again feeling the woman's touch but not actually feeling it.
"Your mother's name is Stella. I knew her long ago."
"You're Selene."
Suddenly, Nami found herself standing in front of the woman, Selene, with a strong wind blowing against her cheek. It was very dramatic, as she found most things in her life were. She didn't remember standing up or moving in front of her, but she was there.
Selene was wearing a pale emerald dress that reached just above her ankles. She wore a beautiful peridot necklace and earrings, making her look rather queenly. On her feet were low white sandals with a bit of a heel, and Nami realized this woman looked way too young to be a grandmother. Then it also struck her that she hadn't aged in... decades.
"I am. I'm Selene Bonasera; your mother is my daughter."
And just as suddenly she was sitting again, right in front of Selene, her eyes inquisitive as she felt her fingers on her forehead, between her eyes. "What, are you trying to force nirvana on me?"
Selene laughed lightly. "No, my dear, I just wanted to meet my granddaughter. You know, it's every parent's dream to see their child know the joy of having a child themself. I'm so lucky to have met you."
"I-I'm lucky to have met you." Nami managed to sputter.
"You can't stay here, though."
"Am I dead?" Nami asked flatly.
"No, dear." Selene smiled. "Thank goodness for that. My daughter has always dreamed of having a family, and now she does. I couldn't let anything tear my daughter's family apart now, could I?"
"I suppose not." Nami blinked.
"Now, you go on back to them, sweetie. I'll be here." Selene handed the flower to Nami, though as soon as she grasped it disappeared like dust in the wind. She looked back up. "Don't worry."
"I won't." Nami answered quietly, not knowing what she was/was not going to worry about.
"Goodbye, dear. Take care." Selene kissed Nami's hair and got up, walking down the other side of the hill. A large tree had appeared, under which she could see another woman, also Greek. Amaryllis?
"Goodbye." Nami watched as Selene simply waved without looking back and continued down the hill, to where Amaryllis waited.
Swirling clouds of violet haze
"Σ'αγαπώ, γιαγιά."
Beep! Beep! Beep...
God, that was annoying.
Nami took her time opening her eyes to the badly lit hospital room and painfully white ceiling. She could blind herself.
The chairs.
The curtains.
The windows behind the curtains overlooking the coast.
What the hell had just happened?
Was that what happened for her near-death-experience? She thought normal people saw their lives flash before their eyes, but she'd never been one of those "normal people". Nor did she want to recall her life, so yeah, she was good.
Her eyes drifted lazily over the room and everything within it. From the God-awful beep of the heart monitor to the fake-looking but real plant in the corner by the windowsill. On a tray to her left was a forgotten glass of water; half full. Optimism... she was running low on it.
Looking down at her own body, it wasn't crushed or mutilated, leading her to believe Selene was right, and that she wasn't dead.
Selene!
Stella!
Nami blinked, lifting one of her lead-heavy arms to her face. Her nose and mouth were covered by a clear plastic oxygen mask that held a grimy yellow tint. Her breath was heavy and labored, though steady, and her focus had returned.
"Welcome back."
Talia smiled at the young girl kindly. Her sling was nothing but a ripped piece of sheet tied around her neck in a strange kind of Amanda-bow her sister had done for her.
"Talia." Nami looked at her in wonder, barely noticing the fog appearing on the inside of the oxygen mask. She did really care, though, thus she ripped it off her face. She pulled it over her head, tussling her hair, and frowned. "You're alright. I'm so glad."
"We're all glad you're alright too." She said quietly. Turning, she nodded toward the New Yorkers behind her. They were all asleep in a variety of chairs, except for Danny, who'd ended up on the floor. Her eyes rested on Mac and Stella, who were sleeping uneasily with their heads leaned together, supporting each other. Their hands hadn't left each other's and their shoulders were pushed hard together as well. "We finally pried their hands off of your hand and I guess they're finally exhausted enough to sleep. Kind of."
"Should we wake them up?" Whispered Nami.
"I don't know. I'm sure they want to see you." Talia stood stiffly and went over to them. She nudged them, gently at first, then with a frown. They really were out cold. She quirked an eyebrow and poked Mac's hard cheek in distaste. Poking him harder, she got the normally feather-light sleeper to stir. When he stirred, Stella stirred. "Hey. Stella, Mac. Nami's awake."
"N-Nami?" Stella shot up out of the chair and went straight to her daughter's bedside to look into her pale red eyes. "Baby, are you okay?"
"Mom, I'm okay." Nami said comfortingly, though her raspy voice wasn't all that assuring even to herself. "See?" She took her mother's hand in hers and guided it up to touch her face. The raw and red skin was still tender but she didn't mind. "See?"
"Oh, Nami." Mac took his daughter's hand in his - it looked so tiny - and kissed it. "Baby girl."
"Hi, daddy." She smiled, feeling incredibly safe around him again.
"Nami!" Angell tried to get up, but she'd been sitting on Flack's lap, and his arms were still around her tightly. She got off the chair, bringing him forward with her.
"Oh!" Flack unwrapped his arms to keep his face from hitting the floor. Picking himself up quickly, he noticed Nami waving at him. "Nami!"
"Hi... Uncle... Flack... " She wheezed as he hugged the breath right out of her.
"Don! Stop it! She needs air!" Angell said worriedly.
"Hi, Aunt Jess." Nami waved awkwardly, only her right hand not crushed between her body and Flack's.
"Nami!" Lindsay rushed up and hip-bumped Flack aside so she could hug her, much to his annoyance and slight suprise. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad you're okay!"
"So am I." Nami said playfully, touching her aunt's sandy hair.
"Wha-?! No! No more cake!" Danny shouted from the floor.
"Danny! Danny, babe, wake up!" Lindsay urged.
"Gah!" He cracked his head off the floor and snapped awake.
"Danny, Nami's awake."
"Nami!" Danny jumped up and saw Nami nod her head at him. "Princess!"
"Uncle Danny!" Nami said in tone that meant she didn't want him to call her that, but she secretly liked it.
"Welcome back, Sweetie." He smiled, ruffling her hair.
"Thanks, everyone." Nami smiled, seeing that even Talia's sisters, who were just now slinking into the room nodded at her. "Hello."
"Nami, it's time to go home." Stella cried, holding the girl's head close to hers so their bruised temples were brushing lightly. "You're going home, baby. You're coming home with us."
"Dad, when can we leave?" Nami asked tiredly.
"As soon as you want, Nami. As soon as you want."
"I want to go home-"
"Mr. And Mrs. Taylor?"
"Dr. Endy." Stella stood, her first instinct to demand what was wrong and stand in front of her little girl. "Is there something wrong?"
"Please." Dr. Endy held out her hand and let Stella into the hallway.
"What is this about?"
"Nami lost almost a full 6 pints of blood but somehow managed to survive. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that shouldn't be possible, especially for someone her size and age. Also, when we did stop the bleeding we found strange trace in it we could only analyze as a synthetic compound that attached to her blood cells like a parasite."
"Yes, she-"
"What matters now, is that she's alive, Mrs. Taylor." Dr. Endy said softly, looking the woman straight in the eyes. "I'm not going to ask you what kind of miracle or monster is behind this, so you just celebrate for now. However... " The woman, Christine, dropped her eyes. She herself wanted children, but as an infertile doctor, she wasn't registered as able to adopt. So she waited and saved lives in the meantime. "As she is a bit of a mystery, we don't know what could be wrong in the long run."
"What what do you mean?"
"Well, when she came in, she'd lost an inexplicable amount of blood and had a few fractures. Now, five hours later, everything seems fine. We can't explain it, but I'm not going to make you stay here."
"What do you suggest?" Stella whispered.
"I'd like to come to New York with you, as Nami's... pediatrician." Christine air quoted with a knowing smile. "Just to make sure she's ok."
"Of coarse, thank you." Stella smiled and shook her hand.
"Now, let's get you good folks home."
