Chapter Two
"Hey, Anna, what's for dinner?" Anna heard the call from the kitchen.
She chuckled at Daren's first thought---food. Anna walked into the room. "Rice with garlic, eggs, and hamburger and a salad."
"I'll cook the hamburger," he said, seeing that it was the only thing that wasn't cooking.
"You make it sound like you're volunteering."
"Well aren't I?" Daren started to cook the hamburger and Anna sat down at the table where she couldn't see it.
"Well, sort of but it's the only way you'll get meat because you know that I'm not cooking it." Anna laughed again.
"Anna, why don't you just go vegetarian?"
"You know, I have thought about that but I don't know if I can do it." Anna sighed. After the food was cooked, the two sat around the table. "Oh, thanks for recommending me to fill in for Haley tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" Daren was Japanese but he spoke English just as well as he spoke his own language. His hair was short and dark and he had a stomach that was always ready for food.
"You filled in for Haley today but you can't tomorrow because you have to work in the ER. So you told Julia to ask me if I could fill in for Haley tomorrow."
"Anna I have never heard a word of this before." Daren was not the forgetful type. "I worked in the ER today."
"Hmm. Then Julia must be messing with my mind. I'll go in tomorrow and see what happened."
…………………………………………………………………………………………...
Anna got out of the driver's seat and walked away from the right side of her car. She was ready for work and she was early. Only Julia would be there at this hour. She heard her footsteps echo of the walls of the parking garage. She began walking towards the front entrance of the hospital. There were only a few cars in the parking garage.
Soon she heard footsteps, footsteps other than her own. They were behind her. Anna turned only to look into the face of her sister. "Nina, what do you want?"
"Oh, you don't seem so happy to see me," came Nina's cold reply. "Dear sister, don't I deserve a hug?"
"Leave me alone, Nina."
"Oh don't worry yourself, Anna. I will."
My sister is speaking in riddles, Anna laughed to herself. "And when would that be?" Anna attempted to walk past her but Nina grabbed her wrist. She pinned Anna down, breaking her wrist as she went. Anna let out a gasp and rolled over onto her back. Just as she did Nina reached for her knife and stabbed at her sister. Pain shot through Anna's flesh. She clutched at her stomach only to find that, when she brought her hands back toward her face, she was bleeding quite heavily.
"And to answer your question, sister, now. I shall leave you alone. You should hope and pray that death comes to you, Anna. If you make it out of this, you shall not last long." Nina gave a laugh and departed.
Her worst fears confirmed. Anna was going to die.
She laid there for what felt like hours before a car pulled into the parking garage. The car stopped right next to the spot where Anna laid. A woman jumped out. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" Anna couldn't see her face. Her vision was too blurry. She was loosing consciousness. "Oh my god, Anna!" Anna felt a pair of arms lift her up to help her walk. "Come on, Anna, it's just a short walk to the Emergency. Do you think you can make it?"
"I can…try." Anna tried to move her feet but with little success. But somehow she managed to make it to the ER, which was just right next to the hospital.
Daren found them as they pushed Anna on the cart down the hall. "Julia, what happened?"
"Don't know. Found her in the parking garage."
"She needs an injection!"
"An injection?" Julia asked.
Daren ignored her and turned to the doctor walking towards them. "Shukketsuseinohito." (bleeder) The other doctor ran back in the direction of which he'd come.
Julia, understanding the Japanese, shot back, "Bleeder? She's a hemophiliac?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"I'm her roommate!" Daren glared.
"Oh," was all Julia could find to say.
The doctor came into the room and handed Daren the injection. "Arigoto." (thank you)
"Douitashimashite," (you're welcome) the other doctor replied.
Anna mumbled, "Daren…she knows…where I work."
