Ilana rocked back and forth with Mindy in her lap.
Ilana was crying softly, as she knew what was going to happen.
Mindy was going to die.
Mindy had bacterial meningitis, so far advanced that their was nothing they could do.
She had a matter of hours.
And Ilana was here, reading her a story about fluffy kittens.
Suddenly Mindy looked up.
"Can you sing me a song?" she asked.
"S-Sure." said Ilana, wiping tears from her eyes. "What one?"
"That one from camp, the Pooh one."
"Okay."
Ilana started softly following the gentle nature of the song.
Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
As our days disappeared all too soon
But I've wandered much further today than I should
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood
Something changed, Mindy seemed to relax more, and lean back into Ilana.
So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
The Doctor came in and looked at the machines, softly he said, "It's happening, her heart rate is falling slowly."
But Ilana had to keep singing.
Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
From here no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear
Ilana moved Mindy around to where Mindy was laying down. Mindy's mother held her little hand, and Ilana's as well. Tears were in both their eyes.
Help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
Mindy's breathing was slower now, and deeper. Her eyes were closed.
It's hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all's said and done I was watching my son
Sleeping there with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that the old bear whispered "Boy welcome home"
Mindy was barely breathing now, each breath took longer, and longer, and longer...
Believe me if you can
I've finally come back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
What do you know
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh
Mindy exhaled for the last time, and Ilana felt her little body relax, her fist relax.
Mindy was dead.
"Ilana? Ilana? ILANA?!" came a voice, shaking Ilana of of the flashback.
"What? What? Hmm? What's going on?" asked Ilana dazed and confused.
Ilana opened her eyes and blinked, in front of her she saw a young women staring at her. The girls green-blue eyes seeming to pierce Ilana's.
"Are you okay dear?" asked the girl.
Ilana's eyes came into focus and she recognized the girl.
"I'm fine Ocean." said Ilana
Yes, the girl's name was Ocean.
"Okay, you need to stay grounded dear, do you want to chant with me?" asked Ocean
"No, I'm fine." Ilana responded.
"Okay dear, Namaste." Ocean took a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of her chest.
"Yes, Namaste." Ilana did the same.
Meh, Ocean was weird. Ilana didn't care.
"Hey Connie!" came a voice behind her as she felt her personal space violated.
Ilana turned on her heel and found her nose inches away from his.
Octavian . The class idiot, twirp, and bully.
"What do you want asshole?" asked Ilana, promptly stepping back.
"Oh nothing," he said, tossing his brown hair back, "Just wondering if you've made up your mind."
"About what?"
"Your name."
Ilana sighed, he wasn't going to stop was he?
"No, Octavian" she said "I haven't."
"Alright then," he said waving his hand dismissively, "Hey, can I bum a smoke?"
"No!"
"Fine, Fine!" he walked away.
Jeez, Ilana didn't understand why the heck people thought she was a smoker. She wasn't! She never would be!
There were currently two rumors going around in her class.
She had Asthma
She was a smoker.
Neither were true. She did know the reasons behind both of them though, now that she thought about it.
For number 1, she had been seen inhaling into a tissue.
She had allergies which liked to act up at school. But she had a remedy!
She would take a tissue (or a cloth) and put drops of an essential oil blend she had on it, than she would press it to her mouth. Then she would quickly inhale, sucking the vapors down. It soothed her nose and throat.
She guessed that from a distance it looked like an inhaler.
And for the smoking thing, she had a bunch of sage in her room. She burned it a lot and, she guessed, it smelled like old cigarette smoke.
Oh well, what's another rumor?