Warning: Illness
My eyes open. I feel cold. I get out of bed. I gag. I rush to the white bathroom. The bathroom has a white sink over brown cupboards, a white toilet, and a white walk-in shower with a metal shower head.
"Arianna, hunny, are you okay? Do you need anything?" I hear Esmerelda question. I crawl to the toilet and vomit. She rushes in. "Stay there, don't move.". She comes over with a white rag. She wipes my face. The rag is wet and warm. "There. Now, let's get over to your bed, shall we?". She takes my hands and stands me up. My legs are very sore. I scream. "I'm so sorry! Does that hurt? Here, let me pick you up.". She picks me up. "There, better?". She carries me over to my bed. She tucks me in. "Here's your doll.". She holds out my doll in front of me. I grab it and hold it close to my chest. "I'm going to go get
Angie. You stay here.". She leaves. I close my eyes.
"So, she threw up and couldn't walk?" I hear Angie say.
"And she was shivering.". The door opens. I open my eyes. Angie wheels in a black stretcher with straps. She wheels it next to my bed.
"Okay, sweetie, let's get you on the stretcher.". She rolls me over until I am face up on the stretcher. "Here," She puts a pink blanket on me. She straps me in. She wheels me out.
The sun is rising. I shiver. I drop my doll. I start crying. "Shh, what's wrong? Dropped your doll?". She turns the stretcher around. She picks up my doll. "I'm going to carry it so you don't drop it. You can have it when we get to the medical cabin.". I stop. She turns the stretcher around. She wheels me to a log cabin with a white square with a red cross on top.
She wheels me inside. The inside is teal with rows of hospital beds with white mattresses, pillows, and teal blankets. She wheels me next to one of the beds. There is a purple armchair. She unstraps me. She pulls down the blanket. She rolls me over until I am face up on the bed. She pulls the blanket up. She gives me my doll. A European woman with short blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing blue scrubs and a black stereoscope with a black bag comes in.
"Hello, Sara!" Angie says.
"Hello! I hear Miss Arianna isn't feeling too good." Sara replies.
"Nope,". Sara comes over.
"Let's examine her.". She takes her stereoscope and puts it in her ears. She listens to my heart. She sits me up. My back hurts. I scream in pain.
"Shh, shh. Let's turn her over.". She lays me back down and turns me over. She listens to my lungs. She turns me back over. She pulls out a white scan thermometer with silver lining from the bag. She scans my forehead. "102, she has a really high fever.".
"And she's really weak.".
"I'll call Frederic.".
That night, Sara is feeding me tomato soup out of a white bowl with a silver spoon. Frederic walks in. I put my arms under me and push myself up. I fall over. He rushes to pick me up.
"Don't worry, darling. I'm here.". He picks me up. I coo. He rocks me.
I wake up. Sara is in the room.
"Good morning, darling! Do you want to have breakfast?" Frederic questions. I nod. Using the white remote with red buttons attached to my bed, he sits me up. He grabs a blue bowl of oatmeal with a metal spoon. He feeds me. The oatmeal is sweet. "Do you want a soda?". I nod.
"Okay. Sara, can you sit with her?".
"Of course! I'll be happy to watch this sweet girl.". He walks out.
I hold my doll up and giggle.
"What is it, sweetie? Playing with your doll?". Frederic comes in with a strawberry Fanta.
"Okay, I have your soda." He announces. He opens it. He puts it to my lips. I drink.
I wake up. Angie, Esmeralda, who is holding a big pink construction paper card, Kida, Mirabelle, and Mei Mei come in.
"Okay girls, let's be quiet in case she's asleep." Angie tells them. I hold my doll up. "Hi, sweetie, look, your friends are here.". I coo.
"Hi, Arianna, how are you feeling?" Esmeralda questions. "We made this card for you.". She hands me the card. The card has a purple flowers with green stems. I coo. Mei Mei cries. There is a pink puff and she turns into a giant red panda. Frederic jumps.
"Okay girls, let's leave.". They leave.
I wake up. Frederic is nowhere to be seen. I start hyperventilating.
"Shh, it's okay." Sara cooes. I hear footsteps. I close my eyes.
"Sorry, I was out. I got you a teddy!" I hear Frederic announces. He gently picks up my arm and puts what feels like a pillow under it. He sets it down.
Everything is black.
"Okay sweetie, time for some breakfast." I hear Sara announce. I feel a cool spoon touch my lips. I try to open my lips but fail. I feel Frederic stroke my hair. "We could insert a feeding tube.".
"Yes, please do." He quickly replies. I hear footsteps. "It's okay, darling. We'll get food down you somehow.". I hear footsteps.
"Okay, here's the tube.". A tube is shoved up my nostril and down my throat. Tears flow in streams down my face.
"Shh, shh, it's okay.". He strokes my face.
I pass out.
I am looking at a mural of a beach with the sun. A girl with tan skin, 70-foot golden hair, green eyes, freckles, wearing a purple dress laced up with pink ribbon comes up.
"Did you paint this?" I question.
"Yes," She replies. I look at her again.
"Rapunzel!" I exclaim.
"Mom!" She exclaims. We hug.
I open my eyes. I am holding a tan teddy bear with black eyes and a green shirt with a white evergreen tree.
"Arianna!" Frederic exclaim. He hugs me.
Everybody (besides Frederic - he went home) is in the cookhouse. There are red paper cups of strawberry Fanta on the table. Everybody hugs me.