Read Online Contributor (Contributor Trilogy, book 1) by Nicole Ciacchella - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nicole Ciacchella
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just be over there," Jonathan said, gently trying to disengage himself from Dara, but she clung to him.
"No," Joshua said. "Stay, Jonathan. You're a member of our family."
"I don't want to interfere," Jonathan said.
"You're not," Joshua insisted. He nodded at the doctor.
"Her brain activity is good, but she's still unresponsive."
"Will she wake up?" Joshua asked, the words strangled.
"I'm sorry, Contributor Morrow, but we just can't say for certain. The indications are certainly good, but if she doesn't wake up in the next day or two, we may need to think about relocating her," he said, obviously trying to break the news gently.
"No," Dara said, the word a horrified whisper.
"But we can take care of her. We'll do everything we can to—" Joshua began, but the doctor held up a hand.
"Let's not worry about relocation for now. Let's wait and see if she recovers."
"Can we see her?" Dara asked.
"Yes, but only one at a time. And only immediate family members," he added, looking at Jonathan.
"Of course. I understand," Jonathan replied.
"Dad, you go see her first."
"Are you sure?" It was clear to her that he fought to restrain himself from running immediately to his wife's side.
"Yes. Go."
As soon as Joshua and the doctor were out of sight, Dara sank down onto a bench, dropping her head into her hands. Jonathan sat beside her, rubbing her back in circles.
"You heard what the doctor said, Dara. And you know your mom, she's strong. She'll wake up, I know she will," he said, his tone confident.
"What if she doesn't?" Dara asked, her voice small.
"She will. You'll see."
No matter how much she wanted to believe in his confidence, she couldn't deny her own anxiety. "Jon, when I go in there to see her, will you stay here with my dad? I'm so worried about him."
"You didn't even have to ask. I wouldn't leave him alone."
She permitted herself a few tears before taking several deep breaths. Drying her eyes, she raised her head once more and stared unseeingly at the generic walls of the med center. It felt like an eternity passed before her father returned, his face wet with tears as he sank down onto the bench. The doctor waited just outside of Leona's room, and he gestured to Dara.
"Jonathan will stay here with you, Dad." She squeezed his shoulder as she rose from her seat. His tears worried her, but she didn't want to add to his burden by showing him.
"Thank you," he said faintly.
Dara exchanged a worried glance with Jonathan, who began speaking softly to Joshua as she walked away.
"You may have five minutes," the doctor said as she entered the room. "She'll then need to rest."
"Okay," Dara replied, but her body went immobile, dread suffusing her from head to toe. All her life, her mother had been vibrant and strong, and Dara wasn't sure she could handle seeing her vulnerable.
Finally, she forced her feet to move. She didn't want to squander this time. Already, she could feel the seconds ticking away from her. She might never get them back, if the worst happened. Hastily, she pushed the thought aside.
The pallor of Leona's face, the colorlessness of her lips, belied the appearance of peaceful sleep. Still, her expression was smooth and serene. To Dara's relief, only a few tubes ran to her mother's body and, though she could see a screen monitoring her mother's brain activity, she didn't see any sign of where the machine was connected to Leona. Slowly, Dara sat next to the bed and carefully took her mother's hand in hers, finding it warm but limp, lifeless.
For a long moment, Dara just sat there and stared at her mother. Leona gave no sign of life, and only the soft beeps of the machines, the almost imperceptible rise and fall of her mother's chest told Dara that Leona hadn't yet slipped away. Dara's eyes filled with tears at the sudden flood of memories of her mother. Though a devoted Contributor, Leona had always had time for Dara, had always been a wonderful mother.
Dara remembered long afternoons in the park
"No," Joshua said. "Stay, Jonathan. You're a member of our family."
"I don't want to interfere," Jonathan said.
"You're not," Joshua insisted. He nodded at the doctor.
"Her brain activity is good, but she's still unresponsive."
"Will she wake up?" Joshua asked, the words strangled.
"I'm sorry, Contributor Morrow, but we just can't say for certain. The indications are certainly good, but if she doesn't wake up in the next day or two, we may need to think about relocating her," he said, obviously trying to break the news gently.
"No," Dara said, the word a horrified whisper.
"But we can take care of her. We'll do everything we can to—" Joshua began, but the doctor held up a hand.
"Let's not worry about relocation for now. Let's wait and see if she recovers."
"Can we see her?" Dara asked.
"Yes, but only one at a time. And only immediate family members," he added, looking at Jonathan.
"Of course. I understand," Jonathan replied.
"Dad, you go see her first."
"Are you sure?" It was clear to her that he fought to restrain himself from running immediately to his wife's side.
"Yes. Go."
As soon as Joshua and the doctor were out of sight, Dara sank down onto a bench, dropping her head into her hands. Jonathan sat beside her, rubbing her back in circles.
"You heard what the doctor said, Dara. And you know your mom, she's strong. She'll wake up, I know she will," he said, his tone confident.
"What if she doesn't?" Dara asked, her voice small.
"She will. You'll see."
No matter how much she wanted to believe in his confidence, she couldn't deny her own anxiety. "Jon, when I go in there to see her, will you stay here with my dad? I'm so worried about him."
"You didn't even have to ask. I wouldn't leave him alone."
She permitted herself a few tears before taking several deep breaths. Drying her eyes, she raised her head once more and stared unseeingly at the generic walls of the med center. It felt like an eternity passed before her father returned, his face wet with tears as he sank down onto the bench. The doctor waited just outside of Leona's room, and he gestured to Dara.
"Jonathan will stay here with you, Dad." She squeezed his shoulder as she rose from her seat. His tears worried her, but she didn't want to add to his burden by showing him.
"Thank you," he said faintly.
Dara exchanged a worried glance with Jonathan, who began speaking softly to Joshua as she walked away.
"You may have five minutes," the doctor said as she entered the room. "She'll then need to rest."
"Okay," Dara replied, but her body went immobile, dread suffusing her from head to toe. All her life, her mother had been vibrant and strong, and Dara wasn't sure she could handle seeing her vulnerable.
Finally, she forced her feet to move. She didn't want to squander this time. Already, she could feel the seconds ticking away from her. She might never get them back, if the worst happened. Hastily, she pushed the thought aside.
The pallor of Leona's face, the colorlessness of her lips, belied the appearance of peaceful sleep. Still, her expression was smooth and serene. To Dara's relief, only a few tubes ran to her mother's body and, though she could see a screen monitoring her mother's brain activity, she didn't see any sign of where the machine was connected to Leona. Slowly, Dara sat next to the bed and carefully took her mother's hand in hers, finding it warm but limp, lifeless.
For a long moment, Dara just sat there and stared at her mother. Leona gave no sign of life, and only the soft beeps of the machines, the almost imperceptible rise and fall of her mother's chest told Dara that Leona hadn't yet slipped away. Dara's eyes filled with tears at the sudden flood of memories of her mother. Though a devoted Contributor, Leona had always had time for Dara, had always been a wonderful mother.
Dara remembered long afternoons in the park
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