Page 3
Story: Through the Flames
She sniffled and moved away from my chest, whispering the first word she had ever said to me.
“Promise?” she said, and the sincerity in her eyes made me know that I could never let anything bad happen to her as long as I lived.
“I promise angel,” I said back. We stayed like that for a few minutes, but then I looked down and saw blood on the back of her hand.
I was scared and looked around the room, but there were no guards there. The doctor was in the corner, acting like he was hiding. I looked him straight in the eye, and to my surprise, he kept doing it. I nodded at him a little, and he did the same. We both agreed to stop fighting.
“Baby,” I said softly, and she hummed back. I pulled her away from my chest and held her chubby cheeks in my hands, trying not to say “aww” at her face that was all squished up.
“Why don’t you tell me your name?” She seemed unsure, so I decided to try something else.
“How about I start? My name is Carter, but you can call me whatever you want. You can call me Cart, Cartie, or Carter.”
I could hear her little giggles all over the room, and I knew then that I could listen to them for the rest of my life.
She laughed again and said, “My name is Amaya, but I don’t have any funny nicknames like you, Carter.” Then she went back to rubbing her head against my chest like a kitten.
I thought to myself again, “Amaya.” It was just right for her. Soft, clean… lovely.
“Amaya is a beautiful name, pumpkin. Do you have another one?”
I turned to the doctor to see if he was paying attention, and he was writing something on the clipboard he was holding.
“Mmhm, it’s Chase. My name is Amaya Chase. I don’t have another name, though. Some people have three names and some even have four, but I only have two. It makes me sad sometimes,” she said, pouting her lip and looking down.
“Don’t be sad, baby. Your two names are prettier than any other name I’ve ever heard,” I said, happy to see the smile return to her face.
“Amaya, you have some bruises, honey, and this nice man wants to help you feel better. Don’t you think we should call him over?”
I laughed at how hard she was thinking because her face was scrunched up.
“Okay,” she finally said. “But you have to be here the whole time, Cartie.”
I knew I was in trouble when I tried to make her laugh earlier, but I guess I’ll just have to deal with it. If she wants to call me Cartie, that’s fine with me. Forget about pride.
“Amaya, I promise I’ll never leave you.”
I helped Amaya get back into bed the right way and called the doctor over.
“Hello Amaya,” he said quietly, and she said “hello” back. “Okay, my name is Dr. Cole Ramirez and I’m here to help you get better.”
He checked Amaya’s vital signs after she nodded. She held my hands in an iron grip the whole time, and I couldn’t figure out how she was so strong.
Dr. Ramirez began to joke with Amaya in order to get her to trust him and talk to him.
“Amaya, do you think I look old?” Dr. Ramirez asked. I was curious about where he was going with this.
I couldn’t help but smile when her thinking face came back. She was so cute.
“You don’t look very old, Dr. Ramirez, but you don’t look as young and pretty as Cartie.”
I was shocked by what she said, and I was even more shocked by how red my cheeks turned. The doctor laughed at how I reacted, so I cleared my throat awkwardly.
“How old are you, Cartie?” Amaya asked.
“Sweetheart, I’m twenty-eight years old.”
“And what about you, Dr. Ramirez?”
Dr. Ramirez said, “Well, I’m forty-two.” Amaya was quiet for a few seconds while she thought, and then she spoke again.
“Dr. Ramirez, I’m sorry, but you’re the oldest person in this room. Then Cartie, then me because I’m only seventeen.”
She was 17? I thought she was about sixteen. She looked like a baby and, from what I could tell, she was about average height.
“That means you’re going to be an adult soon,” Dr. Ramirez said with excitement. “When is your birthday, Amaya?”
I could tell it was a big deal for her because her face lit up.
“Can you believe my birthday is in two weeks? I can’t wait! I’m going to watch all the TV I want and no one is going to tell me no!” She clapped with excitement, and I saw her mood change to one of curiosity as she looked around the room.
“Cartie, where is my dad?”
In a panic, I looked at Dr. Ramirez. How was I supposed to tell this poor little girl that her father had died in a fire that also destroyed her flat and almost everything in it?
I looked into her eyes. I looked at how they looked like they were twinkling. It was so bright and innocent, and I knew I couldn’t tell her the truth yet.
“He’s not here, Amaya.” I didn’t lie, but I also didn’t give her more information about the truth. I can’t stand to see her go back to that horrible place.
“Oh, well okay. He probably disappeared again. He’ll be back in a few weeks,” Amaya said, not paying attention to me and rubbing my thumb with her small fingers.
“Amaya, how often does your dad leave you? Is there someone who stays with you while he’s away?” Dr. Ramirez kept asking, and I glared at him from across the bed.
“Okay, I think that’s enough questions for now. Amaya needs to sleep,” I said, putting my hand on her head and helping her lie back down on the pillow.
“But I’m not tired, Cartie,” she said, turning to Dr. Ramirez. “And to answer your question, my daddy leaves all the time. I’m always by myself. He would go and when he comes back he brings me all different kinds of stuff. He always brings a lot of groceries and he’d bring more paint for me-”
“Okay Amaya, that’s enough talking for now,” I said, cutting her off because I didn’t want to hear any more. I didn’t get what was going on, and I didn’t think it was right to try to get her to talk by tricking her.
“Amaya, I think Carter is right. I’m going to send in a really nice nurse to take care of the bruise on your hand, okay? Then, she’s going to give you some medicine to help you sleep. Is that okay with you?” Amaya nodded, and Dr. Ramirez turned to leave, but not before giving me a look that said it all.
What the hell was going on here?
After he left, the room was quiet, and Amaya and I just sat there and looked at each other.
“Cartie,” Amaya said, and I hummed back.
I found her face so beautiful. From the light dusting of freckles on her little nose to the rosy, full cheeks. Her eyelashes were so long that they brushed against her cheek every time she blinked. And don’t even get me started on the hazel irises they protected.
Her reddish-brown hair was messily braided into two braids, which only added to the sickeningly innocent aura that was driving me crazy. This caramel-skinned angel was making me feel things that a 28-year-old man should never feel for a 17-year-old girl. Especially since they were going through one of the worst things that could happen to a person right now.
The nurse came in just in time to stop my mind from going down a very dangerous path.
As the nurse came up to us and introduced herself, Amaya held my hand tighter. I didn’t say anything; I just kept my eyes on Amaya and whispered words of comfort.
Every time she cried, my heart raced as the nurse quickly and skilfully fixed her hand.
I was so thankful that Amaya wasn’t hurt in the fire. I just know she wouldn’t have been able to handle that much pain.
I saw her eyes get droopy as the nurse put the pain medicine into her new IV line.
“Promise me you’ll be here when I wake up, Cartie,” Amaya said, her beautiful eyes fighting to stay open.
“I promise Amaya. I will never leave you.”
“Promise?” she said, and the sincerity in her eyes made me know that I could never let anything bad happen to her as long as I lived.
“I promise angel,” I said back. We stayed like that for a few minutes, but then I looked down and saw blood on the back of her hand.
I was scared and looked around the room, but there were no guards there. The doctor was in the corner, acting like he was hiding. I looked him straight in the eye, and to my surprise, he kept doing it. I nodded at him a little, and he did the same. We both agreed to stop fighting.
“Baby,” I said softly, and she hummed back. I pulled her away from my chest and held her chubby cheeks in my hands, trying not to say “aww” at her face that was all squished up.
“Why don’t you tell me your name?” She seemed unsure, so I decided to try something else.
“How about I start? My name is Carter, but you can call me whatever you want. You can call me Cart, Cartie, or Carter.”
I could hear her little giggles all over the room, and I knew then that I could listen to them for the rest of my life.
She laughed again and said, “My name is Amaya, but I don’t have any funny nicknames like you, Carter.” Then she went back to rubbing her head against my chest like a kitten.
I thought to myself again, “Amaya.” It was just right for her. Soft, clean… lovely.
“Amaya is a beautiful name, pumpkin. Do you have another one?”
I turned to the doctor to see if he was paying attention, and he was writing something on the clipboard he was holding.
“Mmhm, it’s Chase. My name is Amaya Chase. I don’t have another name, though. Some people have three names and some even have four, but I only have two. It makes me sad sometimes,” she said, pouting her lip and looking down.
“Don’t be sad, baby. Your two names are prettier than any other name I’ve ever heard,” I said, happy to see the smile return to her face.
“Amaya, you have some bruises, honey, and this nice man wants to help you feel better. Don’t you think we should call him over?”
I laughed at how hard she was thinking because her face was scrunched up.
“Okay,” she finally said. “But you have to be here the whole time, Cartie.”
I knew I was in trouble when I tried to make her laugh earlier, but I guess I’ll just have to deal with it. If she wants to call me Cartie, that’s fine with me. Forget about pride.
“Amaya, I promise I’ll never leave you.”
I helped Amaya get back into bed the right way and called the doctor over.
“Hello Amaya,” he said quietly, and she said “hello” back. “Okay, my name is Dr. Cole Ramirez and I’m here to help you get better.”
He checked Amaya’s vital signs after she nodded. She held my hands in an iron grip the whole time, and I couldn’t figure out how she was so strong.
Dr. Ramirez began to joke with Amaya in order to get her to trust him and talk to him.
“Amaya, do you think I look old?” Dr. Ramirez asked. I was curious about where he was going with this.
I couldn’t help but smile when her thinking face came back. She was so cute.
“You don’t look very old, Dr. Ramirez, but you don’t look as young and pretty as Cartie.”
I was shocked by what she said, and I was even more shocked by how red my cheeks turned. The doctor laughed at how I reacted, so I cleared my throat awkwardly.
“How old are you, Cartie?” Amaya asked.
“Sweetheart, I’m twenty-eight years old.”
“And what about you, Dr. Ramirez?”
Dr. Ramirez said, “Well, I’m forty-two.” Amaya was quiet for a few seconds while she thought, and then she spoke again.
“Dr. Ramirez, I’m sorry, but you’re the oldest person in this room. Then Cartie, then me because I’m only seventeen.”
She was 17? I thought she was about sixteen. She looked like a baby and, from what I could tell, she was about average height.
“That means you’re going to be an adult soon,” Dr. Ramirez said with excitement. “When is your birthday, Amaya?”
I could tell it was a big deal for her because her face lit up.
“Can you believe my birthday is in two weeks? I can’t wait! I’m going to watch all the TV I want and no one is going to tell me no!” She clapped with excitement, and I saw her mood change to one of curiosity as she looked around the room.
“Cartie, where is my dad?”
In a panic, I looked at Dr. Ramirez. How was I supposed to tell this poor little girl that her father had died in a fire that also destroyed her flat and almost everything in it?
I looked into her eyes. I looked at how they looked like they were twinkling. It was so bright and innocent, and I knew I couldn’t tell her the truth yet.
“He’s not here, Amaya.” I didn’t lie, but I also didn’t give her more information about the truth. I can’t stand to see her go back to that horrible place.
“Oh, well okay. He probably disappeared again. He’ll be back in a few weeks,” Amaya said, not paying attention to me and rubbing my thumb with her small fingers.
“Amaya, how often does your dad leave you? Is there someone who stays with you while he’s away?” Dr. Ramirez kept asking, and I glared at him from across the bed.
“Okay, I think that’s enough questions for now. Amaya needs to sleep,” I said, putting my hand on her head and helping her lie back down on the pillow.
“But I’m not tired, Cartie,” she said, turning to Dr. Ramirez. “And to answer your question, my daddy leaves all the time. I’m always by myself. He would go and when he comes back he brings me all different kinds of stuff. He always brings a lot of groceries and he’d bring more paint for me-”
“Okay Amaya, that’s enough talking for now,” I said, cutting her off because I didn’t want to hear any more. I didn’t get what was going on, and I didn’t think it was right to try to get her to talk by tricking her.
“Amaya, I think Carter is right. I’m going to send in a really nice nurse to take care of the bruise on your hand, okay? Then, she’s going to give you some medicine to help you sleep. Is that okay with you?” Amaya nodded, and Dr. Ramirez turned to leave, but not before giving me a look that said it all.
What the hell was going on here?
After he left, the room was quiet, and Amaya and I just sat there and looked at each other.
“Cartie,” Amaya said, and I hummed back.
I found her face so beautiful. From the light dusting of freckles on her little nose to the rosy, full cheeks. Her eyelashes were so long that they brushed against her cheek every time she blinked. And don’t even get me started on the hazel irises they protected.
Her reddish-brown hair was messily braided into two braids, which only added to the sickeningly innocent aura that was driving me crazy. This caramel-skinned angel was making me feel things that a 28-year-old man should never feel for a 17-year-old girl. Especially since they were going through one of the worst things that could happen to a person right now.
The nurse came in just in time to stop my mind from going down a very dangerous path.
As the nurse came up to us and introduced herself, Amaya held my hand tighter. I didn’t say anything; I just kept my eyes on Amaya and whispered words of comfort.
Every time she cried, my heart raced as the nurse quickly and skilfully fixed her hand.
I was so thankful that Amaya wasn’t hurt in the fire. I just know she wouldn’t have been able to handle that much pain.
I saw her eyes get droopy as the nurse put the pain medicine into her new IV line.
“Promise me you’ll be here when I wake up, Cartie,” Amaya said, her beautiful eyes fighting to stay open.
“I promise Amaya. I will never leave you.”