The Assignment

Chapter 11: Absence

Kia's POV

It was cold when I awoke. My hospital room was pitch black and eerily quiet, not even a tiny noise from a monitor. The air around me was still. All I was aware of was the firm mattress beneath my body and the crisp, airy sheets that covered me. A thin gown clothed my naked body.

Eventually, I realized that the power had gone out. Upon that realization, a chill went down my spine. There was no commotion in the hallways, no air whirling through the room, not a person in sight. My breath hitched, and my palms began to sweat. The heartbeat within my chest became frighteningly erratic. A new thought came to claw at my mind; was I alone?

I began to chew on my nails, an old habit of mine that I couldn't seem to shake. Mindlessly, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The generic laminate was frigid beneath my bare feet. I took a few needles and wires out of my arm before getting up, seeing that they were useless now. Not that I needed them anyway.

There was just enough moonlight that filtered through the window to see where I was going while I paced. Back and forth, I silently padded across my room, pondering my situtation. How long had the power been out? Why did it seem like there was nobody here? And why hadn't someone come to check on me?

Questions like these bothered me for quite a while. Eventually, I had to take a seat against the wall because I got dizzy from the absence of the fluids that I'm sure they had been giving me until everything shut off. It didn't stop me from getting back up and pacing some more. Walking around aimlessly, becoming delusional from lack therof. After a while, I got scared that I might pass out. I didn't take another break to rest.

Suddenly, a bright beam of light cut across my vision. Through the hallway window, the face of a young boy appeared, looking in at me. He couldn't have been more than ten, twelve at the most. I stood, frozen like a deer in a field as he peered in, seeing the sickly sight of me with only a hospitial gown on, the scratches and bruises that marred my skin. Hair, still matted with my own blood. If I scared him, he didn't show it.

The boy rattled my doorknob, assuring that it was unlocked before entering. Eyes trained on the floor, he didn't meet my gaze as he stepped inside. He held a blue arm cast close to his chest. His demeanor was meek and sullen, like he wasn't quite sure how to approach me. He sets his small, child's flashlight on the counter beside the door.

"Hello." He says quitely, shifting his feet. "Have you seen my mommy?"

Instantly, I feel sympathy towards the child. He was probably twice as scared as I was, shaking in his own skin, having to approach a complete stranger in a frightening situtation. All he wanted was his mother, who was probably supposed to stay the night with him, who he didn't see sleeping in the chair beside his bed when he awoke. What was I supposed to say to him?

I knelt down before the boy, lifting his chin up to look at me. He made no attempt to look away. Maybe he felt like I was his only hope. "Hey," I said softly, using my years of babysitting experience to handle the situtation. "My name is Kia. Are you lost?" I asked.

"No. I'm Caleb, but everyone calls me Ceb. I just woke up and it was dark and cold and my mom was gone. I got surgery on my arm yesterday, and they wanted me to stay the night. My mom should've been there when I got up, and I don't know where she went." He said with a growing tremor in his voice.

"It's alright, Ceb," I say, trying the name on my tongue. "How about I help you find your mom, and you can help me find my friend, Chris. Maybe there's a nurse or someone at the big reception desk down the hall that can help. How does that sound?"

"Okay." Caleb said timidly. "Thank you."

"Sure thing. Come on, let's go. The sooner we find them, the better."