Splash part 5

Laura had started reading the book again. She didn’t know how long it would take the group to eat and come back. The book was really interesting. It was written over the island, its traditions, and anything you can image. It had pictures of the flora and fauna. One flower she liked the best was the flower the locals called flaming sun. It had red and yellow petals.1

The nurse had brought Laura her food. Typically hospital food was bland and unappetizing, but this hospital was different. She was served fresh fruit and vegetables. That morning she had fresh fish, for lunch she had what tasted like pork. The fruit was the best part: pineapples, mangos, and watermelon. And the best tasting milk she had ever had, mostly because she couldn’t remember drinking milk.2

Just as Laura had finished her tray, she heard laughter in the hallway. She looked towards the door just as the four walked in. She smiled as soon as she saw Kaela.3

“Good you awake. This is Kanoa and Lea. They were with Kei and I when we found you.”4

“Thank you for helping me.” 5

“It was nothing. How are you feeling?” Lea asked. Kaela sat in her chair beside the girl’s bed and Lea pulled up one on the other side. Kanoa just stood there, uncertain of what to do when Keala motioned for him to pull up a chair beside her.6

“I’m doing much better.” Laura answered. She looked around the room for Kei. He was standing beside the table under the window. She saw him set something down before he walked over to join the group. Then she saw the flowers. They were the flaming sun.7

“Thank you. I saw a picture of the flaming sun in this book I’ve been reading and fell in love with it. Thank you for bringing it.” Laura’s eyes had filled up with tears as she gazed at the flowers. Kei’s cheeks started to turn as red as the flowers.8

“It.... it was nothing. Just.. figured you’d want.. something different to look at while you’re here.” Kei had answered so softly and so fast, the group almost didn’t catch it all. He pulled a chair up at the end of the bed and sat down. Before he could say anything else, Kaela and Lea had started a conversation with Laura. Kanoa had picked up the book the girl had been reading. He flipped through it before handing it to Kei. When Kei opened it, he realized who the olld woman was. He started thinking and asking himself ‘Why?’9

A nurse came in several hours later to tell the group they had to leave; visiting hours were over. They said their good byes to the girl, promising they would be back tomorow. Laura watched them walk out. She didn’t want them to leave. All of them were really nice. Lea and Kaela acted almost as if they were sisters with her. Kanoa was telling jokes trying to get everyone to laugh everynow and then. But Kei, he just sat at the end of the bed and looked at them. She loved that he had brought her flowers, and her mind had been running all day to figure out what he meant behind it.10

The nurse came back to check Laura’s temperature, blood pressure, IV bag, and the rest of the stuff. After that she brought in Laura’s dinner. More fruit and vegetables. This time there was a soup. It smelled really good. Laura took her spoon and filled it with what looked like chicken noodle.Steam was coming off of it so she blew on it. When she took a sip, she felt like she was in heaven. Never had she tasted soup this good before.11

Laura finished her dinner before the nurse came back for her tray. Laura moved the bed down so she could go to sleep. She lay staring at the flowers until her eyelids closed. That night Laura hada dream. It was all a blur. It started out with a lot of kids running a round a pool. THere were table’s set up with cake and punch and gifts. Adults were standing all around but she couldn’t see the faces. Before she knew it, the scene changed. The kids had grown into teenagers. Several of them were swimming. Some were tanning on the chairs, and others were making out. Laura knew the swimming pool as if she had swam in it. The scene changed again. Laura was no longer looking at the swimming pool, she was seeing a church surrounded by vehicles. She heard crying, but she didn’t know from what. At the end, she saw nothing. Everything was black. She was cold and wet. She was in the ocean being tossed from one wave to the next.12

The morning light coming through the window woke her up. She was breathing really fast, and her body was covered in sweat, and her head hurt even more. ‘Could that have not been a dream, but really have happened? Was that part of my past?’ Laura thought to herself. Her breathing slowly returned to normal. She was just about to sit up when the door opened.13

The door opened. It looked like almost as if it was Kaela or Lea but it wasn’t. The girl walked into the room and froze as soon as she saw Laura looking at her.14

“Oh no. This is not going to work. You are as pretty as everyone said. Well that doesn’t matter I can easily fix that but be warned my dear you will not have him. He is mine.” The warning hung in the air. The girl had left just as quickly as she had entered. Laura couldn’t help but wonder who that was and who the He was the girl was talking about.15

Before Laura could think much on it, the nurse came walking into the room with a tray and a line of people behind her. The group had came back early. Each one was carrying what looked like a doggy bag. Sure enough, after Laura was set and the nurse left, the four took their chairs and started to eat. Laura had forgotten all about her strange visitor. She was glad though that the group had come back. Between bites, Kaela, Lea, and Kanoa had Laura lauging with tidbits, remarks, and jokes. Kei just sat at the end of the bed, eating his breakfast, and not saying a word.16

When the nurse came back for the tray, the doctor followed her in. He asked everyone to stand in the hall so he could check on the girl. Kei hadn’t said a word all morning. Kaela was getting worried.17

“Are you ok? You haven’t said anything. You just sat there.”18

“I’m fine. ... Just tired.”19

Kaela knew her brother was lying. Something was bugging him. She looked up and saw Kanoa looking at her. He had been looking at her alot here lately. She had always liked him, secretly of course. He was her brother’s best friend. She would never do anything to jeoperdize that.20

Kanoa knew something was up with Kei but his mind was to busy thinking of Kaela to think about anything else. She looked pretty today. Her hair was shining in the sun. He couldn’t wait to get her in the water. All he could think of was her swimming, boating, surfing…21

“Kanoa! Didn’t you hear me?” Kaela asked.22

“Huh… What? Sorry I was thinking about something. What’d you ask.”23

“I asked if you would want to teach me to surf again this summer.” Kaela had been taught to surf when she was younger but had never quite gotten down. So each year someone had to take her through all the basics.24

“Yeah.. Sure.”25

The door opened, and the doctor motioned for everyone to come in. The group came in and stood in a semicirlce waiting for the doctor to speak.26

A few minutes went by as the doctor kept clearing his throat. He was writing on a clipboard.27

“She’s good to go. I assume you have lodging for her?”28

“Yea, she’s staying with...”29

“Good. Good. Here’s a list of foods to keep her on a strict diet. We don’t know if she’s allegic to anything, and we really don’t want to find out. Here are a few precriptions you’ll need to fill. One is a pain releaver for just in case; the other is an steriod to fight possible swelling and other such. Sign here on the bottom line, and she’s in your hands.”30

The doctor thrust the clipboard into Kei’s hands. After he signed it, the doctor rushed out, leaving the room silent. The girl was sitting on the bed staring at the floor. She knew she was staying with one of them, but because of the rude docctor didn’t get to hear it.31

“Wow. He was rude. I wonder whats crawled up his..”32

“Kanoa! Watch your mouth. I’m just glad he’s gone. So are you ready to go?” Kaela asked turning towards the girl.33

“What the rude doctor interrupted Kei on was you’re staying with us. We’ve set up the spare bedroom for you. If you want we can take you there now. I have some clothes you can try on. Hopefully they fit. We can decide to do what we want afterwards.”34

“Sounds great. I was kind of hoping to see the beach. Sitting in the hospital, I heard it all day long.”35

“Sure no problem. You can try on a couple of my suits, and we’ll go to the beach. Lea. Kanoa. Do you want to meet us at the clump of trees we usually meet at?”36

Sounds great Kaela. How about you Kanoa?”37

“Sure. See in 15?”38

Kanoa and Lea left. Each headed to their place to get changed. Kaela and the girl started walking towards Kaela’s place, talking about different things. Kei just fell in behind them. He hadn’t said much. Mostly because his mind was turning.39