Bite Your Lip by Julianna Isbell (lightweight ebook reader .TXT) 📖

Droplets of water from the torrential downpour slid down the glass window. The reflecion in the window was of a weary girl with gradually drooping eyelids, tangled brown hair, and an exhausted head resting on a slippery palm. This couldn't be my reflection. I had way better hygiene then this.
Daniel still asleep from surgery. A bone-marrow transplant for his increasingly malicious leukemia flowing in his veins. The nurses fumbled around with the therapeutic machinery that sat in the corner of the large, white room. Everything was white in Sacred Days Hospital, from the walls, the flooring, and the ceiling right down to the hue of their patients skin.
Not to say this hospital is a bad hospital, although it's a horrible

hospital, I'm just saying that the staff of Sacred Days are all rude and incompetent, despite the propaganda they produce on commercials that claim otherwise. This particular nurse I loathe; she's a neurotic narcissist who can't grasp a small object for the live of her. Maybe it's the two tons of bleach she douses her fried hair with every other week. Or maybe she's just a ditz. Who knows, who cares?
"Uh, help?" the blond nurse squealed out to the hallway. "What the hell? Hello?" I heard another nurse grunt, and shuffle their feet towards Daniel's room.
"What now you ignorant dolt?" another nurse stepped into the room, glaring at the seemingly innocent blond. She did a double take looking back at me, from what I could see in the reflection, then resentfully scooted towards the blond to help.
"Riley?" Daniel's voice rang from the hallway. My relentless fatigue slowed my response, but as soon as I was able to turn my body Daniel was shifting himself into upright position. "Oh, nurse

Sandra." he grumbled to the jet-black haired lady helping the blond.
"Oh, patient

Daniel. Good to see you're awake. Should I call nurse

Hannah in to give you some food?" the nurse replied rudely. I didn't get why they put so much emphasis on nurse and patient, but I was too tired to ask.
"That would be lovely." Daniel spoke still glaring at the nurse.
"Riley," the nurse turned to me, "Could you go out to the waiting room for a moment? I need to speak with your brother alone." I nodded and reluctantly stood from the chair I almost fell asleep on and dragged myself down the hallway, descending back down onto a less comfortable chair.
The ICU quarantine wing was located on the south-west area of Sacred Days, providing shade from the sun setting and rising. Right now the navy sky filled the windows that lines the white walls of the hallway, and dusty clouds covered the waning moon. I watched as the nurses became increasingly annoyed with the patients, grunting with every semi-request.
I couldn't see Daniel's room from where I sat, it was around a corner. But what I heard coming from his room didn't sound at all pleasant or appealing, so I pushed my tense body to walk back towards his room. I stopped outside of the closed door, peeking in through the little window. The curtains were pulled, but I could see tow nurses standing before Daniel's bed.
"Shut up Kane!" a muffled voice rang through the door. Kane? I'd never heard that name before. I heard the steady beeping of Daniel's IV stop suddenly, but no alarm went off. I became worried, listening closely for any other sounds. There were muffled voices I couldn't make out, and both girls stepping back, as I slowly tilted the door handle downward.
I avoided any noise as I opened the door, but it creaked when I had it half way open, and both girls turned towards me.
"You! Go back out!" one nurse shouted. I saw another man step out from behind the two girls, and I saw that the blond nurse had disappeared, leaving only the two girls and a familiar guy. "Leave Riley!"
The man advanced towards me, but I swooped my fist out in front of my and hit him square in the jaw.
The man stumbled backwards, leaving all mouths in the room gaping open. "Kane taught her how to fight." one nurse said to the other.
"Who's Kane?" I screamed, pulling back the curtains. The sight I saw then rose the acid in my stomach, leaving an empty feeling in my chest. Daniel lie on his bed with a ghostly stare at the ceiling. His complexion had turn pasty white and his lips parted slightly. "What did you do to him?" I charged at the two nurses, throwing my best punches and kicks, only to have all of them blocked.
One nurse grasped my arm and twisted it behind my back, but I pulled away from her tight grip and kicked her in the stomach. The other nurse hit me in my temple and knocked me to the ground, leaving me temporarily disoriented. The man grabbed both of my arms and picked me up, placing me back onto the chair I'd been sitting in before.
"He died Riley. Ka- Daniel

is dead." the nurse I kicked growled.
"You killed him you bastards! You're murderers! What makes you think you can get away with this?" I uttered, tears swimming down my cheeks.
"We didn't touch him Riley. We'll be right back, we already pronounced him dead." The man reassured. All three left me alone with my brother. My arms were sore from the man and the nurses, but I managed to pick Daniel's head up and lift onto my lap.
"You're not dead." I muttered as tears fell onto his cold skin. "No, you're just sleeping weird. That all. Do you want something to drink? You seem a bit thirsty. I'll make you something to drink. Just stay here, don't move." I had to force the words out of my swollen throat.
I stood slowly and walked out to the hallway towards the vending machine. The two nurses caught me in their arms, as I fell silently to the ground, unable to speak. I closed my eyes and wished everything away, everything went black.

Publication Date: 06-25-2010

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To Jessica, Autumn B, Tiffanie, Ms. Lockhart (Mrs. King), and the rest who've read my samples.