STILL ALIVE

MYA'S DREAM

Laura kept going down a dark narrow little hallway, following the soft cries which kept drawing her; until the noise was only a thud, not a roar. Huddled a few meters from where she stood, she noticed a glow like that of a lamps' ~ it seem to be the only light in the tunnel; yet so fragile which made Laura squint her eyes to catch a better glance of whatever it was. As she stepped closer, it spontaneously lifted it's head, glancing up at it's interrupter~ revealing her pale, tensed and terrified face. Her eyes puddled in tears; red and rimmed with tears.

" Mya ? " She cried in a near whisper, her eyes danced with unshed tears.

It was actually a she not it; it was Mya~ Laura's face intuitively registered her surprise as her sister instinctively jerked up and threw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug as if she was gonna vanish with just a breath. Her gentle expression was tinged with terror; fear pulled her smile into something closer to a grimace.

" Laura..." She involuntarily shivered with the tears which freely trekked down her eyes like the droplets of a mad shower of rain. Laura spontaneously hugged her back, drown in her own tears as well.

" I've looked everywhere for you, Lau....where have you been? " She asked, tugging on Laura's limp arm. Her eyes, searching through her sister's eyes expectantly. Laura managed a smile, cubing her sister's face with both hands as she gently attached her forehead with hers.

" I'm sorry, Mya..... so sorry for keeping so long~ For making you wait this long " She stuttered amdist tears and hugged her again. Taking a quick glance around and over Mya's shoulder, Laura stated in a small voice, taking her hand into hers.

" Here...come , let's get out of here. You need to go now~ everyone is worried about you. They're waiting. "

In a quick move, Mya snatched her hand from Laura's, making her pause in her tracks. With a creased and fixed gaze, Laura stared back from her hand to her sister; who just backpedaled, tilting her head with a no. Her heart face screwing up in confusion, Laura mumbled convincingly.

" You can't stay here, Mya.... please " She cried with a stretched hand. " Come, please... let's go"

" No...! , don't ~ I'm not leaving without you, Laura " The words bursted from her mouth as she trembled with tears as if the doors of her heart were broken; her voice strained with anguish.

" I'm not doing this without you any longer~ everything had totally been a mess ever since you left. Dad, mum, Kelvin.....I mean everything" She sobbed which made Laura's eyes burn with uncontrollable tears. A thousand of questions lodged in Laura's throat. Afraid of the answers, she swallowed them.

" Let's stay here together" Mya added. " Just the two of us.... staying strong is too difficult, Laura" With that, she sunk to the ground, shattered. Laura neared her, wrapping her arms around her while they both teared up.

" Let's go back together, Mya~ both you and I.... I promise, you're not gonna do it alone this time, please " She said with a pleading gaze. Mya stared at her, hesitating but then, she assured her with a nod, her lips curved in a faint smile.

" We can't leave mum and Kelvin just yet, Mya~ think about dad too. This is when they needs us most"

Convinced with this, she scrambled to her feet with Laura's help and they both sauntered off.

HOSPITAL

With the last shock, Mya's line kicked into action again; showing her breath normalizing and pulses stabilized.

" She's back.....check her oxygen and blood pressure" The doctor alerted to which a nurse spontaneously responded.

Laura stared at Mya from a distant and then dashed out in tears as she kept wiping every drop with the back of her hand~ her encounter with her sister had really taken a thorn on her. Her words kept ringing in her head and a picture of Mya's pale face kept flashing in her mind, as bright and clear as a newly developed photograph.

With a few steps away from there, she sauntered past Kelvin and Amy who were also headed towards Mya's ward. With guilt taking the better part of her, she glanced away while she hurried past them in sobs.

" Have you seen it?~ It should be a few steps from here" She heard Amy ask Kelvin as they briskly raced down the corridor.

" Not yet... I think we're almost" Kelvin had answered while their backs faded further.

As Laura lingered by the similar doors trim along the corridor in deep slumber and sorrow~ observing each patient with every step she took; something caught her attention which made her pause in her steps. She instinctively clinged on the door as she stared through the transparent glass panel of the door with shock written over her face. She fluttered her eyelashes, her jaw slightly dropped as the words escaped her lips.

" I'm still alive..?" Her eyes narrowed for a better view. " I'm really not dead.... I'm not dead" She stuttered with relief on clarifying her doubts. Her eyes danced in it's sockets with tears of joy ~ It was truly her body on the bed with oxygen and tubes sustaining it.

For a moment, she doubted that was true , but it offered some comfort while her mind raced to figure a way out of her current situation and the first thought which came in mind was, Rubin. Not hesitating for a sec, she briskly wound her way down the corridors in search of him. Laura raced passed a few number of corridors but had no sign of him anywhere.

" Where could he be ? " She exhaled, blowing out air which verbalized her frustration and nervousness as she made a stop at the reception. Just then, she caught sight of him, exiting the hospital.

" Rubin " She called and sped after him.

************************

As he got to the street, he heard a familiar voice called from behind. Rubin instinctively made a turn, knowing who it was.

" Laura?....." He exclaimed in near whisper , surprised. " I thought you'll be staying by Mya tonight" He added on an impulse of which she intuitively snapped in, ignoring his question.

" I'm alive, Rubin....." Her words echoed and Rubin just stared, rooted in his ground with a fixed gaze. She instinctively nodded with a yes, emphasizing on her point. " Yes... I'm still alive~ In this same hospital, ward 212" She added. Just then, her knees went numb and she felt strange. Rubin caught her midway as she faint to the ground~ she felt drowsy.

" Hey, are you okay? " He asked but then, he noticed her legs and hand fading away. He trembled and Laura cried.

" What's happening ? ~ I'm fading, I feel so strange. "

WARD 212

Suddenly, her line dropped and the monitors charmed it's alarms which brought in a few doctors and nurses rushing; of which Amy and Kelvin were no different.

" What happened~ What's going on?" Amy cried but was escorted out at her notice while they robe on their best to curtail the situation. She watched from the glass with unshed tears as Laura's chest rose and fell rhythmically with each shock administered.

" She's going to be alright, mum..... she's come this far and our Laura isn't the type to give up so easily without a fight, trust me" Kelvin consoled and Amy nodded.

" I do, dear " She cried and a tear dropped down her eyes.

At the other end, Rubin who was as lost as Laura herself, tried to calm her, suppressing his fear, horror and frustration as he did so.

" Just hung in there and stay with me, please" He cried but then, the situation seemed hopeless. In a blink, Laura had all faded with just a very faint traces of her left.

" I love you, Laura... please, stay" He howled as the tears he fought back, trekked down his eyes. Her smile finally found it way out of her teary face.

" Thought you'll never say it..." She mumbled. " I love you too, Rubin~ I pray we'll stay happy together and live a long life in our next life.... I'm sorry for leaving you like this" Laura's voice faded with the cold breeze which silently swept over him.

" Laura...! " Rubin howled.