The Raven and the Hawk- Episode 8

Raven

Raven opened her eyes. Her clothes were damp against her skin. So were the sheets of her bed.

"Raven, how do you feel?" Jesse sat in the chair beside the bed. He looked terrible. His hair needed brushing and the dim light accentuated the dark shadows beneath his eyes.

Raven sat up and groaned. "What happened?"

Jesse placed a cold hand on her forehead and stuck a thermometer between her lips. She lay back against the pillows and waited until he removed the thermometer. He smiled as he read it.

"You're temperature is back up." He brushed the hair off of her forehead. "You were delirious."

"I don't remember anything except going to the bathroom at school. Then I got dizzy." Saying the word allowed caused a new wave of dizziness to consume her.

"We found you unconscious in the hallway. I couldn't wake you up, Raven," he swallowed and she could tell he was trying not to show how worried he had been. "The ambulance took you to the hospital where they ran some tests. They said it was just the flu and sent you home. You've been sleeping on and off for two days."

"I have?" She looked at the window and saw it was covered with a blanket to block out the sun.

"Yeah. And you were babbling."

"What did I say?"

"You were going on about flying and the desert and ravens and hawks."

"What?"

"You kept saying, 'the ravens can't find the hawks.'"

"Strange," Raven yawned, tears burned in her eyes. "I feel so grubby."

Jesse gave her such a serious look then, that she laughed.

"You scared the hell out of me, Raven. I thought I was going to lose you."

"You won't lose me, Jess," she chocked a little on the lump rising in her throat. Jesse hugged her tightly, crushing her ribs. "I might be contagious."

"I don't care," he said.

"Jesse, I'm soaked. I need to take a bath."

"Need help?" He grinned.

She smacked him on the chest. "Get out."

"Don't over do it, Raven. You still need to rest. " Jesse kissed the top of her head and then left her alone.

Raven did not stay in the bath long. The water was too hot. Plus she just wanted to get back into bed. Jesse sat in the chair, waiting for her. He jumped up to help walk her back to the bed. He'd put clean sheets on for her.

"I'm so weak," Raven complained.

"It's no surprise. This is the sickest I've ever seen you, Raven." Jesse sat down in the bed beside her. She snuggled up to him. If he wasn't worried about getting sick, then she wouldn't worry either. It felt so nice to have his arms around her, to have his fingers running through her wet hair.

"Jesse?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm glad you were here when I woke up."

He kissed her hair. She was so comfortable in his embrace that her sleepiness grew worse. She tried to stay awake, but she drifted off while he talked about their upcoming graduation. And this time, she did not dream.

* * *

Raven awoke again at six o'clock. Jesse was gone. The chair beside her bed sat empty. She was thirsty, incredibly thirsty. She grabbed the cup of water on her bedside table and drank it all. She was still thirsty, but the weakness she'd felt early seemed to have gone.

She walked downstairs to the kitchen. Her mom stood over the stove, preparing dinner. It smelled delicious.

"Mmmmm. What are you cooking?" she asked and slid into a chair at the table.

"You're dad wanted steak. We're just about to eat."

Raven's stomach growled. "I'm starving."

"You are? That's great. I can make you some chicken noodle soup," her mom offered. She set the plate of steaks down in the center of the table. They dripped with juice.

"No thanks. I'll eat this," Raven picked up a large piece and plopped it onto her plate.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" her mom asked, turning to the doorway. "Scout! Dinner! Get your father."

Raven didn't even bother to cut her meat. She picked the whole piece up with her fingers and bit into it. She swallowed the juice as if it was water.

"Raven! For goodness sake, slow down. You're going to make yourself sicker," her mother placed a fork and knife beside her plate.

"Sorry." Raven dropped the steak onto her plate and used the knife and fork to cut it properly.

"How are you feeling?" Scout asked as he sat down across from her.

"Much better."

Scout scowled at her plate. "You don't usually like steak, especially when it's pink."

Raven shrugged. "Maybe my illness changed my taste buds."

"Do you want to play Mario Kart after dinner?" Scout asked.

"Christopher! You're sister is still sick. She needs her rest," said her mother.

Raven winked at Scout. He smiled and tried to wink back at her, but he hadn't managed to master a one eyed wink yet. The rest of dinner consisted of pleasant chit chat, but Raven barely heard anything. She ate two steaks. Afterwards, Scout ran off to play Nintendo. Raven got up to follow him, but her father stopped her.

"Sit down," he said, tapping his fingers nervously on the table.

Raven looked to her mother. Her face had turned gray. She suddenly looked tired and ill, too.

"What is it?" Raven asked.

"You don't have the flu," answered her father.

The hair on the top of her head crawled. "What do you mean? What is wrong with me?"

"The doctors don't know," her father sighed. He reached for Raven's hand over the table.

"They don't know?"

"Not yet. They ran tests while you were in the hospital. But we are still waiting for the results."

"Am I going to die?" Raven felt unwanted tears slide down her cheeks.

"Of course not!" Her mother clasped her other hand. "We won't let you. The doctors will cure you."

"But what's happening to me?"

"We just have to wait a bit longer," her father said.

"Wait? How long?"

"I don't know." He stood up and paced around the kitchen. Her mother began to clear the dishes off the table.

Raven was beginning to feel sick again. Maybe she should not have eaten. She swallowed. Her mouth was dry. She poured a glass of water and drank it down. And then another. Still she was thirsty.

"I don't feel well." She sagged against the sink. Icy chills spread through her body. Her father wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up. He carried her like he used to when she was a little girl and had fallen asleep on the couch.

"It's best for you to rest," he whispered as he lay her down on the bed.

Raven nodded, her eyes already closing. Darkness covered her like a blanket.

A voice cut through her peace. "Don't worry, darling. It happens to all of us." And then she laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed. Raven was afraid. More afraid than she'd ever been in her life.