NEON GRAVESTONES

Hugo shook his head rapidly, heart continuing to pound at a mile per minute. He could still feel the ground shaking beneath him, how the walls sounded as they cracked and crumbled. “I don’t think I-…what if it happens again?” His clutched both hands to his skull and closed his eyes, trying to breathe slowly like Sid suggested. “I need my sister.”

Gently, Sid began to rub the boy’s back as soothingly as she could. “We’re in one of the safest parts of the city, Hugo, I know it doesn’t look like much, but we’ll be okay,” Isidora said quietly, her eyes scanning the people around her to try and find the woman that she was familiar with. She’d known Hugo and Fiora when she took over as Fiora’s primary doctor, and now taking care of their father. Their family just couldn’t catch a break. “I haven’t seen her in my rounds so far here, but how about you stick with me and I’ll help you find her, okay?”

I’m not the one who’s the least bit important right now, I feel fine. My health can wait.

I know you mean well, but I’m not going to let you do your mad search until I give you a once over. I can’t just sit idly by while you could potentially get yourself more injured, no matter how noble it is.

How can I help? I’m a trained nurse.

Oh, thank god you’re okay. I’m glad to have all the help I can get, Everly. I’ve got some supplies on me but they’re not going to last long if we treat everyone with them, we’ll need to separate who’s heavily wounded but likely to survive. Then we’ll go from there.

Who knows how many people are still trapped underneath the rubble. I’m still going to look for them.

You can’t help people without taking care of yourself first, and I still need to check you out.

I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.

Hey, Hugo– just focus on me and my voice, you may be having a panic attack but I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.

It, um, it could be just the shock to my system from the tremors, right?

I’m not the kind of girl who sits on her ass and takes it easy when I put my mind to something, right now, that’s on finding the rest of my siblings and baby cousin. Hate to make a trip to the hospital if it turns out that it’s not even there anymore, who is to say we will not run into that scenario.

“It could be but it’s hard to tell without access to proper medical equipment, which is why I want you to keep it as easy as possible,” Sid said with a sigh, resigning herself to the fact that Andromeda would be one of the patients that would do the opposite of doctor’s orders. She reached into her bag and retrieved a wet wipe, gently dabbing the area around the girl’s wound to clean the edges up. “It’s not too deep, just be careful. Find who you’re looking for and then sit down and stay with them– the moment you start feeling any intense head pain or extreme nausea, you need to sit down. Concussions are no laughing matter,” the doctor stated matter-of-factly as she rifled through her bag more. The good thing about living in Vincent territory, or bad thing depending on how you looked at it, there were no shortage of injuries and that meant she always had supplies handy; however limited. Retrieving butterfly strips, Sid placed them on Andi’s forehead, sealing the wound closed as much as she could. “There’s a lot of unknowns, and we’d run ourself ragged trying to think about them all– the only thing we can control is what we do, not worry about things outside of our control. Though hospitals are meant to withstand earthquakes if it makes you feel any better.”

“Okay. Okay. I’m relaxing.” Delia breathed in a long intake of breath and released it after a count of ten, undoing the knots straining her shoulders until her body posture straightened with the most amount of relaxation she could muster. “Not as severe as others, but,” The woman held out her hands palms facing up, revealing the shallow nicks blending in with the lines etched into the skin, “Doesn’t feel as bad as it looks.”

Sid nodded as she watched the woman attempt to relax as much as possible, given their current circumstances, appreciating Delia’s efforts. “Don’t think you have it easier just because you don’t have many physical injuries, you’re pregnant. If anything is feeling off, get me immediately, okay?” Sid all but demanded before her dark eyes flitted to the woman’s hands that were showing. Reaching down to her satchel she still managed to keep around her shoulders, she pulled out a unopened bottle water and splashed a tiny bit on Delia’s palms to clean the surface before spraying some antibacterial on it, “sorry if that stung– just try to let that soak in a bit before you go touching things; don’t need to get it infected.”

I feel like I’m seconds away from puking my guts out. That’s not good, right?

My name…Andromeda Cabello. Zone 2, St. Cascadia.

That’s usually not good under any circumstance.

No, I’m not okay. As if my stress levels aren’t high enough already.

I know this is a stressful situation, Delia, but I’m going to need you to focus on me and trying everything in your power to relax as much as you can. Do you have any physical injuries that you need me to check out?

Do I look okay? Jury’s still out.

Cuts on the head are usually superficial but it’s how hard you were hit that could be worrisome.

That’s a relief, I’ve been waiting all week for this appointment and my curiosity needs sating. It’s not every day a girl finds out the gender of a baby she’s carrying that’s not genetically hers.

“Well, isn’t that the truth, I’d be driving myself nuts with the anticipation,” Sid said with a small chuckle, shaking her head as she nodded over to the examination table, “go ahead and lay on your back, get comfy, I’ll need a second to get everything prepped.”

Oh, no, it’s fine. I can reschedule and come back if this isn’t a good time for you. I don’t mind.

Nonsense, I’m not going to make you reschedule. We have to check on that little one of yours and I would loathe missing a single appointment.

Oh, I’m early for my appointment again, aren’t I?

Delia? Shit, I think I’m the one that’s running behind, you’d think I’d be better at time management. 

“Isidora.” Enzo spoke firmly, reaching over his hands and gently wrapping them around his sister’s wrists to steady her habit. It wasn’t in his belief that she was disregarding his feelings, nothing would ever make him think Sid wanted to take the selfish road and worry for herself over her own brother. A troubling realization damned on him as they dicussed his decision to leave, this would likely be their last conversation in Newford before his certain banishment to Greenpoint. His last time in his apartment, in his home, in the same room with his younger sister who meant the world and beyond to him without a phone screen between the pair considering calling will be their only source of communication with the borders closing. “You don’t need me in the way you used to anymore, Sid, I want you to know that. You grew up great, you grew up strong and so goddamn smart, that I can’t imagine how any prouder I could get. No matter what you decide, honey, you’ll always have a home with me.” Enzo released his hold and pushed himself from his seat, glancing towards the door and dreading when the time came he needed to walk through it. “It isn’t a time to be crass and buddy buddy. He realizes I fucked up and betrayed him, he’s going to shut me down and send me packing without a second glance.” He sighed softly, “I will. Just stay safe while I’m gone, okay?”

Enzo stilling her hands did nothing for Isidora’s mind, running at full speed like it usually does at work, but this time it was all about her brother. Images flooding her mind with every single possibility that his choices laid at their feet, and all of them weren’t good for her. For them. They’d been around each other ever since she was a child, he was everything to her. “I only turned out this way because of you, Enzo, you should give yourself some credit,” Sid replied quietly, taking her hands that he’d released and folding them in her lap. His words hit her her as the same realization that he had dawned on her, too. This would most likely be the last time Sid saw Enzo and her family would be broken up, the Huxley’s no longer with each other as they had been for decades. She rose herself, attempting to keep her composure as she turned to her brother; treating the situation as one of loss that she dealt with at the hospital. “You know I will, you’re taking all the stupid with you,” she said quiet, a harsh exhale as she could feel her eyes brimming with tears. Isidora moved forward, wrapping her arms around Ezno’s waist, “promise me you’ll be okay– just think WWID... what would Isidora do. Don’t do anything else I wouldn’t do or I’ll kick your ass.”

She’s stubborn, it’s clear where I get it from.

That’s why you’re my best girl.

Don’t I know it, you’re a dang knuckle head sometimes, but at least you’re a loveable knuckle head.

Everyone’s grown so lax with jumping the border lines in recent years, certainly wasn’t that way when our parents were our age. This is a shock to the system and one sweeping dramatic wake up call. The leaders are Gandalf and I’m now picturing Morri with a long gray beard. 

Take a seat and buckle up, buttercup, it’s about to get worse.

Don’t I know it. People run back and forth over the borders as if there’s no consequences. Thanks, now I can’t see Morrigan any other way and some how she still pulls off the beard.