The Angel's Silence 31

Rayna's heart was pounding. This meant that her twin sister was dying.

She could not believe what she had heard. She didn't want to be the one to tell Maya, her father was in a coma, and her mother was nowhere to be found. She walked up to the doctors, and quite bluntly asked them what was going on, but for some reason, they refused to answer.

"Please, doctors. You have to tell me what is going on."

She pleaded, but it was in vain, they still refused to say anything to her and walked away.

Rayna looked into Maya's room, contemplating whether or not to tell her what she overheard the doctor's talking about or not.

She chose not to, but as soon as she walked into Maya's room, she could tell something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Rayna?"

Asked Maya

"N--- Nothing. Nothing is wrong."

Lied Rayna

"Don't lie to me, Rayna. You always were a bad liar."

By now there was no real point in hiding the truth any longer. She sat at the edge of her bed, and said,

"I am sorry to have to say this, but I overheard your doctor's saying something about dreading having to tell our parents the news. It sounds like bad news, Maya. I'm sorry."

Maya became instantly deadpan. She wouldn't speak or move.

She just sat there completely silent. Rayna didn't know what else to say.

Everything she thought of saying sounded too insincere.

"Can I get you anything?"

She asked Maya

She did not answer or say anything.

"Would you like to be alone? I can leave if you want."

Said Rayna

Maya remained silent. Rayna did not know whether or not to leave the room. She silently prayed that she would say something... anything.

Rayna got up, and looked out the window, remembering of all of the good (and sometimes bad) times she shared with Maya. She couldn't believe that her sister could be dying, and them stupid doctor's wouldn't do anything.

"How do I tell mom? Or do I?"

She asked herself

***

Mariya stayed at Antanas' bedside, listening to the soft ticking of the clock on the wall. A painful reminder of time going by without her husband regaining consciousness. She held his hand, and said a silent prayer for his recovery. However, she did worry about whether or not to tell (ask) him who Elena really was, and if her story was true.

"What if his memory never returns to him? What if he never wakes up? What if Elena was telling the truth?"

She asked herself these questions many times

She finally grew tired of waiting. She searched everywhere for Antanas' doctor.

When she found him, she asked him,

"What are the chances of him waking up soon?"

The doctor sighed, and with the sound of frustrations in his voice said,

"Mrs. Alekseev. We have been through this already. I told you before that there is no way for anyone here to know what the chances are. He could wake up now or never wake up at all. We just don't know."

He then just walked away. Mariya was angry with the way he spoke to her.

"I bet the man has never lost someone close to him before or he wouldn't act the way he does."

She said to herself.

As she was walking back to Antanas' room, she noticed a woman in the waiting room in tears.

Mariya decided to try to comfort the stranger. She couldn't tell how tall she was because she was sitting, but figured she wasn't very tall.

She had medium length golden blond hair, dressed in all black with a black leather suitcase next to her. She appeared to be in her mid 60s.

Mariya sat next to her, and said,

"Hello, ma'am. Are you all right? Can I get you anything?"

At first, the woman looked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language that she didn't understand, and after several seconds said,

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you were upset, and just thought I'd ask if you needed anything."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that I have been here everyday for the past three weeks, and not once has anyone here said a kind word to me."

"I have noticed that myself. Everyone here doesn't seem to be very friendly."

"Well, at least you are. My name is Anna Aarden. My granddaughter has N-stage cancer. I have been here with her everyday. She seemed to have been getting better, but today she took a turn for the worst. They're with her now. They said it won't be long 'til..."

Mariya put her left arm around Anna, and tried to comfort her as much as she could.

"I'm so sorry, Anna. Are her parents here?"

"No. I don't know who her father is. He took off when she was born, and her mother died of cancer a few years ago. My husband also died of cancer seven years ago. I've been with her alone. I just can't believe I am going to lose another one to cancer. I just don't understand what I did to deserve this. Everyone I love keeps dying. It's not fair!"

"I know that feeling. Someone tried to kill my daughter a few days ago. I almost lost her, and now my husband has been in a terrible accident, and is in a coma. It's almost too much for me to handle. I know it doesn't compare to what you've gone through, but I just want you to know that I am here if you ever want someone to talk to. I know we just met, but we can learn from each other, be each other's friend. Obviously no one else around here will be."

"Thank you, dear. You don't know what that means to me. I'm sorry about your husband and daughter. I hope they will be all right."

"My name is Mariya, by the way."

They continued talking...

***

Rayna had left the room to give Maya a few moments alone. Maya got tired of being left in the dark (so to speak) She went to look for the doctor's, and force them to tell her what was going on with her.

She got up out of bed, ran out of the room and collapsed right outside the door.

Rayna saw this, and ran to her, but had trouble getting through with all the onlookers.

(To Be Continued)