Doctors only cared about one thing: money. Or so Bella had been convinced of. Her experience alone showed that the doctors didn't seem to care about side effects or alternative treatments. They just medicated and charged for care... or lack of care. Bella sat in the doctor's office, her leg bouncing up and down. Belie had finally convinced her to visit a doctor, and with a pretty good argument: the doctors who knew of her were back in London. What if something detrimental were to occur in New York?
At the moment, Bella was running out of medications again. Never a good thing. And it seems there was once again something strange going on in her abdomen. Yet, she could survive a while longer without the meds, and she already knew the cause of her troublesome tummy so there was no life-or-death situation. "Isabella Barthel?" the receptionist called. Bella's heart constricted in her chest. Doctors and hospitals just made her think of her past hospitalisations. She thought that being in a private practice would bring her some ease, but the fact remained that it was ultimately a doctor who would be examining her. She needed a full physical as a new patient. That meant collecting base vitals, doing a hands-on exam, gynaecological, and no doubt she'd be referred for a psychiatric consult. "Isabella Barthel?" Bella stood up rather spontaneously and walked right out of the practice. She took a deep, tremulous breath and fumbled in her shoulder bag for a pack of cigarettes. With her classes finished for the day and no scheduled shift at the Shelter, she had nowhere to go. She walked about idly for a while before deciding on going to the Shelter anyway. She could use some kitten love.
0 Comments
Bella lay on a blanket on the floor, beside the box of the shelter’s orphaned kittens. They were all fast asleep, except for ‘Blondie’. The orange tabby, sucking on a bottle of formula, looked sleepily at her caregiver. Bella wondered if Blondie missed her brother. Bella still couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. The little black cat had been the runt of the litter, but he seemed to be getting stronger. It was just a few hours ago that Bella returned to the room to find the kitten dead.
In addition to being in a crappy mood, Bella felt ill. She grimaced and moved a hand to her lower abdomen. She hadn’t felt the familiar symptom in a while, but it had chosen today of all days to make a reappearance. Bella placed the kitten back in the box with the rest of her litter. She then curled up on her side again, her eyes on the box. As she lay there, waiting for the pain to subside, her thoughts wandered back to the little black kitten they’d called ‘Red’ for the red string they’d tied loosely around his neck at birth. They all had so much hope for the little guy. Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet voice. “Bella? What are you still doing here?” It was Gina. Bella glared at her colleague. “Well I thought I’d check the kittens before I went home, and it’s a good thing too because Red died while there was no one here to supervise him.” She was perhaps harsh, but pain plus grief only made her agitated. She grabbed her blanket and headed to the door. “Try not to let any others die on your watch?” she said. As she got her things and left the building, she felt bad for the way she’d spoken to Gina. It wasn’t the girl’s fault, but between Nathan having to euthanize a horse and Red’s death so close together, it had been a bad week. Death would always be part of Bella's job; not all animals could be saved, obviously, but knowing this didn’t make her feel any better. Not at all. Bella glared out the window just so she wouldn’t have to see all of the couples inside of the bus. It was as if the holiday made public displays of affection a requirement. A couple behind her were spewing compliments at one another (you’re the sweetest--no YOU’RE the sweetest--you’re so cute---you’re cuter). “Oh for Melvin’s sake,” Bella muttered. She rang the bell and got off the bus. She’d rather walk than listen to that.
She drew her coat tighter around her body as she walked. The last chills of winter was making a stand, and as always, her leg didn’t appreciate it. By the time she arrived at the university, her leg was aching rather and she was disgruntled beyond necessity. She scowled at every couple who walked by. Gods, she hated this holiday. For a moment, she stopped, giving her leg a break. Soon, in the warmth of the indoors, the pain should subside, but for now it just annoyed her. She weaved through small groups of people in the cafeteria and headed straight towards the coffee. Maybe some caffeine would lift her spirits. An older woman, a professor perhaps, offered her a saccharine smile and said, “I love seeing young couples on this day. So sweet. Do you have a special someone?” Bella gaped at the woman, maybe a bit too hard. When the woman’s expression sank, Bella apologised. “Uhm, no, sorry.” She forced a polite smile. The woman dove into a discussion about life being short and love being important. She even went so far as to remark about Bella not wasting her youthful beauty. Bella was just about to snap when she heard a familiar voice. “Isabella.” Only one person said her name that way. Bella’s heart leapt unexpectedly as she met Nathan’s gaze. A small smirk played on her lips at the sight of her boss in a different element. From veterinarian to esteemed professor. “Professor Dwyer,” she greeted with a nod. The woman looked between the two of them and moved on. Bella chuckled. “Thanks for saving me,” she said. What is extremely fascinating is that just about every single elephant attack on humans can be linked back to some type of direct injustice to them. The fact that they can remember individuals involved even decades later is absolutely phenomenal. Bella highlighted the sentence and tapped her pen against the article. She stared at the blank Word Document for a moment, placing her pen down so she could position her fingers on the keyboard. Still, nothing came to her. Her mind wandered back to Mexico. The beautiful sunsets over the ocean, the soothing pitter-patter of the rain, the wonderful company. She wondered how Nathan was coping with his shoulder and his lectures at the university. She wondered how was Belie. Eli. The rest of her family. Shaking her head, she tried to refocus. "Alright, come on Bella," she said aloud. She sighed and closed her laptop, grabbing her textbooks and heading into the bedroom. It was nice to have a place of her own, at last. An apartment where she could actually return to each night instead of an RV or intruding in someone else's home. There was a soft smile on her lips as she settled on the bed. Perhaps she could live a normal life, overcome everything she'd experienced. Heal. At the moment, things felt hopeful, and it was thanks to Mexico and to the person who'd suggested the trip. She would be forever grateful. Yet... if she didn't focus on this research paper, she would never pass the class and therefore never earn her degree. "Ok, Elephants," she said rather loudly. Maybe if she read aloud, the info would get into her head better. Elephants are highly endangered in range countries, due almost entirely to human-elephant conflict and poaching. It is a problem that many conservation organizations are trying to tackle simultaneously and from different angles. Could she someday work with these incredible animals? She sure hoped so.
Outside of the tents, the palm trees bent underneath the fierce winds and the downpour of the rain. She huddled close to Nathan, looking around at the force of nature. In a way it was beautiful, but she would enjoy it much more if they were in safety. At the moment, that stunning bolt of lightning striking the ocean could be them. The trees bending in the wind would collapse and crush them. Perhaps these thoughts weren’t the best in the given situation, but she couldn’t help it.
“This way,” said Nathan, when he’d finally found his flashlight. He lit the way, a path towards the forest. It was times like these that tempted Bella to pray. They hustled through the forest, Bella being tossed this way and that every time a strong gust of wind swept through the path. Nathan had to grasp her arm a few times to keep her from being practically blown away, and as frightened as she admittedly was, the whole situation was rather hilarious. Who would’ve thought that after all she’d been through, she’d be killed by some tropical storm. “I think I see it,” said Bella, but the thunder muffled her words. “I think I see it!” she yelled, tugging on Nathan’s shirt and pointing dramatically towards a cave hidden in a distance. He grinned and nodded, pointing the flashlight that way. They hurried on, stumbling over fallen branches and slippery leaves. Bella’s heart was pounding every step of the way. They were almost there. The cave was partially covered by bushes and other flora. Bella suddenly wondered, what if they weren’t the only things seeking refuge in the cave. This land was native to panthers, jaguars and coyotes. Her heart raced, not just with fear, but with excitement. The rain was icy cold and fell so hard that it was almost painful. “Almost there,” Nathan yelled encouragingly. He pulled her up the small incline that led to the cave and at last they were sheltered from the tempest. Still, they both held their breath. Bella glanced around for any signs of animal life: footprints, bones, stored food… but they seemed safe for the time being. She couldn’t tell how deep the cave was, but for now they didn’t have to worry about that. Heaving a sigh of relief, she dropped her backpack onto the cave floor. Her clothes were soaked through and through and she was freezing cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced at Nathan. They looked at each other, reading the underlying amusement in their eyes. It had been a scary journey but oh so exciting. Without any words shared between them, they burst into laughter. Bella laughed and laughed until her belly hurt and then she sighed deeply and tried to contain herself. “Now to survive the rest of the night…” she said. Bella lay on her back, gazing up at the inside of her tent as rain poured down upon it. Soon, this Mexican trip would come to an end, like all good things had to. For hours, it sounded as though the sky had opened up to give way to the rain. Thunder roared like a mighty lion, lightning seemed to illuminate the entire area every time it struck. Bella could hear the sound of the crashing waves on the shore. They seemed a little louder than usual, but it was probably just because the storm made the tide more forceful.
Sitting up, Bella grabbed her blanket to pull it closer up to her chin. With the storm in full effect, there was an uncanny chill in the air. The rain usually brought her peace, but somehow she couldn’t settle down with everything going on outside of her tent. She wonder if Nathan had been able to find sleep just next door. Hadn’t he mentioned days ago that he liked storms? He was probably asleep and she should attempt the same. As soon as Bella lay back down, she felt something moist against her foot. She sat up abruptly, looking down. The sand at the entrance of her tent seemed wet. That must mean… She jumped up and unzipped the tent. On the horizon, a bolt of lightning seemed to touch the ocean and the thunder seemed to rumble the very foundation of the earth. Bella’s heart tightened as the next tide washed all the way out to shore, creeping up towards her tent again. “Crap,” she mumbled. “Nathan!” She crawled out of her tent to tap against the side of his. “Nathan! The tide’s coming in. We gotta go!” She rushed back into her tent and began haphazardly stuffing her belongings into her bag. She heard his voice, but the thunder muffled his words. “Nathan?!” She didn’t know what he was saying, but at least he was awake. “What do we do?” she shouted over the downpour. “Where do we go?!” The burning sun was starting to retire for the night. Somewhere in the distance, a mariachi band played “Feliz Navidad”. Bella sat on the beach shore beside Nathan. A comfortable silence rested between them. There was always something so relaxing about the sunset. Bella wondered what the rest of her family was doing at this moment. They were probably all gathered in New York, celebrating the holidays as well as the birth of the newest member. Most likely, they would all be at Rico and Ceci’s place, fussing over the baby girl. Rhea was rather cute from what she’d seen in pictures. She almost wished she was there to see her in person, but that meant she’d have to see everyone else as well… everyone else.
She wondered if all of Ceci’s family would be there too. One big, happy family. Perhaps Adam was there. He’d showed up once or twice at family celebrations, even when Lucie had been born. Her teeth dug into her lower lip. These days, thoughts of him crossed her mind often, but more of a fleeting thought. What if he wasn’t alright? What if he was? She wasn’t sure which she should worry more about. Normally, he would be one of the first to hear about all the changes happening in her life. Vet school, the animal shelter, the fact that her dream seemed more achievable than it did in the past. But she hadn't heard from him in over a year... Excusing herself from Nathan’s side, she walked towards the two tents set up higher up on the beach, away from the tide. Her phone had been turned off to preserve the battery in case of emergencies, but she would make an exception for this. For a moment, she thought of calling Rico, but any member of her immediate family would just ask a million questions, so instead she just sent Ceci a text: “Hey Ceci. Merry Christmas and congrats on your baby girl. She’s cute and her name is awesome. I don’t know if everyone’s there, but if you see Adam, tell him to text me or call me. I haven’t heard from him in almost a year. Anyway, give my brother and the girls my best wishes.” Turning her phone off again, she rummaged through her bag to find a card she’d purchased in town while Nathan hadn’t been looking. Just a simple card with Feliz Navidad written on the front, and some spanish message on the inside, followed by her hand-written sentiments, thanking him for all that he’d done for her: the job, the temporary place of living, the work visa, this holiday to take her mind off everything. He was an incredible friend and she wished she knew how she could repay him. She stepped out of the tent and gazed at the sun as it sank beneath the horizon. Tomorrow would be another day in Mexico, and for the first time in years, she felt she could let go of all the things usually troubling her. Tonight, she would just enjoy the sunset and in the morning, she would watch the dawning of a new day. Sitting beside Nathan again, she handed him the card with a smirk. “I don’t usually do this,” she said, “but Feliz Navidad.” |
Isabella Kaylee DwyerWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2017
Categories |