Taking chances (Marree)

Every time Kalina walked into this hospital, she was either being treated herself or it was for her father; it was never her siblings nor her mother. Never before has she had to worry about her little sisters ending up here like she did two years ago, they weren't even old enough to be in the forest working. So the question on her mind, was why? Why her little sister? It was her friend, Seth, who told her that her mother had to take Lotus to the hospital suddenly. He didn't get to tell her any details before she took off running. Fear pushing her on toward the one place she dreaded.

Upon entering the hospital, a flood of memories ran through her mind of being carried in. A sudden pain in her shoulder suddenly came back to her as she headed straight to the window. She never looked anywhere into the waiting area and she certainly didn't notice the guy who had looked at her upon her arrival. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

Kalina pecked on the window to grab the attention of the staff. "I'm here for my little sister. Lotus Naiser. Please, tell me where she is."

"I can't let you through. There is only to be one person back there with her and I'll assume it is your mother already. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait out in the waiting room." Kalina raised her hand to her head and looked around the anxiously.

"But it's my little sister. I need to see her."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I will let your family know that you are here, but for now, please have a seat and we'll have someone out with you in a moment, dear." The staff member gave her nothing but a simple gesture to sit.

Kalina stood there stunned as she was turned away. Hospital rules. She hated them. When she was brought in, her sister's weren't allowed in there either until she had a proper room. For the time being, she couldn't do anything but wait. The waiting room wasn't too big, but there were enough chairs to sit in, however, to her dismay, there wasn't a single chair that wasn't occupied without having to sit by someone. It didn't matter to her at the moment as she saw the gentle face of a man closest to her and the empty seat beside him near the window. A perfect spot. She settled beside him and leaned against the backrest of the chair, kindly giving him a respectful smile as she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and rubbed her shoulder.

Breath... breath... just calm down. I'm sure she's fine. Perhaps, she just got sick or something. Wish I hadn't left Seth without letting him give me an explanation of what happened to Lotus...

So many thoughts ran through her mind at that moment, but she couldn't just sit there without knowing. That was the hardest part about the waiting room. The musty odor of the old chairs and the old newspaper clippings people have brought in to pass the time didn't help anyone. Sure, you could always read through the announcements or daily counts of the lumber yard, but you can only read them a few times, before you can memorize them. Kalina glanced up at the clock and stared at the second hand tick away. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Is your sister here? I'm sure she'll be fine.

Kalina looked up and over toward him, her worried expression seemed to soften when he had looked at her. For the first time, she actually got to look directly at him. His eyes only peered at her from the corners but she could see the color. One of her favorite colors; green. She flashed another quick half grin to him and looked out to the other people in the waiting room. Everyone seemed involved in their own worlds. The woman across the room had a mask over her face and coughing while the little boy on the other side that sat with his mother held a cloth to his finger. Turning her attention back to the man, she replied with a hesitant voice.

"Yes, my little sister was brought in, but not sure why yet. They wouldn't tell me anything. How long does it take for them to let people know something? I do hope she's okay. I don't know what I'll do if something ever happened to her." She rubbed her shoulder again, massaging her thumb over the sore spot. Her eyes diverted toward the floor again.

She came in half an hour ago, didn't she? Little dark haired girl?

She nodded and agreed with him. "I think so. I had someone get me out of the field. Did you see how bad she was hurt or anything?" She questioned him, begging for any information he might have seen.

The presence of a person through the door to the backrooms of the hospital made her heart drop as the nurse, dressed in a white outfit, motioned for her. Kalina once again glanced at the young man and hugged her arms toward her body as she walked to the nurse. A few minutes later, she reappeared, a few tears trying to be concealed and sat back down beside the man.

"She's going to be alright. Fell out of a tree... well, actually, the tree branch broke... with her in it. But she'll be okay." She nodded her head slightly and gave a small chuckle and with one more wipe around her eyes, she looked at him with her dark hazel eyes. She figured that a conversation would be more entertaining that rereading the lumber logs especially since she knew she'd be there a while. "Been there before... falling trees, ya know? How about you?"

Who hasn't in our district?

The very thought of it only brings back memories of her encounter with the fir kind. Although most of that day is a memory in which she can hardly recall due to the nature of being unconscious for most of it, but as long as her sister doesn't have to endure what she did, she'd be happy. However, until she got to see her sister, the fear still clenched at her heart.

"As have I, but it comes with the territory working up in the trees. After you fall out of them a few times, you learn quickly how to stay up in them... I just don't know why she was up in the tree in the first place. She never climbs without me around." She shook her head a bit and looked toward his leg. She noticed he favored it a bit, even while sitting. He seemed to take onto her pondering and he answered for her.

"Well, any accident of any kind isn't great in this district. One slip of the hand... well, you probably know where I'm getting." She listened to his soft voice and listened to the pitch. He sounded as gentle as his face looked. Truly could he be just that all the way around in his attitude as well?

"What kind of surgery they doing to your leg?" She questioned. He seemed uneasy around her. Of course, she knew the ropes of surgery waiting. "Eh, waiting is the worse part of it all. I was in here two years ago for my shoulder, but its the after party that's the best. The get well cards and all. The visits."

That's when he offered his hand to her and a name as well. She took the gesture with a smile.

"Tyler... I'm Kalina." She smiled at him and placed her hand into his, feeling the rough skin against hers. What was to come next? More questions or waiting? She took a few moments to recollect her thoughts and she leaned to one side, putting her hand to her hair again to mess with the ponytail. "You have any siblings?"

"My little sister is only seven, but usually she doesn't climb without me. I teach her everything she needs to know about taking care of the trees and doing what I do. I teach her about the cuts and how to keep from getting in the way of the falling branches. My dad taught me at that age, but I guess I will have to urge her to be more prepared next time she tries a stunt like that again. I guess, we all make mistakes from time to time, no matter how old we are." She recalls the newest lumberjack that caused her accident. A young guy, no older than she was now. He had taken to cutting the tree the wrong way and went against his mentors advice. It was her quick reflexes that saved her friend that day, but cost her some of the mobility in her shoulder.

"I understand that. Luckily, I was a bit younger when my accident happened and I was only in training and wasn't a full time Arborist. Although, my parents could have used the extra money while I was out, we made due from just them working just like before."

"Gross? Nah. Not to me. I've been through it once already. A little unsettling to look at after its all done with but that only lasts for the first time you look at it. After that, its not new anymore."

Kalina had watched as he adverted his gaze from her moments ago and began to wonder if he was just nervous or was it a sign that he didn't want to talk anymore. It was confirmed when his excited voice chimed asking about the surgery she had went through. She concluded that he truly was unsure about what was to come next. He was curious. She flashed him a half smile and shrugged her shoulder.

"I was pretty much out of it when I got here. I remember bits and pieces of it. The white hospital room and the smell of the alcohol when they rub your arm with it for the IV. That's the part I hated. The smell, but your put out before they take you back to surgery. So, I never saw anything but my dad before they took me back. It wasn't too bad, then after you wake up, your in recovery. Pretty simple as that." She leaned back into her chair again, clasping her fingers together as she spoke calmly. Her voice lowered almost to a whisper when he mentioned something about not thinking anyone would visit. "Well, I'm sure that someone would come. It's not everyday that you get to be waited on hand and foot and not have someone pay their respects."

She gave a small laugh remembering when her sisters arrived in her room an hour after she went into recovery. They acted like she had died and came back from heaven. Asking her constantly if she was okay, giving her hugs and kisses and Lotus bringing her a toy from home.

"Won't you be missing your surgery date? I mean, you are here for a reason, am I correct? I definitely don't want to keep you from missing your appointment, whenever it is." Kalina raised an eyebrow to him and looked to the front desk then back at him. If he left now, would he come back for his surgery? The invite to get out of that musty, alcohol smelling room seemed right on time and the thought of the coffee seemed perfect.

Kalina nodded her head in agreement with him when he was asking if he'd be able to teach some young people something about the forests and about work. "Of course. Why not. My experiences aren't the same as yours. I do different stuff when I'm out in the field and I'm sure you've got loads more experience than I do. Perhaps, when my sister comes out, you'll be able to give her some advice about not falling out of trees, since she obviously don't listen to me as much as I thought she would?" She shrugged her shoulder. This waiting was getting on her nerves. When would she know something more about her sister?

Tyler mentions a joke that doesn't exactly go over well with the woman in front of them as Kalina notices the glare she had given him. A sly smile appeared on her lips, but she kept Tyler from seeing it and covered her mouth with her hand just to conceal it. The woman, who gave the awful stare across from her, began to cough again and that made Kalina uneasy. She rubbed her arms and shuddered against her will.

"I hate being sick. This waiting room is a germ factory..." She mentioned to him in a brisk whisper then regained her composure. Her ultimate weakness was having to stay out of the forests and being stuck surrounded by four walls. She didn't realize that talking about the IV's and the alcohol would have bothered him until he said what he did. She quickly raised her hands up and tried to console him. "Seriously, the needles are tiny. You hardly feel them. Just don't look and you'll never know. Besides, you want to make sure you are out for the surgery. Come on.. if I can do it, you can too. Needles aren't exactly my walk in the forest either unless they are from a pine tree." She couldn't help but play a small smile as she tried to comfort him and without meaning to, placed her hand on his arm.

In the many times, her two little sisters got hurt, the best way she could console and comfort them, was by placing a hand on them and letting them know she was there. Just a simple act of contact always used to ease her little sister's fear with ease. What she failed to do was think that this wasn't that situation. Embarrassment flooded her cheeks and realized that by placing her hand on his arm, even by consoling, was weird since they had only been talking long enough for names and surgery advice. She quickly removed her hand and adverted her eyes momentarily.

"I'm sorry that my sister did that too you. I'll give her a stern talk-to." Kalina gave a quick nod with head, "and I think the feeling is mutual when it comes to good company. I don't know what I'd be doing if I hadn't of had someone to talk to in here. It's already a pain waiting, as you have been long enough, but when waiting on the news if someone will be alright it takes forever. Thanks!"

Kalina watches as he tries to conceal the smile pulling at the corners of his lips when he explains that he didn't really mean anything about drinking coffee. He does, however, back it up with a true invite for another day. What would one do in this situation? Agree and hope for the best or decline and hope that this was just his nerves talking?

"Sure. That would be alright. After all, I think I may owe you one for the surgery pep talk." Owe him one? For what? Making him more nervous at the talk of the needles or reward if he going through with it? Which ever way, having refreshments with someone as nice as him would be an awesome day away from the woods. A pleased look appeared on Kalina's face.

Mr. Hobbs

Kalina moved her head suddenly when she hears the name being called out. She looks pleased that it wasn't for her, but in a way disgruntled about having to wait longer. She keeps glancing over at Tyler casually. Not more than a few minutes later, Kalina jumped up to her name being called. She raced up to the nurse to talk to her. She sighs heavily and puts a hand to her chest and nods occasionally and when the nurse squeezed her arm, she walked away and went to sit next to Tyler again.

"They are going to keep her overnight just to make sure she's okay. Luckily, she only sprained her wrist, but she got a bump on the head that needed stitches. That's why they're keeping her." Her voice drags on for a moment before becoming silent and Tyler beams with questions.

"Okay, okay!" She plays with him. "I do not have a dog, but I do have two cats. Mouse and Timber. They are my babies. I love them to death. What about you, Tyler? Do you have a dog? or cat?"

The question about music puts a puzzling look on her face. "I would have to say I don't listen to much music, unless you count the birds in the forest or the sound the axe makes when it bites into the trees. Have you ever tried listening to music in that manner before? Its quite calming. I got a question for you now, if you've ever thought about it, tell me what you like about the forest."