THE WARDROOM WAS SHARED by other three coma patients — plastic screens curtains separated the space in-between the three beds. On the corner of the room in the Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, was Laura's bed that had a window view.

Her head was heavily bandaged and both of her broken arms were in plaster-casts and were levitated. The younger sister, Roberta was sitting beside her bed and she toyed with her mother's 'Mimi' pendant, in the chain worn on Laura's neck.

She walked here every possible day to visit after attending her new school — she talked to her oblivion, older sister for an hour or two before she took the bus back to her Aunt's Flo's swanky condo on the other side of the city.

"When are you going to come out from your coma, I miss talking to you? Yes, I really do, Laura — even though in the past, all we do was argue most of the time. I know, I have never listened to you, and that is why Mum and Dad liked you more than me — yeah, I know that — they even loved you a lot more too."

Roberta had seen on a TV show about a coma patient who moved his fingers when spoken to — she waited for that sign and had not seen it on Laura after being a month in Ohio. She believed that someday it would happen — and all she had to do was to talk more positive things of encouragement to Laura — like reminding her of things back in Wellsville — but sometimes, the talks were more of a reflection in her own personal life...

... after losing her parents and her twin brothers in that span of a month.

"Mum didn't hate me though — but, she always kept on saying I am more like Dad. Mum always said I was always stubborn, who didn't listen and I fought back," admitting to her own cavil nature.

She knew Martha loved Laura more — and even called her 'Mimi' — which used to make her covetous — Roberta teased in a funny voice, mimicking her mother...

"Mimi-Mimi" So, you know why Mum calls you Mimi, right Laura?"

She told the stories that their mother used to tell, about their late Grandpa Ferrell — whom neither Laura nor she had met; who used to call Martha as Mimi when she was little — and after he died, nobody called their mother by that name — so when Laura was born, her Mum nicknamed her as Mimi.

"You remember that don't you, Laura?"

The nine years old Roberta kept looking at Laura's motionless fingers — and that frustrated her at times...

"Come on, show me a sign that you are listening — please move your fingers, Laura."

Roberta curled herself on the chair with her feet up — sulked and spoke aloud of more frustrations for being there for more than a month in Columbus, Ohio...

'I'm all alone with that big, bitching mouth Aunt Flo...'

Roberta hated the loneliness — and her only wish was that Laura would come out of her coma and be well again — so that the two of them can return home, to their dad's farm in Wellsville and stay over there together.

She hated the city — and the school she attended also — an abysmal with a classroom full of whiny girls after all the boys dropped out since the virus came and made them sick too. She missed the rough and tumbling games with the boys she knew back home — rather than playing with dolls at her age...

She laughed when she recalled that Laura had two Barbie dolls that she kept for years, as her own childhood collection — one day after a fight with Laura at home — Roberta snipped the dolls' hair off...

"I remember you got so mad when your Barbie went bald, and you did not talk to me for a few days — but you did not complain to Mum — you just kept quiet!"

Now, she was angry at herself — and also at Laura...

"These are the things I don't understand about you, Laura — things like you really don't like me that much, but, you don't complain — things like why on earth did you jump on that falling car? I clearly saw Mum pushing you out — but you jumped back in, and held on to the stupid car-door — and you all dropped down — boom!!?"

She shook her head at Laura's foolish bravery and realized that even if she was as old as Laura — she would not even have done that. After some deeper pondering, she nodded in realization — she finally understood her sister's reaction in that split moment, in making that celerity decision...

"Oh, I know now Laura, you jumped off that cliff, it was because you loved Mum a lot — and you wanted to save her even when you knew, you couldn't — you were even willing to die for her..."

Her tears flowed while Roberta professed the acumen of her own weakness...

"I wish I was as brave as you, Laura — but I am not, I am so scared — even I am so afraid now, being all alone here in Ohio."

She was sobbing even more with her face resting on Laura's chest.

She made a self-promise openly, that she would be more courageous and would protect her older sister because of her sister's willingness to sacrifice herself to save their mother...

"But you will never be alone — I am always here for you, Laura — you are the only one I have got left..."

Her cell phone then rang...

Roberta reached for it in the pocket of her jacket — that hung on the chair, which now fell on the floor. She wiped her tears and stepped out of the wardroom — leaving the jacket behind...

Disaster called, when Roberta saw the name on display on her ringing phone — AUNT FLO — her father's cousin, who was a single woman in her forties, working as a marketing executive in retail cooperation — she also lived with her two irritating and yapping toy-dogs.

Roberta was in a snit that the woman had called — angrily, she slapped her palm hard on the wall before answering the call...

The equally, annoying voice was nagging in chafe on the other side — demanding about Roberta's whereabouts, after not returning home straight after school. Florence Jensen was piqued by her niece's rebelliousness to her house rules that she wanted the girl to obey...

"Do you know what time it is? It is almost 7 pm, and a girl like you should be home after school before it is dark — it is not safe to wander around in the city as you wish. Why can't you stop being difficult for once Roberta, and listen to me? You should have been home — right here and right now — and having your dinner."

Her harridan Aunt Flo usually asked the questions and answered them herself when she spoke — she went on about Roberta's chores and responsibilities in the condo which they both have agreed upon — one of it was that Roberta fed the dogs after her dinner.

Roberta controlled her temper even when she was rebuked — and she then finally uttered in a drone...

"Aunt Flo, I am at the hospital — I am with Laura now."

"Yes, I know where you are — I had called the desk, and Nurse Eker said you are there...

"You even lied to her saying that I gave you permission to visit. What did I tell you the last time, that I will take you there for the visitation? Now here you are — a nine-year-old girl going out here and there, all alone — doing things as you like and please!"

Roberta could also hear the yapping, hungry dogs in the background, joining in loudly.

The girl broke off from her continence — vexed out aloud to remonstrate...

"But it has been 2 days since I last saw Laura, and you are always busy at work!"

Nurse Eker at the desk looked up — and so did a sickly, looking male, a Hispanic janitor who was mopping the floor, at the far corner of the corridor.

"Of course, I am working, and some days I get real-busy, that's why I am late in coming back — but, that is no excuse for a kid like you to wander off on your own at night. You get home now, Roberta! You are grounded!

"From today onwards, you will not visit the hospital nor go off anywhere by yourself after school — without any adult supervision, is that understood?"

Roberta flared inwardly, controlling her anger, and she reacted with her heel kicked back, trouncing the wall — leaving stains on the white wall. Roberta finally, uncontrollably yelled scathing back...

"Why can't you understand that Laura has no one but me — and that is why I have to be here with her!"

Nurse Eker at her desk shushed her to keep her voice down in the ward. Roberta stormed angrily passing Nurse Eker, who stared at her going away towards the elevator, at the end of the corridor hallway.

Janitor Monroe was coughing while he mopped the floor. Roberta stepped on the damp floor when she got into the elevator and left.

The short Hispanic man looked up ahead — and then saw Nurse Eker picking up a file and was leaving her desk, to do her rounds on the floor.

*

Roberta stormed out from the front entrance of the hospital — heading towards the bus stop. She sat on the bench, panting in choler and waited for the next late bus on schedule. She then slapped her forehead after realizing that she had forgotten her jacket — left on the chair beside Laura's bed.

She mentally anticipated her aunt's chastening for losing her belongings — to avoid the chagrin — Roberta turned back, but walked discomfited at a slower pace back to the hospital — the nine-year-old, too, was not in a hurry to go back to the condo and face the woman, whom she currently despised the most in the world.

*

The door opened, and janitor Monroe stepped in and closed it. He saw Laura in casts and bandages. He approached her bed and pulled the curtain to enclose the girl's bed. He removed the blanket covering Laura's legs, while his left hand caressed her, and his fingers went under Laura's gown.

The man unzipped his pants...

He knew he will not survive the virus after witnessing all the male deaths around him in that hospital — before his own time was up now — he wanted to leave his 'seeds' behind.

*

Roberta stepped out of the elevator, and she walked on the damp floor again, the janitor's bucket and mop were near to the wall. She moved in the long hallway and reached the nurse's desk — but, it too was vacant.

No one was around there — Roberta made her way towards Laura's wardroom...

She opened the closed door. Roberta saw the plastic curtain drawn close around Laura's bed. She stood a passing moment looking around, before she unsuspectingly grabbed hold of her fallen jacket, and moved forward to the door.

Monroe was lying on top of Laura, his panicky eyes darted around inside the drawn curtain. He was also using his palm to cover his own mouth — to control his coughing...

Roberta walked towards the door and placed her hand, turning the doorknob. She heard a faint gagging sound of a coarse male-cough in a room with three coma patients — it inveigled Roberta to turn back, slowly...

She stepped towards Laura's bed, and her hand touched the opaque curtain...

Monroe immediately lunged forward from behind — and they both fell on the floor — knocking the side-bureau — a tall, metal, flower vase cylinder with artificial flowers bought by her Aunt Flo fell over...

The vase rolled onto the marbled floor...

Monroe covered the girl's mouth...

"Don't tell on me! You, you cannot tell on me!"

Roberta struggled with the sickly, short man who was on lying on top of her — she used her knee to pound his ribcage. He struck the fighting Roberta back with a weak sock...

"You bitch! Please, you will not tell! You will not — or else, I will kill you!'

He murmured threats, while he coughed on her face, his hands clasped over her mouth. Roberta's hand sprang — clawed and gouged Hispanic man's face. He dropped to his side screaming, and the plump Roberta picked herself up on her fours — she tried to escape towards the door...

Monroe reached out, grabbed her ponytail, and Roberta fell backwards by the hard tug. Her panic-stricken hand searched the floor — and clasped on the metal vase. She swung it, and caught Monroe in the face...

She repeatedly pounded Monroe on the head and face — droplets of blood splattered over on Laura's face, the vinyl curtains, and the bedsheets and on the wall behind her...

The man kept crying out loudly, in near-death agony, while the tomboy bludgeoned him in full rage.

Nurse Eker heard the cries from outside and she rushed over — her eyes checking a row of closed ward room doors in the wing...

Finally, she found the source of the disturbance, coming from the ward floor.

Roberta dropped the metal vase, panting hard and she stood up drenched all over in the rapist's blood. She walked to Laura who had the blood splats on her cheek — repetitively saying to her older sister...

"God, Laura, what have I done?"

She tried to scour it off — but the blood from her own trembling hand made it smear more on Laura's face. The disoriented girl gave up cleaning up Laura. She sat amnestic on the chair, pulled her both quivering feet up towards her chest.

The door opened, and the old nurse saw the dead janitor on the floor. She ran out from wardroom B-415, screamed in terror after her eyes fell on the disfigured dead hospital employee...

His skull had cracked open, and his countenance caved in.