Temporary Home

Temporary Home by A.E. Neal (Please respect the author and do not publish or copy without author's permission)



Doc tells me I might be going home tomorrow. I've spent most of my life in a bed because my legs don't work. My nurse, Mekka, takes me to the window everyday, so I can watch the birds feed from the copper bird house in the courtyard. Some days she even gives me ice cream, but tells me it's a secret. I love Mekka. I never met my mother, but I suppose I would consider her to be as close to a mother as I could get.

My temporary home is very small and crowded. My bed is comfortable, I have food and water. Mekka says Doc wants to keep me safe from the others who are bigger and older than me, so this is the only reason my room is so small. There aren't any windows in my room. There is a door with bars, that crisscross between the metal frame. I overheard another nurse say that she thought it was better for everyone that I stay locked up in the smallest room. I don't like that nurse much. She gives me my medicine and I don't like the taste of it. It tastes like chalk and leaves my throat dry. She tells me that maybe one day someone will take pity on me and give me a home. Mekka always scolds her for talking to me that way. I get scared when they fight and I hide under my blanket until they stop.

Mekka tells me I'll have a visitor today. She says there is a doctor who wants to look at my legs, that she might be able to help me walk again. This makes me very excited. I've never even been outside. I wonder if my new doctor will let me play outside with the others. Mekka tells me I need my rest, so I snuggle down under the covers and close my eyes.



"Sammy, wake up," A sweet voice whispers in my ear. "Come on, sweetheart, wake up."

My eyes flutter open. It smells like fresh rain and baked bread.

"There she is," The unfamiliar woman purrs.

She's wearing the same clothes Doc wears, only her shirt has red fire hydrants printed all over it. Her eyes are the color of warm honey. Her smile makes the butterflies in my tummy go away.

"Hi, Sammy. My name is Eryn," She says, patting my head. "Are you ready to go home?"

I tilt my head to the side in confusion.

She nods her head and winks, "It's going to be a long trip to Colorado."

I've never heard that word before. It frightens me, so I hide my face under the blanket.

"I promise I won't hurt you, Sammy. This will be fun," She says, lifting the blanket at my feet to see my face.

Mekka smiles and I know everything will be okay.



Eryn waves to a few nurses as we make our way down the long, narrow corridor, toward the front doors. Mekka lifts me into the backseat of the van. Eryn sits beside me and fits a gray strap across my chest before clicking the buckle in place. The van's engine roars and sputters before jerking forward. I've never been in a van before, everything moves by so fast. Greens, browns and blues all blur together as we follow the narrow road.

I am nervous. I wonder where we are going. Eryn says this will be fun. I lay my head down because the sway of the van makes me feel sick. The van comes to a stop a few minutes later. The heavy steel door slides open. Eryn unbuckles the gray belt and lifts me into her arms. Over her shoulder, I see a giant white dove, like the ones in the courtyard, only this one is much bigger. This bird has a stairway coming out of it's neck and has windows along it's body.

"We're almost home, Sammy." Eryn says, rubbing my back in slow circles.

She carries me towards the enormous bird and ascends the stairway inside the bird. She moves slowly down the isle and lays me down on a cool leather seat.

"Sammy, I need you to do me a favor. I have to give you some medicine to help you sleep, okay?" She asks, reaching into her big red bag.

I hate medicine, but I like Eryn. Why does she have to give me medicine? I miss my blanket. Where is my blanket? Where is Mekka? Mekka wouldn't make me take medicine.

Eryn rubs my back. It makes me feel safe and calms me.

"Just a little, okay? It doesn't taste too awful, I promise." She says holding a plastic tube filled with pink liquid.

She squeezes the pink liquid into my mouth and I swallow because it tastes like ice cream. She tells me to relax and close my eyes. It's time for me to sleep now and when I wake up, I'll be in my new home. My heart dances in my chest. My new home! I can't wait, but for now, I'm very sleepy. I close my eyes and dream of the birds in the courtyard.