Please don't break.
Children passed by the large window their eyes quickly darting about, desperate to see the little girl made of glass. The staring didn't bother her as much as when they made eye contact. A willful smile spread across her pale face, hope would swell. They simply turned running back to their friends giggling.
"Havoc, are you listening?" Mother Nature asked sternly tapping a chalkboard at the end of the young girl's bed.
"Yes, Mama." Havoc distantly replied, taking a deep breath to build a little courage. "Mom?"
"Yes, dear?" Mother Nature replied as she began neatly filing away the papers.
"Why am I like this? Why couldn't I have been born like you, or daddy? Why does Trouble have to be like this?" Havoc's words felt foreign, she had thought them repeatedly for a really long time but never said the words out loud. It felt odd like a string was being pulled from in between her shoulders and her mouth couldn't stop moving.
Searching, reaching and clawing for words; Mother Nature finally spoke. "I do not know why you came out the way you did. I wish it had been me who developed this... affliction. You and your brother are the most important things to me."
"What about my baby sister?" Havoc exclaimed, her young face drawn together in concern for her unborn sisters well being.
"Well your little sister is special to me too, of course, we just haven't met her yet!"Mother Nature, often forgot how young Havoc really was, her lack of interaction with other children showed violently. Her demeanor was more like a young adult, not a prepubescent child. Mother Nature had to turn away as she suddenly began silently sobbing. Hot stinging tears streamed down her swollen cheeks head in hands.
Who is going to take care of my children when I am gone?
No, she could not do that, she could not handle that thought at this very moment. She swallowed, taking ahold of her self and looked back at her young daughter with a forced smile. "You look tired sweety, go to bed and I'll see you around dinner." She leaned down kissing Havoc on the forehead.
Mother closed the heavy cold door behind her and prayed, she prayed to everyone and no one at the same time. Desperately wishing somehow, someway, she would see her daughter be a child.
Mother walked down the creaky rusted corridor towards, the boy's wing of the medical bunker.
Trouble, Havoc's little brother was also born with Osteogenesis imperfecta, unlike Havoc, he shared a room with another boy. Mipsy, ten years old and was already five in a half feet tall. Trouble got to know what it's like to have a little bit of a childhood, his bones were not as brittle as Havocs, he was able to get out of bed and walk to a nearby padded game room, and Havoc was able to be moved to the game room with her brother Twice a week, Mother Nature took comfort as her mind slowed and she peaked in at two sleeping boys, the heart rate monitor soothed her, and she realized with a massive yawn that she was tired.
Havoc's eyes were heavy she laid her head back happy to get a little bit of rest. Sleep teetered over her, with a loud clank the large machine came to life, and her heart jumped. The rusted machine was made of pullies and old gears. Her father had built it years ago in the hope that the movement would keep her legs from atrophying. The gears of her machine were grinding, the joints were not oiled, the ropes were brittle and flaking with each lift.
Havoc held her breath as she listened helplessly as the machine jerked violently, it was trying to move her leg. Pain illuminated but it dissipated quickly. She was okay. One leg down she counted, focusing on relaxing her muscles as the machine whirred menacingly. Each limb slowly lifted, bent inwards, stretched out and placed back on the bed. When the machine silenced she let out a long deep breath. All of her limbs were intact and now she could sleep.
Her dreams filled her with hope, she could feel the breeze, she could see the ocean, and smell the salt water. She could feel the sand between her toes. She had never really been to the beach, she had only read about the white luscious sand between her. Her whole young life has been and will be spent tied to a crumbling machine, within crumbling walls of a crumbling underground shelter they all call home. Dreams of a beach that died too long ago began shifting, changing and the world around her became a box, smell of sweating condensed bodies stabbed at her nostrils.
Relief came when the smell dissipated, vaguely becoming aware of a light knocking on her door. Havoc sleepily called out, inviting whoever it was in. A tall slender man stood in her doorway, hat pressed against his chest, brown hair sticking up in where his pomade stuck to his hat.
"Ms. Nature?" He said gently surprised, Havoc couldn't help but giggle. "No, that's my mom. She's in the garden wing." The man smiled at her and bowed. "No, Ms. Havoc Nature, you are the young lady I am looking for."
Havoc heard the surprise in the man's voice and drew her brows together defensively. "Are you surprised?"
The man nodded setting his hat on a small table next to her bed. "Well Yes, Ms. I am. I expected you to be a little older."
"Older! I am old enough, who are you?" Havoc carefully observed the man, her finger resting on the call nurse button.
"I am Rob Privilege at your service." Taking a deeper bow next to her hospital bed this time Havoc could smell his hair, it smelled like the ocean. Or what she thought the ocean smelled like, but before she could ask him anything about the real ocean Mother Nature walked in.
"Can I help you?" She asked, instinctively stepping between this strange man and her daughter.
"Hi! Yes Ma'am, My name is Rob Privilege, I am with Academy." Rob's smile illuminated his face as he bowed for the third time.
"What do you want?" Mother Nature asked bluntly, not impressed by his manners. Academy was not who she wanted around right now.
"Havoc has been requested at Academy. Her scores were really spectacular. She is one of three people who scored high enough..." Mother Nature cut him off placing her hand on his face. "Mr. Privilege, with all due respect. My child is barely capable of taking more than a single step without shattering a bone, Shattering Mr. Privilege."
"Mother!" Havoc sternly called out. "I want to hear what he has to say!" Mother stopped looking at her young daughter.
"Well, ma'am we believe privet in-home tutoring is possible. Your daughter had the highest scores, and forgive me, Havoc. That is why I was surprised, the others who scored were already in High School. You scarcely seem like you'd be out of elementary." Havoc beamed ear to ear. She was as smart as high school students.
"She's not." Mother stated at her daughter. They had already run through most of her study material, Academy would provide a level of education Nature her self could not provide.
"We are willing to provide a free education for Havoc, however, it does come with a catch." An honest regret filtered through his words. "Havoc will have to undergo an experimental surgery after her body matures."
"I'll do it." Havoc said despite her mother's protest.
"Havoc..." Her mother was scared but she knew that Havoc had to try.
"I don't know why I was born like this Mama, but if there is even an inkling of a chance I can do more than take a single shaking step I will take it. Even if it means risking my life."
