Highly Commended Story - An Episode Of Convalescence

“An Episode Of Convalescence” by Apoorva Vishwanath, DPS Nacharam, Secunderabad, India, is the Highly Commended story in the junior category of the second biannual Short Story Contest 2020.

Apoorva is a 10-year old curious writer and avid reader. She is a big fan of the Harry Potter series. She loves to draw and paint during her free time and has a dream of becoming an architect. She also has an interest in coding. Whenever she writes stories, she makes sure to leave the readers with profound thoughts.

An Episode Of Convalescence

I looked towards the shining sun, light rain with birds ready to migrate as the winter came nearby and it went chilling. A rainbow had formed. Well that wasn’t a happy mood time and I had no interest in that rainbow which was thin just like my enthusiasm. “Here are your medicines and biscuits, Dr Mira will be talking to you at 10. Put some sanitizer to the tray after you finish having your food and medicine”, said the nurse. I am Anu, around 10 years. I was tested positive for the coronavirus and since then, my family has been more tensed than me as I got admitted in the hospital. I took the medicine and looked at those extra bitter cookies. The first time I ate them had been the last one. I daily throw them out of the window to the dustbin in the fourth-floor doctor’s cabin. My shot never fails. I wish I had some sketch pens at the dreary hospital so that I could at least colour my complete white clothes. I look more like a widow in them.

“Dr Mira Maxwell reporting” said the doctor who was new to the hospital. She had twinkling eyes, large eyebrows, short red hair with pair of long pineapple earrings. She didn’t have a smile. She was indeed very pretty.

“I’m Mira your new doctor and I’ll be treating you. Don’t be scared and tell me about everything that you feel, no secrets”. She was the 15th new doctor even since I had been admitted to the hospital. Well, I didn’t have any feelings, but she wouldn’t accept it, so the next thing I said was humiliating for her. “Want some Turmeric milk, I’m hungry.

I didn’t like her. Soon I got pain in my lungs and went unconscious. “You’re alright now and here’s your Turmeric milk you wanted.” Oh no! I completely hated Turmeric milk and had just said that to humiliate her but this will now embarrass me even if I accept it or not. When I looked in the glass it had almonds, cashews and raisins and took no time to realize it was dry fruit milk. She smiled slightly. And I liked her, and now I felt that she was the best doctor of all the fifteen.

As the clock was about to strike ten, I decided to talk to her openly. “Are you not able to express your feelings? That’s what happens when a child is admitted to the hospital, especially for big diseases”, she said and asked at the same time. “I don’t have any feelings to express, sometimes I feel gloomy but most of the times I feel that I’m neither lonely nor happy, neither enthusiastic, nor gloomy, neither energetic nor exhausted. It’s a kind of feeling which can’t be described”, I said with my mind churning the memories of me ever since I was admitted. “This is a common case,” she said, “close your eyes and think of all good and proud moments you’ve had in life and that’s it, leave your health to me. Also do meditation… it will be very helpful.” She was more of a psychologist, I thought. After the talk I tried to follow her tips and began with remembering the joyful moments of my life. I realized that I could bring my happiness everywhere only if I tried to, which I had never done before. Slowly my life started removing all the gloom from my life but the pain near my chest area was still as usual. But whenever I did meditation, all my pain subsided. In a few days my life had changed. “Tomorrow you have another test. Let’s see if my tips have worked on you”, said Mira. I felt dumbfounded. If I test negative I must leave Mira, whose company I had started loving, but if I test positive I must stay far from my parent’s love and sister’s quarrels for some more time. For the days I had lived in the hospital, stay looked longer, I thought maybe it was around September. I asked one of the nurses and realized it was 21st of August. The dreadful part was that the next day was my birthday and I would have a both happy and gloomy test.

22nd came and I waited for the nurse to take sample of my blood. After she did, she gave me the oximeter and noted the result. It was normal. It was normal even when I was tested positive. I was only worried for the blood sample result. The chattering nurses outside were also quiet. I felt as if it was my final examination. Thinking about different things, I felt drowsy and fell asleep.

“Happy birthday Anu, you’re tested negative and you’re ready to go to your house”, said Mira with a great smile. She had a gift in her hand wrapped up neatly with a shining red cover. I took it and tore all the cover and saw a very cute diary album with the images that we both had taken in her phone. I felt happy but now I have to leave. My mother was informed of my test result. I gave a last glance at the cherry trees and the lake, finally headed towards the parking lot where my parents would be coming soon. I finally looked at Mira who had another patient to treat but she looked at me, smiling.