The Most Beautiful Day of Your Life

Ms. Rickers was ninety-three years old. She was lying in the inclined bed with eyes shut, her white hair neatly tucked either side of her round, plump face. She wore the special gown: off-white base with red and pink lilies. It fits her nice, Lucia thought. Better than most.

Her elegance was ruined by the thick endotracheal tube in her mouth.

Lucia put her raven-black hair in a ponytail, pulled a chair and sat next to the bed. The rhythmic hissing of the ventilator calmed her - there was a certain finality in its inevitable whooshing and beeping. Wouldn't be the worst place to end up in.

The blinds were closed shut. The only light in the room came from the machine displays and the vintage table lamp Ms. Rickers had brought in with her.

"Twenty-three years," Lucia said while caressing the old woman's hair. "Shall we go to a better place, Sandra?"

A frail hand fidgeted under the cotton blanket, followed by a faint gurgle in the woman's throat. Her eyes remained closed.

"I know, I know," Lucia said and wiped the beads of sweat off the woman's forehead.

She removed her glove and looked for the woman's hand beneath the covers. She found a cold, vein-bound tangle of skin and bones. Lucia hesitated for a moment, then wrapped her hand around it.

There was darkness, then a flash, and then a jolt that shook her body.

She opened her eyes but the sun was blinding. It was blasting down from above and reflecting from the snow below. Lucia reached for her neck. A pair of ski goggles hung on a strap. She put them on, and her furrowed eyebrows relaxed immediately.

She looked around to find them standing on the side of a snow-covered mountain, far above the tree line. When she looked down, dozens upon dozens of dark spots moved left then right then left again and kept getting smaller and smaller.

A short, stocky figure appeared from behind, dressed in a bright blue ski suit with red and white stripes at the shoulders and calves. He carved a sharp curve in front of them and came to a stop. A deep, vibrant voice called out.

"Come on, Sunny! The kids are waiting for you in the cabin!"

The woman's hand gripped harder. She stepped forward and turned to Lucia. Her face was still chubby, but almost all of her wrinkles were gone. The hair peeking from beneath her helmet was a deep walnut color, glistening against the bright winter sun.

"Thank you," Sandra said with a smile.

She was clipping into her skis when something moved above them. Lucia turned uphill and saw a towering green oak tree a few steps up the mountain. Below it stood a thin man in a brown suede suit, like from the magazines her grandmother used to show her. He had the most patient smile she had ever seen: like someone who had all the time in the world.

She took a step up the mountain, but it was too late. She felt Sandra's grip loosening, and a moment later, she let go. Damn it.

Darkness, flash, jolt.

She opened his eyes to find herself sitting next to the bed. The machine beeped with a slower cadence, and despite the tube in her mouth, Lucia could see a faint smile on the old woman's lips.

She got up to leave, but something nagged at the back of her mind. As if she had forgotten to turn off the stove before leaving the house, or left a window open in a storm. She stood there for a while, fighting the fog away and trying to find a word she wasn't sure existed. After a moment she gave up, and stepped out.

Sofia was waiting outside the room. She was younger than Lucia by a few years, but shared some of her features: her forehead was tall, her nose wide and pointy, and her eyebrows similarly thick. But Sofia's amber-colored hair made sure there was no mistaking one for the other.

"You OK?"

Lucia nodded and looked at her watch.

"She'll be deep asleep when they turn off the machines."

"Look straight ahead," Sofia said and waved a finger in front of her. "Husband?"

"Yup. Almost always is."

"You sure?" Sofia said and pointed the penlight at Lucia's pupils: first the left, then the right. "Ms. Putnick from Wing D claims both of them had a fiery fling with a certain gentleman back in their day."

Lucia smiled.

"Pretty sure Mr. Rickers was the only person allowed to call her Sunny."

"Squeeze my fingers," Sofia said and put her hands forward. Lucia obliged.

"There was an elderly patient, some years back. Mr. Schmidt. I stayed with him through the night. He really wanted to sleep, so I just nudged him a bit, and sat with him until he woke up," Lucia said. "When he did, he said he had dreamed of the most beautiful day of his life."

She looked at the redhead with a smile. "Sometimes I wonder what yours would be."

Sofia looked up, surprise plastered all over her face.

"Oh you wouldn't dare."

They made their way down the hallway and stopped in the cafeteria.

"The man. He's getting closer," Lucia said, her voice more quiet.

Sofia stopped.

"You need to stop. You've done enough."

“Something about him feels familiar,” Lucia said. “Like I’ve met him before.”

Fast-paced steps echoed from a corridor on the left. A moment later a nurse appeared running, huffing and panting, with panic set in her eyes.

"You two, I need you in the ER, STAT".

"Coming. What's going on?" Lucia asked and they set off in a jog.

"A house in Deerfield went up in flames. Spread to the whole row. ER is flooding with burn victims."

It arrived to the ER wing in less than two minutes. As soon as the secured door opened, piercing screams attacked her from the right.

"Fast track on the left. Mostly minor cases. We are keeping an eye on a toddler with hand burns and a sprained ankle," the nurse said as she pointed around the open space.

"First and second degrees are in the acute treatment bay in the middle. Critical cases are in the trauma bay on the right," she said. "We need you in acute. Most cases are getting triaged there. Go."

They stood in place for a moment, looking around and absorbing the situation. The scream coming from the right was unrelenting. They started moving toward the acute bay but then the scream turned into piercing shrill.

A nurse covering her mouth ran out of the trauma bay.

"Ronda, what's going on?"

"Got a girl, third-degree with airway burns. Fully awake, airway is unstable and blood pressure is tanking," she said, her voice breaking. "Poor thing is in so much pain... I need five."

Lucia looked at Sofia.

"No."

"I can put her to sleep."

Sofia grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"There's too many people. Someone will notice."

"It'll only be a moment. And you'll cover me."

"But it's barely been ten minutes since the last. It's dangerous!"

Lucia put her hand on Sofia's shoulder.

"I've done it before. It'll be alright," Sofia said and put on a face mask. "You know I have to do this. Stay behind me," she said and ran into the trauma bay.

The room was bright, loud, crowded and hot. Two doctors were standing either side of the gurney, and a third stood at the head, juggling a tube in his hands and struggling to fit it. Nurses were placed around the room: managing IV lines, monitoring vitals and preparing medications. One was bent over the gurney, but Lucia couldn't see what he was doing. When the people weren't speaking, the beeping machines filled in.

Lucia took a step forward and got a clear view of the gurney. The sight, mixed with the smell of antiseptic, singed hair and charred skin made her stomach turn.

A small girl of no more than six lay in the gurney, her tiny body almost getting lost in the white sheets. Most of her clothes had been cut away, giving way to patches of blistered skin. Her chest rose in short, uneven breaths, accompanied by shudders and whimpers.

The male nurse bent over the gurney was plucking pieces of the girl's jacket that had melted into her skin. Each touch of the tweezers was followed by a scream.

"Can we give her anything?" Lucia asked.

"Not until we have that airway secured," one of the doctors answered. "You ladies better step out. We are crowding the room already as is."

"Anyone know her name?" Lucia asked.

"It's Anna," the nurse answered.

Someone yelled from the door.

"Garde, they need help in acute!"

"We should go." Sofia said.

"You go. I can help her."

"I'm not leaving you here!"

One of the machines started beeping faster and louder, and a moment later one of the nurses called out.

"BP is dropping! We are losing her!"

The screams got quieter.

"That's it. I'm doing it. Cover me."

Sofia stood right behind her, holding her by the arm.

"Don't."

Lucia turned to her and looked her in the eyes.

"We are here to help people. In any way we can. I was given a gift to do it, and it's the most valuable in situations like this. It's my power, and it's my responsibility."

She put her arms around Sofia and hugged her.

"You know there's no other way. She is suffering so much." she said, glancing at the gurney. She took off a glove. "I'll be in for ten seconds only. No one will notice."

Lucia stopped.

"I felt like I've been missing something after Ms. Rickers. I just realized what it was," Lucia said. "Where was I married? I remember John and the opening dance, I just don't remember where."

Something flickered across Sofia's face. At first it was surprise, but then it turned into fear.

"Cochiti Lake. An hour north of Albuquerque," she said, her voice barely audible. "You really shouldn't do this."

"I'll be fine. Ten seconds. Count for me," Lucia said, and stepped to the gurney.

The smell of burned flesh was seeping through the mask and it almost made her throw up. Let's see your most beautiful day, little girl. She closed her eyes, and touched the girl's burnt hand.

Darkness.

Flash.

Jolt.

She felt the heat even before opening her eyes.

Roaring fire had engulfed an entire neighborhood. Flaming tongues were reaching up, turning the sky all shades of red and orange. The jolt took the breath out of her lungs, but an inhale only filled them with carbon and soot. A coughing fit pushed Lucia over her knees.

This is wrong.

The grip around her hand tightened. Anna.

Lucia knelt and looked at the girl holding her hand. Her face and skin were perfectly smooth but her large blue eyes were overcome with fear. She wore a blue denim jacket, and a patch with the letter 'A' was embossed on her shoulder.

"I'm afraid Ms. Garde," the girl said.

This is so wrong.

"Why are we here Anna?"

The little girl pointed her finger.

"There. You must come with me." she said and pointed at a burning house. Her hand gripped harder.

"Anna we have to go. We cannot stay here."

"I'm afraid. I don't want to go again, but I have to."

Crackling noises surrounded them as timber and cladding burned with all-consuming fire.

Lucia tried getting up but her left leg had gone numb. She pinched it but felt nothing. She pushed herself up and took another look at the girl. Panic and fear held her tight, but there was something else too. Resilience. And courage.

"Okay. Show me."

Lucia limped forward as they made their way to the burning house. The stone driveway was radiating heat and each step was hotter than the last. They were a few feet away from the door when the girl yelled.

"Wait!"

Lucia froze in her tracks, and a moment later, a thick pine tree fell down where they would have been standing.

"We can go around!" the girl said. "This way!"

"We have to go back Anna! We don't have time!"

"It's just behind the garden shed!" the girl said and squeezed her hand harder.

They made their way around the garden shed hand in hand; one running, the other limping. Another step and they were standing in front of the house.

"It's just behind this door! Please Ms. Garde!"

Lucia tried grabbing the door but the handle burned her hand. She took a step back and kicked the door, but it wouldn't give.

I don't have the time for this.

She took another step back, then kicked the door with all her strength. Her foot landed below the handle and splinters flew as the door burst open.

A small boy stood behind it, a head shorter than Anna. He wore the same denim jacket, only his patch had an 'M'.

"Max!" the girl yelled and ran, and Lucia felt the little hand slip from her grip. No.

Lucia closed her eyes and waited for the darkness. But it never came. A minute later, she was still standing on the porch of the burning house. Her knees buckled and she almost fell to the scorching ground.

What is happening? Why am I not awake?

Anna ran out of the house, holding the boy by his hand.

"We have to take him back! Dad is going to be here any moment!"

Lucia limped back around the shed, Anna and the boy following close behind her. The numbness had started to spread from her leg and into her abdomen, making it difficult to keep balance.

She could see the road when the girl yelled again.

"Max!"

Lucia turned back to see the boy on the ground on all fours. His foot was caught in a fallen branch. Anna knelt down to help and a moment later the boy was up and running to the road.

Lucia's lungs were burning when they reached the road. She collapsed to the ground, burning her hands on the steaming asphalt. The boy ran past her and got into a car that drove away, but the girl wasn't with him. Lucia twisted and rolled and turned to see Anna still standing on the driveway.

"Anna, run!"

The girl smiled.

"It's okay, Ms. Garde. I saved him. I will rest now. Thank you."

The girl stood still as a fiery pine tree fell on top of her.

Lucia screamed but no voice came. She tried moving her hands but it was as if they belonged to someone else. Her senses started going a moment later. She was sitting on the ground but didn't feel the heat anymore.

Just as her eyes started to blur, she caught a glimpse of the other side of the road.

The fire had subsided completely.

A tall, green oak tree stood just past the sidewalk, barely a few feet away from her. Beneath it stood a thin man of no more than sixty, wearing a brown suede suit. He had a tall forehead, a pointy nose and thick black eyebrows.

The man raised his hand and waved. The smile on his face disarmed her, and the only thing she could think of was the fireplace at her grandmother's house, and the framed photo of a well-dressed man hanging in the middle of it.

"Don't worry little girl," he said. "You are safe."

* * *

The paramedic pushed the wheelchair up the ramp. A white-haired lady was sitting perfectly still, her hair making her look both forty and seventy at the same time. She was likely somewhere in between.

A wool blanket hugged her shoulders and piled on her lap, keeping her warm against the cool autumn wind. She kept her gaze up and to her right, and never blinked.

The head of the Unresponsive Wakefulness department waited patiently, her hands folded in front of her. A red-haired woman stood behind her, her hands full of wet tissues. Her eyes were as red as her hair and the tears kept pouring down her cheeks.

The paramedic brought the wheelchair to a stop.

"We're missing the intake form. Neurology said you guys have the rest of the documentation?" he said.

"Yep, we'll take it from here."

The man put the brake on the wheelchair and turned back.

The head of the department knelt down. Her lips held a smile, but her eyes were full with sorrow.

"We really hoped to not see you here again," she said and stroked a patch of white hair. "Don't worry, we'll take care for you the best we can."

The woman pushed the wheelchair but the red-haired woman sprang forward and dropped to the ground. She put her head in the white-haired woman's lap, unable to control her cries.

"I begged you! You knew this could happen!" the woman said and the cries went on.

A piece of ripped fabric fell from the wheelchair and on the crying woman's foot. She picked it up. The fabric was burned, almost turned to coal. A patch had been sown on it, with the letter 'A' embossed on top.

"They could not save her," Sofia finally said as she gripped the fabric in her hand."But she fell asleep as soon as you got to her. She was calm and peaceful when she passed."

Sofia wiped her tears away and got up to her feet.

"I've wondered for months," she said. "What was her most beautiful day?"

Lucia kept her gaze up and to the right. She never blinked.

But ever so slightly, the edge of her mouth curled up.