Vankara (Book 1)

Chapter 1

I don’t remember
what my face used to look like.  Every time I try to visualize how I looked
before becoming Sarah Harker, the image never truly comes into focus.  It’s like
looking at yourself in a pool of water, distorted to the point you can’t clearly
make out any of your features in the murky reflection staring back at you.

At the tender age
of six months, I was adopted by a well respected couple and christened April
Pew.  Mrs. Pew’s womb was barren and so the couple had no other recourse but to
adopt.  Perhaps my adopted mother’s inability to birth a child of her own
should have been a clue to the couple they weren’t fit to be parents.  My
adoptive father was a well respected physician in Iron City whose only saving
grace, at least in my eyes, was his apprentice, Gabriel.

Gabriel was tall
with short cropped black hair which never seemed to meet the bristles of a
brush.  He always looked like he had just gotten out of bed and run his fingers
hastily through his hair as an afterthought.  As a child growing up in a
loveless home filled with a myriad of restrictions, Gabriel was my knight in
shining armor whose sole purpose in life seemed to be finding ways to make me
laugh and ease the burden of my loneliness and despair.

In the winter of 1852,
the first plague to hit our island nation of Vankara came on the wind of the
first snowfall.  Dr. Pew was called upon quite frequently during those days and
eventually decided we would all have to pitch in to help those who had fallen
victim to the mortal disease.  So, at the age of seven, I became Gabriel’s assistant. 
Some thought it odd to have a child so close to the dying, but Dr. Pew
theorized the plague was not contagious between people.  The plague seemed to
choose its victims randomly and once chosen doomed them to death.

The night the real
Sarah Harker died started out as any other during those days.  Gabriel and I
were making our rounds through the slums of Iron City, saving the Harker’s home
for last because Mrs. Harker always prepared a special supper in trade for the
medicine and care Gabriel provided Sarah.

It seemed like
Gabriel hadn’t even put flesh to wood before Mrs. Harker opened the door.

Though most people
considered Mrs. Harker past her prime at almost fifty-years of age, her inner
beauty showed that not even wrinkles and graying hair could camouflage a pure
heart. 

“I spotted the two
of you walking down the street,” Mrs. Harker wiped water from her hands onto
the white apron she wore over her plain blue cotton dress.  “I hope you both
came hungry,” she told us with a wistful smile, bravely trying to hide the
sadness in her heart over her ailing daughter.

Gabriel took off
his black top hat and held it against his chest as he bowed at the waist, “Good
evening, Mrs. Harker.”

I always liked
that about Gabriel, the consummate gentleman no matter how low someone might be
considered in the social pecking order.

“I know April has
been looking forward to your supper this fine evening.”

Gabriel winked at
me from behind his monocle as I looked down at my feet in embarrassment, having
been so transparent in my desire to visit the Harker home almost as soon as we started
on our rounds.

“Come child,” Mrs.
Harker extended her hand out to me.  “I won’t have you going hungry when
there’s plenty of food to eat in
this
house.”

I quickly slid my
hand into her warm inviting hold and followed her inside.

There wasn’t much
in the way of furnishings in the common room which served as both kitchen and
living area in the Harker home.  In the far left corner of the room was the
kitchen area which had a small wood burning stove, kitchen counter, cabinets
and white porcelain sink.  A worn pinewood table with four un-matching chairs
completed the setting.  Unlike many homes in the slums, the Harker home always
smelled of fresh pine from the cleaning solution Mrs. Harker was fond of using. 

Mrs. Harker
instructed me to take a seat at the table while she prepared a bowl of soup for
me.

“How is Sarah
doing this evening?” Gabriel asked, setting his black leather medicine bag on
the table while opening it to rummage around in its depths for something in
particular.

Mrs. Harker kept
her back to us as she ladled out my soup into a small white porcelain bowl.

“Not well,” she
sighed.  “I can hear a rattling in her chest now when she breathes.”

I saw Gabriel’s
hands stop moving in his bag as worry inched his eyebrows closer together.  I
had heard the labored rattle breathing in a dozen or more patients we visited that
day and knew what it meant, death was eminent.  Poor Sarah Harker would probably
be dead by morning, if she made it that long.

“I’ll try to make
her as comfortable as possible,” Gabriel promised.  It was all the solace he
had to offer.

Mrs. Harker turned
back around and sat the bowl of soup in front of me with two corn muffins on a
small side dish.

“I have some tea
made,” she told me.  “Would you like some, dear?”

“Yes, please,” I
said while picking up one of the corn muffins, inhaling its heady aroma and
cherishing the feel of being in a home filled with love.

Mrs. Harker looked
to Gabriel.  “Would you like to eat first or see Sarah?  She was sleeping when
I last checked on her a few minutes ago.  I didn’t want to wake her up just yet
since she’s been having such a terrible time getting any rest lately.”

“Then we should
let her sleep,” Gabriel said, closing his medicine bag and setting it on the
floor beside his chair.  “I have to confess the smell of your cooking has
brought out my appetite, Mrs. Harker.”

As we finished our
meal, Mr. Harker came home covered from head to toe in soot, the trademark of
his profession.  Only the flesh around his eyes, where his goggles had been,
was spared the black tarnish from cleaning chimneys all day.  Liam Harker was a
lanky man with straight jet black hair which was just beginning to grey along the
edge of his temples.  He was one of those rare souls who always looked like he
was smiling even when he wasn’t, cradling a love for life in his eyes which
almost nothing ever dampened.

“Gabriel and
April!” He greeted us taking his blackened shoes off just inside the door,
presumably so he wouldn’t make track marks across Mrs. Harker’s clean wooden
floor.  “How are ya both today?”

“Doing fine, Mr.
Harker,” Gabriel replied, standing from his seat.  “And yourself?”

“Can’t complain.”

Mr. Harker made
his way to the kitchen sink to wash up.  He looked to his wife with an unasked
question in his eyes.  I saw Mrs. Harker shake her head slightly, casting her
eyes to the floor.

Mr. Harker’s
shoulders sagged an inch lower, imperceptible if you weren’t paying attention.  Sadness
cast a shadow over his expression and his gate seemed heavier as he made his
way to the sink.

“I should go in
and check on Sarah,” Gabriel announced, giving us an excuse to leave the room
and provide Mr. Harker some needed privacy.  “Come along, April.”

I followed Gabriel
into Sarah’s room desperately wishing there was something I could do for the
Harkers to release them from their pain.

The wheeze and
rattle of Sarah’s breathing was audibly noticeable as soon as we entered the
room.  Gabriel knelt next to her bedside and put a hand to her forehead to gauge
her fever.  Even in the faint light given off by the solitary candle on her
nightstand, I could see beads of sweat dotting Sarah’s brow.  Her eyes fluttered
open momentarily.

“Gabriel,” she whimpered
in a raspy voice.  She took in a slow, rattling breath which seemed almost not
worth the effort considering the lines of agony it etched across her face.

Gabriel motioned with
a hand for me to come forward.  He opened his medicine bag and pulled out a small
glass vial with clear liquid.  It was one I had never seen him use before. I
assumed it was a special type of laudanum since it was one of the few drugs
available to help ease the suffering of the dying.

“Hold her hand,”
Gabriel instructed me as he lifted Sarah’s head from her pillow and brought the
vial of medicine to her lips.  He gently coaxed Sarah to swallow the clear
liquid even though I could tell it pained her to do even that small of an
action.  Gabriel seemed to be giving her more laudanum than he regularly did,
but I didn’t question him.  He was the doctor, not me.

Gabriel stood and
brought the small wooden chair near Sarah’s bed closer to her bedside.

“Sit with her,
April.  I need to speak with the Harkers.  I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Is she dying,
Gabriel?”

“I’m afraid so.”

We had both been
witness to the death of many, but I knew this death would affect us more than
any of the others.  Each of us had come to care deeply for the Harker family in
the past couple of weeks.  I felt certain the loss of their daughter would devastate
the couple to a point where they might never find true happiness again.

“Stay with her,”
Gabriel ordered.  “And don’t let go of her hand.  Whatever may happen, I need
you to keep holding her hand.  Do you understand me, April?”

I nodded even
though I didn’t understand why he was being so adamant about my holding Sarah’s
hand.

Once Gabriel was
gone, the silence of the room was only broken by the labored rattle of Sarah’s
breathing.  I started to hum a tune hoping it would help relieve some of the
tension on Sarah’s pain stricken face.  I guess she heard me because her eyes
opened and she turned her head to look straight at me.

I’ll never forget
those eyes, filled with so much pain, both physical and emotional.

Sarah’s grip
tightened around my hand to the point where I could almost feel bone touching
bone.  I was about to rip my hand out of her deathly grasp when I felt a jolt,
like I was holding a lightening bolt instead of a dying girl’s hand.  The
sensation quickly shot up my arm and spread through out my body, setting every
nerve ending on fire.  I wanted to scream out in pain but was unable to find my
voice.  It was like something had lodged itself in my throat making it
impossible for me to make any type of sound.

I felt Sarah’s
hand go limp, finally releasing me from her grasp.  I fell to my knees and onto
my side crumpled into a ball of debilitating agony.  I faintly heard the door
to Sarah’s room open and close.

“Don’t fight it,”
Gabriel said, though his voice sounded distant and slightly distorted, like it
was underwater.  “The pain will ease in a few minutes, April.  Just let it
happen.”

I couldn’t
understand why he wasn’t doing something to help me.  The torturous ache I felt
was bone deep.  Every inch of my body felt like it had been lit on fire from
the inside out.  I felt bones break and shift from their natural position underneath
my skin, muscles twitched, skin stretched.  I’m not sure how long I lay there on
the floor.  It felt like a lifetime, but in reality it was only a few minutes. 
Eventually the pain eased to the point where I could open my eyes again. 
Gabriel was crouched down beside me, a worried look on his face.  Once the last
of the pain subsided, I tried to lift myself off the floor, but Gabriel was
there to help me sit back on the chair at Sarah’s bedside.

“How do you feel?”
he asked, studying my face like it was the first time he had ever seen me.

“Tired,” all I
wanted to do was sleep.  The experience left me completely bereft of energy.

“You can sleep in
a minute,” he said pulling off Sarah’s bed covers and quickly undressing the
now lifeless form of Sarah Harker.

“What are you
doing?” I didn’t understand why he was desecrating the poor dead girl’s body.  
I wanted to stop him but simply couldn’t find the strength.

“You need to
change clothes with her,” he answered.  “Quickly!  Get out of your dress and
put her night gown on.”

“Why?” 

“We don’t have
much time, April.  Do as I say,” he quietly barked.

I stood up from
the chair and did what Gabriel wanted me to do, still not understanding what
was going on.  After swapping clothes, Gabriel took Sarah out of her bed and ordered
me to get underneath the covers and pretend to be asleep. 

“I’ll be back in
the morning,” he told me, wrapping an extra blanket Mrs. Harker kept on the
edge of Sarah’s bed around the dead girl’s limp form.  “Just act like you’re
sleeping when the Harkers come in here.”

“Gabriel, what’s
going on?  Why are you asking me to do this?”

“I don’t have time
to explain things to you right now.”  I could tell he desperately wanted to
tell me more but couldn’t.  “I’ll be back first thing in the morning to help
you but right now you need to pretend you’re Sarah Harker.”