A Single Orchid

The storm ripped through the sky tossing the trees about as I curled into my quilt with my newest book. At around 1:30 in the morning Chloe came into my room and sat on the edge of my bed solemnly.
"Did you watch the scary movies again?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied austerely.
"You need to learn not to watch those things late at night," I said shaking my head.
"I know," Chloe said to me, "Carlie if something happened to you I don’t know what I would do."
"I don’t either sis, I don’t either," I said then switching the mood of the conversation I said, "Now go to bed."
"Okay, night 'CC'," Chloe said. As Chloe left my room I turned back to my book and read on. The next morning I made chocolate chip muffins and went to wake Chloe. As usual Chloe was hard to get up.
"Chloe, get up," I said shaking her shoulder slightly.
"Alright," Chloe said begrudgingly. 20 minuets later Chloe came into the kitchen grabbed a muffin and as she was going out the door said, "I love you sis."
"I love you to Chloe," I said but she was already gone. Feeling tired I went back to bed. At around 10:30 a.m. the phone rang.
"Hello?" I answered.
* * *
Hanging up the phone I felt the shock settle in and chill me straight through to the bone. I sat frozen not wanting to accept the reason for the burning tears running down my cheeks; Chloe had been in a head on collision with a tractor trailer and was in the hospital, the doctors were saying that she wasn't going to make it. Pulling myself together I drove to the hospital.
"I'm Chloe Brennan's sister, can you please tell me what room she is in," I asked the nurse at the reception desk.
"315," the nurse said not looking up at me. I searched for Chloe's room and when I finally reached it I saw her mangled face and wanted to cry, seeing the mirror image of myself lying in that hospital bed haunted me. I took Chloe's hand in my own and smoothed my thumb over the back of hers. Looking around I felt trapped, the white walls felt as if they were closing in on me and the white bed linens a stark contrast to the blood clumped hair and the scratches and cuts on my sister's face. Bending my head I let my composure fall away and the tears I had been holding back hit the floor of the hospital room. The hand I was holding tightened faintly and I looked up.
"Carlie," Chloe dryly choked out.
"Chloe," I said with tears running down my cheeks like rain on a window pane.
"I love you 'CC'," she said squeezing my hand. Turning her head to the side Chloe let out a deep breath finally letting go. The last ominous beep of the evil machine telling me my sister was dead rang through the room like the lingering effects of a gunshot.
"Chloe," I whispered sobbing now. The doctor in the room called out time of death "3:15 p.m. March 15."
***
Chloe's funeral was beautiful, there were people talking about what a difference she had made in their life, the flowers were her favorite; pink orchids, the service full of her closest friends, her family was me because our parents had died in a car crash when we were little and our grand parents had died last year. Lingering after the service I placed a single orchid on the deep mahogany casket, "I love you to kiddo."