She woke up. She feels dizzy. Everything's white. "Where am i?"
"You're in the clinic" a doctor said. "Doctor Olendzki, here." She feigned a smile. "What happened?" she asked. Then pieces of memory came rushing at her. Fire, a man carrying her, Rica dead. The next thing she knew she was crying again. She feel so exhausted. "Where is she?" she asked the doctor.
The doctor looked confused. "Who is s—"
"She's burned to ashes" a man she just noticed sitting on a chair near her door. He is reading a book. Her heart tightened. Suddenly, it seemed her world stopped revolving. Weird. She sees him but it's like she is not seeing him. Same goes for the doctor. She is talking to them she can see them but she simply do not care. She feels so dead inside.
The man was staring at her. "Hey" he called out. He stood up walking towards her. That was when she snapped out of it. As of the moment, she does not want any interaction with anyone.
She simply nodded to give him a response. He stopped. He then returned to his chair and continued reading his book. She looked outside the window. She knew it. She knew she was dead the instant she saw the wound on her chest. But she stubbornly believed she can be saved. Why? Why must it be Rica who died to save her? Why is it not me who died to save Rica? Things would have been easier that way. Her tears fall subconsciously. Minutes, hours had passed and she was just blindly staring outside the window not saying anything. Just contemplating…reminiscing the happy moments with Rica. She's so tired. She does not want to shout or even cry anymore. She is just so tired. Rica would never want to see her this weak. She wanted her to be strong and enjoy life. That is the reason why she sacrificed her life for me not to become this pathetic bitch who does not know what to do. She took a deep breath. It's about time to face the consequences of my actions. There's a bigger dilemma she has to face. Her secret. The one she tried so hard to keep for how many years had just been revealed. She has to do something. She looked at the man who is about to finish reading his book. The doctor is gone. I guess there's no other choice.
She took a long deep breath. "Are you the man who saved me from the fire?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Thank you." She wiped the tears running down her cheeks.
She exhaled. "I-Is anybody hurt from the fire?"
The room was silent.
"Yes." The man answered. "It did not merely hurt it killed many." His face dead serious.
She was dumbfounded. She was having goose bumps and her body is shivering.
"Geez. They were strigois, alright. The fire killed strigois." He answered with his head shaking.
She exhaled. She crossed her eyes and thanks the lord. "It was a good thing nobody was hurt." She smiled at him. God knows how annoying this man is. He could have just told her that everyone's safe and she killed strigois from the fire but he stupidly constructed it in a manner that will make her assume other non-strigoi creatures were harmed. But she can't find herself mad at the moment. Thank you… thank you… nobody was hurt.
For a second she thought he was dumbfounded but then he just shrugged. Perhaps, it was the first time somebody smiled at him despite his brusque nature.
She was about to say something when the doctor entered her room.
"How are you?" Doctor Olendzki asked.
"Better" she smiled.
Her eyebrows arched. A group of guardians entered her room.
"What do you need?" Doctor Olendzki asked.
"We were informed that Miss Surat is awake." The head of the guardian replied.
She was confused. "How long has I been out?" she asked the doctor.
"About 2 weeks." Doctor Olendzki replied.
She gasped. That long. Impossible, the last time she went "berserk" she was out for 2 days. Something is wrong… from 2 days to 2 weeks… damn!
The guardians showed the doctor a paper. The man in the chair stood and looked at the paper as well. The doctor doesn't seem to mind but the guardians did.
"Who is this man?" asked the guardian.
"He was the guardian of this patient. He has the right to see this."
"As far as we know that woman was an orphan."
Both the doctor and the man were shocked.
"I am his fiancé" the man said.
She was shocked but she tried to hide it. She closed her eyes. Whatever the doctor and the man saw in the paper means danger for her. She tried to concentrate. Wind. Water. Earth. Looks like, she has drained all her elemental power. She's weaponless and weak. She can only trust the doctor and her fake fiancé.
"Man! A dhampir and a moroi together? You've got to be joking me? And you are too young to be a couple." the guardian mocked.
"As far as I know, I am unaware of the rules that highly states no moroi and dhampir can marry. And in a year's time I will be eighteen we can officially be married." She said full of authority. Somehow in their eyes she is still a moroi.
The man merely shrugged his shoulders.
She exhaled. "Okay. I will come with you. But will you please step out. I have to change my clothes. At least, I have to look decent." She said sarcastically.
"Okay." The guardian agreed. "But the doctor and your fiancé are waiting outside with us."
"The doctor can go but my fiancé stays. I cannot move my body. I need someone to help me put my clothes on."
The guardian shook his head. "Fine."
"Do not come in unless told to do so." She directed.
The guardian smirked misunderstanding what she just meant. "Okay. But don't take much of your time."
And they were out.
The man immediately removed the steel connecting her bed. Silently, he put the steel as a lock on the door's handle. The man moves swiftly and sure. She stands up. She exhaled. At least she can move her body. She feels weak but she can move her body. She went to the closet and look for clothes. She found pajamas and a shirt. She put the pajamas on and removes her lab gown and put the shirt on. She then looks back only to see the man watching at her. "Oh my gosh! Are you peeping on me?" she whispered.
"Well, you suddenly go naked in front of me. I am just a man who has his needs." He whispered with a smirk on his face.
"Unbelievable. I am with a maniac." She whispered not trying to hide the dismay and disgust she is feeling towards him.
"Yeah. Alright. You're done so please step aside." He come close to me… to the closet rather… and pushed the closet near the door. It was a good thing that the hospital' door does not have a glass. It will be harder to break in and they cannot see even a silhouette of what they are doing. He then pushed the bed.
Looks like he wasn't really peeping on me. He was just waiting for me to finish dressing myself and then he will push the cabinet as a blockade on the door. This man… she smiled…
"Let's go" He whispered as he carries her like a baggage in his shoulder. She put her hands on her mouth to avoid screaming… Is annoying! He.. we rather (me in his shoulders) jumped into the tree. He was clinging to the tree with his left hand while holding onto me with his right hand. After, that head turning swings on the tree we were on the ground.
He put a cap on me. "Act natural. Okay. Believe that nobody can recognize you."
Damn! Easy to say, hard to do.
© EIRAMAROC