A/N: This is the shortest chapter I have written so far and I hope you don't mind because I'm posting the next chapter in a few days that will continue the previous one. Just to let you know, we're not even in the crux of the story yet. We have a long, long journey ahead of us, friends. Please bear with me.
So I won't pretend to know if you share that pain where only yesterday remains
But I can try to let go
'Cuz I know what I'm not, I know we've hardly met
But I can shield you from regrets
So take it all, the best I've got
Now Playing: Wings / Alex Kaneko
Twenty seven months ago:
He hated the smell of hospitals. The place reeked of antiseptic, soiled blankets, latex gloves, and death. But to him specifically, it was chlorine, detergent, and dirty mops. Kristoff Bjorgman had just finished his afternoon shift as a janitor in the Southern Isles Medical Center. The nineteen-year-old boy made his way to the hospital's cafeteria, his gait wobbly and unsteady due to exhaustion. He felt a nagging soreness in the soles of his feet from walking too much and his back was throbbing from pain from bending down to mop the floors. He just wanted to sit somewhere and finally eat his homemade sandwich. Looking around the room for a table, Kristoff was relieved upon seeing that the cafeteria was practically empty and only had a handful of people quietly eating their food.
And it was clean.
He had scraped every stain and dirt off the floors before his shift ended that's why he wasn't able to have lunch because he chose to spend extra minutes polishing the tiles of his assigned section; one of the five sections he was in charge of that day.
Underpaid and overworked, the teenager worked two jobs to help pay the bills and to save up for his college of choice. Currently studying in a community college in the town where he lived, Kristoff was discontented and aimed for higher education that best suited his passion in football and drawing. Though fortunate and smart enough to have landed a full scholarship in his current school, Kristoff made a decision to transfer to North Mountain University the following semester and was determined to do whatever it takes to get there and pay for his expenses even if it means scrubbing floors and working in the weekends as a driver delivering ice to various grocery stores and delis.
Finally done. Now, it's time to devour this baby. Kristoff plopped himself on a plastic chair and hurriedly opened his bag to snatch his neatly wrapped sandwich. The savory smell of ham and cheese made his mouth water as he hungrily eyed the squared beauty in his hands. His sandwich was inches away from being eaten when he heard the loud banging sound of a tray hitting the floor. Kristoff quirked an eyebrow; searching for the cause of disruption as his food hovered over his mouth.
He didn't notice her walk in the room.
And he could care less about who she was after seeing the mess she had made when she spilled a small container of chocolate pudding on his once spotless floor.
Fuck. I just finished cleaning that. Were you raised in a barn? He grumbled irritably, the grip on his sandwich tightening in obvious aggravation. Kristoff begrudgingly watched the girl attempt to clean up after herself by getting off her seat to bend down and wipe the pudding off the floor with a napkin in slow and clumsy movements. His temper was dissolving quickly and effortlessly the more he watched her.
Goddamit. It's just pudding. Can't this girl do something so simple and so easy? I'm done for the day and I'm not about to—
Kristoff's angry and soundless rants were cut short when he saw the girl collapse on the ground, her arms trembling as she tried to hoist herself up to a sitting position. He noticed the red signature Southern Isles client identification bracelet laced on her wrist and quickly realized that she was a patient in the hospital. The blond boy looked around the room, hoping that someone else saw the incident and if they were coming to her aid. But seeing that the occurrence was neglected and unseen by those around him, Kristoff's forehead started to crease in hesitation.
When he finally focused his gaze on the girl and took his attention away from the spilled pudding, the first thing he noticed was her bright teal eyes that almost made the dark circles under them obscure. The pallor of her skin was pasty white, showing signs of illness and lack of contact with the sun. Her twin braids rested on her shoulders, the bangs on her forehead swept to the side. Sunken cheeks protruded from her freckle-dotted face and her collarbone was visible under her baggy shirt that seemed to have enveloped her small form. There were bandages on the crook of her elbows to cover the scars of her recent needle insertions, tiny droplets of blood oozing over them.
She looked so frail and tired.
The girl let out a defeated whimper, her lips started to quiver and tears started to prickle her ocean green orbs as she failed to stand up. She then drew her knees to herself and sobbed.
Kristoff scanned the room one more time for any takers but saw none. He slowly put his sandwich down and sighed. He felt sorry for the girl and wondered why she was by herself. Where are her parents? A frown formed on his face upon seeing her heaving sobs, her shoulders shaking as she tried to suppress her cries. The janitor nervously ran a hand through his hair, standing up to make her way to her.
I just came here to eat my sandwich.
"Uhm. Are you okay?" Kristoff cautiously stood over the girl, whose head was still buried over her knees, crying softly. He tried his best to ignore the pudding and the smeared napkin sitting limply next to her.
The girl looked up, tear-streaked eyes roving his face and then his uniform. She saw his name badge pinned on his shirt pocket that said "KRISTOFF" and the word "JANITOR" written under it. She bit her lip guiltily, a blush budding on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry I made a mess. I'm gonna clean it up…I didn't mean to trouble you." She said in an almost whisper, quickly wiping the tears off her face with her hands as she attempted to stand up but her lack of strength failed her once again, causing her to almost fall flat on her face.
"Whoa, there!" Kristoff's eye widened, instinct taking over as he reached out his arms to lift her up and assist her back to her chair. "Seriously, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, thank you." The girl said breathlessly; sweat starting to form on her forehead from the sudden movement as she felt her heart rate speed up. "I just get tired easily and it can be frustrating. I'm so sorry."
Kristoff scratched the back of his neck, wondering if it was safe to leave the girl alone by herself. "Are you with someone?" He asked as he watched her breathe through her mouth.
"My parents are coming soon to pick me up." She looked up and gave him a weak smile, her hand clutching onto her chest to somehow calm her pounding heart. "I was gonna eat that but I guess that's not gonna work out." She chuckled wryly, her bloodshot eyes falling on the destroyed chocolate snack. "It was the only thing I brought for lunch."
He felt his chest tighten. Here she was, alone and weak with her only source of nutrition splattered on the floor. Judging from her appearance, she probably struggled walking here by herself. How come the nurses didn't sit her on a wheelchair and walk her here? She could've hurt herself. And god, she's so skinny. As if a light bulb suddenly turned on over his head, Kristoff snapped his head back to his table.
"Wait here."
"Wait, what?" The girl asked him confusedly.
"I'll be right back," Kristoff said over his shoulder as he started to walk away.
"Oh. Okay."
He returned with his uneaten sandwich in his hands and awkwardly presented it to the befuddled girl. She stared at him, trying to register what was happening while she tried to fight the discombobulated daze she was currently in due to the medication that she had just taken. She cast her eyes at Kristoff and then at the sandwich in his hands.
"Uhh…Okay?" She blinked once. Twice.
"You said you didn't have lunch yet, right? Here, take it. It's nothing fancy, but it's still something." And it's better than that garbage you had.
"Oh. Oh." The girl's eyes widened with realization, flicking them at the boy in front of her and the food in his hands. "You're very kind, but I can't take that." She politely waved her hands in refusal.
"But you're hungry." Kristoff deadpanned, his hand still extended, waiting for her to take his offer. I'm hungry, too. But you look so sick and you probably need this more than I do.
"But it's your food. My parents are coming soon anyway and—"
"Look, I saw you fall and I know you're starving. You already messed up the floor that I just cleaned so please just take the damn sandwich." The boy said indignantly, brown eyes wandering around the girl's face. So many freckles. And her nose is so red. Don't yell at her, dumbass. She might cry again. "Please, take it." He pushed the sandwich towards her, his face getting hotter just thinking about how ridiculous he sounded.
The girl was taken aback and looked at him warily. "If you insist. But I'm not eating the whole thing! We're gonna have to share."
"You're stubborn." Kristoff grumbled under his breath, taking a seat opposite to her.
"Excuse me?"
"N-nothing. Fine, we'll split the thing." He tore the sandwich in two and gave her the other half. "It's ham and cheese."
The girl eyed the sandwich and gingerly took a bite. "It's delicious," she said around her food as her face started to light up. After swallowing contentedly, she dusted the crumbs that fell on her jeans. "What's your name?"
Kristoff raised and eyebrow and pointed at his name badge.
"Oh, right. Sorry." The girl replied sheepishly, lightly smacking her forehead with her palm, and then wincing from bending her arm where bandages were attached.
Kristoff couldn't help but grin. "What's yours?" he asked.
"I'm Anna," she said before taking another bite, her voice still sounding nasally from crying. "Thanks for the sandwich." Anna attempted a smile while chewing on her food, her cheeks puffing out like balloons.
The boy laughed in spite of himself. He then suddenly remembered why Anna was in the hospital. "So you're a patient here?" He asked quietly, motioning to her identification bracelet. Anna followed his gaze and raised her wrist. "Oh, this? Well, not really. I'm only here twice a week for therapy. I only have six sessions left." She said while smiling at him again.
"Therapy? I didn't know we had a psych section here." Kristoff mumbled, scratching his head and trying to remember if he had been assigned to clean that department before and had forgotten all about it.
"No, not that kind of therapy," Anna chuckled dryly. "Chemotherapy."
Kristoff whipped his head to Anna, squarely looking at her right in the face but unable to form a response. He opened his mouth but no words would come out. Chemotherapy? She looks no older than sixteen. What the heck?
"Oh." He finally managed to say, his gaze falling to his hands that were resting on his knees, holding his uneaten sandwich.
"It's not a big deal. Like I said, I only have a few sessions left and the doctors are very optimistic about my progress. The dosages are very low." Anna replied cheerfully, as if attempting to calm the boy's uneasiness. "And look, my hair grew back!" She said cheerfully while pointing at her head, an easy grin outlining her face.
How did she quickly switch from damsel in distress to happy-go-lucky especially with what she's going through?
He forced a smile, not wanting to upset the girl anymore since she had just stopped crying, he decided not to dwell on the subject. "So uh…you said you're here twice a week?"
"Yeah."
"Which days?" Kristoff asked, suddenly not hungry anymore.
"Tuesdays with Dr. Sullivan and Thursdays with Dr. Wazowski."
Kristoff looked to his side and saw the abominable pudding staring right back at him. Geez, how the hell can she eat that crap? He turned his glance back at Anna, who was concentrating on munching her sandwich. She probably didn't have the time or energy to eat a proper meal before coming here.
"Do you like pancakes?" Kristoff asked, surprised by his sudden randomness.
"Pancakes?" Anna shot Kristoff a curious look. "Duh. Pancakes should be on top of the food chain, in my opinion. Why?"
"I make the best pancakes in town." The blond replied confidently, feeling relieved by Anna's positive answer.
"Oh, is that so?" Anna quirked an eyebrow while her lips curled into a shy yet playful smirk.
"Yeah, meet me here next Thursday and I'll prove it to you." He blurted. Wait, what the hell am I doing? That's weird. We don't even know each other. She probably thinks I'm a creeper. You can't make pancakes for someone you just met!
Anna stared at Kristoff wordlessly, the expression on her face blank. Before he can take his words back and play it off as something stupid and idiotic, Anna's eyes widened and the edges of her lips were being pulled upwards to a gigantic grin.
"You're gonna make me pancakes?" The redhead gasped as if she had been told that she had just won a million dollars. Kristoff was caught by surprise once again and couldn't help but beam at her, his eyes softening at the girl's delighted reaction.
"Yeah, I'll make you pancakes if you like." He said. Okay, so she doesn't think I'm a psycho. "Just…be here, okay?"
Anna smiled at him radiantly; one that quelled her crestfallen face that was stained with tears just a few minutes ago. "Alright. I'll be here." She then bit her sandwich and grimaced.
"What's wrong?" Kristoff asked after seeing the sudden change in Anna's expression.
"I didn't realize that there was a pickle in here," she gently spat the unwanted ingredient on a piece of napkin and shrugged at Kristoff apologetically. "Sorry, I just don't like pickles. But this tastes marvelous nonetheless," she said while raising the sandwich for emphasis.
"My bad. Don't worry, there's only one in there." Kristoff said with slight worry. "Here, take mine. I didn't bite it yet."
"Wait, what? No. It's totally fine! It's gone. See?" The redhead pointed at the crumpled napkin. "I'm fine with this. Don't worry about me."
"Listen, if you don't take it, I won't make you pancakes."
Anna looked at Kristoff for a good few seconds before pouting and jutting her lower lip out. "Fine. Give me." Anna rolled her eyes and extended her hand reluctantly as Kristoff placed his portion atop of it. Before she can protest, Kristoff snatched her pickle-contaminated share and took a large bite off it, a triumphant half-grin etched on the corner of his lips.
Anna cringed. Maybe he doesn't have a thing about germs?
"I guess we'll finish each other's sandwiches." Anna sighed before shooting Kristoff a faint yet thankful smile.
