ay after day Lucy concentrated on Alfendi's voice. The only thing keeping her to reality, the only thing that stopped her from fading away.
Alfendi would never give up on her no matter what if someone cut off his feet he'd still walk to her.
Each day he always would come, sit down, hold her hand, and tell her his best secrets and how much he loved her.
"Lucy please wake up"
Each day he saw her pale skin and the skin stretched on her face as if she looked like a corpse. His heart broke every time he felt her small cold hands and her faded honey hair.
In her mind Lucy was struggling not to lose her grip and not to let her emotions take her. She was determined not to give up.
His words ran through her mind whenever she was alone and three simple words struck out among the rest.
"I love you"
This made her heart melt and her worries fade and every day he said it with the most heartfelt truth he could not have lied when he said it.
"Don't leave me"
She remembered Florence and Dustin and Sniffer, her friends from the yard.
"I miss you"
She thought of Placid prof, his calm smile and his calm golden eyes. The sweet sugary gifts he have her each week. Mostly his voice, his voice could melt her every time he spoke.
"Please stay Lucy"
He thought of Potty Prof, his devilishly red hair and glowing yellow eyes. That look he gets whenever he was pleased, and his smile makes Lucy pleased. His voice was different to Placid's he had a more toned, rough voice but this Lucy loved also.
"Wake up Lucy"
She remembered the way he looked at her each time he thought she wasn't looking.
The fluttery feeling in her heart when she turned around and he looked down suspiciously. Also the hugs... Warm and soft or strong and comforting.
No matter who Alfendi was Lucy loved every bit of him and she wished she had told him sooner.
"I swear to you Lucy I will cut anyone's tongue out just to have you back."
After Alfendi had gone home Lucy kept his secrets in her memory.
"The first time I laid eyes on you, I thought you were gorgeous. But of course I wouldn't say that because it would've become a lot more awkward working with you in the Mystery Room, and had anyone else found out I said something like that...!"
"Lucy Baker, the woman who I truly fell in love with. Why now? Why did you have to go and almost die? I was planning to... I- better not say that in case you can hear me..."
"I have a stash of candy in my drawers, if you wake up I'll show them to you one day" Sometimes Alfendi would talk more to himself, forgetfully in Lucy's room and work out puzzles aloud.
"Go out the front door of my place and turn left. At the first intersection you come across, take a right. Turn right again at the following intersection, and you'll come face-to-face with the morning sun."
He also often blurted out his most embarrassing secrets like the time he ran around a whole shopping centre looking for an item, and the whole time suspecting that someone was chasing. Only to find out afterwards that the person was trying to return an item that Alfendi had dropped but they could not speak. Or the time he wore his underwear on the outside of his pants accidentally on a rush to work.
His usual visits grew longer as the doctor let him leave a little later than he did each time. Eventually they have him special visiting hours on weekends when there weren't any people weren't usually allowed to visit.
Alfendi walked to the hospital every day. And walked home under the calming night sky. He was sometimes offered a lift from Dave or Elizabeth or Sheriff George. Usually it was George waiting in the tavern that Al visited after the hospital wouldn't allow visitors after the allowed hours.
Mornings hours were 11 am to 2 pm and so Al would take a seat at the tavern or do anything he thought counter-productive, he thought it would be too tiring walking there and back 4 times a day so he was rarely home during midday and then went back at 4 pm till 8 pm.
Sometimes he would be invited for lunch by Elizabeth or to tea parties on the front lawn by Katie. Which would make him take the trip back. Katie loved having people to play with her because her mother was usually gardening, cooking and cleaning although still found time to play. Her father worked at the hospital and walked past Al and talked to him sometimes.