Chapter Thirty-Six: A Familiar Feeling
Estelle
"What did you do again?" Hana started as she crossed her arms in front of us, "Seriously, I want to back out of this job even though the pay is high."
I looked at Conrad who was now just silently sitting on his bed as I sat on a stool near his bed. Hana is towering in front of us, showcasing her authority. Just like Conrad, I stayed silent.
I really should be. I haven't done anything wrong!
"Hah, I just don't know what to do for you to just stay put in this room anymore," Hana sighed in despair. I can almost see her eyes watering. Maybe due to frustration...
I gently stood up and my hand moved on its own and gently patted her back as if I was trying to console her. I cannot help but think that she might pass into the military due to her patience.
"I-I think he was just trying to help," I said to her as if I was trying to help him out of it. I was not trying to lie and deny his actions but the fact that he tried to help, was still something right?
Once again, Hana let out a deep sigh and grabbed the chair beside her. She slowly sat down on it and put her elbow on the circular desk with her palm on her cheek. She then blankly stared at Conrad who was still silent with his head down.
"Let's just hope that the little girl's parents won't file a complaint against you so I won't be called again by the higher-ups," This time, her voice is now lower compared to earlier, "I already memorized every corner of that room, 'ya know?"
Conrad nodded his head and I also nodded mine when Hana's gaze turned right into me.
"Pray hard, the both of you."
Hana stood up and walked away to that room saying that she needed to attend to another patient of hers. I offered to walk with her since I also needed to go back to my room but I was stopped by Conrad's gesture.
"Thank you," he mumbled under his breath as if I was forcing him to say those words to me. I slowly took off the hand of his that was wrapping on my arm.
"You're welcome," I said, "but I was not defending you or anything earlier. I was just stating what I have seen."
He stayed silent yet I still waited for another minute since maybe he wanted to say more to me. But he didn't. So I was about to head to the door again yet at that moment, he suddenly grabbed my arm.
"Just say it!" I said.
"Fine! I was just trying to muster some courage." This time, he was the one who let go of his hand and headed to the cabinet attached to his desk. "I have something to give you back."
Something to give me?
A faint memory of him back to the moment of me waking up suddenly popped up in my memory.
"That's right. You have something that I own," I said under my breath.
It took him almost a minute before he stood in front of me again with something in his hand. When he was about to hand it to me, we both froze.
What is this? What is happening to me?
My heart is starting to beat really fast as if something is pounding my chest with a hammer. My breathing began to shallow. A familiar stance yet an unknown face appeared in my memory. But between all that confusion, a name came out of my mouth before I realized that the person in front of me was now on his knees.
"Azval..." An unfamiliar name came out of my mouth before everything around me became hazy and went pitch black.
"Estelle!" I heard Hana's voice. "Estelle, are you alright? Do you still feel dizzy? Water? Do you need water?"
"Argh," I moaned when I was about to answer Hana. My head suddenly felt a sudden tingle as if needles were pinning on it. "What happened?"
When I slowly opened my eyes, I realized that I was now back in my room
Even though I didn't agree to her offering me water, she did and so I thanked her and drank it. When she felt like I already calmed down a little bit, that's when she started explaining to me about what happened.
"You were running to me furiously earlier. Your hands were cold and I can see the sweat on your forehead," she said in a sad tone, "yet moments after, you fainted in front of me before we could take another step."
"Why would I— Conrad! Conrad, is he okay?!" I raised my voice at her and grabbed both of her shoulders.
That's right! The reason why I went to her as fast as I could was because of him. I was almost disassociating myself that moment when suddenly he just collapsed on the floor while holding his chest.
At that moment, he was having a hard time breathing.
Hana slowly removed my hands from her shoulders and held them tightly instead. She gave me a comforting look.
"Don't worry. He's stable now. In fact, he woke up earlier than you did. Do you wanna go see him?"
I immediately nodded. I cannot explain it but something is still drawing me towards him. May it be out of pity or something more, I don't know. What I am sure of right now is I want to see his condition.
Even though I could walk properly, Hana insisted on at least lending me her hand while we walked out on the way to his room.
She really didn't need to do this at all.
When we arrived, Hana opened the door for the both of us and a glint of the sunshine greeted us. There, sitting on his bed, Conrad was looking in our direction. Our eyes met!
I immediately avoided his gaze before entering the room. I just looked at him again when I asked a question and our eyes locked again.
"H-How do you feel?" I started. "Do you know how shocked I was when you suddenly collapsed in front of me?!"
Silence filled the room and all I could hear was the gushing of the wind from the open window. He didn't move an inch, and so did I and Hana. No one talks for a couple of seconds and Conrad is just staring at me intently.
I am not sure if it is just me or Hana also noticed that Conrad looked shocked yet later on, his expression changed into something unexplainable and enough to confuse me. I can see some longing in his eyes.
"H-Hana? Did he hit his head or something—"
"Miss Estelle!" he suddenly shouted and jumped at me. To my surprise, I lost my balance and both of us landed on the floor. Hana immediately panicked and grabbed Conrad's hospital gown to pull him off on top of me but Conrad was hugging me so tightly that Hana couldn't separate the both of us.
"Conrad! Get off, Estelle! You're choking her!"
"M-Miss Estelle! I can't believe this is happening. You're alive!"
"Of course she's alive, you idiot! Good thing that little girl's parents are kind!"
While the both of them are arguing and Miss Hana is trying his best to pull Conrad away from me, I also try my best to speak because I am nearing suffocation. I cannot breathe properly!
"P-Please let go..." I said as I gently tapped the back of his shoulder as a sign for him to let go of my neck. Slowly, his hug" loosened up. I felt like a part of me rejoiced when I could finally grasp the air again freely. As I was massaging my neck, I heard some sniff coming from him.
"O-Oh! Why are you crying?" I said in panic and I could also see Hana even more confused about what was happening to him. But I shouldn't have asked that because his tears suddenly burst.
Startled, I immediately grabbed his neck, and this time, I was the one hugging him while patting his back.
"I... I didn't think I would see you again," he whispered in my ears. After he muttered those words, I froze for a moment. An unexplainable yet familiar feeling of relief was being distributed to my entire body. I didn't know what to say so I just stayed silent but continued to gently pat his back the moment I recovered.
While rubbing his back, I noticed that he was wearing a familiar necklace to me.
"Your necklace... it's pretty," I commented as soon as I stopped hugging him. He started to be calm also and gently wiped his tears.
"I know you would like it," he said and gave me a meaningful grin.
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