Chapter 44
August 2nd - Grythen
Kismette
Light flooded her eyes the moment she opened them. Kismette turned her head to the side and blinked repeatedly. She wanted to lift her hand to shield her eyes, but it was slow to react. There was a heavy sluggishness in her whole body. It felt as though she had been hibernating.
She cleared her throat, annoyed by how sticky it was. It felt like she drank a bottle of glue before she slept. Where is this place anyway?
“She’s awake,” someone said. “Quick, call Master Viken.”
I hope they meant Jeremy.
“Mistress Larazest, are you feeling alright now? Thirsty?”
A nurse hurried over to sit her up. She looked around wearily. This was a hospital. The last thing she could remember was taking the bus to Rolly’s Bridal Shop to hand them a cheque for full payment and tell them that she did not want them to work on her wedding gown anymore.
Oh, wait. The last thing she could remember was some loud, scary honking. From an ice cream van that was approaching way too fast.
I… I have been in an accident.
“Mistress Larazest, you suffered quite a bad knock here.” The nurse tapped the back of her head lightly and smiled cheerily, waiting.
Kismette rubbed a finger against the spot. “Anything else?” she looked at the nurse fleetingly. She didn’t feel like smiling yet.
The nurse checked her clipboard. “Erm, nothing else on you, but we do have another patient sent in with you who is still in critical condition.”
Kismette tensed. She had felt herself being rotated or pushed, or something-someone was with her at that final moment when her head got hammered from behind.
“Can you follow me down to the intensive care unit now? I’m not sure if it’s already too late, but he has quite a strong will power, that Master Dragonoir. We might-”
“Mistress Larazest, wait up!”
*****
Kismette pressed her back against the wall and slid down to the ground as her legs gave up on her, physically and emotionally drained. The nurses insisted that she leave Zaelem’s room before she crossed her limit-it would take much more energy than she currently had to repair all the damage in his body. She fought hard-even clawed one of the nurses and bit the other-but was outnumbered and subdued.
Even her own star was deserting her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t send her energy out of her hands. She never knew this could happen. What kind of a healer chooses her own life before others'?
At least he lives. At least he will be able to walk.
“My dear child, what are you doing sleeping on the floor?”
Her eyes flew open in surprise as she scrambled for her jelly legs to stand.
It was Jeremy with his kind, grandfatherly eyes. “To your bed, shall we?” he chuckled, supporting her by her arm.
Kismette nodded. She might as well take the time now to recharge and heal Zaelem better the next time. She turned to the window again, taking one last look at him. Every inch of his body that was bloodied brought her unspeakable pain. She whispered, more to herself than to Jeremy, “I thought he could move faster than a truck.”
“There is still a limit to the maximum speed he can move, child. He can’t teleport.”
“So… he underestimated the distance? He could have… he could have… died,” she croaked the last word out.
The sparkle in his eyes was replaced with a deep, pensive disposition. “I have been asked not to say this, but I think you should know because… it would affect your decisions greatly. Or maybe it wouldn’t at all,” he sighed.
“Zaelem didn’t miscalculate his move. He never miscalculates. He knew he wouldn’t be able to make it before the truck came. He was trying to shield you instead of pulling you away.”
It took a while for the information to sink in. She froze. Ever since she knew that he tried to save her, something inside her wouldn’t stop whirling. Now, the knowledge that he practically exchanged his life for hers made her heart especially restless.
Would she exchange her life for his?
She sucked in a lungful of air. She had finally gotten the answer she needed.
Chairon
I should have known that Jeremy would betray me.
August 3rd - Grythen
Kismette
Kismette heaved a sigh of relief. A good night’s sleep and a heavy breakfast was all it took for her to heal Zaelem to full health, but doctors said the drugs in his blood would keep him unconscious for probably an hour or more.
Well, one hour is a lot of time for meeting up with somebody-somebody who should have visited me in the hospital already.
She changed into the clothes that Iko had packed for her-with repeated instructions for only a simple shirt and shorts-and checked the room for the final time before leaving. Iko would be waiting for her at the checkout counter after completing the administration procedures for her.
The corridor leading to the lobby was empty, save for a lone figure leaning against the wall. She was staring into endless space and making cat-like noises. It was creepy, but Kismette couldn’t help staring at the girl draped in hospital garb. Why is this patient neglected?
She gasped in disbelief. Evelynn? The first thing she noticed was how dull and messy Evelynn’s hair looked. Her long blonde hair had always been her pride and joy but, like her, it lost its shine. The dancetress scratched the wall and began barking like a dog.
Kismette stepped forward to get a clearer look at Evelynn’s face, but the dancetress pulled her hair over her face and shrunk underneath her clothes, as though Kismette’s stare burnt a hole in her skin. “Eve… Evelynn… are you okay?” Why are you reduced to… this?
She tried to get closer, but was pushed away. Kismette stumbled few steps back, taken aback by the amount of strength someone so frail-looking could summon. “It’s me, Kay. Don’t you recognise me?”
In return, Evelynn bared her teeth and snarled, “Go away. I hate you!”
“Eve-”
“I hate you!” Evelynn shouted again. She hunched her back and curled her bony fingers into claws as she crept towards the brunette, muttering curses under her breath with occasional beastly growls.
Kismette retreated. She stared at the person in front of her, no longer recognisable. Dark shadows lined the base of her zombie eyes while they darted in their sockets with a feverish glint.
Her phone rang, breaking their trance. As she fished it out from her pocket, she noticed Evelynn doing something extremely peculiar-she was clutching an imaginary object in one hand and pressing it with the other.
Kismette could feel her heart pounding. Something had gone horribly wrong. She pressed the red ‘End’ button on her phone, all the while watching her childhood friend. At the beep of the button, Evelynn brought her cupped hand to her ear and started talking.
“Hello?” the dancetress paused for a while before grinning widely, her whole demeanour changing in that instance. “Yes, the both of us are doing well, don’t worry,” she said to the air in her hand lovingly. “When are you coming to pick me up? …Okay… Okay… Aw, Honey, you’re so sweet! I can’t believe you still remember that I love carrots.”
Kismette nearly forgot to breathe. She could feel the blood draining from her face. “E- E- Eve-”
“There you are!” someone from the other end of the corridor sighed loudly. Kismette looked over Evelynn’s shoulder and her mouth fell open; it was a nurse dressed in a strikingly familiar shade of pink.
The nurse came over and held on to Evelynn immediately, seemingly afraid to that her charge would run away. “Why are you so naughty? I did tell you to wait there while I get some forms, didn’t I? You must listen to me, sweetheart,” the nurse spoke like a mother to her disobedient toddler. It was as though Evelynn didn’t quite understood things yet.
Kismette felt her eyes prick and turn watery. “Why is she under hospital care?” she asked softly, almost not daring to know the answer.
The nurse looked at her in surprise. “Do you know this patient?”
“Yes, my, um, close friend. We’re both orphans, so I’m probably her only family.”
“Oh, I see. She’s admitted for mental instability, Mistress Larazest. I guess that’s obvious, huh. We’re still in the process of determining which category she falls under,” the nurse replied. “I have to get her washed up now, but we’ll contact you once she’s fully diagnosed. Poor soul ain’t got the support of her baby’s daddy. I just hate men like that.”
Kismette swallowed. Cold beads of perspiration formed on her forehead as she repeated the nurse’s words in her head. She bit the insides of her cheek, her teary eyes following the outline of her friend struggling to break free from the nurse.
“Wait!” Kismette called out and ran towards them. “Evelynn, can you tell me who called you?”
“Called?” the nurse raised her brows.
Evelynn blinked her glassy eyes and her head lolled backwards. “Who… called me?”
“The person you were talking to on the phone just now. Your ‘Honey’ who remembered you love carrots. Who was it?”
Evelynn's haggard face twisted into a scowl abruptly. “I was talking to my husband. He’s my husband, not yours! Give him back to me, Kay! Give him back!” she screamed and started throwing her fists and feet at Kismette. Immediately, the nurse held her back and began to drag her away.
Give… him… back?
Kismette widened her eyes. It was suddenly a very cold day.
Ning: I can't believe nobody found Chairon's behaviour in Chapter 43 suspicious. XD
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Next: Chapter 45