章 11: HIS EUPHORIA

The evening was still young and the sun was yet to sleep but to Irish, it felt the dawn had already fallen on him. The earth seemed to be at its rock end for him– just like that, he drove on and before he could realize it, he was back at the hospital.

A gentle tap from his car window woke him from his trance. " Hey, are you alright ?" the familiar silhouettes asked but the glass broke off his hearing.

"Huh?"His brows raised quizzically and that's when he took notice of his surroundings. "...roll it down " She pointed at the glass and he immediately did so.

" Hey, what are you doing out here?" He was surprised to see her there. In a blink, he was already down before she could reply~ forgetting his problem. " You should be in bed now...why? Where are the nurses?"

" Hey...stop blowing things out of proportion," She said with a smile.

" But you just woke up after a long while~ you should be..."

"Right, right...I know " Phoneix cut into his words before he could end his sentence. " That's what you guys had been saying ever since I woke. " On an impulse, she sighed, gazing out in the distance where the city lay buzzing with life.

" It feels so suffocating in there. I just came out for some fresh air and to appreciate the beauty out there" She opted for an explanation which he understood perfectly well.

Just a few minutes ago, it was pure hell but seeing her like that felt different– to him, she was his euphoria, all he needed in times of despair. " We should go in now before you go down with a fever." He said to Phoneix who was by now enjoying the night view.

" I don't want to ~," She said, turning to Irish. A sigh managed its way out of her lips–that's when he finally caught a glimpse of her eyes. She looked broken and disheartened. She felt the world had given up on her. Her mind vividly played the scenes of that night as if it was happening there and then.

" How could they do that to me?" She sniffed back tears, drying her eyes in the process as a scoff escaped her lips. " I trusted them, cherished and loved them dearly ~they were my everything. I sacrificed my all for those ungrateful bastards" A film of tears trailed down her eyes." but..." She finally broke down in uncontrollable tears. " all I got was betrayal and heartbreak. I felt like trash...like I deserved it." Her words were soaked in sorrow.

" Hey, don't say that."Irish instinctively scooped her into a hug, allowing her to pour out those dams of tears. He couldn't protect Giovanna back then but now he felt determined not to let the past repeat itself. He knew he had to do something no matter what.

Without thought, he found himself suggesting a breather out of the hospital." Mind we take a drive downtown" he said and her gaze came shooting at him.

" Is it right to do so? Her soft voice expressed and he nodded with an affirmative blink. He saw himself wipe the tears that spilled out of the corners of her eyes with the back of his hands.

" It's less suffocating and might calm your nerves and ease your mind." She had mixed feelings. His words were convincing and sounded right but Phoenix still had a lot to take into consideration after what had happened in the past.

She wanted to but her trust issues wouldn't allow her and Irish noticed it. " Trust me..." He pleaded and she noticed the sincerity in his eyes. She could still give it a try, she thought. After an endless battle with herself, Phoenix gave up.

"I'd love to~," She said and Irish suppressed a smile. He feared she would have rejected him after that prolonged silence but to his surprise, she gave a yes. He'd managed to secure some level of trust after those long days and he felt fulfilled for some reason.

" Here, allow me." He helped her with the door to the front seat by the driver's. Phoneix's face lit with a smile, saying her thanks as she tended to settle in but Irish words made her giggle.

" Careful~" He placed his hand over her head so she wouldn't bump it against the top door and that made her lose up a bit, making her chuckle. It was impossible since her height was nowhere near the top of the car's entrance.

" Stop overreacting..." She laughed and that made him smile. His face was this close which made her freeze. He could hear her rough breath as they locked eyes. Her eyes slowly closed while he leaned closer.

" It looks beautiful on you~"

"Huh?", her eyes flared open with the lock of the seat belt, " You should wear those smiles more often" he smiled, closing off the door to her end.

Phoenix was left without words at her reaction and that made her scoff, "What was I thinking...?" She rebuked. The feeling of embarrassment washed on her face but then his voice cut in again as he settled into his seat.

" Are you alright?"

" Yeah..." She snapped in an instant, covering off her awkwardness with a bright smile that made Irish giggle.

" Right...let's get going then. I'll get you new clothes to change into preferably before any other thing" He said, feigning ignorance. He knew how well she was trying to mask that up but he had no intentions of pulling it down or making it obvious.

Their car soon veered out and soon they had hit the road. The tail of the light was seen in the distance as it turned off the curve into the main streets of Cambridge.

The city's nightlife was already flourishing with music and life shipped on its toes. The atmosphere was simply magical with the light illuminating even the darkest heart, refreshing your very soul.

It's mostly a moment where everything seems to have returned to life with joy and excitement at its best. With the night's pulsing heart, seaming off vibrancy and excitement, one feels connected and released from the prisons of life's bondage but not Phoenix.

She was in misery and felt hatred and murder. Her eyes remained cold and emotionless as steel. Everything passed before her eyes with no meaning at all while she gazed out of the window. All her soul yearned for was revenge.

HOSPITAL

Accompanied by a few nurses, Denzel sauntered into the ward only to be welcomed by an empty bed and a cold room. The only source of contact which was her phone was left resting on the bed.

His heart skipped and he panicked. " Phone? ... Phoenix?" He mumbled, the folder in his hand instantly dropped to the ground.

Quickly, he checked through the washroom which he found empty with no sign of her. " Where could she be?" He freaked out at this point. What if her memories had returned and she left for Del's end again?– his thoughts went wild.

He immediately rushed out, leaving an order of search throughout the premises. The place was soon thrown into a ruckus.