Capítulo 21: Convalesce
Lue woke up to the sound of her heart monitor beating. The room was silent apart from her heavy breathing and the beep-beep sound you often hear in hospitals that indicates you're alive. The pungent smell of bleach was overwhelming. She scrunched her eyes at the bright light streaming through her closed eyelids. She felt powerless and heavy. She could not move her hands, head or body. She slowly started blinking, desperately trying to open her eyes and see what was around her. She glanced around and took in the deserted, blue and white-decorated hospital room. Typical hospital bed, IV and monitors beeping. The place looked nothing like a room where a patient should be motivated to improve. If anything the murky room was making her even more nauseous.
How long has she been here? She shut her eyes, trying to remember how it had happened. Her fingers were white, gripping at the green blanket on the bed. Then it all hit her with a bang. The memory of it all started to occupy her thoughts.
As part of the cadet test, wild creatures raided them between games. They all ran towards the bus trying to escape the horror. Fear of the animals quickly spread throughout the group. Everyone was terrified, running for their lives. She could still feel the fear in her bones, and it was that fear that had brought her here. Some of her classmates were not as lucky and were eaten alive by the creatures. She still remembers the screams of terror and the shock of witnessing her friends being devoured.
A breath of warm air tickled the back of her neck, making her tense in anticipation before relaxing again with a sigh. The door to Lue's room opened with a loud thud. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that. Eve and the others stood there in silence for a few moments and then rushed towards Lue, embracing her tightly and showering her with hugs and nagging. Lue was thrilled to see her friends and was so surprised that she almost forgot the tension she had been feeling moments ago. She was overwhelmed with happiness and joy at reuniting with her friends.
"Where were you?" asked Eve as she finally let go of her and dragged a chair near her bed.
Lue felt a wave of relief that she was no longer alone and the warmth of being surrounded by people she cared about. People with whom she fought for her life side by side.
"Actually..." Lue said slowly as she lowered her head, playing with her fingers, "my memory is a bit blurred."
Lorek patted her shoulder, "So is ours." He folded his arms, "All I remember is...we were playing the game and the creatures came in between and we ran towards the bus but we couldn't find you and after that... It's all blank."
"Do you think we passed the test?" Eve said as she bit her lip.
"We were only supposed to collect five ribbons which they had hidden in different places as a group of three each but as the game was interrupted, I think they might pass the students with the highest scores," Beric stated. "What about you Lue?"
She sighed as she slid under her blanket. "I walked to the off-limits, so I got disqualified right away. I hope you all pass."
Lue had a hunch that she had forgotten something. Something she shouldn't ignore. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She finally threw off her blanket and looked at everyone's faces. They were tired, strained and had bandages and patches. It was indeed a horrible experience.
Lue sighed as she asked, "Is it just me or do you guys think something is missing?"
"Missing? Like what? Brushing our teeth?" Eve giggled.
"No," she said with a smile. "Missing like where I can find your brain and my sanity."
"Oh, those? They must be in a box labelled 'Lost and Found'" she replied with a wink.
Ayaan laughed while holding back his tears and said, "Pfft, you guys...really?" He shook his head.
Their laughter was the summer rain and the birdsong too, and every time she heard it, no matter the weather, the sun brightened. It was as if their sound lifted a veil from her eyes and allowed her to see the world more clearly. It's funny how laughter can do that, those honest rumblings of the soul. Lue thought as she smiled.
Mr Kael marched into the room and a pall fell over the room. He looked at them and smiled as if he was relieved that they had made it back. It was rare for them to see him smile. He never actually did that. Mr Kael had a poker face, meaning he was skilled at hiding his emotions and keeping a neutral expression. He rarely showed any emotion, and today was a touch different for a few seconds and then he was back to being his normal self.
"Mr Kael..." they all said at once.
"Shhh," he said, "I know you all have a lot to ask but for now you all have to get better. I have informed all of your parents so don't worry about it." He then added with a smile, "Just think of this as a long, extended staycation!"
Their brows raised and their eyes blinked with incredulity. They all stared at each other's faces.
Finally, Beric whispered, "Is this the same Mr Kael we used to know?"
Hilary replied from her wheelchair, "Nope, he is the upgraded version. Mr Kael 2.0!!!"
"Oh, shush hahaha" Elisue hit her shoulder lightly while giggling.
Soon enough, Mr Kael left without giving any additional information about anything. He didn't answer any of their questions. Particularly when Lorek asked about the students who were killed during the test. His expression grew dark. He simply shook his head and didn't utter a word. Mr Kael was clearly trying to hide something. His sudden silence and refusal to answer any of their questions only confirmed their suspicions.
"Hilary! Elisue!" Lue said, "What happened to your legs?"
"Umm, to be honest... I don't remember exactly. Maybe when I was running some wild dog bit me?" Hilary said in confusion.
"I don't understand why all of our memories are so unclear..." Lorek stated, "it's not one or two of us who is having this memory thing. We all are confused at some point." he said while putting his hand on his chin.
"So, what are you trying to say here?" Eve raised her brows, "they are hiding something? or our memories are wrong?" she scoffed.
"That's actually not impossible." Beric pondered.
The room fell into silence as all of them were deep in thought. A nurse knocked on Lue's door. She took all of their attention as she walked in with a rolling cart filled with medication and injections.
"What's this for?" Lorek asked her.
"I was told that you all were gathered in room 305 so I bought an injection and some sleeping pills for all of you. This will help you feel more relaxed and calm, both mentally and physically. Kindly cooperate."
None of them spoke while the nurse did her work and advised them to go back to their rooms as they all needed a lot of rest. She even enhanced and boosted them in the hope that some might be released soon. Even so, some might need more time.
Eve opened the door to her room which was beside Lue's room. Her eyes were heavy from fatigue and she was exhausted from all the stress and emotions she had gone through. She slowly stumbled into her room and collapsed onto her bed, finally allowing herself to rest. She took a deep breath and released.
Though she laughed off the issue of the cadet test in front of others and Mr Kael, the feeling lingered that something was missing. What is causing their memory to become blurred? What actually happened during the cadet test? Too many questions came to mind, but she drifted off.
Presentes
-- Presente
recebido Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder