Take Me Back To Paddington (SERIES)

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She grunted when the rattling sound of a trolley had startled her from sleep. She was squinting at the door, sat up for a nurse that might come inside, but no one came through after she spent seconds of waiting. Then she began to feel the pain along her spine, probably caused by hours of sleeping in the uncomfortable position.

Sighing, she leaned back against the chair she was sitting on and glanced at her wrist. The time was five past midnight, it was still too early for her to be awake. But she knew she couldn't return to sleep either, her worries forbid her to. So she dragged her eyes toward a woman she had been waiting for, who was sleeping peacefully and looking like the beautiful angel that she was.

Just in a matter of seconds, agony filled the brimmed of her eyes. She leaned forward, carefully grabbing the woman's hand at the same time before her stammering lips landed on the cold, pale skin.

"Hey?" She whispered against the lady's hairline, holding herself from sobbing again. "Would you mind if I leave for a while?" She paused as she thought about the suitable words to use as if the woman could hear her. "I'm just going to get a coffee, and probably some fresh air too"

She waited for a moment, keeping her kisses on the person she loved the most with the hope that the woman would respond. At that crucial time, any small movement could feast upon her faith. She was so desperate for signs—the twitching of eyelids, the small call of a voice, the weak pulling of the hands, anything at all just to reserve the last bit of optimism in her. But after three days of being in the same room, staring at the love of her life at the same spot—unmoved, luck wasn't on her side yet.

Getting up, she placed the woman's hand back to its previous position.

"I won't be long, I promise." She said as she grabbed her small purse out from a drawer next to the bed. "I love you."

The atmosphere was a lot warmer outside when she closed the door behind her. She saw nurses working at the front counter, and some walking along the corridor. Three police officers were also there, sitting on a bench across the room she exited from and they were staring at her. So she gave them a nod as her form of greeting before she strode out the ward.

"Scotland Yard has not yet made any statement on the murder at Northampton church that involves two of its homicide detectives—"

She tried not to pay attention to the sound of the TV as she walked past the living area. Instead, she quickened her steps toward the lobby, not stopping for anything except for the vending machine she planned to get her coffee from. Her fingers looked for a 5 pounds banknote in her purse, then shoving it into the slot but she got error signs by the machine.

"Goddamn—" She cussed when the second note she had tried with was also rejected and she had no other small change to use. "Fuck!"

"Let me help you with that."

A man's voice surprised her from behind before a hand emerged into her view, putting a banknote into the machine.

"This thing can be stupid sometimes," The guy chuckled, causing her to smile a little. "Please pick your coffee, miss—"

"Madam," She immediately corrected him, her eyes fixed at a plastic cup that was being filled by hot water right after she pressed a button.

The man was silent, making her feel guilty for sounding so cold earlier. But she was stressed out, emotionally and physically tired, and not interested in having any conversation with anyone. The guy was kind enough to switch notes with her, and she would love to keep it that way, nothing more.

"Thank you so much," She said when she collected her coffee as her eyes looked at him, mouth forcing a faint smile. "Please take my five pounds—"