Emancipating The Love (On-going)

Chapter 13

Exhausted

Wrapped in a comforter, shivering but sweaty. Lea tucked her feet closer to her body, closer to the comforter, her movements heavy, her senses sensitive. One subtle move and her body ached, heavy from something invisible, something that gnawed inside her. A traitor fighting against her own immune system.

She groaned as she felt the thirst ebbing in her throat, her lips chapped like a lost traveller in a desert. In compulsion to stand, Lea slide her feet to the edge of the bed, eyes still close. But as she was trying to lift herself, suddenly, she stumbled back, like her body wasn't cooperating. As if she didn't have control over it.

She was bewildered, and confused. What's happening?

She once tried to stand again, but her body was weak, it didn't have the power to bring her up.

"Elli?" She called, turning her body to wake up the slumbering little girl. "Elliana? Wake up." Her second call and she wasn't budging.

"Elli, come on, please wake up. I need help. Nanay doesn't feel good." Her voice was hoarse, she could barely say something. Good thing she did not need to repeat herself as Elli groaned awake.

"Po?" The little girl mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Can you get me some water and medicine, it's in my bag." She mumbled, voice edgy, almost rough, it scratched through the walls of her throat.

Elli immediately followed her, her movements slow at first, then attentive at the second step. Lea remained on the bed, her head throbbing, bolting like the pain wasn't only a reminder, but an anchor. An insistent sensation that pinned her to rest.

It took Elli 5 minutes to return. And when she came back, she wasn't alone anymore. Aga was tracing her little steps as he entered the room with his hair bouncing puffy while wearing shorts and white t-shirt.

"What's happening? Are you okay?" He asked walking towards the bed.

"I'm fine, just a little sick." She muttered despite knowing that she was getting the worst fever she ever had.

She couldn't resist when Aga's hand landed on her forehead then on her neck. "Sobrang init mo, Lea!" Her temperature was surely not normal, but the highness of it wasn't also ideally just a fever. She was burning like an inferno.

"We're going to bring you to the hospital—" He was cut.

"No, I don't want." She pulled the comforter closer, almost covering her face, a physical resistance to his statement.

The air-conditioner beeped, turning off. Aga sat at the edge, hovering closer. "Lea—" He tried insisting, but he wasn't given a chance. "No, I don't want to stand." Despite being sick, the authority in her voice didn't falter.

"Just give me my medicine." She tried to minimize her use of words while still making it comprehensible.

"Oh. Uhh..." he looked at Elliana and took the glass of water from her. "I'll get nanay's bag po." He nodded as she waddled towards the dresser and took the red bag she used earlier that day.

"Here." He handed it to her but she wasn't budging. "Can't sit." He then returned it to Elli as he helped her up. It pained her throat but also alleviated her suffering once the water and the tablet passed to her stomach.

She curled up and inhabited the thick clothing as she felt shivers everytime the air touches her skin.

"Nanay? Are you going to be okay po?" Elli's muffed voice interrogated as she felt the little girl's body over her, hugging her from her waist.