No Reason But Us

Chapter 68 : I Miss You

Three days passed, and Gage went to the hospital to see his Juliet. It was the day he had been waiting for. He was excited, yet nervous because he didn't know what to expect after how he treated Oddey these past weeks.

He got to the confinement room, but she was not there. Even the guards that were secured by the hall was gone.

Trying not to worry and thought the worst that could happen, a nurse passed by, so he approached her. "Excuse me, where's the patient staying in that room?" he asked. "Her name is Odette Empirio. I'm Gage Munro, I'm a friend."

"Oh, she must be on the rooftop right now," the nurse answered after looking at her watch.

"Rooftop? Why is she there?"

"Yes, you see, she teaches a couple of sick kids there to draw around two o'clock just for an hour of the day to make herself busy."

"Really?" The Romeo was impressed to hear that and also relieved to know that Oddey was not in her room not because she was in danger. "So can I go up there?"

"Sure, I'll go with you. I have to take a patient there anyway for her art lessons," the nurse replied.

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem."

Later, when Gage arrived at the doorway to the rooftop with a nurse and a little girl, who was also a patient. He was excited, but nervous before seeing his Juliet. Especially, when her voice could be heard that gave him the courage to want to see her.

At first, the young man peeked from the side and saw Oddey sitting on a bench with a little girl, showing her how to sketch. She wore an off-white hospital gown with a red wool sweater since it was windy up there.

Watching her teach made him see that Oddey was really the Juliet he fell in love with. Gage remembered that she always wanted to do that, and seeing it with his own eyes, also made him see that she was nothing, but compassionate.

"Aren't you going to go out there?" the nurse asked him all of a sudden because the Romeo was leering for several second.

The Romeo was hesitant at first, until he glanced over to the little girl, and then, at her small drawing book she brought. That was when he had an idea in mind, so he bent to the kid's level with a friendly face. "I'm gonna need your help," he said. 

----

Outside, Oddey noticed the other little girl coming in with another nurse that Gage talked to minutes ago. "Hi! Ella," she greeted the kid. "How are you today? I'm just showing Lizelle how to draw a butterfly."

"A boy wants me to give this to you," Ella said in her sweet, small voice as she held out the paper flower.

Juliet was stumped and took it from her hand. "A boy? What boy?"

"That boy." The child pointed with her finger.

Oddey looked up and was dumbstruck to see her ex standing by the doorway. "Gage?" she gasped.

The Romeo walked up to her, with a gentle smile on his face. "Hi, Oddey."

"Is he your boyfriend?" the other little girl, Lizelle, asked in an eager tone, making the former young couple in an awkward position. Oddey just kept looking away, feeling on edge, while Gage had his eyes on her.

"If he is, he doesn't look so bad. I mean... Uhm... Ella, Lizelle, I think it's time for your naps," the nurses said to them, knowing that the older kids needed privacy.

"I... feel tired. I think I need a nap too," Oddey told the nurse because she was not ready to face her ex.

"No, you're good. Come on, girls, let's go." The nurses quickly took the girls back inside to their rooms.