Hide and Seek.| Lee Felix

Seven.

Arriving at the hospital entrance, Felix screamed for help. Medical staff immediately rushed out to take the patient to the emergency room, Felix and Norah hot in their trail. Felix was pushed to wait in the waiting area while the woman was being examined. When he found Norah nowhere around him, he knew she had ghosted her way inside the room with her mother. Felix had nothing to do except wait for the doctors to give him updates on her.

Meanwhile, the hospital staff cornered Felix to question him about the patient when they suspected a suicidal attempt. Felix gave them as much information as he could and then sat in a corner seat, eating himself out and waiting for any updates. It felt like forever as he waited patiently. He sighed in relief once he saw Norah walking his way, not crying anymore.

She sat by his side. "Hey." She called softly.

"Hey." He talked back. "How is she?"

"We didn't lose the golden time. The doctor said she would be okay. A little more ventilation and she will be fine."

"Oh!" He sighed and his tensed body relaxed. "Then it's a relief."

"Yes." Norah looked at him with grateful eyes. "Thank you. Really. I don't have enough words. I would've never forgave myself if she.." She sighed. "Thank you, Felix." She smiled at him.

"It's okay. She'll be fine. I promise." He assured. "I'll talk to her once she regains consciousness."

Norah nodded softly while smiling at him. Her eyes dropped to his injured hand which was now having dry blood. She didn't think before extending her fingers to touch his palm. "You should get this cleaned and treated."

Felix flinched at her touch. Her cold fingers brushed against his hand making him freeze. How could she touch him? Maybe it was because of his powers. He never had contact with a ghost before to know that.

"I-I.. I will." He stuttered. He stood up awkwardly but regretted once he broke the contact. Somehow, he liked the coolness of her touch. Hesitantly, he walked to one of the nurses and asked for her help.

Later, he came back with a clean wrapped hand. He smiled widely at Norah who smiled back at him. Just before he could make it to her, a nurse came running in his direction.

"Sir! Sir!" She called. "Your patient is awake."

Immediately, Felix detoured to the emergency room, followed by Norah. He walked in frantically looking for the woman in the beds to his right and left. He spotted the woman lying in her bed and rushed to her. He reached her to find she was awake but lying down, looking at the ceiling while tears were rolling down the sides of her face. The ventilation mask was secured to her nose and mouth.

"Hello," Felix said softly, dragging her attention to him. He sat down on the chair by her side. Norah was on the other side of the bed, starting to cry again.

"Who are you?" The woman talked through her mask.

"Umm. I'm Norah's friend. My name is Felix." Once Norah's name was mentioned, the woman's tears flooded even more. "I know that it might sound weird but it's not your fault. Norah's death, I mean."

The woman was already sobbing. Her sobs echoed in the emergency room but no one cared. No one heard the other sobs that mingled with hers. Only Felix could. Norah's sobs were pretty loud too.

"She didn't commit suicide. She didn't end her life. It was an accident." Felix said.

"No. It's my fault." She said between the sobs. "I told her harsh things. I-I made her go and-"

"No, you didn't. She too, said harsh things and she regrets that. I mean... regretted."

The woman gasped while looking at him with confusion. "How do you know?"

Felix leaned to hold the woman's hand in his. "I- I met her that day before the accident." He lied. But that was the only way to save the woman. "She talked to me about your fight. She really loves you. She never thought of hurting herself. She was just firing back at you with words but never meant what she said." Felix started caressing her hand. "It's okay to regret what you said. It's okay to mourn over your loss. But it's not okay to keep living in that regret and to let the guilt eat you up. You totally had nothing to do with what happened to her. What you are doing now, is hurting her. I'm sure she's watching you. I'm sure she doesn't want you to hurt yourself." Felix lifted his head to look at Norah who was a crying mess. "I'm sure if she could see you now, she would be crying her heart out and pleading for you to stop whatever you are doing to yourself."

By then, Felix was crying his own river too. It ached his heart to see Norah crying and calling her mother's name but the woman could never hear it. By then, Norah's mother wasn't listening anymore. She was crying even harder while uttering incoherent words, mostly Norah's name was being mentioned.

Felix squeezed the woman's hand, dragging her attention. "It's not your fault." He whispered to her. "Keep that in your mind. It was never yours."

The woman nodded at him but never stopped crying. Glancing at Norah, she was looking at him. Her face was a mess but that didn't make her look less beautiful. She smiled at him although she was crying. She mouthed him a 'thank you' and he nodded back at her.

With that, Felix stood up and walked out of the emergency room. He glanced at Norah for the last time before he left. She was still crying while trying to hold her mother's hand which she failed in. He smiled to himself. His task was done. He saved the woman. Never he thought he would be that happy to get involved with a ghost.

He left the hospital to his house, knowing that he would need no salt, no spells, no locked door, and no crosses anymore. He didn't need them. She wasn't going to go after him. She never was after him.