Suspicious Shade

Chapter 2: A Weary Visit

Yve continued down the hallway, her footsteps echoing softly against the linoleum floor. The quiet hum of the fluorescent lights overhead did nothing to soothe her ragged nerves. Her eyes scanned each room number on the door she passed, her heart racing in her chest.

Each room seemed to blur together in her tired mind, their doors indistinguishable from one another. The thought of finding her grandfather's room seemed almost impossible in her exhausted state. She rubbed her eyes, willing herself to stay focused but her thoughts kept wandering back to the strange shadow figure she had seen earlier.

Yve approached the hospital counter, her steps weary and her mind still trying to shake off the lingering image of the mysterious figure. Once she reached the desk, she spoke softly to the nurse behind it.

"Excuse me," she whispered, her voice raspy from exhaustion. "I'm looking for my grandfather, Dominador Bautista. Can you tell me which room he's in?"

The nurse smiled kindly at Yve, recognizing her obvious fatigue. "Dominador Bautista, you say? Let me check his room number for you."

She turned to the computer on her desk, her fingers tapping quickly on the keyboard. After a moment of searching, she looked back up at Yve. "Ah, here it is. Your grandfather is in room 402."

As Yve's heart sank, a feeling of disappointment washed over her. She realized that she had already checked room 402 earlier and found it empty. Of course, her grandfather's room would have already been changed. She shouldn't have wasted her time and energy going back to an old room that she'd checked before.

"I'm sorry," the nurse apologized again, seeing the look on Yve's face. "I thought you would've known about the transfer. His new room number is 276."

Yve sighed, rubbing her temples. It seemed like everything was working against her today. The nurse looked genuinely apologetic as she explained, "I'm sorry about the confusion. The hospital's system is still updating, and the information about your grandfather's transfer is only recorded in one of our log books."

Yve nodded slowly, trying not to let her frustration show. "It's alright," she said quietly. "Can you tell me where his room 276 is?"

The nurse looked relieved that Yve wasn't angry with her. "Room 276 is on the second floor, in the west wing," she explained. "If you take the elevator to the second floor and turn left, it should be the fourth door on your right."

She gave Yve a warm smile. "I apologize again for the inconvenience. I hope your grandfather is doing well."

Yve followed the nurse's directions and soon found herself standing outside room 276. She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves, and slowly pushed open the door and entered the room.

Her grandfather, Dominador Bautista, was lying in the hospital bed, looking frail and pale. But as soon as he saw Yve, his face brightened into a weak smile. "Yve," he croaked, his voice soft and hoarse. "You came to visit."

Yve quietly shut the door behind her and walked towards her grandfather's bed. She saw the various tubes and machines surrounding him, a constant reminder of his frail condition.

"Of course I did," she replied, her voice gentle as she reached out and took his hand. "I promised I would come today, remember?"

Yve noticed the fruit basket on the table and raised her eyebrows in surprise. Her grandfather chuckled weakly, seeing the question in her eyes. "Felix was here yesterday," he said, his voice raspy but with a hint of amusement. "He brought that fruit basket as a gift."

Yve couldn't help but feel her stomach turn at the mention of Felix, but she forced a smile. "That was nice of him," she murmured, tracing the patterns on the bedsheet with her free hand.

Her grandfather chuckled again, his eyes twinkling with a hint of knowingness. "He was very... attentive," he commented, his voice laced with a tone of amusement he couldn't quite hide. "He stayed by my bedside for quite some time. I can see why he's so keen to marry you."

Yve's smile faded, replaced by a frown as her grandfather continued to speak about Felix. She felt a pang of irritation at his comment and couldn't help but respond.

"I don't want to talk about Felix," she said, her tone a bit sharper than she intended. "And I don't know why you act like my life will be so great when I marry him. It'll be a nightmare."

Her grandfather chuckled weakly again, clearly used to her fiery personality. "Alright, alright," he said, raising his hand in mock surrender. "I won't mention Felix anymore. You've made your feelings about him clear."

He shifted slightly in the bed, wincing slightly as he adjusted his position. "Let's talk about something else then. How are you holding up, Yve? You look tired."

Yve sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "I am tired," she admitted. "I've had a long day and it's starting to catch up with me."

Her grandfather looked at her with concern written all over his face. "You work too hard, Yve," he scolded gently. "You should take better care of yourself. You look like you haven't slept in days."

Yve and her grandfather continued their conversation for a while longer, with her grandfather scolding her for not taking better care of herself. She reassured him that she was managing, even though her exhaustion weighed heavily on her.

Eventually, it was time for her to leave. She kissed her grandfather on the forehead and promised to visit again soon. He reminded her again to take better care of herself, and she promised she would try.

With a heavy heart, she left the hospital, heading back to the manor.

Yve was tired after her visit to the hospital and wanted to relax a little, so she put on her headphones and started listening to music. She was waiting at the bus stop, her eyes closed as she let the music wash over her. The noise and chaos of the city faded into the background, and for a moment, she felt a sense of peace and solitude.

Yve hesitated for a moment, not wanting to take a ride with Felix. But the thought of a warm and comfortable car ride was too tempting to resist.

Felix chuckled again as he saw her hesitate. "Come on," he taunted, waving her over. "It won't kill you to accept a ride from me. I promise I won't bite."

She let out a sigh and reluctantly opened the car door, climbing into the passenger seat.