Love & Deepspace (One Shots)

stay here with me. ⛄️ (a)

Feeling a slight chill from the air conditioner wash over me, I tugged the sleeves of my shirt a little further over my hands and crossed my arms over my chest. I was sat in the reception area of Akso Hospital awaiting my scheduled check-up with Dr. Zayne; I'd made sure I was early so he wouldn't have reason to scold me more than normal, though one of the nurses had informed me he'd gotten caught up with other work and so I'd have to wait until he was available. I also had the option of getting on with my day and returning another time, but there was always the chance of Zayne being busy once again and regardless, I knew he wouldn't be very happy with me if I did.

Aside from observing the people that came and went, I'd kept myself entertained by listening to the hospital TV which had been switching between different news and informational programs. Nothing had particularly peaked my interest throughout the last half hour — it was mostly reports about general good deeds of citizens and the announcement of a new art exhibition — that was until the official news channel of Linkon City appeared and the anchor reminded me of something I had only just managed to begin to repress.

"In other news... in recent months, the number of Wanderers in Linkon has increased due to the fluctuations of Metaflux. Metaflux-related explosions have currently left 35 people wounded with 2 casualties confirmed in the Bloomshore District. There was no evidence of human-triggered detonation detected, and no remains of any detonation devices were found. The deceased were not known to have had disputes or financial conflicts of interest with any others. According to the evidence gathered, this was an accident caused by Metaflux fluctuation. We advise all citizens to be careful and look out for each other when out and about."

Upon hearing those words, I froze in position as I felt a wave of sadness and anger wash begin to swell in my stomach. All of those memories suddenly flashed in front of my eyes — the last time I saw Caleb and Grandma's faces, and the sight of our beloved home in pieces, engulfed in scorching flames... somehow, I felt like I could still hear their screams echoing in my mind.

My face was burning and yet I felt goosebumps on my arms; the weird mix in temperature made me feel incredibly unwell. I took a deep breath to try and soothe my increasing heart rate, but in that moment, nothing seemed to help calm me down. I swallowed hard and winced, coughing slightly due to the intense dryness of my throat. I was panicking, there was no doubt about it. It seemed as though the walls had begun closing in around me, and my eyes flickered around the room in a desperate attempt to find somewhere to hide.

Without really knowing what I was doing, I pushed myself out of my chair and hurriedly walked through the hallway, passing by doctor's offices and consultation rooms until I came to stand in front of a door labelled 'Janitor's Closet'. It wasn't perfect — far from it, in fact — but it was a small, secluded area away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the hospital where I could just take a chance to breathe and compose myself before having to face my appointment with Zayne.

Once I'd stepped inside, I closed myself in and leaned back against the door with my eyes shut. The images still lingered in my mind, though the longer I focused on my breathing, the quicker they faded into my subconscious. After a few more minutes, my heart was no longer pounding against my ribs and I found the strength to move away from the door and sit down on a foldable chair that was tucked into the corner.

I leaned back and felt my tensed muscles begin to relax, causing me to let out a sigh of relief. The sound of the clock ticking on the wall which just a few minutes earlier would have heightened my anxiety, now helped me feel grounded and reestablished my focus on reality. I was okay.

"Understood. Thank you, Yvonne." My ears suddenly perked up at the sound of a familiar voice in the hall, responding to a nurse who was too far away for me to hear. "Give me an update later."