Ephemeral Reverie

OUR MOMENTS BETWEEN

CH24: OUR MOMENTS BETWEEN

Thalia stirred; her eyelids felt heavy as the soft murmurs around her pulled her from deep sleep. Her body feels heavy, as if she'd been submerged in water for days. She felt surreal as she opened her eyes; she thought that she would never. It seems that the operation is indeed a miracle.

"Thalia! Thanks God, you're awake." Auntie Cathy's voice broke through the haze; her face was filled with a mix relief and happiness. She sat beside her bed while gently brushing a strand of her hair from her forehead.

Thalia wondered. "How long did I sleep? "

You've been sleeping for 24 hours, but the doctor said it was normal. It's almost noon now; Thorne and Zara brought you food," Auntie replied.

As soon as she closed her eyes in the operating room, the mixture of both anxiety and doubt was all she felt. She's afraid that maybe the transplant will not go as planned, but now all that she feels is relief.

"Auntie, where's Soren? Did he already come over?"Auntie didn't mention where Soren is; she wondered where on earth he has been. College admission isn't that tough and time-consuming, though.

Auntie let out a deep sigh. "You should ask Thorne; maybe he knows where Soren is."

Her stomach suddenly crumbles, and she thinks that surgery has worn her out so much.

Minutes had passed when the door burst open. Zara and Thorne stepped inside, bringing food and deserts. "Hi, Thalia. How are you feeling? "Zara asked as she rushed towards her and embraced her in a warm hug.

"Feeling fine," she replied casually as she looked for food by her bedside.

Silence filled the whole room as they took their lunch with them; no one dared to talk as she was very focused on eating. "Where's Soren, Thorne? "She interrupted the silence.

"Thalia, Soren had to leave the country for a while. He said his brother is getting married," Thorne replied, sitting quietly in the corner.

Thalia's face fell. "He left? Why didn't he bother to message me? "

Thorne's face turned to a frown, glancing at his phone. "He sent me a message at exactly midnight. It was odd, though. Soren never messaged me that late, I swear."

"Midnight? "Thalia repeated, and Soren never messaged late. "What did he say? "

Thorne read the message aloud. "Hey, man. I had to leave the country for my brother's wedding. Take care of Thalia for me. I'll be back as soon as I can. Tell her I love her."

Thalia closed her eyes.

Soren has really felt weird since yesterday. He was never the type of person like that; he would always make room for her, no matter how busy or tired he was. It's just... it's weird.

She lay back, and the room filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the beeping of the medical monitors. The hum of the machines around her is a reminder of the life-saving surgery she just underwent.

The door opened, and Dr. Patel walked in with a warm smile on his face. "Good morning, Thalia. How are you? "

She sits up and faces her doctor. "I feel weird, but... I am happy that the surgery went well. Thank you so much, Dr. Patel. Please extend my gratitude to all the medical staff present at my surgery."

"Will do. It's normal to feel that, but you are doing wonderful." Dr. Patel nodded, checking her vitals on the monitor. She shared a small talk with her doctor and said she could be discharged today to have a good rest at home.

Thalia took a deep breath before starting a conversation with Zara. "There's something I need to give you." She reached for the table by her side and handed a small envelope to Zara. "This is for you. I wrote each one of you before the surgery and when my condition gets worse, just in case everything didn't go well."

Zara took the envelope. "Thalia, you don't have to—"

"I need to," Thalia interrupted. "I need to do that. It was my way of saying everything, just in case. But it's up to you to read it; the words still matter."

After that emotional talk with everyone present, she enjoys the rare moments with Zara and Thorne as Auntie bids goodbye to take care of her medical expenses. They had been sharing stories, laughing at each other, and grateful for the time they had together after her surgery.

She can't help but wish Soren was with her today, comforting her and embracing her in a warm hug. How was he? She wondered if he's doing well, especially since she didn't receive a message from him.

Just then, the buzzed sound of Zara's phone woke her up in her thoughts. "Guys, I got a message from the university." She glanced at it as her expression quickly turned into concern.

"What does it say? "Thorne leaned closer to Zara to see the screen.

Zara read the message aloud. "Dear Alumni, with great sadness, we inform you of the passing of one of our beloved former students. We will be holding a tribute of honor today at the university's gymnasium at 2 p.m."

Thalia's concerned face deepens. "Who do you think it was? "

Zara sighed. "We should go; it would mean a lot to that someone." Thalia and Thorne agreed with Zara's thought.

At that moment, Dr. Patel entered, holding a clipboard and wearing his usual reassuring smile. "You're going to be discharged today; I just remember I already told you that. I just came to visit you once more before you leave."

Thalia smiled gracefully. "Thank you so much for everything. Dr. Patel."

Auntie Cathy then came, and they left the hospital. Thalia once looked around the four-cornered room, where the most uncertainty of her life began. As they reached the exit, the warm breeze of the air hugged them as the sky shone brighter than before.

"Life is really full of surprises," she murmured. "One moment you're here, and just a glimpse, you're gone."

Zara agreed with her. "Making the most of it is what really matters."

As they arrived at the university, the uneasy feeling settled over her heavily. The campus seemed strangely different, with a lot of paper basketball decorations hanging everywhere. And a sudden cold breeze hugged her, making her shiver a little bit.

"Basketball decorations? "Zara murmured as her face formed a frown.

Thalia's heart raced as they walked toward the gymnasium, and the uneasiness she felt deepened. "It seems someone who passed was on a basketball team," she whispered.

As they reached the gymnasium, the campus hinted at the gravity of the loss. The sight before her is a confirmation of her worst fear. A large photo placed near the entrance dominated the space, surrounded by a lot of flowers and letters, capturing the genuine smile of someone she genuinely knew. The air is filled with grief, with sadness visible on each face present.

A video began to play, showing the person's life, from the triumphs in basketball games to the intense training sessions. Each image and each frame were haunting reminders of the life of that person.

The gymnasium is filled with muffled cries and sobs as the melancholy music from the tribute video plays.

Her world seems to be ending.

Her knees weakened as the camera panned to reveal the face she had been dreading to see. A familiar melody of the music pierced through her. It was...Soren.