Echoes of a Heartbeat [LingOrm]

Echoes Of The Heart

Tom's pov

"Come on, wake up. They told me you were already awake," I said, standing over Ling's bed as she pretended to sleep, her stubbornness refusing to let her open her eyes.

"Ugh, let me die alone," she mumbled, turning away from me.

"No chance, girl. So, how are you feeling?" I asked, leaning closer to catch her response.

"Like I don't deserve love," Ling muttered sadly, her voice laced with self-pity.

"You're fine," I replied, recognizing her new phase of sadness.

She sighed, the weight of her emotions hanging in the air. "Anyway, how was everything while I was sleeping?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Everything was fine. Orm came to visit you sometimes," I told her, hoping to lighten her mood.

"I know, three times, right?" she asked, surprising me.

"How did you know?" I asked, intrigued by her certainty.

"I know how she smells. I love her perfume," Ling said, her eyes brightening with the memory, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Just her perfume?" I teased, raising an eyebrow at her. "Anyway, I have to go. I'll be back tomorrow," I said as I headed for the door.

......

Narrator's pov

After some time, the door opened again, but Ling kept her eyes closed, trying to sleep.

"Tom, if you're looking for your phone, it should be on the couch," she said without opening her eyes.

"Ling, it's me, Win."

"Oh, hey. I'm already awake, so you don't need to come every time," Ling said, opening her eyes and smiling weakly at him.

"I don't mind. It's my first visit," Win replied, his awkwardness apparent.

.....

Orm's pov

"Mr. Kwong," I called out as the class ended, catching Tom's attention as he packed up his things.

"Drop the formality, Orm," Tom sighed, waving off my formality.

"Sorry... How's Ling?" I asked, trying to mask the concern in my voice.

"She's awake now. I think she'll be out of the hospital tomorrow," Tom replied, his tone neutral.

"That's good. I hope she recovers soon," I said simply before turning to leave, the weight of everything still pressing down on me.

"Man, these two are making me insane," I heard Tom whisper to himself as I walked away, but I didn't turn back.

...

Narrator's pov

After being discharged from the hospital, Ling returned to her ocean of assignments, trying to slip back into her routine.

"Where's our living corpse?" Faye teased as she entered the classroom, her eyes searching for Ling.

"Huh, so funny," Ling replied, pretending to be annoyed, but there was relief in her voice. She was glad her friends weren't treating her pitifully. "So, hey, what did I miss?"

"Hm, nothing really special. Orm is kinda dating View," Faye said casually.

"What?!" Ling's heart skipped a beat at the words "kinda dating." "Why? When? Where?" she demanded, her mind racing.