Exception

Chapter 21

The next morning, Charlotte packed her bag and got ready to leave Engfa's place. She glanced over at Engfa, who was lying on the couch, looking a bit better but still resting.

"I'll come by and check on you later, okay?" Charlotte said as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Make sure you rest, and please, don't do anything crazy."

Engfa, wrapped in a blanket, nodded but had a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'll rest."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, clearly not trusting that look. She bent down and kissed Engfa's forehead. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," Engfa replied with a small smile. She watched as Charlotte left, closing the door quietly behind her.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Engfa sighed and threw off the blanket. She sat up, glancing around the empty living room. The silence felt heavy, and she was already feeling restless after just a few minutes alone.

"This is boring," Engfa muttered, rubbing her forehead.

Her body still ached, but she couldn't stand sitting around doing nothing. She missed being at the office, where there was always something happening. Staying home felt like a waste of time.

"I'll just stop by the office for a little bit," she told herself as she started getting dressed. "Charlotte won't even notice."

Ignoring the slight dizziness she felt as she stood up, Engfa grabbed her keys and headed out the door. The excitement of getting back to work pushed away any thoughts of staying home and resting.

---

Later that evening, Engfa finally made it back home after spending hours at the office. Her fever had returned, worse than before, and she shivered as she closed the front door behind her.

The apartment was dark and quiet, but when she stepped into the living room, the lights flicked on. Charlotte was sitting on the couch, arms crossed, looking furious.

"Engfa!" Charlotte snapped, her voice sharp with anger and worry. "Where have you been?"

Engfa froze, feeling guilty. She didn't expect Charlotte to be waiting for her. "I... I went to the office for a bit," she mumbled, her voice weak.

Charlotte's eyes narrowed. "You're kidding, right? You're sick! You're supposed to be resting, not going to work!"

"I was bored," Engfa muttered, looking away. She took a step forward, but the room spun, and she nearly lost her balance.

Charlotte rushed over and caught her before she could fall. "You're burning up," Charlotte said, her anger turning to concern. "Come on, back to the couch."

Engfa didn't argue as Charlotte helped her to the couch. She felt weak and shaky, her fever making everything worse.

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" Charlotte sighed, kneeling beside her. She placed a cool hand on Engfa's forehead. "You should've just stayed home."

Engfa looked down, feeling bad. "I didn't want to bother you. You've already done so much."

"That's not the point!" Charlotte exclaimed, frustration lacing her voice. "You're not bothering me. What bothers me is when you don't take care of yourself!"

Engfa bit her lip, knowing Charlotte was right. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Charlotte sighed again, her expression softening as she gently cupped Engfa's face. "I just don't want you to get worse. You've got to stop pushing yourself."

Engfa nodded slowly. "I'll try."

"Good," Charlotte said softly. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Engfa. "Stay here. I'll get you something for your fever."

As Charlotte went into the kitchen, Engfa leaned back against the couch, feeling exhausted. Even though she didn't like being fussed over, it was comforting to know Charlotte was there.

A few minutes later, Charlotte came back with some medicine and a cup of tea. She handed it to Engfa, giving her a stern look. "Take this. You need to rest."

Engfa sighed but took the medicine without arguing. She knew she had worried Charlotte enough.

Charlotte sat beside her, watching closely as Engfa sipped the tea. "Next time," Charlotte said quietly, "just tell me if you're feeling bored or restless. I'd rather you talk to me than sneak off to work and make yourself worse."

Engfa smiled faintly and rested her head on Charlotte's shoulder. "Okay. I promise."

Charlotte relaxed a bit and wrapped an arm around Engfa. "Good. Now, no more going to work. Just rest."

Engfa chuckled softly. "I'll try."

As they sat together, the tension between them faded. Engfa felt relieved knowing Charlotte had her back, even when she made mistakes.

---

Later that night, Charlotte woke up to the sound of Engfa's shaky breaths. She blinked in the dim light and looked over at Engfa, who was trembling under the blanket.

"Engfa?" Charlotte whispered, gently shaking her. "Hey, are you okay?"

Engfa didn't respond at first. When Charlotte touched her forehead, it was burning hot again. Her skin was flushed, and she was sweating heavily.

"Oh no..." Charlotte's heart raced with worry. She shook Engfa again, more urgently. "Engfa, wake up!"

Engfa's eyes fluttered open, but she looked disoriented. "Charlotte... I don't feel good," she mumbled.

"You're really sick," Charlotte muttered. She grabbed her phone and quickly called for a ride to the hospital.

---

At the hospital, Engfa was rushed into the emergency room while Charlotte waited anxiously outside. She couldn't stop blaming herself for not making sure Engfa rested earlier.

After what felt like forever, a doctor came out to talk to her. "Are you with Miss Engfa Waraha?"

"Yes," Charlotte said quickly. "Is she okay?"

The doctor nodded with a reassuring smile. "She'll be fine. She has the flu, and her fever spiked because she didn't rest enough. We're giving her fluids and medicine. She just needs time to recover."

Charlotte let out a breath of relief. "Thank you. Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded. "You can, but make sure she rests this time."

Charlotte thanked the doctor and hurried to Engfa's room.

---

Engfa was lying in the hospital bed, sleeping peacefully. The IV next to her was slowly dripping fluids into her system. Charlotte sat down beside her, feeling a wave of relief.

"I told you not to push yourself," Charlotte whispered, gently brushing Engfa's hair out of her face. "You don't have to do everything on your own, you know."

Even though Engfa was still asleep, she seemed to relax a bit as Charlotte held her hand. Charlotte smiled softly, knowing she'd stay by Engfa's side, no matter what.