One Last Chance

Aftermath

The world returned in fragments.

Charlotte’s fingers twitched against starched sheets, each movement sluggish, as though her limbs were underwater. Her ears began to register the rhythmic beeping fading in and out from a close distance.

Her eyes opened by degrees, as if they were ladened by heavy curtains. The world was as hazy as her mind, it was a warm hue of faint yellow from a table lamp. She blinked once, and then twice to register where she was.

Then, suddenly, panic flickered somewhere in her chest, dulled by whatever was still swimming in her veins. Her throat burned—a dry, scratchy pain that made her cough weakly.

Her eyes looked everywhere frantically, before falling on a figure hunched over the side of her bed. The familiar silhouette and the long, black hair brought peace to Charlotte almost immediately.

Her fingers tried to lift from the cold sheets, but she was stopped by her own cough once more.

The figure stirred and lifted her head, their eyes matched.

Engfa’s mouth dropped for a second before she quickly stood up and leaned over her wife.

“Char, you’re awake. Hold on, lemme get the doctor, baby.” Engfa said in a panicked rush, her hand reached over to press on the button. Then, she quickly poured a glass of water for her wife, her hands slightly shaking.

“Fa, what happened?” Charlotte asked in confusion. There was a flash of panic when she remembered vaguely, “Was I-?”

“No, no, no. I got there in time, baby. You were unconscious but the tests showed that only traces of illegal aphrodisiac were found in your body.” Engfa quickly explained lest her wife spiralled into overthinking.

“Really?” A layer of mist covered Char’s eyes, her voice trembled.

“P’Fa would never lie to you about this.” Engfa hugged her wife to her chest and caressed her face. “You’re okay, you’re safe now. Don’t cry.”

The manager adjusted the bed so that Char was sat up and sat next to her, she held the glass to Char’s mouth and carefully tilted it. At this moment, the doctor and nurses came over to check on her wellbeing under Engfa’s attentive eyes. When it was confirmed that Char was recovering well, only did she truly calm down.

The door closed, leaving the couple in their own world once more. Engfa turned her face to Char and found her looking at her already. Her heart still ached as she gently caressed Char’s pale face, her lips were pursed to stop her sadness from coming out.

Charlotte pressed Engfa’s hand to her cheek and rested her head in her palm, their eyes expressing more than words could ever do. After a few seconds, Charlotte couldn’t stand the silence anymore and called out softly,

“Fa fa, are you angry at me? Why don’t you say anything?”

Engfa was speechless. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against her wife, she replied with some reproach in her tone, “Charlotte Waraha-Austin, you’re younger than me but why do you always end up in the hospital bed?”

Charlotte instantly pouted and felt wronged, she removed Engfa’s hand and buried her head into her wife’s chest. “I didn’t ask for this but you’re blaming nuu. I didn’t know better, I was just working and the next thing I knew I couldn’t move huhuhu”  She started crying, feeling more and more upset and misunderstood.

Her memories about last night were in fragments, in some ways her brain had already blocked out the scariest parts. She did remember feeling afraid and helpless, then Engfa appeared before her like a hero in a business suit. Still, she spent the night thinking Engfa was mad at her and now she thought Engfa was still angry at her.