Sasa's Dollhouse

Recovery Rooms

A/N: Chapters 3-6 was written in collaboration with OreoRainbow. Actually sa kanya galing ung plot. I just weaved it into words.

The following day, the doctor came in to check on Risa. After a quick check on her vitals and motor functions, she gave her the all-clear.

No words were exchanged between Risa and Leni when the latter drove her to her house that day - a far cry from the animated chatter they shared before all that happened. After what seemed to be eternity, they finally arrived.

Leni helped Risa up and allowed her kasambahay who was waiting by the door to guide her inside towards the couch while she brought her bags in and unpacked them.

"Teka lang, ha?" Leni said, heading out to the kitchen.

Moments later, she came back with three glasses of juice and a small plate of cookies. The three of them ate in silence when something popped up in Leni's mind.

She gestured her arms wide open around the room and closed-open her fists. "Mahal, gusto ko maraming flowers sa bahay mo! Para refreshing sa paningin mo."

Risa smiled a little, "Um, okay, sige."

Leni then asked Agnes, the kasambahay to buy some flowers. "Ate Agnes, bili ka muna ng flowers diyan sa tindahan. Bigyan kita ng pera."

When she opened her wallet up, Risa's mood took a huge nosedive when she saw the photo of Leni and Jesse hugging each other so closely displayed on the wallet. Her words became cold and strident, just like when Leni first saw her in the hospital. "Ayoko ng bulaklak. Gusto ko nang magpahinga."

Risa stumbled when she got up to go to her bedroom. Leni held her arm to help her up but Risa wrestled her arm away. "Wag na, kaya ko na."

She limped back up to the bedroom leaving Leni and Agnes looking at each other at a loss.

---

Leni then tried to contact Risa over the next few days. She sent no less than 10 messages, but not a single reply back to her. Next, she dialled her number. The phone rang then she heard Risa's voice. "Hello, Risa?"

Only to be met with a dial tone.

For a couple more days she waited. 

And waited. 

And waited.

Until she couldn't take it anymore and drove the way up to her house. 

Even with her eyes closed she knew the streets to turn and what to avoid during rush hour for being there so often. When she rang the doorbell, she expected Risa to see her, only to be greeted by Agnes instead. "Ay ma'am, sorry po. Di pa mabuti pakiramdam ni Risa. Wala daw munang bisita."

"Kahit na ako?"

"Lalo na daw po kayo." Agnes hesitantly blurted out.

Leni's heart sank when she heard those words. Even more so when she could hear Loren's familiar voice penetrating through the walls. She knew Risa only meant her.

Dejected, she slumped her shoulders and dragged her feet back to her car. On the way back home, Leni attempted to figure out why Risa was like that to her, but she hasn't found any answers.

That night, she received another text from Loren, followed by her address in Forbes Park. "Leni, punta ka dito sa bahay ko. Nandito si Risa. Lasing na lasing siya."

Immediately, she entered her car and drove the way to Forbes.