Rain Again (Completed)

Chapter 27

It felt like death would have been better than this when Alex backtracked out of the room. He walked away, just like Kate wanted, and he didn't stop until he reached the little botanical garden at the side of the floor. He plopped down on the bench next to a long line of Laelia orchids and dropped his head in his shaking hands. Unlike a few pregnant women and an old guy suffering from paralysis strapped in a wheelchair, Alex was altogether oblivious to the beauty and smell surrounding him. 

The palms of his hands felt wet against his cheek. He realized they had collected his tears. 

His breath hitched as his mind reeled back to the memory of minutes ago. And he couldn't help but wonder if Kate had felt the same when he had moved her face away from her pleading eyes that night. 

If possible, his regret only increased, and he feared if this anguish would ever stop. Because if it didn't, then it was very much possible that, one day, there would be nothing but only this anguish left in his life. He was scared. Like a lost child - he was scared. It was even more terrifying, the knowledge that perhaps no one would find him. For his world was lost, and he had no other place to go.

As minutes ticked by, he gradually became aware of his surrounding. 

On the other side of the orchids, an expecting couple was talking in a hushed voice to their child. There was no view more serene than this.

Alex could hear the anticipation in their voices, the joy, and the love. It was like another horrid nail to his heart as he realized that he had lost this all. 

Lightning flashed across the sky suddenly, and then there was a booming thunder.

Alex heard the man from the other side of the orchids chuckle and say, "Well, that's Asthel. You never know when the cloud will claim the sky."

The female voice laughed along. "Now, let's get inside, or our little one here will kick the daylight out of me in fear. She's scared of thunders, you know."

"Like mother, like daughter."

As the unseen couple left, with the female voice huffing and puffing, the drizzling began. Other people, too, left in hurry. Some, though, stayed under the shed near the double doors. 

Only Alex stayed rooted to his spot, raising his face to the cold droplets of heaven. He let the rain pour along with his pain.

--

Ellie giggled behind Kate for the fourth time as she pushed the wheelchair along the corridor. Kate rolled her eyes or made a close attempt at it.

"Pushing this damned thing makes me feel like I'm shopping in the supermarket. Only, there's a human being sitting inside the cart," Ellie chirped.

Neil and Victor had gone home now, and it was Ellie's turn to babysit Kate. And she was proving to be quite a very excited babysitter. Now that the life threat was out of Kate's way, Ellie had dedicated herself to all the amusing things in the hospital. 

It was not difficult to find Lara's location in the hospital. The nurse at the counter was helpful with that. While Ellie talked about pushing the wheelchair in the direction of Lara's room as instructed by the nurse, Kate played with the petals of the baby pink roses on her lap. The sky blue slim ribbons binding the bunch of beauties together went with the pink adorably. "This color's a nice choice, Ellie. Did you get these from the florist across the street?"

"Yes, that's the shop. They have got an incredible collection of flowers, you know," Ellie replied happily. "And their business's flourishing, the line of customers was THIS long. They're quite wise opening the shop right before a hospital. Guaranteed success. And Victor kind of chose the color and ribbons and roses, or I was quite intrigued to buy the Dracula Simia Orchids."