Taking Risks

22

HER

It's dark. Too dark. I don't know where I am. I can't feel anything. Where am I?

Am I...

Am I dead?

Did my sickness finally claim me?

What happened? Why is it too dark here?

Why is it so quiet? What's going on?

//

I wake up to a very bright, white light. My eyes hurt as I slowly try to open them, groaning when everything just seems too bright. I had to squint because I felt like everything is just blinding.

What's going on? Where am I?

Turning slowly to my left was no easy feat but as my eyes start to adjust, I see RJ sleeping quite deeply beside me, his head on his arms, one hand of his clutching mine. His face looks worried even in sleep, his brows in a slight crunch. Is he... is he worried about me? Based on the white linens and the sterile smell and feel of the whole room, I deduce that I'm probably at the hospital.

What happened?

After our small surfing lesson, I don't really remember much anymore. Though I do remember walking back to the villa and feeling so tired to my bones. After that - I'm kind of drawing a blank.

"Good. You're finally awake." A soft voice say to my right.

Groaning once more, I turn to my right, squinting and see—

"Ninna," my voice croaks as I call her. That's right. She's Kris' cousin. How small is the world? "Nasa ospital tayo?"

She smirks a little and takes a cup from my bedside table, spooning something from it and offering them to me. She saw the question in my eyes since she explains, "Ice chips. I paged the nurse and asked for them since I have a feeling na magigising ka na ngayon."

I grunt in thanks as she spoons a little to my dry mouth and her smirk turns into a gentle smile, a little bit of worry for me shining through. I know she knows I have a ton of questions. First and foremost as to why I'm at the hospital and what exactly happened. Though I know that it's most likely because my SCID acted up. But she shakes her head a little as if telling me that - later, we will talk and everything will be answered.

I close my eyes after I finish the little cup of ice chips, my dry throat sufficiently refreshed. I must not be feeling totally ok yet since I feel like just by taking those ice chips, it zapped my energy so fast.

"Sleep ka pa," Ninna tells me, her warm hand going through my hair. "Hindi ka pa talagang ok. At maaga pa naman. When you wake again - that's when we'll talk. Gising na rin malamang si RJ n'un."

I'm not sure if I heard the rest of what she said after that since I start to already drift off but I don't think I'm mistaken when I heard her answer my unasked question, "He's here because he loves you."

//

I don't know what time it already is but I wake up again for the second time that day, famished but with renewed energy. Though I can still feel the tiredness in my limbs. Ninna goes out of my room to order my lunch (I can't believe I slept almost the whole day yesterday and half the day today, it seems), leaving me with RJ, who's still dozing beside me. Before Ninna left, I asked her to raise my bed a little so I'm sitting up instead of lying down. RJ is probably so tired that even the bed's movement didn't exactly wake him up. Though he did grumble a little, which I find totally cute.

Ang lala mo na talaga, Menggay.

Reaching over to gently ran my fingers through his hair, I smile when he moves even closer to me and nuzzles my hand like a cat. A little later and I see his eyes slowly open.