RED

Heliotrope (part 2)

"Good morning, sir. May I help you with something?" She asked, quite humbly and with a smile. Enrico pushed his glasses back to rest properly on the bridge of his nose.

"I'd like to get something for a cold. No, actually something for cough, cold and high fever." He narrated the best he could.

"I'll be back in a minute." She stated before walking a little away from the counter to search for the specific drugs. Enrico tapped his right hand's nails on the counter quite simultaneously and impatiently. He lightly bit his lower lip as part of his impatience.

The lady that stood beside him felt irritated by his nails constantly tapping on the counter, so she slightly turned her head to him. She looked him down and up. Her eyes felt stuck on his face, before she slightly furrowed her brows.

"Enrico?" She called causing him to immediately turn his head to her. His eyes slightly widened for a second upon realisation of who it was.

"Enrico Vos." Cecile repeated, a little amused by their coincidental meeting.

"Here you go, sir." The pharmacist told him, causing him to shift his eyes back to her. He collected the white paper bag containing the drugs from him.

"Thank you." He stated, before reaching into his pocket to get out his wallet. He handed her his ATM card for her to make the needed withdrawal for payment.

"Don't you think it's a little strange we meet here after..."

"I'm sorry, I really can't talk right now." He suddenly interrupted her sentence just as he collected his card back from the pharmacist. Without sparing her another look, Enrico turned and hastened his pace out of the pharmacy.

Cecile blinked a few times, quite unable to believe how rudely she had just been shut off. She scoffed before looking away from the direction Enrico had walked through. She sighed as she focused back on the pharmacist in front of her.

A ding sound emitted before Enrico pushed the door open then walked in. He took off his coat and left it on the sofa before heading to the kitchen. He poured some water into a glass cup, in order to have her take the medication with it. On his way out, he noticed the pot left on the gas cooker. Earlier, he hadn't given much thought as to what was inside. Perhaps, some food. Thinking about food made him realise it would be much healthier for her to eat something before taking in any sort of medication. He took off the lid of the pot. There was perfectly cooked pasta. It made him think of the fact that she must have made dinner last night and possibly fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for him.

One question bothered him as he walked to her room with a bowl of porridge resting on the tray in his hands. Did she have dinner at all last night?

"Kiana." He called right after he left the tray on the side table and had his seat by her side on the bed. Her breathing was still the same, through her slightly opened mouth. He got no reply from her, not even a movement. He took the towel off her forehead, and placed a hand to check for her temperature once more. Unfortunately, nothing had changed.

"Kiana." He called once more, hoping to see some positive movement. Eventually, she slightly moved her head. Slowly, her eyes opened. Not quite, but enough to know she was a little conscious of her surroundings. Her gaze fell upon him once more. For a minute there, he expected her to say something, especially with the way she stared at him, but nothing came through her lips. Suddenly, she sneezed, then coughed real hard. He hands itched with the desire to place a hand on her and comfort her, to tell her that everything was going to be okay, but for a minute there, he felt frozen.

"I... I got you some medication and... you can't take them without having something in your stomach, so I made you some porridge." He finally stated just as she was done with coughing and sneezing for the meantime.