MAY

23: FELL SICK.

“You owe yourself the love that you so freely give to other people.”
                              —Purpose_app.
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C H A P T E R 23:

May wasn't herself when she stirred. Her aching eyes slowly opened. It took her some time to register that she was still in Iby's house. She had slept off on his couch with him and had woken up without him by her side.

Goosebumps appeared all over her skin once the morning chilly air whirled through the opened windows and into the room. She tried to sit up on the couch only for her to receive a sharp pain in her head. May placed her left hand on her forehead, shutting her eyes and rested flat on the couch; face up and her head on the arm of the couch.

The hand that was still placed on her forehead burned slightly. Her body was hot. Her breathing felt hot as well.

Although she had just woken up, it didn't stop her from feeling sleepy. She tried to keep her eyes open. In doing so, hot tears dribbled down her heavy eyes on its own accord due to the pain she was feeling around it.

She attempted to sit up right again.

"Oh! you are awake."

She followed the direction where the soft familiar voice had came from. Iby was leaning against the adjoining door to the room and his kitchen. He was simply dressed on khaki shorts and a plain white t—shirt. She didn't miss the ear ring shinning on his left ear.

He passed her his signature smile in which she returned.

The pounding in her head increased all of a sudden spoiling the moment. She squinted her eyes and caressed her forehead gently while looking down.

Iby became alarmed. "Are you alright?"

He didn't give her space to respond as he immediately sat beside her. He touched her neck. "Your body is hot like fire." he exaggerated.

She managed to speak. "I'm feeling cold."

Her voice was low. Someone sitting on the next chair would have to strain their ears to hear what she had said but Iby didn't have to. He heard cause he was sitting just next to her.

"Oh shit!" he exclaimed, putting puzzles together. "We forgot to change your wet clothes yesterday night. I think you have malaria. You need to bath, change your clothes, eat and take some para."

She nodded slowly whilst hugging herself and shivering. How could she be feeling this cold meanwhile her body was this hot?

Iby went back into the kitchen to prepare a quick meal for both of them to eat while she managed to stand up and find her way to his bathroom.

Iby's bathroom was just portable. It was far from what she was expecting. The floor was tiled with different colours of tiles while the wall was painted cream. It had a shower, a mirror, a small cup—like container hanged on the wall, with the support of a rusty nail, used in putting his toothbrush and tooth paste inside. It also had a tiny rope in which you could hang your wet clothes. It was nice.

She locked the door and carefully stepped out of her clothes. Hanged them on the rope before rinsing her mouth with water and turning on the shower. The water was cold that it shocked her the minute it touched her shoulder, sending goosebumps all over. May shuddered.

She hadn't thought of it and regretted not putting up water on fire to mix with the cold one first in order to make it lukewarm for bathing. In second thought, maybe the water was going to make her body cool. After a few minutes, her body adjusted to the cold water. She didn't bother using soap or sponge to wash her body. She was feeling too weak for that.