The Rules Of Pursuit

10. Insights

"Where am I?" I asked sleepily. The bed I was lying on was not at all comforting. The unfamiliar room was quite large. Its walls were lined with beds similar to the one I was on.

Mia, Mandy and Naid sat on wooden chairs next to me.

"How are you feeling?" Mia asked anxiously.

"Better," I sat up on the bed.

"You are in the infirmary." Mia informed me.

A nurse in pink scrubs hurriedly walked towards me, when I tried to prop myself up putting my weight on the elbows.

"Good to have you back Ms. Banerjee." She checked my pulse, pressure and then flashed a small torchlight in my eyes.

"Your vitals are normal." The nurse informed, "Dr. Rao will be here in any minute, once he examines you, you can leave." She smiled kindly before reoccupying her seat behind the desk, in the middle of the infirmary.

"We haven't told them about the joint." Mia whispered. I nodded, as the memories of the Cafeteria flashed back.

"How long have I been here?" I asked them.

"Since last night," Naid told me.

"Well, well, well, look who is back!" A man in his early thirties, dressed in blue scrubs glided inside the infirmary through the steel double door. The nurse joined the man, who I believed was Dr. Rao. He went through the papers that hung on a clipboard at the foot of my bed.

"It looks like you are fine now." He smiled at me. "What happened yesterday?"

"I guess another of my anxiety attacks." I lied coolly. Smoking or even possessing cannabis was illegal. If they got to know the real reason behind me fainting, me along with my friends would be rusticated immediately.

"Oh," Dr. Rao turned to the nurse, "Sunanda bring me her medical file."

Sunanda rushed to a steel rack, situated on the opposite wall and fetched one of the blue files.

"Hmm. You do have a history of severe anxiety attacks." Dr. Rao observed, leafing through my file.

"I will be prescribing you some medication which you are to take, only in exceptional situations like yesterday." He said looking up from the file. "And no more caffeine drinks, for you."

Dr. Rao closed the file and handed it back to Nurse Sunanda.

"Try to indulge more in outdoor sports. It helps with anxiety. And I will write a pass so that you can take him to any part of the campus," he said pointing to Brute, who was lying at Mia's feet. "Dogs help in soothing anxiety."

"Can I go then?" I asked expectantly.

"Of course," Dr. Rao smiled, "I must say you are lucky to have such good friends. They never left your side even once, since you were brought here. I guess it is time your friends, and your furry boy had a loo break."

I was overwhelmed on hearing this. It felt like I had earned myself a second family here.

As we left the Infirmary, which was situated in the administrative building, I finally faced the aftermath.

"Need a bucket puke queen?"

"Hey Puke Queen, looks like someone put their fingers in the wrong hole."

"Hey Puke queen, you should join the basketball team, I heard you are good at throwing up."

"Hey puke queen, careful on the grass, I heard they have vomit intolerance."

The jeers from the rest of my college-mates continued all the way to my room. I had never been this humiliated by the mean girls in my school even. I sat huddled in my room, not listening to the words of compassion Mia, Junaid and Mandy showered.