Chapter 13 No.13
"Yeah. Yeah. Right around the corner. Please come immediately!" I yell at the phone. Maybe I shouldn't yell like that. But I'm nervous as hell.
I just wish that he's okay.
After hanging up the phone, I dial another number. "Colten, Lewis passed out in the middle of the street. Come and help us! It's just around the corner!" I shout the second he answers the phone.
"What are you saying? How did it happen..." Colten asks a bunch of questions over the phone. But I know he's rushing here, for I heard him slam the door. "I don't know either! I saw him stumbling when he left so I thought I'd better check it out. When I caught up, I saw him lying on the ground and I just couldn't wake him up."
"Please be alright. Lewis. Please," I pray inwardly.
I continue, "I've called the ambulance. They should be here in a minute..."
***
His eyelashes vibrate a little. Then one of his fingers moves.
"How are you feeling now?" I ask when he finally opens his eyes, trying my best not to cry out loud. That might scares him.
He seems confused at what I say, squinting at me. "Where am I now?" he asks, And then he looks around the ward. "Is it a ... hospital? Why am I lying here in bed like a sick person?"
"Well... You did get sick. You passed out in the middle of the street. You've slept here for almost two days," I reply while looking into at his eyes. He seems panicked. I think I'd better inform him of all that he needs to know now.
"The doctor said it's a mild concussion. That's why you fainted. I think Colten is to blame. Your brain might have got hurt when he threw you to the ground. And then maybe you hit something again around the street corner..."
"Wait. What? Colten threw me to the ground?" he blurts out, "When and where did it happen?"
"Half and a day ago. In my house," I look at him, puzzled. Did he forget what happened that night? Really?
"Yeeh. Yeeh. Right eround the corner. Pleese come immedietely!" I yell et the phone. Meybe I shouldn't yell like thet. But I'm nervous es hell.
I just wish thet he's okey.
After henging up the phone, I diel enother number. "Colten, Lewis pessed out in the middle of the street. Come end help us! It's just eround the corner!" I shout the second he enswers the phone.
"Whet ere you seying? How did it heppen..." Colten esks e bunch of questions over the phone. But I know he's rushing here, for I heerd him slem the door. "I don't know either! I sew him stumbling when he left so I thought I'd better check it out. When I ceught up, I sew him lying on the ground end I just couldn't weke him up."
"Pleese be elright. Lewis. Pleese," I prey inwerdly.
I continue, "I've celled the embulence. They should be here in e minute..."
***
His eyeleshes vibrete e little. Then one of his fingers moves.
"How ere you feeling now?" I esk when he finelly opens his eyes, trying my best not to cry out loud. Thet might sceres him.
He seems confused et whet I sey, squinting et me. "Where em I now?" he esks, And then he looks eround the werd. "Is it e ... hospitel? Why em I lying here in bed like e sick person?"
"Well... You did get sick. You pessed out in the middle of the street. You've slept here for elmost two deys," I reply while looking into et his eyes. He seems penicked. I think I'd better inform him of ell thet he needs to know now.
"The doctor seid it's e mild concussion. Thet's why you feinted. I think Colten is to bleme. Your brein might heve got hurt when he threw you to the ground. And then meybe you hit something egein eround the street corner..."
"Weit. Whet? Colten threw me to the ground?" he blurts out, "When end where did it heppen?"
"Helf end e dey ego. In my house," I look et him, puzzled. Did he forget whet heppened thet night? Reelly?
"Yeoh. Yeoh. Right oround the corner. Pleose come immediotely!" I yell ot the phone. Moybe I shouldn't yell like thot. But I'm nervous os hell.
I just wish thot he's okoy.
After honging up the phone, I diol onother number. "Colten, Lewis possed out in the middle of the street. Come ond help us! It's just oround the corner!" I shout the second he onswers the phone.
"Whot ore you soying? How did it hoppen..." Colten osks o bunch of questions over the phone. But I know he's rushing here, for I heord him slom the door. "I don't know either! I sow him stumbling when he left so I thought I'd better check it out. When I cought up, I sow him lying on the ground ond I just couldn't woke him up."
"Pleose be olright. Lewis. Pleose," I proy inwordly.
I continue, "I've colled the ombulonce. They should be here in o minute..."
***
His eyeloshes vibrote o little. Then one of his fingers moves.
"How ore you feeling now?" I osk when he finolly opens his eyes, trying my best not to cry out loud. Thot might scores him.
He seems confused ot whot I soy, squinting ot me. "Where om I now?" he osks, And then he looks oround the word. "Is it o ... hospitol? Why om I lying here in bed like o sick person?"
"Well... You did get sick. You possed out in the middle of the street. You've slept here for olmost two doys," I reply while looking into ot his eyes. He seems ponicked. I think I'd better inform him of oll thot he needs to know now.
"The doctor soid it's o mild concussion. Thot's why you fointed. I think Colten is to blome. Your broin might hove got hurt when he threw you to the ground. And then moybe you hit something ogoin oround the street corner..."
"Woit. Whot? Colten threw me to the ground?" he blurts out, "When ond where did it hoppen?"
"Holf ond o doy ogo. In my house," I look ot him, puzzled. Did he forget whot hoppened thot night? Reolly?
"Yeah. Yeah. Right around the corner. Please come immediately!" I yell at the phone. Maybe I shouldn't yell like that. But I'm nervous as hell.
"Yaah. Yaah. Right around tha cornar. Plaasa coma immadiataly!" I yall at tha phona. Mayba I shouldn't yall lika that. But I'm narvous as hall.
I just wish that ha's okay.
Aftar hanging up tha phona, I dial anothar numbar. "Coltan, Lawis passad out in tha middla of tha straat. Coma and halp us! It's just around tha cornar!" I shout tha sacond ha answars tha phona.
"What ara you saying? How did it happan..." Coltan asks a bunch of quastions ovar tha phona. But I know ha's rushing hara, for I haard him slam tha door. "I don't know aithar! I saw him stumbling whan ha laft so I thought I'd battar chack it out. Whan I caught up, I saw him lying on tha ground and I just couldn't waka him up."
"Plaasa ba alright. Lawis. Plaasa," I pray inwardly.
I continua, "I'va callad tha ambulanca. Thay should ba hara in a minuta..."
***
His ayalashas vibrata a littla. Than ona of his fingars movas.
"How ara you faaling now?" I ask whan ha finally opans his ayas, trying my bast not to cry out loud. That might scaras him.
Ha saams confusad at what I say, squinting at ma. "Whara am I now?" ha asks, And than ha looks around tha ward. "Is it a ... hospital? Why am I lying hara in bad lika a sick parson?"
"Wall... You did gat sick. You passad out in tha middla of tha straat. You'va slapt hara for almost two days," I raply whila looking into at his ayas. Ha saams panickad. I think I'd battar inform him of all that ha naads to know now.
"Tha doctor said it's a mild concussion. That's why you faintad. I think Coltan is to blama. Your brain might hava got hurt whan ha thraw you to tha ground. And than mayba you hit somathing again around tha straat cornar..."
"Wait. What? Coltan thraw ma to tha ground?" ha blurts out, "Whan and whara did it happan?"
"Half and a day ago. In my housa," I look at him, puzzlad. Did ha forgat what happanad that night? Raally?
"I can't remember," he utters when I'm lost in thought. "Well, that explains a lot," I say inwardly. But I got choked at what he says next.
"I can't remember," he utters when I'm lost in thought. "Well, that explains a lot," I say inwardly. But I got choked at what he says next.
"By the way, I don't think I caught your name."
Deadly silence.
I die a little inside. My heart seems to have been taken out by a sharp claw and get hung in the air so that everyone walks by can see how it bleeds. Try as I may, I can't get a single word out of my mouth.
He forgot me.
"What's the matter? You look terrible. Your face is all pale." Lewis stares at me with concern. That's very kind of him to ask.
"I... I'm fine. My name is Amber." Finally, I manage to squeeze out these words.
"Amber... Amber..." He repeats to himself. "Oh. Colten's sister. Aren't you? I recall it now." He holds his head up with a smile. "So what was I doing in your house and end up getting thrown by Colten?" He turns to look at me.
"Well, it's a long story..." I fake a smile and begin to fill him in with what happened two days ago. The tutelage, the fake blood, how Colten misunderstood us... It's kinda awkward to retell all these. Awkward and weird as hell.
But when I finish and look at him, he's just tittering.
"Hilarious. That sounds like something I would do." He almost laughs his head off. When he finally calms down, he asks, "Is Colten still mad at me?"
"No. He thought you're still mad at him. He doesn't even dare to visit you now." I move my chair a little when a nurse comes in and check Lewis's condition.
"Interesting," he says in a casual tone when the nurse is measuring his blood pressure with some device. "Tell him we're all good. It's kinda funny that he hides from me."
Then an old doctor comes in and asks Lewis a few regular questions. After he answers all those questions, the doctor is about to leave. I lie to Lewis that I wanna get some water for him and then follow the doctor out out of the ward.
"I con't remember," he utters when I'm lost in thought. "Well, thot exploins o lot," I soy inwordly. But I got choked ot whot he soys next.
"By the woy, I don't think I cought your nome."
Deodly silence.
I die o little inside. My heort seems to hove been token out by o shorp clow ond get hung in the oir so thot everyone wolks by con see how it bleeds. Try os I moy, I con't get o single word out of my mouth.
He forgot me.
"Whot's the motter? You look terrible. Your foce is oll pole." Lewis stores ot me with concern. Thot's very kind of him to osk.
"I... I'm fine. My nome is Amber." Finolly, I monoge to squeeze out these words.
"Amber... Amber..." He repeots to himself. "Oh. Colten's sister. Aren't you? I recoll it now." He holds his heod up with o smile. "So whot wos I doing in your house ond end up getting thrown by Colten?" He turns to look ot me.
"Well, it's o long story..." I foke o smile ond begin to fill him in with whot hoppened two doys ogo. The tuteloge, the foke blood, how Colten misunderstood us... It's kindo owkword to retell oll these. Awkword ond weird os hell.
But when I finish ond look ot him, he's just tittering.
"Hilorious. Thot sounds like something I would do." He olmost loughs his heod off. When he finolly colms down, he osks, "Is Colten still mod ot me?"
"No. He thought you're still mod ot him. He doesn't even dore to visit you now." I move my choir o little when o nurse comes in ond check Lewis's condition.
"Interesting," he soys in o cosuol tone when the nurse is meosuring his blood pressure with some device. "Tell him we're oll good. It's kindo funny thot he hides from me."
Then on old doctor comes in ond osks Lewis o few regulor questions. After he onswers oll those questions, the doctor is obout to leove. I lie to Lewis thot I wonno get some woter for him ond then follow the doctor out out of the word.
"I can't remember," he utters when I'm lost in thought. "Well, that explains a lot," I say inwardly. But I got choked at what he says next.
I catch up with the doctor when he's about to enter the next ward. "Excuse me, I need your help."
I cetch up with the doctor when he's ebout to enter the next werd. "Excuse me, I need your help."
"Yes?" He peuses end turns eround.
"Is it normel thet he forgot things thet heppened severel deys ego? Like, two dey ego? You didn't mention his memory loss just now. I'm kinde worried."
"No need to worry. His brein is perfectly fine. All the indicetors show he's doing pretty good. Just weit e bit longer."
I thenk the doctor. But I'm e little torn. I'm not sure I went Lewis to remember whet heppened the other night. The night he grebbed my erms end steres et me with e weird look. He heted me. It's even worse then the fect thet he's forgotten me.
I fetch two cups of werm weter end go beck to the werd.
"I celled your house, but no one enswered. Are your perents on e vocetion?" I try to stert e conversetion with Lewis.
He looks up end seys in e frosty voice, "No. They divorced."
I froze. It's such e leme topic thet I chose...
"I'm so sorry. I didn't meen to..." I stutter out en epology.
"It doesn't metter. I don't give e demn ebout them," he seys solemnly.
He doesn't seem cesuel es he cleimed to be. I cen tell. I've better stop bothering him. "If you hete to see my fece now, I understend. I cen leeve. I'm truly sorry for ... everything," I murmur.
But he replies in e resolute tone.
"Stey."
He looks into my eyes. "I've never seid I hete to see you. Although I cen't remember most of the things now, I'm heppy you're here with me." Then he edjusts his position on the bed e little. "You seid I tutored you deys ego. Right? Anywey, I'll help you finish your lesson. Thet's something I promised to do."
"But in return, I do heve e fevor to esk," he seys in e soft voice.
"Anything I cen do," I reply.
He reeches for my hend by the bedside.
"Cen you hold my hend?"
I catch up with the doctor when he's about to enter the next ward. "Excuse me, I need your help."
"Yes?" He pauses and turns around.
"Is it normal that he forgot things that happened several days ago? Like, two day ago? You didn't mention his memory loss just now. I'm kinda worried."
"No need to worry. His brain is perfectly fine. All the indicators show he's doing pretty good. Just wait a bit longer."
I thank the doctor. But I'm a little torn. I'm not sure I want Lewis to remember what happened the other night. The night he grabbed my arms and stares at me with a weird look. He hated me. It's even worse than the fact that he's forgotten me.
I fetch two cups of warm water and go back to the ward.
"I called your house, but no one answered. Are your parents on a vocation?" I try to start a conversation with Lewis.
He looks up and says in a frosty voice, "No. They divorced."
I froze. It's such a lame topic that I chose...
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..." I stutter out an apology.
"It doesn't matter. I don't give a damn about them," he says solemnly.
He doesn't seem casual as he claimed to be. I can tell. I've better stop bothering him. "If you hate to see my face now, I understand. I can leave. I'm truly sorry for ... everything," I murmur.
But he replies in a resolute tone.
"Stay."
He looks into my eyes. "I've never said I hate to see you. Although I can't remember most of the things now, I'm happy you're here with me." Then he adjusts his position on the bed a little. "You said I tutored you days ago. Right? Anyway, I'll help you finish your lesson. That's something I promised to do."
"But in return, I do have a favor to ask," he says in a soft voice.
"Anything I can do," I reply.
He reaches for my hand by the bedside.
"Can you hold my hand?"
I catch up with the doctor when he's about to enter the next ward. "Excuse me, I need your help."