17

The rattling of the pans and utensils was what woke me up after I took the medicine Mina gave me. Grunting, I tried my best to lift myself up from the bed and sit for a few minutes as I still felt like the room was spinning. To my surprise, an old man who I am very familiar with pops his head at the door with a worried expression on his face.

"You okay? No, no, don't get up. I'll go to you." He walks to me while doing his habit of tip toe-ing which made me crack up a bit. "You still manage to laugh at someone even when you're burning up, huh?" With utmost care, he sits on the edge of my bed, adjusts the pillow on my back while his hand is assisting my head.

I couldn't help but let my head rest on his shoulder. It felt warm. Daniel always felt warm. Without realising it, I snuggled closer and I was already resting my head on his chest. He just let me, though.

"Won't your headache get worse with how you're positioned right now? Come on, let's put you on a better one." Considerate Daniel, always thoughtful about how others would feel. I smiled. Though my eyes were closed, I felt him shifting his position, mimicking mine. He wraps his arm around me and slowly lets my head fall on his shoulder.

"Cooked something for me, Dan?"

He was now caressing my hair slowly which made me want to sleep again. He hums. "Well, not really me. Christian's downstairs with Mina. He's a better cook than I am. Mina's there to nag him when he cooks too much."

I chuckle. "So the other ancient guy comes too? Told Mina not to call you, though."

"You know how Mina is. Christian was panicking when he picked me up. Your Aunt Zack brought some of your favourites, too. Should've seen his face when we checked how high your temperature was." He chuckles, finding the actions of his friend very much entertaining as if it was the first time that he'd seen him act that way.

"Mhmm. Can I sleep some more? I'm kinda dozing off right now. I'd hate to miss any of the things you're saying right now." I smile without him seeing.

"Right, I'm sorry." Slowly, he retracts his arm that was around me and lays me down while fixing the pillows, asking me a couple of times if I was comfortable enough."Rest some more. I'll wake you up when the food is ready.'

The only thing I could do was nod, eyes still closed. After that, I don't remember anything that happened, just that it was maybe the first time in my life that I've slept that long. It was the first time for me to rest.

—

"Gem?" A slight shake somehow makes me awake. Well, half awake. "Gem? Love, you need to get up and eat some food before it gets cold. You need to drink your meds after this, too."

I grunt, brows furrowing as I was not in the mood to wake up. "No," I say faintly, barely even getting out a sound.

"Come on—"

"This is a pain to watch. Stand back there. I'll wake her up." I hear a tsk before finally feeling someone's arms around me. "You've been waking her up for 10 minutes and this is what you just managed to get as a result?"

"Daniel?"

He hums as an answer while making me sit up. I wasn't fully awake yet, but it was enough for me to recognize the voices that were arguing. It was familiar to me.

"Come on, you need to eat."

I pout without even realising. "Did your friend cook?"

"Hey! It's Christian for you, lady. And yes, I was the one who cooked." Based on the tone of his voice, he was very much feeling very confident about the dishes he cooked for a sick patient.

So, I decided to crush it (just a little bit). "Then I'll pass. Don't wanna die just yet today."

He scoffs. "That didn't hurt me…" he pauses. "well maybe just a little bit. But we both know how much you like my cooking. You need to eat every last bit of it then you drink your meds."

"I told Mina not to call both of you over because it'll result in both of you nagging." I shift on my bed as I try to find a more comfortable position. "Where is she?"

"Cleaning downstairs. And you know her, she's like a fricking clone of you. I should probably tell her to stop hanging out with you." Daniel interrupts the conversation.

"I think her hanging out around me is normal because she's my manager?" Funny how I still answer to their silly statements though I'm pretty sure they're just saying these stuff to make me smile a little bit.

"I'm kidding."

Surprisingly, I gave in to both of them. Daniel was the one beside me while Christian was just standing, very much cheerful everytime I took a sip of his soup while he's holding an empty glass. Daniel was assisting me as though I forgot how to eat on my own. It felt funny but it was so heartwarming. To have myself get raised (sort of) and taken care of by these men like they are my fathers. Mina like my sister, Aunt Zack like my own mother.

"Can I take the meds now? I'm starting to get a little sleepy again." It took me a few bites before I could feel myself getting full. I wouldn't want to sleep on a very full stomach, so I asked for the medicines.

As if on cue, Mina peeks in the room, carefully checking if everything was fine until she finally came inside. She was holding a pack of medicine and a basin with newly changed water and a towel.

"Right on time." Christian clicks his tongue.

"Is it really necessary for all of you to be here? These two men can go, Mina." She walked towards me with an expression that's too familiar to me.

"I'm sorry. I can't do anything about them since you know how hard headed they are. I'll make sure to get rid of them before you wake up later." She sits beside me, opening the medicine and giving me a glass of water.

"Mina, I think you should stop hanging out with Gem. You're getting too much of her attitude stuck with you." Christian lets out a pained sound when he gets hit on the stomach by Daniel beside him.

"We'll go out. Make sure she's tucked before you leave the house." With that said, he grabs Christian by the arm and pulls him out of the room while the other makes a pained expression and makes sure to let me see before the door closes.

"What a chaotic duo." She proceeds to clean up the almost-not-touched food.

I chuckle, though it made my head ache a little. "Better get used to it by now, Mina."

I hissed when I suddenly felt a cold towel touch my forehead. "Mina," I say, not continuing the statement that's been on my mind since I woke up with a fever inside the room. It was too quiet for me to not think about a few things.

She hums as an answer. The towel was now on my neck travelling down to my arms as she tried to lower down my temperature by doing the old method.

"Nevermind."

"I know what's on your mind, and I tell you that it's perfectly fine to feel that way."

I chuckle once again, softer than the first one. "I still cannot comprehend how you can do that, you know."

She chuckles, as well. The chilly feeling of the towel combined with the air from the aircon was enough to make me shiver a little bit. But it was a nice feeling to me; it was even enough for me to slowly drift to sleep without noticing.

—

Next day, I felt better than I did yesterday. My head was a tad bit heavy but not like how it was yesterday. Mina checked on me before going to work and fortunately, my temperature went down a little bit, too.

I was wishing to not get any calls from the duo but I knew it was impossible. The first call was around 9 am. Daniel called me to check how I was feeling; Christian followed suit. Before eating lunch, they called again, reminding me to eat my meal when Mina was right beside me with a book in her hand. She was waiting for me to finish my food, as well, occasionally laughing because the call was on loudspeaker.

When I was sure that it was almost time for their time out, I put my phone on silent. It wasn't annoying (maybe a little) but I wanted to get some time to sleep and not worry about the endless questions thrown at me every time they called me. I know they're worried, but I just want to sleep, really.

The feeling of having a great sleep was very much refreshing to someone who has never slept peacefully in her life. But it was soon cut off by a loud knock on my door. It wasn't only once, it kept going. And the more they knocked, the louder it got.

Sighing, I brought myself to get out of my bed to just open the door since it was getting a little bit irritating. "Wait. Damn, whoever this is, they don't have patience do they?" I shake my head.

It was a lot louder than when I was hearing it from upstairs. I could not help but close my eyes and tilt my head. "Dammit, wait. I'm on the very edge of calling security." I whisper under my breath.

My wrinkled forehead, furrowed brows, and annoyed expression completely vanished and turned into something surprised. The figure before me was an expected visitor but considering the time I didn't think they'd go here just to check up on me.

"You could've called!" I smack her on the chest.

"Yeah, well, guess who's not answering the phone!" She raises the screen of her phone to my face, rubbing it in. I totally forgot about my silent phone and when she mentioned it, it was when I saw more than a dozen calls from both Daniel and Christian.

"I'm sorry, Geleen. Let me call the guys first."

—

The frigid surrounding was perfectly matched with a hot cocoa made by Geleen. We were out at the balcony, spending a little time of quietness and just savoring how the sky looks like right now. Maybe we both have different things on our mind, but I'm sure it does help when you overthink things with someone.

"I'm glad Daniel chose to go his own way. I can see he's happier." She opened a topic.

I chuckle. It is true that Daniel did deserve better when he was our driver but never have I once heard anything from him. Thinking about how my parents treated him, I'm very thankful for him since he took care of me like I was his own. He never had anything against me (or maybe that's what I think.)

"I know. I guess we're the only ones stuck in that shitty hellhole." We both laugh at my statement. Once it dies down, we turn silent.

"But you. How about you?"

I shrug with a smile on my face. "You know, same old. The same as I was before."

She grimaces, not totally believing a word I say. "Are you sure, though? You always say you're okay when you're not really."

I cannot deny that myself, because I do know that it is true. I often cover all of the real emotions I feel to not be a burden to others. "I…I don't know, Leen. It's been years. I tried my best to keep myself busy to not think about him. I—Maybe it's because of the books; They remind me of him."

She turned silent, and it alarmed me. I fwip my head to take a look if she's still there, if I'll still get a reply. I patiently waited for her to say something, though it did take some time and it was actually painful to wait. My mind was in shambles before she started saying something.

"It's normal to feel that way, you know. The more you try to push the thoughts of him away, the more you'll think about him. Sure, you might forget about him when you're doing the drowning work you have, but it'll all come crashing back to you once you're sitting down on the couch doing nothing." She sighs, though not the one where it seems like they're tired. It's more of a relieved sigh.

"If given the chance of being alone anywhere, when it's quiet, you won't have any choice but to think about this one person that you keep pushing to the back of your head, it'll be normal to feel somewhat guilty. But stop feeling guilty because there's nothing wrong with it."