I'm cold

"Mrs Harrison, it's so nice to see you. I'm really glad you accepted my invitation" Maverick appreciate, offering a handshake. She gushed, accepting the handshake. Maverick fake a pleasant smile on his face.

"Why wouldn't I? It's your retirement and it's really my pleasure to be here" she gushed again. He chuckled.

"Thank you again for coming" he said and she tilted her hand to one side to see the fake couple.

Mrs Harrison freeze for a moment when she saw the both of them.

Lucy has been like that too ever since she set her eyes on Mrs Harrison. She immediately hid her expression on seeing her mother after a long time. She was heartbroken, her heart was shattered when she took a good look at her mother to see she lives in luxury while she for all this years!...has been living in poverty, not only that, she was mistreated too and had to face hell because of the person she calls her mother.

She wants to stop thinking about the pain she felt for all the years she has spent without her parents. No! Without her father because if he never died she wouldn't be in a very bad situation and also wouldn't have gone through pain.

Thinking of the past and also the present, her heart ached and felt really heavy, breathing now became really difficult for her. She took a step backwards as she stood between Eric and his father.

"Mrs Harrison" Maverick said bringing her back to Earth. She averted her gaze to him realizing she hasn't been concentrating, she forced a smile.

"I'm sorry, I just find your son so handsome and his girlfriend, she's..." She paused her gaze now on Lucy, seeing that betrayed look on her face. "She's beautiful, I love her dress" she praised their appearance.

"Ohh, thank you Mrs Harrison. You also look good in..." Eric got interrupted and they all looked behind Mrs Harrison when they heard a voice.

"Honey" a man came standing beside Mrs Harrison, placing his hand on her shoulder and eventually removed it.

So he is her husband? Now she get it. Her so called mother couldn't stand being poor so she decided to marry a rich man leaving her behind. So pathetic!

She was thankful that her mother didn't meet her real self, her poor self because she didn't want her to think she has been a loser all this time but still she is so very much unhappy as she held back all her emotions to burst out crying.

She recalled the moments she spent with her parents before her father left after recalling that she saw visions of how her aunt punished her and made her pass through hell before being an adult. Lucy was crying Inside.

Suddenly she heard her heart thumping faster, she couldn't breathe properly. She held her chest and looked at the four people surrounding her. She wasn't listening to their conversation but she could feel that they don't like each other. She looked up at Eric to see him still in the conversation.

With a force from her belly, "Excuse me" she said, she couldn't hold back anymore, those tears were going to disgrace her and she was having her attack again, she was thankful again because it wasn't pains in the belly. It was breathing problem. That's when she remembered she didn't take her medication that day. Turning around she walked away slowly and couldn't stand straight.

Eric found it strange. He excused himself and followed her. "Lucy" he called out to her but as she walks away, she lifted her hand at him as a stop sign. She didn't want him to see her struggling with her emotions and her sickness.

She's going to collapse if she doesn't get out of there. She walk as fast as she could, passing through people having different smell, choking her more. She was already crying as she recalls her mother face just now.

Eventually she got out of the wide, huge hall which was crowded. She looked for a better place to stay, a place away from everyone, somewhere no one would be. She could still hear Eric calling out to her but she couldn't reply or look at him because she was looking weak and when he sees her, concerns and pity will cloud his gaze. She didn't want that.

She got to the garden, seeing the gloomy night, no stars in the sky and looking up was making breathing difficult for her more. She opened her mouth widely, crying out loud, she dropped her purse.

Lucy was about taking off those tiring heals when she heard her name from that voice, that voice that followed the beats of her heart. She turned around to meet Eric surprised face.

Eric was shocked, she looks... He didn't know which word could explain the way she looks. Her tears had spoilt her make up.

"Le_eave me... alone" she said in a wheezy tone as she looked like she would faint soon, acting like she wanted to throw up. He ran to her catching her when she was about to fall. "I said y_ou should.. should leave me" she ended her statement crying in his arms. He sat on the grass, bringing her to lean on his chest.

What's happening to her? She was the one cheering him a while ago with her smiley face and now she looks so miserable. He glanced at her wondering what might be wrong with her. She was still crying, gripping his shirt as she cried her eyes out.

"It's okay" he consoled her caressing her back.

When she stopped, she moved away hastily and glared at at him. She isn't smiling anymore because the shattered make up disfigured her face. "For...forget what you saw..." She said as she walked away not able to keep stance, she was surprised that her shortness of breath vanished soon. She knew it isn't possible, all those times she gets her attack like this one, liquid will surely escape from her mouth because of the breathing problem but now it's different. As she walks away she felt him walking behind her. "Leave me alone" she was about screaming when she found it difficult to breathe again. She ended up coughing, coughing so loud that she had to cover her mouth with the use of her hand. When it stopped and moved her hand, she saw blood covering her lips and her hand. She wasn't surprised, she knew something like that would happen but when Eric saw it, he goggled at it and then looked at her. She looks miserable like she was about to give up the ghost. He brought out his handkerchief and use to wipe the blood on her hands and also the ones on her lips.

Staring at him, she realized she needed his help. She couldn't last long standing and waiting there, he brought her here so he should find a way to take her out. "I want to leave this place" she brought his gaze to her. The only way out was through the garden and they had to walk around the building before getting to the parking lot but passing the hall would be faster, they only had to pass the crowd to get there soon.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a way that sounds like he was asking if she could still do some working. She understands. Yes, she nodded.

Eric trashed the handkerchief, went back to get her purse, held her waist and then led her out of there to the crowded hall with different smell.

Lucy tried her best not to collapse as they walked past everyone.

'God please help me, I don't want to faint here' Lucy prayed as they walked like nothing was going on. The entrance and exit was just five to six feet away when Mrs Harrison came standing in front of them, Eric glanced at Lucy to see her keeping that stern look. She pressed her lips which was hurting her stomach. Lucy felt really sick. Now her night wasn't like her day. It wasn't lovely.

"Ohh, Mrs Harrison, please we have to go" he pleaded.

"Sorry but can I have a word with your.."

"Son!" Maverick came giving Eric the chance.

"Dad, please I really need to go" he pleaded again and when Maverick glanced at Lucy, she forced a smile. Thankfully, Eric cleaned the make up on her face, so she wouldn't look horrible.

"Sure" he said not giving Mrs Harrison the chance to have a word with the daughter she abandoned long time ago. Lucy cursed her because she's the cause of her worse situation right now.

Eric did his best to walk away from the press after leaving his Dad and eventually they got past them.

"I'm cold" she complained, about to fall. He bent over and took off her shoes and gave his jacket to her.

When getting to the parking lot. She collapsed. Well, they've gotten to the last level. No one could see her now only Eric.

"Lucy... Lucy!" He patted her cheek but no response. He hurriedly went to find his car but no driver around. He didn't have time to call him. He lay her on the back seat. "You'd be alright" he told her, she couldn't hear or reply.

Eric kept wondering what's wrong with her, in the morning, she vomited her food and had blood dropping from her nose and now she coughed out blood and had shortness of breath. Something is definitely wrong with her. He thought as he held the steering wheel, panicking. He shut his eyes closed recalling the last time he was in a situation to save someone life but didn't because of his panic.

He told himself to calm down and look at her through the rear view mirror. He blew out a breath and started the engine.

* * * * * *

Eric carried her into the nearby hospital. Some nurses came running with a stretcher. "She fainted" he said his forehead creasing. He was worried. What if she's died? No! She's still breathing. He told himself. Still in deep thought following the stretcher he heard, he isn't allowed to go in and was also assured that she'd be alright but he was still worried.

He panicked again, she should have told him about her health before agreeing to his offer, now she's in the hospital. He sat down but wasn't comfortable, he was damn worried. He paced back and forth until he heard someone's voice.

"Are you are guardian?" The man in white coat asked, he was the doctor.

He wasn't her guardian but he hired her. "Yes" he replied.

The doctor's look made his heart began to beat faster. Is she died? No!

Why can't he think of positive things?

He followed the doctor to his office when he was asked to.

* * *

Eric sat on a chair, next to her bed behind the blue curtains. The smell of the hospital reminding him of his late mother. He was disheartened, watching Lucy until he got tired and bent over. Resting his head on her bed.

"Who?" He heard her ask so, he looked up to see her regaining her strength.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with a smile of relief. She looks like she was smiling but suddenly she stood up removing drip.

"Where are you going?" Eric asked standing up on his feet. She turned back to him.

"Don't follow me. Leave me alone" she said in that croaky tone.