Counting Stars

Dayna Leah Wilson P.O.V-

"You can always plan but you will never know what will happen to you then. You can always hope, but you don't know if your eyes will open the next morning."

.

It's something I've always heard people say.

Often, phrases like "so live life to the fullest" or "never give up your dreams today" and even sometimes "just go with the flow" accompanies it.

Me? Let me think...

My parents and even my grandparents always had something to do with the medical field. My mom was a nurse, my dad was a chemical engineer/ lab technician, my uncle is a medical instruments distributor, and tons of my other family are something or the other.

So they've seen death in one form or the other every day for a while. Whether it's a person dying of cancer, or a person dying of a simple fever, or a person just dying on the inside.

And each and every day when we sat down to pray, we would all hold each other's hands tightly and with so much love, compassion and gratefulness for every breath we easily breathe and the oxygen sufficient enough for all of us.

We used to pray, not to ask but to thank God (obviously ask as well, I mean how can you not???) for all his wonders and graciousness on us and our loved ones.

And before we went to bed, kisses on our foreheads was a must; a hug too if mom and dad were feeling extra charitable.

When my sister and I grew up, we asked our parents why we did such a thing still? (we were 16 and 18 respectively mind you).

Can you imagine what their answers was?

"Because" they said "we love you both so much and we're so blessed we still have each other every day. Think of all the people who lose their loved ones. How can they ever cry again to their dead mother if they stubbed their little toe? And how can they ever laugh with their dead dad again after they throw glitter on their mom's brand new car? Or how can they plan another mischievous prank with their dead sibling to trick their parents with ever again?

"Loss, my children, is something so destructive and so damaging. It can even dehumanize a person. It can kill them so thoroughly; it hurts even for other people around them to watch.

It can completely change a person for the better or for the worse, and when they finally come to the point where acceptance is the only way to overcome that, there's a storm to cross through.

"And only after the storm passes can a person finally truly see the value of the lost loved one. And that my loves is he hardest part of all."

"We're so blessed, we're so blessed" they said then hugged us extra tight laughing at our dumbfound faces and kissed our foreheads goodnight that night.

So again, my answer?

"Live with your eyes wide and you soul wider. Capture everything and store it all in - the good and especially the bad. Trust the process, and most importantly trust yourself to get through the storm."

-----

Going to work on another usual morning, I see the sun blaring at the people walking below, the remaining clouds try to protect the people in the little way they can in the otherwise cloudless sky, the hospital treating those harmed even after their own storms when they have others to take care of, the nurses rushing around with patients and doctor's prescription boards to save someone's life and lie.

Something's always happening...

And finally, I see Evelyn walking toward me on the hospital lobby with a smug grin, and tagging right beside her is a man that I think was here in a black suit a few days ago.

Looking at him I'm reminded of a certain someone who I so desperately have been trying to keep out of my mind.

The green of his eyes still reminding me of the forest, and the blackness of his hair reminding me of the wolf I happen to envision the first time I looked at him.

For some reason that I don't understand I can't keep him off my mind. Then I feel guilty.

Not for the reason you're thinking of, mind you, but for the sake of reality and sanity, that that I am not an available person and so I shouldn't be thinking about such manner.

Walking closer, I notice how the man can't take his eyes of Evelyn for long. His eyes dart back to her after every breath he barely takes like he's being assured that she's right beside him.

Like she's real, and it's a miracle.

Cheeks flushed red, Evelyn stops in front and looks at me up and down. My eyebrows raise and she bursts, or starts talking (however one wishes to look at it).

"Remember that kid from a week ago." My head tilts to one side, I'm curious.

She explains further "Noah?" and my eyes brighten. I look at the muscular man beside her. He nods in response.

"Oh! By the way, this is Mr Hawthorne Edwards." Evelyn graciously introduces noticing my glance at said figure.

"Please, call me Thorne." He replies, smiling at Evelyn who is busy blushing.

Blushing!!!

The girl is blushing. Actually. What the hell?! That's never happened before! Not like this!

I then proceed to glare at 'Thorne'. More like a thorn on my behind now. As a best friend, it's the girl code we follow. Boys have theirs, we have ours.

He looks at me, away from Evelyn which I'm sure is the first time in a while, and his head moves back, discreetly. That's more like it.

I have a stare that I only give a very very few people that actually is borderline scary (so witnesses have told me). People like my sister Danelle's various rendezvous and Evelyn's apparently recent crush are often the ones on the receiving end of it.

I'm multitasking in my head glaring at Thorne and wondering what I have to do with Noah or his treatment when the bearer of my glare crashes my boat delivering a sentence catching me totally off-guard.

"Dr Wilson, you will be coming with me to EverHill." He shifts under my scrutiny and rising temper. With my eyes still laser sharp, I look at Evelyn who is yet again blissfully ignorant of what's going on, too busy looking at Thorne with affection.

Affection!

Dear God.

I shake my head, having Evelyn thinking that I disagree with the sudden notion, not that I do. But I don't! Wait, do I even say no?

She scrunches up her forehead then proceeds to brush off the thought.

"Off you go. Pack your bag for a few weeks and let's go on a road trip!" Evelyn ineffectively shoos me away with her hands.

"Hold up, let's?" I question acting not concerned.

"I'm coming too, silly." She swats my arm lightly like I'm the stupid one here.

"So we're going to EverHill to treat one patient, while I have multiple ones here." I clarify and Evelyn tries to interfere but I hold my palms up facing their direction indicating her to kindly, shut up.

"I get no notice of this and you expect me to come along like it's nothing?"

Truly, shouldn't I have time to even think about this? Don't I have an option here? Apparently not, it seems.

"Alexander wants you to do so." says Thorne.

I look at him "Who the hell is Alexander? And who does he think he is to order me to leave my current position here?" I stubbornly push away the small rising tide of memories.

"It is that boy's guardian." Thorne replies and then mumbles something under his breath, something like 'sort-off'.

"Also, it's not like you actually have patients here yet, if my information is correct. You came here not too long ago to work as your professional job which you are brand new to, so you are not eligible to have your own patients, well, not yet anyway."

"Excuse me?!"

"We should probably head out if you want to reach there by evening." Evelyn injects in between the growing crippled tension.

As the words, "But I didn't even have my morning coffee yet!" leave my mouth, Jennie, one of the wonderful people working here just happens to bring my coffee to me. I stand with my mouth agape, open.

Then my supervisor even says "Happy travelling!" to me. Merrily.

That woman is never merry. Period.

Is there a team effort going on here? Oh, what the hell?

Evelyn says with an accomplished look "Bless you Jen, now you Dayna can go and happily pack your bag." She ushers me out.

"Thanks Jen. You too Madam Supervisor." I say astonished with the turn of events.

Well...here's to today. I hope I don't end up counting stars tonight.

-----

The tall buildings, coffee shops and expensive cars fade away to cave into a scenery showcasing big thick trees, strong unpolluted winds and healthy chirping birds outside my car window as the Volvo moves forward at a fast speed on the smooth main road.

I listen to Taylor Swift blaring about her big reputation on my iPod while Evelyn talks non-stop to Thorne, which started from the time they got into the car.

I figured that giving them a sense of privacy may make Evelyn create a proper judgment for herself about Thorne. After all, outside does not make the inside. And I don't want my suspicions on the said someone's newly found crush for my best friend change her mind and ruin a potential chance at her future happiness.

Because, that would definitely kill me.

Evelyn and Thorne sat in the front seats and I ended up in the back. Thorne was the designated driver since he is the only one among us who knows the location and the way to where we were going, and Evelyn ran out of my apartment to board the car and take her place in the front seat the moment we exited the lobby of my apartment building.

Evelyn was apparently already packed up for her 'Prince Charming' to pick her up and go to the Bahamas to get married.

How romantic. Gag.

To be honest, I'm kind of glad that I'm not sitting in the front. I'll have him beside me and it'll be awkward. Also, I can already imagine the intensity of my best friend's glare that I don't really wanna experience.

Let me tell you a little something, we girls can glare.

And so they talk and talk and talk, and I listen and listen and listen. And in between all the listening, I doze off into the unknown.

.

.

.

In a place between imagination and reality, yet again I see the oh-so-familiar black wolf standing on a hill looking down at me.

Usually I can't move but this time, for some reason, I can and so I come closer to it ecstatically. Other times I would only be able to stare and try to memorize the mirage wishing I could do more than just look and store it in my fading memory, even though I do enjoy just looking at its proud form.

My arms reach out as a show of peace to the still wolf who looks waiting and, patient even, and I walk one slow step at a time towards it.

Finally when I am within reach of its soft looking silky fur, someone slaps me out of reach.

Literally.

"Day, get up we're here!" Evelyn's *unwanted* voice interrupts my dreams. My eyes still struggle to wake up and be open from my sleep with only the sharp pain, in the shape of a hand I'm sure, keeping me on the reality's side of things.

"Ow!" I wail "That hurts! Why are you slapping me lady?!"

Cheekily, my real-life alter ego replies "I always wanted to try doing that to someone." and winks. That brat! "Now get out before I drag you down all the way to the steps of that gorgeous building that I wanna ogle at forever."

"Fine woman, calm down!" I say as I unhurriedly place one foot out, then the other. I yawn and stretch and scratch my back just to annoy her, who looks like she wants to bury me alive. Then I proceed to carefully lie with my back on the closed car door.

Impatient much? Eye for an eye.

I smile closing my eyes contentedly, then get slapped again when I'm almost in that lucid state again. How bothersome! I glare at Evelyn, who has gone back staring at whatever sight that captured her interest.

"Oh oh oh! That man who was with Thorne is here!"

"Who?" I reply groggily, still half-asleep standing.

"I think he wore a white suit when he came to the hospital for Noah last time? Or was it grey? Oh hell, I can't remember."

"Grey." I say absently.

Then I blink. And blink again. And again.

OH HELL!

As I try to fix myself up first checking for drool on my chin with the back of my hand, desperate for any instance of a calm facade.

"So how was talking to Prince Charming?"

I regret asking that the moment a grin makes her way into her face so big it splits her face in two.

"You're good." She says pointing to her own chin and then starts gushing about whatever they spoke about, making me immediately zone out.

I swear I'm a good friend, I's just that I'm tired! For some reason, road trips always make me tired.

I look at the surroundings around me. The car I'm leaning on seems to be parked in a long pick up area in front of the elegant house Evelyn flocked on about, or maybe it's a manor. Who knows?

It's a broad beige pearled building that dazzles in the dawn rays of the red yellow and pink setting sun. The large black entrance door, having inscriptions of foreign words and symbols on it, is wide open as an invitation to step in. The two dark statues of carved men and women in different poses are placed on two ends of the drive way just builds up the historical elegance of this entire fixture.

Astonished cannot even cover what I feel right now.

And from those regal doors comes out an even more royally dashing man.

As soon as our eyes find each other, it's like two lovers bonded at sea. Everything disappears around us, or at least me.

My heart rate picks up and I find it difficult to move my gaze away. My body is attuned to his body language and my toes tingle with some sort of unknown emotion. My eyes refuse to blink for a second fearing that the man of my literal dreams starting the day since I met him may disappear like he does every morning when I wake up.

I imagine that I'm floating, it's probably because I'm not breathing but oh well.

I feel him scan me up and down as if to check on me. It's as if he doesn't trust that I'm in one piece and healthy until he confirms for himself.

Then suddenly, his gaze lands on my redden check, which I forgot that Evelyn slapped on her mission to wake me.

Making a sound something close to a growl, Alexander paces faster towards me with a sudden glowering face.

And when he does touch my crimson cheek oh-so-gently, sparks fly.