Chapter 16: Reuniting with Page

Eli, Alicia and Julia hurry towards the hospital, their footsteps echoing on the pavement still warm from the day. The streets are quieter at this hour, and a light breeze brings a welcome coolness after the exhausting training session.

Arriving at the hospital, they walk through the silent, sterile corridors to Page's room. The door is ajar, and they can see Page lying in bed, her face lit by the soft glow of the evening lamps.

"Eli, Julia, Alicia!" exclaims Page as they enter. A smile lights up her pale face, and she straightens a little on her pillow, obviously delighted by their visit.

"How are you feeling, Page?" asks Alicia as she approaches the bed.

"I'm better, thanks. The doctors say I should be able to go out soon."

Fatigue and worry are visible on Page's face, despite her efforts to hide them.

"We brought you some treats," Julia adds, holding up a bag of sweets and biscuits. "We know there's a shortage here."

"So cool! You guys are the best," Page replies with a soft laugh. "I'm really lucky to have you."

Eli, who has been standing slightly back, finally steps forward and takes Page's hand. "We can't wait for you to come back to school. Everyone's talking about you there."

Page squeezes Eli's hand, grateful. "I miss it, too. I hate being stuck here, no matter how nice everyone is."

The three girls sit around Page's bed, sharing stories of the day, laughing at some of the anecdotes and listening intently to Page's news. Time flies, and eventually a nurse enters to remind them that it's time to go.

"Okay, okay, we're leaving," Julia says as she stands up. "But we'll be back tomorrow, I promise."

"Thanks again for everything," Page murmurs, her eyes shining. "Really."

The girls leave the room with a promise to return as soon as possible. Outside, night has fallen, and the stars begin to shine in the dark sky. On the way home, they discuss their plans for the next day, laughing and joking all the way.

Back home, Eli quickly climbs the stairs to her room, exhausted but light-hearted. She collapses on her bed, thinking about the day.

Eli hears the front door open. She goes downstairs and sees her father coming home from work, holding two pizzas in his arms.

"I knew you'd be home late after your visit to Page, so I picked up some pizzas. Is that okay?"

"Sure!" goes Eli, "I'm starving."

His dad bursts out laughing. "Here, take the pizzas and put them on the kitchen table."

Eli takes the pizzas and heads for the kitchen. She washes her hands and sets the table. Her father joins her and does the same.

"I must admit I'm starving too, I ate a poor sandwich at lunchtime. We had a lot of work to do with the construction of the new town hall."

"That's a good thing, isn't it? You and your team aren't twiddling your thumbs and you don't have to rack your brains to find ways not to fire them?"

"Yes, that's a good thing for sure! I'm certainly not going to complain. And what about you, how was your first day back? Tell me all about it."

Eli tells his father everything. It's their little ritual during dinner. They have to recount their day in all its little details and anecdotes.

After finishing the pizzas, the two go outside to the balcony and sit on a bench.

"How's Page? The doctors told me she's been having blank spots about the party."

"She's having blackouts?" Eli looks at her father, dumbfounded. "She hasn't told us anything about that."

"It must be bothering her. Maybe it's best if you don't mention the party again if she's forgotten," Leon says thoughtfully.

The two continue chatting for a while, then Leon gets up and goes to his office to do some work before going to sleep. Eli is lost in thought for a moment, then goes inside. Once in her room, she calls Julia and Alicia. Suddenly, she hears the sound of glass breaking...