THE FINAL STEP
After Diana had left to settle the paperwork, Havi sat motionless upon the hospital bed, lost in thought.
His gaze was fixed upon the ceiling, while his mind swirled in a tempest of memories he had just unveiled.
The twists of his life, the sins he had committed, and the debt of gratitude he owed Nuriana, all blended into a singular, haunting fog that clouded his thoughts.
He exhaled deeply, attempting to unravel the questions that perpetually circled within him.
Was it truly the case that everyone was deserving of a second chance? If reincarnation was real, could it be a blessing... or merely a curse?
Unbeknownst to him, the nurse who had earlier scolded them was now watching him from across the room.
She cast a brief glance in his direction before approaching, her voice steady but laced with curiosity.
"You seem lost in thought. Don't let yourself faint again simply by overthinking things that are beyond your control," she remarked.
Havi managed a faint smile, "At times, thinking is all that one can do when caught between two worlds."
The nurse furrowed her brow, not entirely understanding Havi's meaning but deciding it best not to probe further.
Before long, the sound of footsteps approaching broke the silence, and Diana appeared, holding a small plastic bag containing medication. She smiled widely, raising the bag slightly.
"Right, that's everything! You're officially free from this hospital now!" she said, her voice laced with cheer.
Havi arched an eyebrow, offering a brief chuckle, "Free from the hospital... doesn't mean free from my problems," he murmured.
Diana, overhearing his words, fixed him with a sharp look, "You're still thinking about that woman, aren't you?" she asked plainly, her words direct and unembellished.
Havi fell silent for a moment before heaved a heavy sigh and slowly rose from the bed.
"Do you think so?" he replied, his tone laced with an ironic note, as he made his way towards the emergency room's exit.
Diana snorted, following closely behind him, "Where else would I take you? Naturally, I'll drive you home."
Havi chuckled softly, a half-smile playing on his lips, "Well then, let's be off."
As they traversed the hospital corridor, Havi's eyes flickered about the sterile surroundings.
The pale light cast an almost otherworldly glow on the walls, adorned with plaques of health information, while the distant sounds of medical staff hurriedly passing by mingled with the incessant beeping of equipment.
He slowed his pace, his attention fixed on a large plaque mounted upon the wall. RS Hadiyaksa.
"Oh..." he murmured quietly, the word slipping from his lips almost involuntarily.
Diana, observing the sudden shift in his demeanour, turned her head with curiosity, "What is it?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Havi paused for a beat, as though searching for the right words.
His gaze lingered on the plaque, before he whispered, more to himself than to her.
"Once... I died here. And now, I walk out of here again."
Diana's brow furrowed, a confused frown knitting her features, "Died here...? Left this place...?" she echoed softly, struggling to make sense of his words.
But before she could press him further, Havi was already moving ahead, the question hanging in the air like an unresolved mystery.
Diana, now trailing behind him, found herself caught in a tide of curiosity that only deepened with each step they took.
*****
Elsewhere, Nuriana Salim still found herself tangled in the same disquiet that had plagued Havi.
From the moment the sun had risen, a strange emptiness had settled in her stomach, rendering any thought of food impossible.
The plate before her remained untouched, the spoon in her hand as still as the silence that filled the room.
She stared at the meal without truly seeing it, her thoughts far removed from the mundane reality of the meal in front of her.
Her mind swirled in a whirlwind of uncertainty, a growing pressure on her chest that became more suffocating with each passing moment.
"Havi... If it's true..." she whispered softly, the weight of her thoughts causing her heart to flutter uncertainly in her chest.
She sighed heavily, attempting to quell the storm inside her, but it was in vain.
Her hands clenched involuntarily, betraying the deep unrest that she could not ignore.
Memories of someone lost to time began to haunt her once more, shattering the fragile peace she had tried to hold onto.
Her gaze shifted to the window, where the dim light of late afternoon cast a sombre hue over the world outside, a reflection of the turmoil within.
Her heart felt like lead, as though an invisible force was pressing down on her, unwilling to release its hold.
She wiped her face with both hands, desperately trying to shake off the unease that had followed her like a shadow.
"Ah, damn!" she muttered under her breath, her head drooping in quiet defeat.
She sought clarity, but the more she tried to push her feelings away, the stronger the urge to act became.
It was as if some unspoken voice inside her was compelling her to move, to take control of something, anything.
Drawing a deep breath, she resolved, "I must go to the hospital!"
The thought felt final, a decision made against the chaos of her emotions.
Without delay, she rose from her seat, grabbing her bag and car keys with a swift, decisive motion.
Her pace quickened, driven by a strange mixture of determination and fear.
She didn't know what awaited her at the hospital, but one thing was certain: she had to see Havi.
Nuriana slammed her foot on the accelerator, the car surging forward as she made her way to Hadiyaksa Hospital.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, determined not to let the unsettling thoughts consume her.
The frantic whirl of possibilities in her mind only made her more agitated, and without realising it, she pressed the pedal down even harder.
Yesterday's close call, when she had nearly run over Havi's parents, was nothing more than a fleeting memory now, overwhelmed by a far greater urgency.
She had to reach the hospital, no matter what.
A strange, unshakable premonition clung to her thoughts, something that gnawed at her insistently, pushing her forward with a force she couldn't ignore.
"This car is far too slow," she muttered, her eyes flicking momentarily to the speedometer, which read 100 km/h.
But to Nuriana, that speed seemed almost irrelevant. Time was slipping away, and her heart raced with it.
Cold sweat beaded on her brow, the air conditioning in the car offering no relief from the heat rising within her.
Her fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel, each thought spiralling into darker possibilities.
"Am I too late? Is he still there? Or has it all been for nothing?"
The fear clenched tighter around her chest, as if it were a noose tightening with each passing second, each thought of Havi's final look still fresh in her mind.
If Havi were to see her now, he would no doubt dismiss her as a "madwoman."
But she cared little for such judgements. There was something far greater at stake than her safety on the road.
There was something she needed to discover for herself, something she could no longer ignore.
Something that awaited her at the hospital, whether it was the answer she longed to hear, or the painful truth she feared to confront.