3

"So, you've never met me before?" I was a bit confused by that question.

I stared at the ceiling, not looking at him, blinking a couple times, trying to remember the man next to me.

He asked as if I knew him? Do I have to know him?

I looked at him, and I said, "I'm feeling a little under the weather."

"But there's nothing wrong with your head." He pointed at my head.

I gave him a shrug, trying to explain what had happened to me.

He looked at me and gave me a slight smile, then he changed his position a bit and leaned slightly towards me. His elbows were on the thighs and his fingers were interlocked.

"Gil..." He just said one word.

I shivered from head to toe as soon as I heard that name, and he was taken aback by how strongly I reacted. I could hear the chair falling as he held my shoulders together, that big hand clutching my shoulders tightly, and I could still see his worried-looking eyes. He ran out the moment I passed out.

I'm not sure when this started, but hearing my dad's name always makes me emotional. This emotion starts with pain, and then it's followed by disappointment and deep sadness. I adored my dad like a child adores their parents, but over time, the affection changed into something else.

Hatred.

Every time I breathe, it's like a reminder of how much I can't stand him. My dad, who shaped me into who I am today, but also the one who left me in a dark place and never came back for me.

I groaned, and I could already feel my head feeling much lighter. I don't know how long I've been asleep, but when I opened my eyes today it felt like all my pain was gone.

I opened my eyes and felt the sunlight on my face. I turned and saw a big window with brown curtains that were slightly open, letting in the sunshine.

"Sunny..." I muttered quietly for so long I had never seen the light.

"Does that bother you, do you think?"

I turned my head towards the voice, which was growing more and more familiar to me. The man was sitting next to me, with his feet resting on each other. I saw that there was an open book on his thigh. He's reading a book.

"You read a book in a dimly lit room." I didn't answer his question.

He thought for a second, then smiled, his finger pointing towards the open curtain. "That's why I opened the curtain a little, but it turned out the light made you wake up.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I turned again to face the window. I can even see the blue sky.

"Can I see the sky?" I asked.

Instead of responding, the man walked over and opened the curtains a bit. Then he opened a smaller window so that the light and a breeze would come in.

I'm still laying on the bed, absorbing the warmth of the sun. It felt like I was coming back to life! That little bit of cool air and the sky, which looked bright and calm, really helped to put my mind at ease.

The guy just sat there, not saying a word, reading his book while I took in the scenery. I had no idea what floor this room was on, since I didn't have a clear view of anything except for that huge blue-white sky.

"You want a drink?" He asked me then, bringing me a glass of mineral water.

I nodded slowly. He helped me to sit on the bed and gave me water to drink, telling me to take it slow since my throat was so dry and the pain was really intense.

"You can't drink too much, just as the doctor advised, so, take it slow." When he saw me in pain from swallowing mineral water in a cup, he made a comment about it.

He left the empty glass on the nightstand. He's wearing a polo shirt today. The hair's still got that same neat look, all polished off and combed back with a bit of gel.

"How long have I been asleep?" I wonder.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled a little, "A week?" He responded, his deep voice barely audible over the noise around them.

"My bad." I said on a whim that I'm not sure why I feel like I have to say sorry for sleeping so long.

"Why're you apologizing?"

I just gave a shrug because I didn't really understand myself. Things like this are a big deal for me.

"The drugs in your body are completely gone, just like the bruises. Some bruises and injection wounds have healed, too." He was pointing at some parts of my body that were covered by a long-sleeved pajama.

I rolled up my sleeves to see what he had to say, and sure enough, some parts had already healed.

"You weren't eating properly. You were malnourished." He repeated himself.

I blinked, then looked at him. I was so embarrassed when I heard that.

"I think you were treated poorly there."

I shook my head slowly and said, "I have no appetite." I said.

He nodded and then looked back at the book on his lap. I looked around the room. The room isn't huge, but it's super cozy. There's a big bed with a nightstand on the side, a chair near the door, and a fairly large sofa. There was a TV set against the wall in front of me. A door that looks just like a big window leads out to the balcony and lets the sunlight in perfectly.

"What do you think of this room? Do you like it?" He asked, making me look back at the guy.

"Yeah, I like the sunshine." I answered slowly.

He nodded again, lost in the book he was reading.

I thought about asking more questions, but I held back. I'd like to enjoy this nice weather a while longer.