Triggers

RED INK

Ep 8: Triggers

Everywhere was blurry. The lights looked distant to her. She perceived the fragrance in the air, it was different and... it was calming.

She heard the door open and closed—two or more approaching her bed. A man and a woman. The man looked like he was in a white coat or so, and he had black hair. He was hovering over her, looked like he was looking at her face.

"You are awake?" The man asked. She recognized that voice. It sounded familiar.

"She's awake?" A female voice asked from across the room.

She heard a chair screech as the person stood up.

She blinked again. Where was she? She was determined to make her visions clearer. She blinked continuously and slowly succeeded.

She noticed the ceiling was made of white POP and a bulb stood in the centre of it. She looked at the three people standing close to her bed.

"You're finally awake?" Clara sniffed, wrapping her scarf around her neck.

She looked at them as she tried to form words. "W-ha what...happened?"

"You are in the hospital, Sai. You've been unconscious for three days." Doctor Hither said, touching her arm.

"H-how? W-hat happened?"

"You had light hypoxia and was under severe stress, resulting in unconsciousness. Don't worry, it wasn't serious. You are fine now." He touched her arm and checked her pulse. "What is her blood pressure?" He turned and asked the nurse.

She looked at the monitor at the other side of the bed. "One-forty over ninety."

"No way...that's still high." He said and removed his stethoscope from his neck. He put it on and checked her heart, then her lungs. He went forward to examine her eyes. "Shoot her a dose of labetalol through IV for two minutes. Check her rate, if it doesn't drop after fifteen, give me a call."

"Yes sir." The nurse said and left the room.

Hither looked at her and said, "It may make you feel sleepy but that's okay. You need to rest." He smiled and stood up straight. "You put up a good fight, Sai." He laughed. "She will be fully alright once we keep her BP in check." He said to Clara.

Clara smiled at him and nodded. "And the baby?"

"The baby is alright."

Clara closed her eyes. "Ahh... thank you Lord."

Sai wasn't sure what they were talking about. She had a dream one time, Clara was beside her bed telling her to wake up fast and come to health as she had a child to protect. Was it real?

She tried getting up.

"Hey—" Doctor Hither called and pinned her back to the bed. "You need to relax."

"I want to sit up." She said.

"Lie down Sai. It's Doctor's order." Clara told her.

She stopped resisting and gave in to her fate, and tiredness was not far from her. Her body was feeling heavy.

She looked up at the ceiling, tears starting to drop by her eyes. "Am I pregnant?" She asked.

"Are you crying?" Clara took out her handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. "Why the tears?"

"Must be tears of joy." Hither said jokingly.

"So I'm pregnant? It wasn't a dream?" She asked again.

"You are three weeks pregnant, Sai!" Clara said excitedly.

"You will need to keep your emotions in check for the sake of your baby." Hither added.

The door opened again–nurse Patricia came in with a surgical tray in her hand and dropped it by her bed side on the shelf.

She started administrating the dosage through IV.

"You should relax." Hither said when they were done. "I will come back to check on you. Okay?"

She nodded and made futile attempts to smile.

Hither and Patricia left the room leaving Clara and her alone.

She looked around the room from her bed, it wasn't a regular hospital room.

As if sensing her thoughts, Clara said, "It is the VIP room. Mr Shaft asked for it and for your best care. The man– even added an air purifier and comfy blankets."

Sai didn't utter a word. Her face looked grim. "Where is he?" She asked reluctantly.

"Oh...he is at an important event. So he said. He was here everyday after work, sitting and holding your hand...You know, touching your tummy and trying to feel the baby. I've never seen him like that. He left about an hour ago." She took a chair and sat by her bedside. "He gave me a lot of pocket money to fend for myself and you. Oh! He did ask me to call him once you are awake! I have to." She looked around for her phone and found it on the chair she had been sitting on earlier on.

She stood up from her seat and went to get it.

"Forget it." Sai said.

She stopped halfway from dialing the number. "What did you say?"

"Forget it. Let him be. Don't disturb him."

"But I have to—"

"You said he left an hour ago?"

Clara nodded.

"Which means he probably just got to the event. Let him be."

"Are you sure?"

"Clara, I could use the little bit of silence I need. I don't want to see him. At least, not now..." She said and closed her eyes.

Clara sighed and sat back down, holding Sai's hand and rubbing it. "Get some rest then. I will go get us some food then, shall I?" Sai didn't reply. "Okay then. Spaghetti or Rice?" She got no reply.

She stood up and planned to leave. "Spaghetti it is then."

"Rice." Sai opened her eyes. "I want rice and fresh fish sauce."

Clara looked at her dumbfounded. "Sai, you hate fresh fish sauce."

"I know." She said, realization really dawning on her that she was starting to have cravings.

"Gosh! Some hormones you have!" Clara said and walked towards the door. "I will bring it hot. Get some rest." She opened the door and exited, closing it behind her.

When she knew she was out of earshot, she dialled Dillion's number. He didn't pick. She dialled again, still not picking. She decided to send a text instead.

When she was done, she pocketed her phone, adjusted her scarf around her neck and strolled down the corridor that led to the elevator.

.....

Fred looked at the call from Dillion's phone, it said "Clara". He knew who Clara was, he had been to the house more than five times and had met her thrice. Usually, they met in the office and on rare occasions did he go to his boss's house.

Clara called twice, he refused to pick it up. She stopped calling. He dropped the phone on the passengers seat of the car he was driving. As he was putting on his gloves, he looked at the 500-500mag revolver by the phone as it brightened up. A message popped on the screen.

He picked up the phone and read the message. SHE IS AWAKE SIR.

Must be Sai. He thought and dropped the phone by the door side of the Passengers seat. He picked up the revolver and stepped out of the car.

He managed to park it at an angle where no one going and coming could sight it. He looked around the neighborhood, it was covered with a lot of trees and roughly trimmed shrubs which casted shadows against the darkest area by them— a perfect ammunition for his purpose tonight.

This was going to be a long night.