Chapter 5

Emma opened her eyes with a start, feeling a sharp headache hitting her. Her eyes caught the environment she was in. Everything seemed blurred, but one thing didn’t fail her ears; the constant beeping of a machine. She tried to open her eyes fully, but they felt heavy.

With a deep breath, she finally opened them. The white ceiling and the white walls were the first things that caught her sight. She breathed repeatedly, unable to comprehend what was happening or where she was.

She tried to remember how she got there, but everything seemed blank. Whenever she tried to recall, everything seemed to collapse, and she suddenly felt a huge headache.

She relaxed her body, closing her eyes in an attempt to calm herself.

She could smell the scent of the room, it smelled of antiseptic.

Confusion clouded her mind. How had she gotten here?

She groaned softly, attempting to push herself upright, but the dull ache in her head made her falter.

The door suddenly creaked open and a nurse walked inside, holding a clipboard tight to her chest like it would be flipped off if she didn’t hold it properly. 

Immediately their eyeballs met, the nurse's face lit up with a kind smile and she walked closer to her. 

“You’re awake,” the nurse smile reached her ear and she touched her forehead as if examining her pulse. “How are you feeling?” She asked withdrawing her hand from her body. 

Emma wanted to answer the nurse politely. Even though this was the first time they’d met, she felt genuinely happy seeing her awake.

But she badly wanted to know where she was. “Where… am I? What happened?” she asked curiously.

“You don’t have to be scared, you are in the safe hands,” the nurse replied with a smile. 

“In a safe hand?” She recalled and the nurse nodded. 

“Yes, you are in the hospital,” the nurse replied, and a relieved breath escaped Emma’s lips. How could she act so daft? She saw the woman wearing a nurse’s uniform and assumed she was a nurse, so why was she still asking?

But how did she get here? How? Even though she couldn’t remember, she was sure she didn’t come to the hospital by herself. She wasn’t the type who liked visiting hospitals, so it didn’t make sense that she would come on her own.

“Do you know how I got here?” Emma asked as the nurse placed the clipboard she had been holding on the table next to the bed.

“You were brought in unconscious by a Good Samaritan who explained he had found you in that state,” the nurse explained.

“Unconscious?” Emma repeated. That sounded right because she had no memory of what happened. Whenever she tried to remember, all she could see was darkness.

“But I don’t think I’m with my one when I collapse,” I thought to myself. 

“Maybe a stranger,” the nurse suddenly echoed, her tone light and reassuring. 

“Why would anyone bother?” Emma frowned, confusion swirling in her chest.

The nurse tilted her head, her smile softening. “Sometimes people just want to help. You don’t have to worry about that right now. Let me call the doctor to check on you.”

Before Emma could ask anything else, the nurse left the room. 

She stared after her, the question she wanted to ask died in her throat. A stranger? Why would someone go out of their way to help her?

She bites on her lips, trying to make the possibility out of everything, but it doesn’t seem to make not at all. 

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and a doctor stepped in. His white coat was pristine, his expression calm and professional. He carried a clipboard and approached her bed with quiet confidence.

“Good morning,” he greeted, his voice steady. “I’m Dr. Harris. How are you feeling?” The doctor introduce. 

Emma hesitated before answering. “I… I don’t know. My head hurts, and I feel… tired,” she explained touching her forehead as she explained. 

“That’s normal,” Dr. Harris assured her, flipping through his clipboard. “You were severely dehydrated and in poor shape when you arrived. Do you remember what happened before you lost consciousness?”

“No. It’s all a blur,” Emma shook her head trying to recall what happened but nothing come up. 

 Dr. Harris nodded, jotting something down. “That’s not unusual after an ordeal like yours. Do you have any idea why you collapsed?” He pressed further. 

“I… I think I was just tired,” she murmured as she gripped the blanket tightly. 

Dr. Harris gave a thought nod before closing the clipboard and focusing his attention on Emma “Well you are stable and we’ve made sure to keep a close eye on you, you will get better in no time,” he paused for a while searching through emma eyes as if looking for something “the man that brought you here is still on the seat, will you mind to meet him?” He questioned. 

Emma’s stomach twisted at the thought. A stranger had gone out of their way for her. She wasn’t sure if she should feel grateful or suspicious. “Yes,” she said hesitantly. “I’d like to see him,” she added with a small smile displaying on her lips. 

Dr. Harris nodded and stepped out of the room as her eyes followed him behind. 

 Emma’s mind raced with different questions. Who was this person? Why would they bother helping someone like her?

After what felt like an eternity, the door swung open again. A tall man stepped inside, his presence immediately commanding. 

Emma opened her lips to say something but no words came out of her lips, she could only stare watching the man moving deeper inside the room. 

“You’re awake,” the man said, his deep voice calm as he approached the bed.

“You’re the one who brought me here?” She finally managed to ask, her voice breaking into a thousand pieces 

The man nodded, his expression unreadable. “Yes. My name is Damien.” He smiles at her.