Chapter 34: Are you okay?
Moans of discomfort woke Roy from his sleep. He opened his eyes and looked around my hostel room. The moans were coming from me. He got up and walked towards me. I was shivering in my sleep and yet breaking up in cold sweat.
Roy: Are you okay?
I didn't answer. He reached his hand to my head and felt it. My forehead was burning, and I was shivering badly. He grabbed my shoulders and tried to shake me awake from my delirious state.
Roy's thoughts: She must have caught a chill when she ran out after me without a jacket...
Roy: Ying... Wake up... Are you okay? You're having a fever... Where's your first aid box?!!! YING!!!!
I could hear his calls in my semi-conscious state, but I just couldn't gather enough energy to force open my eye lids. My entire body was drained of energy, and I was very cold and shivering like mad.
Roy: Aaaaahhhhh~ this girl...
He dashed away from my bedside and started rummaging my cupboards for the first aid box. After 15 minutes, he finally found it, and dug through it for panadol. He took two tablets and poured a glass of water and brought them to my bedside. He helped me up to a sitting position and shook my shoulders hard to try to wake me again. When he helped me up, I was able to open my eyes slightly, but I felt very dizzy, and my head was very heavy.
Roy: Ying... Here, take the medicine...
He opened his hand which held two tablets in his palm, and waited for me to take them. I couldn't move my hand. Seeing no response from me, he grabbed the tablets and placed them in my mouth. Then he reached for the glass of water and helped me hold it as I drank a bit to swallow the tablets. He then placed the glass down, and helped me back to a lying position.
Then Roy took the glass of water and walked to the kitchenette and looked in the fridge for a cooling pack. But I didn't have one. So he took a big bowl, poured a lot of ice cubes inside and poured some water in. He brought it over the my bedside. Then he rummaged through my cupboards and took out a face towel, and dipped that into the bowl of water. Then he squeezed it dry and applied it onto my forehead.
As I felt the cold towel hit my forehead, I felt a numbing feeling on my head. In my semi-conscious state, I could feel Roy repeatedly replacing the towel on my forehead whenever it was no longer cold. And he had managed to find a thermometer from my first aid kit, and he stuck it into my mouth to check my temperature. He also kept feeling my forehead ans his own to see if my fever had subsided.
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When I opened my eyes in the morning, I saw him sleeping soundly beside me on my bedside. After a long night of fussing over me, he had fallen asleep sitting beside me. His lush eyelashes covered his eyes, and bits of his hair had fallen across his face and covered his part of his face.
Ying's thoughts: Such a handsome face... with a caring heart... but why does he always hide himself away from people?
I reached out my hand, wanting to shift his hair away from his face. But then I retracted my hand at the last minute.
Ying's thoughts: What do you think you are doing?!!!! You must be mad inviting this total stranger back, and getting yourself into all this trouble...
*Beep beep beep beep*
It was the sound of an alarm. But I don't remember setting any. I saw him stir in his sleep, and immediately I closed my eyes to pretend that I am still sleeping. I felt his hand on my forehead. And I felt him place the thermometer into my mouth. Then he got up with the bowl of ice water to get more.
When he walked away from my bedside, I opened my eyes slowly. I still couldn't get out of bed, as once I tried to sit up I felt giddy, so I lied back down. When I heard him walking back, I pretended to get back to sleep again. When he got back, he took the thermometer from my mouth and looked at the temperature. I was still running a slight fever. So he wet the towel and placed it on my forehead, and went to get more panadol and water for me.
Roy: Ying... It's time to take your medicine...
He tapped me lightly on my shoulders to wake me. I pretended to open my eyes slowly, as if to wake from sleep. He helped me to sit up, and placed the tablets in my mouth, and helped me hold the glass as I drank the water.
Ying: Thanks....
Roy: No problem...
*Grrrr grrrrr*
It was the sound of my stomache growling from hunger.
Roy: You must be hungry after being so sick the entire night.
I kept quiet. Another growl emitted from my stomache.
Roy smiled.
Roy: I'll go whip up some porridge for you yeah... If you don't mind my cooking...
I nodded. Frankly, I was in no condition to get out of bed, let alone cook anything for myself. So he went to the kitchenette, and I lied back down on my bed to rest. Slowly as I listened to him rummaging around my kitchenette to cook the porridge, I dozed off.
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An hour later, Roy carried a bowl of hot porridge over to my beside. He placed it down on a chair beside me and tapped on my shoulder to wake me up.
Roy: Ying... The porridge is ready now...
I opened my heavy lids slowly and saw him bending over me tapping my shoulder. He helped me sit up on the bed and took the bowl back into his hand. I reached over, wanting to take the bowl from him. He dodged the bowl from my hands. I looked at him in surprise. I leaned forward and reached again, he dodged again.
Roy: It's okay... I'll feed you... You are still weak...
And he took the spoon and scooped a scoop of porridge. But instead of bringing it to my mouth, he brought it near to his, and started blowing gently at the spoon. I look at him in surprise.
Ying's thoughts: Why is he suddenly so caring and attentive towards me, making sure that the porridge is not too hot for me...
Roy: Here...
He placed the spoon in front of my lips, and I opened by mouth to take it in. There was an awkward silence when he was feeding me, and I was looking down most of the time, avoiding eye contact with him, as he was looking at me as I ate. After I ate about one-third of the porridge, I couldn't take in anymore.
Ying: Erm... Roy... I don't think I want any more porridge...
Roy: Why? You've only ate one-third of the bowl... You need to eat more to get well... Is my cooking that bad?
Upon saying this, he scooped a spoon of porridge and ate it. I looked at him in surprise as he ate with the spoon that he was feeding me with. He made a funny face, and looked at me apologetically.
Roy: Oh... it's a bit tasteless...
I smiled.
Ying: It's okay... Anyway I can't taste anything right now... My taste buds are numbed by the medicine taste... But I feel full already... So I don't think I can take anymore...
Roy: Oh... But won't you take just a few more spoonfuls? At least eat half of it...
He placed a spoonful of porridge in front of me, and looked at me pleadingly.
Ying: Okay... I'll try... But don't blame me if I vomit it out... It's not cos it's bad... But cos I can't take in anymore...
I leaned forward to take the spoonful of porridge into my mouth. I felt nauseous, as my stomach didn't really want to take the porridge in anymore. He had a concerned look on his face, and I tried my best to force the porridge down my throat. I took a deep breath and swallowed hard.
Roy: I think you better not take in anymore... You look like you are going to puke soon... I'll finish the rest for you...
Upon saying this, he started eating the rest of the porridge from my bowl.
Ying: Roy... You don't have to... We really shouldn't be sharing food... cos I am sick... I don't want to pass the fever to you...
Roy: It's alright... I think I can take it...
And he finished the rest of the porridge and brought the bowl to the kitchenette to wash up. After he finished washing up, he walked back out and sat down beside my bed.
Roy: Phew...
Ying: Erm... Roy....
Roy: Yeah?
Ying: Thanks for taking care of me through the night...
Roy's eyes widened with surprise.
Roy's thought: You mean you know what was happening the whole night when you were sick?!!! I thought you were asleep!!!!
Ying: I was semi-conscious... I couldn't respond, but I could sense things happening... But I wasn't sure if it was just me being drowsy from the medication and the fever, until I saw you in the morning when I woke up....
Roy: I see...
Ying: I just want to thank you... And apologise for ruining your Christmas eve's plans... Cos I made you miss the last bus and... be stuck here... with the sick me...
Roy: It's okay... I don't have anything else better to do anyway...
I was slightly irritated by his lack of appreciation for my efforts to thank him, as he seemed to be brushing off my words very tactlessly. I thought he was caring and I took pity on him. For a moment, I even thought there was something... I guess I was wrong, he is the same arrogant and nonchalant guy that I meet at the church, who laughed at me outwardly when I made a simple blunder. I decided that I shall make a polite but curt remark to shoo him out of my hostel, once and for all....
Ying: Well... Since it's already morning... And I am feeling much better, thanks to you... I guess I shan't hold you any longer... You can go ahead with your plans for the day... I can take care of myself from now on...
Roy looked at me annoyed.
Roy: So you're chasing me out now?
Ying: That wasn't what I said... I said you can go ahead with your own plans for the day... I shan't hold you back any longer...
I stared back at him matter-of-factly.
Roy stood up from his seat and walked towards the sofa where his stuff were, and took them. He grabbed his coat and walked towards the door.
Ying: Merry Christmas... to you...
I shouted out to him as he reached to open the door. He kept his back turned and responded faintly to me.
Roy: Merry Christmas to you too... I guess my leaving will be your best Christmas present for the year... Goodbye...
And he walked out of the hostel.
Ying: Hey... That wasn't what I meant...
I tried to get out of bed. But once I stood up, I felt my world spin, so I sat back down on the bed.
Ying's thoughts: *sigh* What's the point in explaining things to him anyway? He doesn't care how I think about him... Who am I to him? He just likes to bully and pick on me... That's all he wants to do... And I'm just a temporary refuge for him, since he has no where to go last night... Anyway, I am NEVER going to see him AGAIN... So what's the point of explaining things?
I got back into bed, and covered myself in my quilt and tried to sleep.
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