Days After You's

Chapter 29 - Fever

After my family home. I work non-stop. It was so endless that I was so rarely home. I did it on purpose because I felt after that night in my house, something stuck up every time I had to stare at Stella's face, so I worked as hard as I could as an excuse to avoid her.

I didn't hate Stella, I wanted to get to know her more deeply as a friend, but on the other hand I started to feel weird being around her. I thought that by making space between us for some time to come, I could normalize our relationship as before when I did not feel any strange feelings that plagued me.

I just keep working, working, and working. Day after day I busied myself to continue to be able to buy time to go home. I don't have breakfast and dinner at home anymore with Stella, I didn't even let myself rest in the office because it was just my mind to bounce around imagining Stella's face the night we told her under my covers.

Not infrequently, Stella who became the main object of my cause to do all this, showed her concern for my work style.

"Luiz, as busy as it is, you have to rest and manage your meal times" Stella said whenever she found me coming home late. By suppressing my unpleasant feelings, I acted as if I did not pay much heed to his advice and solidified my schedule.

But again, I'm just a human being. After three weeks of working like a demon, my body and mind finally succumbed to a fever that made me unable to get out of bed at all. I've never felt this sick before. I guess I really crossed the line with all that work.

To say Stella was so angry about the consequences is something to be understood. It's the first time I see him expressively showing his dislike of something and it's me. How else, he had indeed advised me several times but I was the one who did not listen.

Stella called her family doctor to check my condition but all that time I did not dare to look at her who was very keen to scratch me right then and there. I didn't expect him to be able to put on such an expression.

"Hmm, this is your stomach acid rising. Based on what Miss Stella told me about your work habits the last few weeks, it may also be the result of stress and pressure from work time to irregular meal times," said the old man's doctor.

I frowned and forced my voice to sound, "I've never had acid reflux before."

The doctor nodded, "That further proves your body has really reached the limit for all the stress that there is forced from your work to fishing for disease. I recommend to really rest even though the fever has dropped, it will be dangerous also if you continue to work without rest and eat irregular."

Sighing and holding back the heat that enveloped my entire body I heard the doctor give some medicine as well as explain the prescription to Stella before leaving. Stella returned shortly after dropping the doctor out, I was reluctant to open my eyes until I felt pressure on the side of the bed.

Stella didn't say anything for a full minute and it made me feel even more uncomfortable in this silence.

"Do you have to force yourself to this, Luiz?" Stella asked finally in an unhappy tone. I spontaneously turned my head and raised my eyelids from closing my gaze.

"I just work as usual. It's nothing."

"It's nothing? Luiz you could die if you keep doing this. I've seen news of schoolchildren dying from over-exercising themselves to study endlessly. You want to be like that?"

"You're too much" I said, staring at the ceiling. From the end of my eyes I saw his head nod before he stood up and walked out of the room. Ah I really made her angry my inner— while putting an arm on the forehead—if this is possible I should take care of myself until healed.

I glanced at him who was staring at that hot porridge bowl and sighed.

"Luiz, I'm bribing ya."

Since it was enough for me to refute all of Stella's words and advice, my head moved up and down. Stella helped me sit up and started feeding me the chicken porridge bit by bit.

For someone who had just argued with me and went out without saying anything, Stella took care of me so gently. After bribing me, he again helped me lie down and put the compress on. We did not exchange a word during the process until he went out again with his tray.

When and exactly I fell asleep after that, I'm not sure. But as soon as I accidentally woke up in the middle of the night, I found Stella flipping a compress towel over my forehead. He was half shocked to see me open my eyes and speak in a whispering volume.

"Oh sorry. Did I wake you up Luiz?"

I'm shaking. Stella smiled a little.

"Then go back to sleep. I'll leave as soon as you're asleep."

"I'm sorry and thank you, Stella," I said, because I'm not a self-conscious person who can't thank you for witnessing Stella's dedication.

This time it was Stella who shook her head, "I'm sorry too, Luiz. I didn't mean to lecture you like a child. You're sick and I'm scolding you."

"I deserve to be scolded."

Stella's distinctive laughter filled my ears, "Maybe Luiz, but not now. You need to rest. Three weeks of you working non-stop and eating irregularly, I've been hinting that this is going to happen sooner or later, even for a guy like Luiz. Luiz, you have to warn your future woman to stand guard by midnight when you suddenly work too hard and get sick again."

Stella's last words were half-joking but I couldn't laugh with her. For I do not want to hear the word 'other woman' from her mouth, nor do I want to imagine a future that does not exist. All that I felt, all the strange tempest that arose every time I was around him, all that, I finally understood.

I love him. I love him as much as a man who loves the woman he loves. It was stupid that I realized this and stupid that I was trying to run away from this feeling.

I laughed in a raucous voice that might sound horrible. Stella tilted her head, her eyes twitching as she scratched her cheeks.

"Luiz, your reaction is slow. Your fever must've affected half your brain huh."