Lecturers

Memories of the Hospital

There are only two seasons in Indonesia, namely the rainy season and dry season. In this month it is time for the rainy season, as well as tonight, but only the drizzle that comes creates darkness like decorated fireflies.

On top of the gurney the girl was lying down enjoying her sleep and sailing in the dreamland. No one's accompanying her in the hospital for tonight. Linda has to take care of her sister-in-law who has just given birth, Irfan can not leave her campus duties and must stay up all night just to finish it. Dimas, he's still busy working out of town on business.

Even the news of Audie's accident he did not come to visit because no one told him. In fact, Audie himself insisted not to tell his father that he had an accident. Audie just didn't want her dad to feel anxious and worried about her.

Every now and then lightning strikes, its light enters through a glass window that is not blindfolded. The sound of lightning sounded along with the door handles squeaking as one entered the Audie room with suspicious gestures. After making sure everything was safe, he stood right next to Audie's cot. The woman looked at Audie's face long enough, implied hatred and resentment there.

His expression was flat, like a criminal who wanted to carry out his action. For a long time he looked at Audie's peaceful face in his sleep. The next second both of the women's hands were raised, making a fuss to strangle the neckline of the girl's level. The situation in the room was very dark, deliberately the woman turned off the light switch.

"Tonight you must die!" his whisper was right in Audie's ear, before he finally continued his words, "at least, I'm satisfied to see Irfan feeling lost when you leave."

Slowly, both of his hands moved to feel Audie's neck. The longer the tighter the chirp it makes Audie wake up from his sleep. Oxygen was choked and blocked into the lungs, Audie's pair of eyeballs were perfectly rounded, he was suffocated and could not scream. Occasionally Audie coughed as she felt someone gnawing at her neck. Both of his legs crashing to provide resistance.

"DEAD..." Whisper the woman.

Audie couldn't see who did it, which she knew she needed oxygen right now before her lungs and heart completely stopped working.

The longer Audie's body weakened, the colder heat of her body created sweat that flooded the patient's uniform. Audie's eyes were wide open, she could do nothing but thrash and stare at the ceiling of the room without hope. Audie's two hands tried to stop the woman who was strangling him, but Audie's power was really not comparable to the woman's power.

The world slowly darkened, even the light of lightning flashes from outside was faintly visible. Until the swift steps of someone made the woman thwart the action. Quickly he hid under Audie's bed.

With Audie greedily inhaling oxygen, he coughed while holding his neck from the woman's screech.

"Why are the lights off?" ask a nurse who just came with some vitamin medicine and put it on the nightstand.

"Gosh, what's wrong with you?" the nurse asked worriedly when she found Audie like someone who was experiencing asthma symptoms.

Audie's eyes glazed over, her gaze sweeping across the room, but Audie had no idea where the woman had gone. "A-There's a guy who's strangling my neck, sister. He wants to kill me, he wants me dead." The cry of Audie broke, it was as much as it pleased. The events of a few minutes ago were like a nightmare to him.

The woman in the uniform searched every corner of the room, behind the door and behind the open curtains. The sister approached Audie, then gently stroked her shoulders. "Nobody, maybe you're just misunderstood or carried away by a nightmare."

Audie shook his head quickly, annoyed when we got a disaster but people always argue that we are just hallucinating. Oh, come on, this isn't a soap opera.

"No sister! I saw it though vaguely because this room was so dark, she was a woman but I didn't know who she was. Help me sister, I'm really scared." Audie hugged the sister's arm by immersing her face.

The sister could not appease Audie, she was already looking, but there was no woman Audie meant. The nurse was sure, Audie was only carried away by a dream, because sick people often had nightmares and thought it was real.

"Yes, then I will contact your family so that they come to accompany you. Wait here, try to sleep again, but don't forget to pray first." The nurse actually left after saying so.

Manik Audie watched around him with great concern. He was terrified, his body was shivering, cold sweat was not constantly flowing.

He didn't find anyone. But Audie believes, he did not see wrong or even was hallucinating. Because Audie felt it for real, even the trace of the giggle was still imprinted on her neck, a bluish red.

Audie took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. He tried to follow the nurse's instructions, better Audie go back to sleep and read the do'a first.

***

Irfan had just finished his college assignments and wanted to rest immediately by throwing his body on the bed, but a call from the hospital made him re-open his eyes after almost falling asleep.

"Yes, by the name of Irfan."

Irfan massaged his temple, worried about staying when he heard from Audie from the hospital. "Okay, thanks!" Irfan said he told the person behind the phone before the call ended.

Tonight Irfan was very tired, starting from last night he could not rest because he had to finish his thesis. There's only one person who can help him. Pressed several numbers on top of the keyboard, not long after the call was received by a man from there.

"Assalamu'alaikum, Xavier!" no one could be asked for help but the man. When Xavier accepts the fact that Audie is the younger brother of his best friend, Xavier apologizes immediately and promises to be responsible for Audie's recovery and hospital costs. Because after all, he was the one who accidentally bumped into Audie until the girl ended up in the hospital.

"Wa'alaikumussalam!" At one in the morning, and thankfully Xavier was still awake.

In fact, Irfan was disinclined to have disturbed Xavier on a blind night like this. But there was nothing Irfan could do, he was so tired and needed to rest his body because early in the morning he had to return to activity.

After listening to Irfan's complaint, Xavier immediately grabbed the car keys on the nightstand. Wear a leather jacket to avoid the cold of the night. Xavier immediately left the house without the occupants. No one is home, Lufy and her daughter are staying at her in-laws tonight. Be the house only looks big and magnificent but no one occupies it.

Xavier pressed the door knob that felt cold in the palm of his hand, he pushed the door of the room where Audie was being treated. Found the girl was sleeping fast as if the incident that hit the audie that was told by Irfan a few minutes ago was just a fictional story.

Xavier approached, watching every inch of Audie's face. The girl looked peaceful in her dreams. Xavier sat in a chair next to Audie's gurney and rested his body after making sure Audie was okay.

Just a few minutes Xavier fell asleep, but Audie's soft voice immediately resuscitated him.

Both corners of Audie's eyes drain two drops of water gently, Audie cries silently with her eyes closed. "Don't go, Bang Irfan. Don't leave Audie!" His patient's uniform was flooded with cold sweat. His long hair covered part of his face, sticking smooth along with sweat. Some of the other strands were eaten by his mouth which continued to mutter.

"Audie, Audie..." Xavier tries to resuscitate the girl, but it seems that she is very difficult to leave her nightmares behind.

Audie just kept crying, she was as excited as a grieving person. "THANG IRFAN..." Shouts Audie before he finally woke up. Audie's eyes look up, he rubbed both cheeks using his hands, so that Audie only realized there were traces of tears there.

"W-You okay? Did you just have a bad dream, Audie?" there was nothing Xavier could do, very unlikely if he calmed Audie down by hugging or even stroking the girl's hair. Enough already Xavier makes Audie more hopeful for him, which in fact until whenever he will not be able to return the love of the girl.

Audie glanced at Xavier at a glance, not wanting to question why Xavier was already in front of him. "Bang Irfan, he wants to kill himself, Mr. Xavier. Please stop Bang Irfan." Audie as he pleased, the nightmare was as if it were real, gnawing at his heart slowly.

"Irfan?" xavier asked, his eyebrows intertwined.

Audie nodded, there was still a trace of her tears there.

"You're just Audie's nightmare, nobody wants to kill themselves. Irfan is fine."

"But Mr. Xavier, I saw Bang Irfan wanted to jump off the building. That woman, this is all because of that woman. He betrayed Bang Irfan, he left Bang Irfan, I don't want Bang Irfan to commit suicide just because of that woman. That woman was supposed to die."

Xavier approached, then he slapped doubtfully on Audie's shoulder very slowly. That's all Xavier can do, the rest he's afraid Audie's expecting him more. "Calm down, Audie! You're just having a bad dream. Irfan's fine, he's not gonna kill himself." Actually, the question arises in Xavier, is it possible that Irfan ever wanted to kill himself so Audie carried away a dream? Xavier didn't want to question him in a situation like this. All he had to do right now was calm the girl down.

Slowly, Audie began to wake up. He wiped his tears violently. In her heart she said, "Alea must die!"

***

Audie's gaze glared far ahead of there. At this time he was watching the raindrops right in front of a glass window that was not covered in curtains. There was Xavier next to him, they were silent in silence. Need fresh air to calm the mind of Audie, but outside the rain, forced to only be able to watch the night from behind a glass window.

"Sir Xavier!" Call Audie clean, but her gaze remains focused forward. The distance between himself and Xavier was about two cubits, Xavier himself who did not want to get too close to Audie.

Xavier only replied with a small throb.

"Not mode. But... May I borrow Mr. Xavier's shoulder for a moment?!"

"No," Xavier replied without hesitation. It's hard to conquer this guy. In fact, he did not think about how Audie felt when he never said softly to the teenage girl.

Audie stared at Xavier at a glance, something gnawed at his heart when he heard the word repulsion spoken so presumptuously. The man exuded a cold, rainy aura tonight. "It's only been a moment Mr. Xavier. Let's just say I'm your real sister, I beg you." Pinta Audie is hopeful. He doesn't care about his pride anymore, most importantly that love is everything to Audie.

The girl's bead is washed out, so Xavier discovers how much Audie needs her, wants her and expects her. The exhale was long before he finally said, "alright, just as a sister, remember that." Xavier brought his body closer, Audie smiled, but his smile looked slick. Because after all, he was only considered a younger brother. Remember, just a little brother.

Audie put her head on Xavier's boat, then looked through the night from behind a glass window. If the current Xavier really belongs to him, if Xavier is his lover, surely Audie does not need to ask permission just to lean on the man's boat.

Just a silent dominating current, Xavier cleared his throat a few times, he deeply disliked this awkwardness. Until the next second, Xavier wondered, when he heard something. "What is this sound? Why is there such a sound as a drum being grazed?" xavier asked as he linked his eyebrows together.

Audie's head still perched on Xavier's boat was seen to remain relaxed while enjoying his imagination, "no need to worry Mr. Xavier, it's just the sound of my heartbeat." Audie replied lightly, somewhere he hid his shame until with confidence he said that.

Xavier's mouth agape, open stiff. He wanted to catch the girl named Audie.

After a few minutes, Audie finally chose to go back to sleep. Audie knows, surely Xavier also feels tired and needs to rest. Remember Xavier has a very solid job.

Audie was lying on top of the gurney, pulling the blanket over to wrap her cold body. While Xavier, he chose to sleep on the sofa that has been provided in the room.

"Come with your dreams, Audie!" Xavier muttered, as Audie began to fall asleep, it was impossible for the girl to hear his whisper.

...🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️...

...I don't want to be a starfish anymore, I just want to be the sky. So that Mr. Xavier who is like a sky star cannot leave me....