The Girl Next Door's

Surprise

Deril sat curled up at a bus stop near his school. The bicycle he had used this morning to go to school, was parked neatly next to him. Deril is not feeling well.

He tightened his jacket to the chin. The wind makes him goosebumps. "It shouldn't have been the flag ceremony," he regretted forcing himself to stand on the field and make his body temperature rise again.

Deril looked to his right and left. Not many schoolchildren are visible. School has been out since half an hour. In fact, Diana had already gone home with her new friends.

His head lowered, looking at the fingers of his red hands. The earth feels spinning. Deril felt, he would not be able to continue the journey home. So, he leaned his body back, deciding to take a nap for a moment. Maybe by resting, he'll get better later.

***

"Deril, Deril?"

Slow swaying felt from Deril's right arm. He opened his eyes with great difficulty. The air around him became colder than usual.

"Can you walk?"

Deril's eyes blinked. He did not expect that Doctor Stephen was standing before him at this moment. Doctor Stephen was wearing a neat ash shirt, as usual. A medicinal aroma wafted as the wind blew.

"Come on! Get in my car!" Doctor Stephen rubbed Deril's arm, helping Deril to stand with both feet. "Slow down!"

Deril according to. His body was already very limp, plus a burning sense of heat, coming out from every part of his body. Deril staggered into Doctor Stephen's expensive sedan.

He rubbed his head when the car door closed. His head was dizzy amazingly. Deril must stop himself from vomiting in Doctor Stephen's car.

"Are you okay?" the small and gentle voice made Deril jump in shock. Mika sat on the front bench. Her smileless face was so much that Deril missed her.

"How are you?" deril Sambar. He immediately sat up straight. Of course he did not expect that Mika would be there.

"I'm good," Mika answered briefly. "You sick?"

"I guess yes," Deril rubbed his face. His appearance must be very chaotic at this moment.

BRUG!

The sound of luggage being closed keeps the two back to their original position. Deril sees Doctor Stephen walking around the car to get back to the steering wheel. "I'll take you to the hospital" Doctor Stephen said as the car lit up.

"No need, Doc! Let's just go home," Deril refused. She was worried that her parents would be anxious if she knew she was in the hospital at this time. Deril was sure, he only had a normal fever.

Doctor Stephen twisted his body. "You don't look all right. If I hadn't gone this way, you might have passed out" replied Doctor Stephen.

Deril had no choice but to comply. He did not want to make trouble a second time, after the mess he caused the other day. Doctor Stephen's sedan was soft, making him sleepy. Cold sweat flows from Deril's temples. He turned his head back, trying to make himself as comfortable as possible.

Mika silently glanced back a few times. Deril. There was something strange about Mika's eyes. Although her face did not show any expression, Deril knew that there was something Mika wanted to say.

Realizing that his vigilance was decreasing, Deril immediately sat back down. He tried not to make any suspicious movements and caught Doctor Stephen's attention on the steering wheel. Deril looked around the car. Think of the worst-case scenario that would occur, which would require him to jump from the car if needed.

The view outside the window looked strange. Deril has never crossed a major road around his village. Not many cars passed through them. The streets are dominated by motorists.

Doctor Stephen's car turned after a red light intersection, entering a front yard of a five-story building with a hospital emblem in front of it.

Serena called.

"Hello?" hello Deril.

"Where are you? Diana was home from three hours ago, but you haven't been home yet? It's dinner soon."

"I was taken to the same hospital as Doctor Stephen, Mom," Deril tried to sound calm. Serena is the kind of mother who panics. His mind would happily become negative when he heard the word 'hospital'.

"What's? Wh why? What was? You all right?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Just fever. But fell asleep at the bus stop. So, the fever's gone up." Deril sees Doctor Stephen getting off the wheel. "Mom, take me to the hospital, yeah! I sent the location."

"OK, okay! I'm going there now." Serena ended the phone call.

Deril opened the door next to him, trying to get out on his own. A man in a security uniform approached him in a wheelchair.

"Take him to the IGD. Ask Doctor Gian to handle. Just tell me what I'm doing" Doctor Stephen told security who told Deril to sit in his wheelchair.

After that, Doctor Stephen or Mika are no longer seen around Deril. He suspects that Doctor Stephen has taught Mika to go home. Well. Where could Doctor Stephen let her get close to Mika again.

"We will give the infusion so that the fever quickly drops. All the blood checks, yes, Dik," said Dr. Gian, a general practitioner at IGD who received a message from Doctor Stephen.

Deril no longer had the energy to answer. As soon as his head touched the pillow, his consciousness seemed to float away leaving the body. He felt an injection in his left hand. When opening the eyes, an infusion hose is installed. The coldness of the infusion fluid radiated from his hands. Not long after, Deril finally fell asleep.

***

"My son why, Doc?"

"According to the blood test results, Deril's patient tested positive for dengue fever. The platelets are still above a hundred, so it can still be outpatient. But, my advice, Deril's patients should have blood checked every day. If the platelets are already under a hundred, better hospitalization."

"I'll get my son a blood check every day."

"If you can, at this hour again, yes, Mom!"

Deril opened his eyes with great difficulty. Serena's voice woke her up. He felt his clothes being soaked in sweat. Deril turned to his left, where two adults were talking.

Deril saw his mother's hair being tied in a mess. His mother must have rushed to the hospital, not paying attention to the appearance. Deril moved a little, wanting to see Serena's interlocutor blocked.

"Huh!?" deril's eyes widened in shock. He felt no stranger to the fat man who was talking to his mother.

"Oh, you're up" Serena approached and sat down next to Deril's bed. "Where? Good taste?"

But Deril was too shocked to answer Serena's question. He looked at the fat man without even blinking. Flashes of disgusting events flashed in Deril's head.

"He's Doctor Rendi. Internal medicine specialists on duty today. It just so happened that Dr. Rendi had not come home, so I asked for a consultation."

***