Someday - A Short Story

Someday: Last Chapter, 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When Life Screws You

TWO GIRLS WERE CRYING outside the operating room where the boy was currently being operated on while a man was trying his best to comfort them but was failing miserably due to the fact that he was untrained in the area of counselling.

“That idiot,” Aika began to say as she cried into Oren’s shoulders, “we told him to be careful going home since he rejected all our offers to walk him home...”

“He really is an airhead...” Hana cried. “We should teach him to be more responsible and careful...”

“We’ll drill that into his head when he comes out,” Aika agreed as she brought her face up to look at Hana.

“But if we did that, then he’ll have to come back to the hospital due to a severe headache,” Hana laughingly replied as she tried to wipe her face, but failed to do so and successfully accomplished smudging her face instead.

“But really, that guy is stupid,” Oren said as he looked at the ceiling.

“Not as stupid as you, Oren,” Aika replied jokingly.

“I’ve known Torph since before his parents died,” Oren revealed. “Since he was very young.”

“Really?” Hana asked, she seemed to stop crying now. Then, bringing a finger to the side of her head, she said, “Now that I think about it, I think I’ve seen you a few times before when I was a whole lot younger.”

“Does Torph know?” Aika asked.

“Of course not,” Oren said proudly. Then he cleared his throat and said more humbly, “No, he doesn’t.”

“Why don’t you tell him?” Hana asked as she tried in vain to wipe away the tears that were still on her face.

“His parents forbid me to speak about it,” Oren answered as he looked at his hands.

“Why would they do that?” Aika and Hana asked in unison.

Oren hesitated for a moment before answering, “Ah, well, I can’t tell you that.”

“Well then,” Aika said as she sat up straight, “I won’t force you.”

Hana seemed to come to the same decision as she leaned back on the bench that currently contained the three of them.

After what seemed like forever, the light on the emergency room’s wall turned off and the doctor came out.

Aika and Hana stood up at the same time and rushed to the doctor before asking about Torph’s condition.

“Well, he’s stable now, but still unconscious,” the doctor replied. “We’ll be moving him to a room soon.”

“Good to know,” Aika said, breathing out the huge sigh of relief.

Hana hugged Aika before saying to the doctor, “Thank you very much, doctor.”

The doctor smiled at the two girls before replying, “Good luck, girls.” Then he winked at them and walked away.

Isaline was running towards me. Isaline was far from me now. She was asking for help. I extended my arm to reach her. It was not my arm. I looked at the connection of my not-arm to my body. I saw Leia beside me. She said something. I did not hear. I did not want to hear. I looked up in horror to find Garne reclining on the bed with Isaline below him. I leapt. I did not reach. I shouted. My voice did not come out. Then I said ‘I love you.’ Then I awoke.

 “Isaline...” I whispered as I shielded my eyes from the blinding light coming from somewhere to my left. Quite irritating, the light.

Then someone gasped and shouted, “Doctor, he’s awake!”

And I was suddenly aware of the different existences within my radius. Also, I was suddenly aware of the weight on my body and the wetness on my chest.

“Torph, you’re awake...” Hana’s voice said as she sobbed hot tears into my garment, wetting my chest.

Aika, too, was sobbing, but was able to control it better than Hana. She is, after all, still our class’ representative. Gotta keep the posture up.

“I won’t die,” I whispered quietly into Hana’s ears. “Not easily at least.”

“You were out like a light for a whole week, Torph,” Hana cried as she clutched my chest. “We thought you were gonna die...”

“Don’t walk alone when going home, fool,” Aika said as she tried to smile.

“So...” I started, “what happened to me...?”

“You got hit by a car, apparently,” Hana answered.

“How ironic...” I said. My eyes welled up with tears as I remembered how Isaline died. “Isaline...”

“You’ll never forget her, huh, Torph?” Aika asked.

“Of course...” I replied as I felt a wave of tears come out. Then I cried helplessly like a little child.

Despite Aika and Hana’s best efforts of comforting me, I kept crying.

And I cried until I slept. Such is the life of one who has gained a loss.

“Isaline...” I whispered as I closed my eyes. “Someday, we will meet again.”

“Someday...”