I didn’t know how long I was drowsy, but when I opened my eyes again, I was ambushed by the bright sunlight. That got me to close my eyes instinctively to let them adjust a little before I open them again. The warm light spread out on me and the entire room, and it painted the white walls into a beautiful gold.
Christopher opened the door and saw that I was up, so he poured me a cup of warm water. My throat was dry, so I downed every drop. Still, I was thirsty, so I stared at Christopher with my puppy eyes and requested, “Can I have some more?”
I was especially afraid of being parched after returning from the island. Even the slightest hint of thirst would prompt me to drink a ton of water. I wouldn’t feel safe until I had done that. Christopher poured me another glass of water, and I felt alive after I finished it.
I cleared my throat a little and was glad that my voice was finally less raspy. The next thing I did was to rub my tummy and say, “I’m hungry. Did you get me anything to eat?”
“I knew you’d be hungry once you’re up, so I had someone prepare this for you,” answered Christopher. He opened a thermos flask and placed it next to me. I held my spoon and sipped some soup. The taste was exquisite, so I bit my spoon and stared at Christopher as I drank. My smile had to be rather bright at the time.
“Christopher, I used to go to the restaurant to have the soup you prepared. I complained that it tasted bad when I first tried your cooking. Strangely, the soup tastes better after that. Did you secretly learn how to cook?”
Christopher showed no signs of being embarrassed despite the fact that I caught him doing something romantic from behind the scenes. He held his head up high and lied, “I am talented in everything, so I didn’t need to learn at all. I just watch the chef do it once and had it all down. Look at how you’re gloating. You must feel so honored to drink the soup I prepared.”
“Of course. I am so very honored,” I replied with a smile. I sweated a little after finishing my soup, so I lay down on the soft bed and curled up in the blanket. Throughout the entire process, I felt like I had forgotten something important. Then, it happened. My eyes suddenly bulged, and I turned to Christopher before I held his hand urgently and asked, “How am I not dead?”
Christopher was speechless. His lips twitched a little, and he probably thought that I was a little dumb for asking a question like that. He ended up knocking on my head a little and scolded, “Aren’t you reacting a little too weirdly? Also, never use the d-word again, got it?”
“Okay, but how is my condition? Don’t lie to me, Christopher. I want to know the truth,” I requested while hugging his neck. I needed him to face me and look right into my eyes so that he couldn’t lie.
Christopher stared at me. His expression was a little strange, but after a while, he carried me like a princess and walked toward the door. He informed, “I’ll take you to the doctor, and he will tell you everything.”
I felt anxious upon learning that I have to talk to the doctor again. It haunted me, and I worried that I’d hear bad news, so I kept rubbing my fingers nervously. It was so bad that I didn’t even feel embarrassed when Christopher carried me and walked past all the nurses and doctors there.
My doctor was reading a report when he saw me enter. He greeted me with a smile, but the first thing I did was to ask the doctor about my condition.
The doctor cleared his throat a little before explaining simply, “The toxin in your body has more or less been cleared, and the blood clot in your eye has also dissolved completely. You won’t have any trouble or lose your vision again. All you need to do is rest well and recuperate.”
“Huh?” I blurted and blinked. What is that supposed to mean? I thought before I pointed at my head and swallowed hard. I asked nervously, “W-what about the tumor in my head?”
“Oh, you’re actually fine, Ms. Tanner. A woman with the same name as you came to the hospital on the day you did. The time of two appointments was also close, so I mixed up your medical reports and ended up giving you the wrong news,” answered the doctor, who finally moved his hand away from his eyes. The fresh bruise showed that he had been punched earlier. Still, he apologized bitterly, “I am so sorry, Ms. Tanner, for all the trouble I caused.”
My mind turned robotic and spun as I tried to catch up with what the doctor said. Mixed up… does that mean…? ”So, I don’t have cancer. Is that it?” I asked numbly.
