A Week Later at the Hospital. Rica was in Dr. Satria's office, a psychiatrist who also happened to be her sister’s acquaintance—because Dr. Dara was married to Dr. Satria. The world really was small, Rica thought. Her sistes and her husband seemed to be connected to everyone.
The last update Rica heard from Indra was that Bisma had gone to the scene alone that night after tracking Rica’s phone. The man had gotten into a fight and ended up severely injured, having been stabbed and shot by Rica’s kidnappers. Now Bisma was being treated in the same hospital.
Based on the descriptions of the suspect arrested by the police, Rica knew it wasn’t Greg. She concluded that Greg must have concealed his identity when confronting Bisma, escaped, and then paid someone to take the fall for him.
“I’m fine, Doc,” Rica whined in front of Satria. “Sure, I got kidnapped, but because I’m strong! The kidnappers ended up with mental health issues,” she joked.
The 35-year-old psychiatrist smiled indulgently as he observed Rica. They were in a counseling room, and the girl had just woken up a few hours ago after her treatment session. The first thing she did was look for Bisma.
Rica was worried, guilt eating at her because Bisma had gotten hurt trying to protect her. If only she hadn’t been so reckless, if only Bisma hadn’t tried to shield her, maybe he wouldn’t have ended up in this state. Her mother was out of town on business, so for now, Rica was being cared for by Priska and Indra.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Satria and Rica turned toward it, wondering who was causing the commotion. Rica’s mother rushed in, tears streaming down her face, pulling Rica into a tight hug that left her gasping for air.
“Rica, Mom was so worried,” her mother said, teary-eyed.
“Can you sedate her, Doc? I’m tired of dealing with this kid,” Indra snapped irritably.
Satria rolled his eyes. “Has this place turned into a family reunion café?” he remarked sarcastically as more people showed up.
Rica glared at both Indra and Satria. Not long after, Priska entered the room, looking disoriented. But everyone froze in shock when they saw blood running down her leg. Priska clutched her abdomen in pain.
“Babe!” Indra shouted in panic, immediately scooping his wife up and rushing her out of the room.
Their mother released Rica to focus on her eldest child. Rica ran her hands over her face, feeling stressed out. Just seconds ago, she had been the center of attention.
Dr. Satria told Rica to return to her own room, as he didn’t have time to listen to her dramatic tales about her growing infatuation with Bisma. He got up from his seat, opened the door wide, and called for a passing nurse.
“Nurse, please take her back to her room,” he said.
“Of course, Doc.”
Rica shot a sharp glare at the psychiatrist but followed the nurse anyway. Back in her VIP room, she was helped back into bed. Rica wasn’t allowed to go home yet, but she often wandered around the hospital when her mother, Priska, and Indra weren’t around.
Occasionally, police officers would visit to get Rica’s statement about the masked man who had kidnapped her. She wanted so badly to tell them they had the wrong guy. Greg—or Gregorius—had likely fled abroad and paid someone to take the blame. The justice system in this country was laughable.
After making sure Rica’s IV line was secure, the nurse excused herself. Earlier, Rica had been wandering around with her IV stand, too scared to remove it like they did in movies. Rica thanked the nurse and waved as she left, then sighed deeply, frustrated that she wasn’t allowed to check on Bisma directly.
“Is Bisma okay?” Rica wondered aloud.
She was getting bored being alone in the room. A VIP hospital room was far from comfortable without someone to talk to. To make matters worse, none of Rica’s friends had been allowed to visit. Her mother and Indra were still busy taking care of Priska, who had suddenly started bleeding.
It was probably Rica’s fault for being too active and giving her sister headaches. Indra had even been so upset earlier that he’d asked Dr. Satria to sedate Rica. Sure, Rica was at fault, but she also couldn’t stand being cooped up in the hospital any longer. She felt fine now and ready to go back to college, especially since semester break was about to end. But everyone else was too worried to let her return to campus yet.
“Where’s my phone?” Rica muttered, reaching for the bedside table drawer. It wouldn’t open. Oh, she remembered—Priska had confiscated it because she’d stayed up all night scrolling through social media.
But it was Rica’s only source of entertainment. What else was she supposed to do? She rarely watched TV. Now she pouted at the remote control for the smart TV on the table, left with no choice but to turn it on. Nothing on the news caught her attention, and most programs were mindless drivel, so Rica eventually settled on a nature documentary.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone entered the room. Rica recognized the semi-formally dressed woman—it was Bisma’s sister, Sigi. Rica had seen her briefly at Priska and Indra’s wedding.
“Hi, Rica,” Sigi greeted warmly, her photogenic face lit with a soft smile.
Rica returned the smile. “What brings you here?” she asked, mindful of their lack of closeness and the fact they’d never spoken one-on-one before.
Sigi sat down on the chair beside the bed, her eyes warm as she gently took Rica’s hand. “Bisma’s okay. Don’t feel too guilty. He’ll be moved to a regular ward later today,” Sigi said.
“Thank goodness.” Rica smiled awkwardly, figuring Sigi had heard about her attempts to sneak into Bisma’s room.
Sigi, Indra’s college friend, had once helped Priska with legal matters. The family Sigi and Bisma came from was middle to upper class. Their mother ran a catering business, their father was a lawyer, and their youngest sibling—a son—had just graduated high school. Bisma had grown up in a loving family, never lacking affection or material needs.
“By the way, just call me Kak Sigi, like Bisma does,” Sigi said suddenly.
As if answering Rica’s internal question, the significant age gap between them made Rica hesitant, but Sigi’s gentle smile hinted at something else—perhaps amusement at Rica’s crush on Bisma.
“Kak Sigi,” Rica murmured.
“Trust me, Ca. Bisma wouldn’t take a risk like that without careful thought,” Sigi said.
Her words carried a deeper meaning that Rica couldn’t quite grasp. “What do you mean, Kak?”
“You’ll see,” Sigi replied cryptically.
The door opened again, and both women turned to see who it was. Ethan walked in, carrying a medium-sized bouquet, smiling nervously when he locked eyes with Sigi. He cleared his throat several times before stepping closer.
“Sorry, Ca. I just got the chance to visit,” Ethan said, handing her the flowers.
“I’ll be off now,” Sigi said, excusing herself. She nodded politely when her gaze met Ethan’s.
“Take care, Kak,” Rica replied.
Rica’s eyes grew hot as she watched Sigi leave. When the door closed again, tears spilled over, and Ethan immediately pulled her into a comforting hug.
“I’m sorry, Mas. I’ve been using you,” Rica confessed through her tears.
“It’s okay, Ca. Don’t worry about it. We hardly see each other anyway. I don’t feel hurt at all,” Ethan said, stroking her hair. “Where’s the lively, playful Rica? My little Disney princess who’s always cracking jokes? Where’s she hiding, huh? You’re not a witch, are you? Confess!” Ethan teased.
Rica laughed while playfully smacking his shoulder. Laughing and crying at the same time was torture for her nose. “Stop joking, Mas. I’m not in the mood.”