Her fingers gently touch the tip of the needle as she puts up with a hem of fabric on the bedside, prepared to stitch the garment of her doll, she simply travels her hands as she concentrates to prick the needle on the yarn to stick the top of it. "Now, it's perfect…" She commented as her eyes browsed in the figurine she created.
"That looks so adorable, Astrid!" The lady got off the bed and hastened her feet towards the couch and witnessed how Astrid Hawthorne stitched her puppet. She flashes a smile and with a calm heart, she places the figurine on the small wooden furniture in the center of the room.
"It is,"
"Have you sewed it from last night? I peek on your bed and I saw you crouching while mumbling something," Dorothy Scott asserted and gazed at her pal's countenance.
"... I tend to not waste my time, I feel so limited."
"Really?" Her stares peered on the lady before her as she took a black notebook under the pillow, with curiosity, she attempted to take a peek at it but Hawthorne purposely prevented her from seeing it.
"What is that? It seems blank," Scott commented upon recognizing that the pages of the memo are empty and have an ebony tint.
"It's my diary, you can't take a peek at it," Hawthorne uttered and began to write something on the page.
As they did their stuff, a guy with a laboratory gown arrived and had his entrance. Wearing a smile on his face, he greeted the two ladies, "Good morning, girls. How's your sleep?" He asked and led his way to their locations.
"... We're doing good, doctor," Scott replied yet upon shifting her stares to see him, her eyes widened the moment she saw familiar faces behind the physician's direction.
"Hey, Dorothy? Are you okay?" Astrid noticed how she froze on her seat, she stared at the woman standing at the main door with a man beside her.
"Who are they?" She questioned and stood up, with her eyes examining the two-person who arrived in their room.
Dorothy didn't respond nor move, her heart proceeded to whip rapidly which caused her to momentarily halt from breathing. "She's Audrey Hernandez, Dorothy's Mother. She thought of visiting her daughter as soon as she knew about her condition but was hindered because of her busy schedule." The doctor retorted and let out a smile, he gently tapped Scott's shoulder and assisted Audrey to sit beside her daughter.
"I'll get back at exactly noon for your check-up before you have your lunch, I'll give you enough time to have a word with your Mother, Scott." The doctor had his leave and Astrid simply stared in her companion's direction, confused and anxious about her sudden changes of mood.
"Dorothy…" Audrey Hernandez called out for her and instead of looking at her eyes, she lowered her head, hoping to avoid her presence.
'I know you'll scold me once again, I'm tired of the same scenarios, I'm weary of your presence Mom. I wished I never met you and that I never existed in this world.' Dorothy thought and bit her lower lip as she stopped herself from sobbing.
"You're still hard-headed, after all these years you never changed. When will you be heeding my voice?" Her mother uttered and crossed her arms, the man beside her, Lucio Reyes gulped and privately held her arms to prevent her from letting out hurtful phrases.
"We're not here to create a scene, Drey," He mumbled.
Hawthorne, on the other hand, watches them as she quietly sits on the couch located at the corner, concerned about what she witnessed. She decides to zip her lips considering that meddling with somebody's life will never be her behavior.
"... just leave me alone," Scott muttered and stood up from the couch, and recklessly jumped off herself to the mattress, she had enough, she never wants to add another hatred to collect inside her chest, it's too much to bear. 'I'm worn out! I don't want her to manipulate me again! She never loves me after all, so what's the use of obeying her voice?'
"Now, you're talking back at me? If Lucio didn't force me to visit you here, then I would rather let you die here."
"Then you could have changed your mind and will never ever show up at me again, I don't need you! I hate you!" Surprised by her sudden behavior, Audrey felt offended and embarrassed in a view of the fact that she is never used to being disrespected by anyone.
"You, airhead! Now you have your guts to talk back to me? Why? Do you have something to brag off?" As a person having a quite short temper, her mother appeared to be furious. She clenched her fist as the throbbing veins on her neck were somewhat visible.
Capable of attacking, she massages her temples, unable to think rightfully.
"I really wished you were never born," Audrey Hernandez retorted and stepped behind, the man who accompanied her assisted.
"That's enough, Drey. I thought you were here to make things right?"
"Right from this moment, I forbid you to come back home, Dorothy. You have your life, never depend on me, I despise you… you're not my daughter," she responded and pointed a finger on her forehead. The young lady let go of the pain by permitting her tears to fall from her eyes.
Audrey walked ahead and went out of the room, Lucio felt terrible as he glanced at the lady's location. "I'm sorry for her wrong behavior, Dorothy." He apologized and went after the woman, Astrid Hawthorne after a deep silence hurried her way toward a friend to reassure her.
"Hey, it's not a bad life…" she commenced and sat beside her.
"Dorothy, your mother must have an attitude problem? Or perhaps she has a terrible past? A person with a bad character has a reason why they are like that," She added.
Scott silently wiped her tears and sniffed, "I really don't care from now on, Astrid. I used to care for her, I attended to what she wanted."
Hawthorne felt her grief, as she gazed upon her complexion, she could see her distress. "Do you know what's the worst of them all? I let myself be devoured by her orders… it ruined me, it shattered me." She agreed as she listened to what she retorted, Hawthorne gently tapped her shoulder to show comfort yet Scott could not help herself to let out her feelings.
She was never like this. Dorothy Scott was always known to be a quiet person, she doesn't like anybody to see her weaknesses.
"Can I give you a tight hug?"
Without any response, she darted herself into Astrid's arms as she felt her warmth. "... Thank you for being here with me, Astrid. Please don't leave me, please…" she whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Are you listening to me?" She once more asked and that made Hawthorne chuckle.
"I can't actually promise, because it will end up unfulfilled," She responded and a sigh escaped from her lips.
Time rapidly soars, two girlfriends stroll down the aisle of the infirmary building. A handful of paper bags were on their grips and as their feet traveled on the pale tiled floors of the hospital ground, they halted when they recognized that something was missing.
"Did you forget the burgers?" Mace Leo asked with her eyes wide open as she glared at her companion.
"What do you mean? I thought you would be bringing them?" Kyaellani Sullivan asserted as her brows met upon the sudden accusation of Mace.
"Oh no, Kyaell! What should we do now? There's no way that we will be only drinking our frappe teas!"
"We can't go back to the Cafe, we're walking for minutes!" Sullivan blurted out and surveyed the paper bags they have with them.
"Oh come on,"
"What? You look so frustrated huh? Why are you complaining to me?" She glared at her friend, Mace Leo.
"I have the right to be angry at you, but just let it be, let's go back right after…" Sullivan added and shrugged off her shoulders. They proceeded walking until they arrived at the counter, and Mace hurried to reach out for the nearby doctor.
"Uh, excuse me, doctor… May I ask about Astrid Hawthorne's state? Is she doing fine? I would like to know if she will be discharged soon?" She spoke upon asking a man with a laboratory gown, he replied with a smile as he tucked his hair. He glances at the record on his hold and scans the lists of patients.
"Hawthorne?" He flipped the pages and soon halted the moment he eventually found the said name. "She will be discharged today, we will finalize our queries with her. Also, the cops already investigated her and the case she was involved in has finally been closed."
Upon hearing the good news, her heart jumps out with contentment, "What did they find? She will no longer be imprisoned?" She added that her wide smile would not go away.
"The case was found to be heavy but it occurred that she's innocent and merely one of the victims, as we examined her we found out that she has been suffering a mental illness which can lead her to the sudden aggression that's why we decided to secure her as of the moment…'' the physician responded, the two young girls rushed their ways toward the restricted room of the patient and witnessed her having a peaceful sleep.
"Dorothy isn't here, perhaps she's in her selected room?" Sullivan uttered and entered the doorway.
"Let's wait for her to wake up," Mace commented and watched the sleeping beauty fast asleep on her bed.
"Praise God for allowing her to be exempted from the case, I do believe that she didn't do something to ignite such a horrible outbreak," she added and sat down on the couch. She appreciates the figurine beside her and so, she took it and admired the beauty.
"She made this one," Mace Leo asserted and placed it back in its position when she recognized a pad, the same notebook which Astrid always uses and claims to be her diary.
"What is that?" Sullivan came near and scanned the item, flipping through the pages and frowned upon seeing it didn't have any writings.
"This is kinda strange," she commented.
"It's her diary, put it back on the table…"
As they waited for the lass to wake up from a deep sleep, they grabbed the chance to roam around the room. "How I hate such plain walls, can the faculties do something about it? They can make their rooms productive, it's very tiresome to witness the same boring ceiling and wallpapers." Sullivan complained as she walked back and forth with her stares being fixed to the dull room. "The patients would not like it, I believe that it will make their situation worse." She grumbled.
"Keep quiet, you're so noisy!"
"Oh come on,"
They were about to argue but a voice interrupted them. "... What are you doing here?"
Both of them faced the patient with round eyes, "Astrid, you're awake!" They altogether gulped upon seeing how her eyes darkened, the expressions she presented are not the same as usual.
"Perhaps you're mistaken, I'm Isle…" she firmly replied as confusion invaded her complexion.
"Isle?" Both the young ladies faced her with a disturbed mind, 'Who is Isle?' Mace thought.
"How is your sleep, Astrid?" She attempts to reach her yet a cold stare greets her.
"What is it?" Hawthorne asked which caused abrupt chills down their spines.
"... The doctor told us that you will be released today, I just thought that it's never a good idea to stay at your house in the subdivision so, probably staying at the apartment with me could do any better for your fast recovery." Mace spoke, a genuine smile beaming on her lips.
"Is that so?"
"Yes…"
"I see," the uneasiness could be felt as they glanced in her direction, acting strange from what they saw on her.
"I think her illness attacked," the lass with a creamy platinum hair, Sullivan whispered.
"But she can still recognize us," Mace mumbled.
"That's because her personalities already know us," they halted the moment they heard her cough, they fixed their gaze on her as they let out an awkward smile.
"... Will you come with us?" Mace Leo reached out for her and gradually sat on the mattress. Hawthorne glanced at her and examined the lass before her sight.
'Is she the lady who often disturbs me at class?' she thought as her irises scanned the features she beholds.
"I know you," she whispered, "What do you care about me? Go away, I don't need your pity." Her mood shifted, her hands roughly caught Mace Leo's neck, and before she could strangle her to death, Sullivan recklessly jumped off and pulled her friend.
"Let's get out of here," she muttered and snatched her friend's arm, they left Hawthorne inside the room, clenching her fist and preparing to have her attack.
The doctors hurried their way into her room and did another test, they made her fall asleep once more and Mace became more worried. "I pray she'll have her healing," anxiety nearly attacked her, and upon recalling the experience, her knees trembled in fear.
As they sat on the bench in the hallway, Dorothy Scott passed by and identified them. She approaches the ladies and with an unusual look, she observes them. "Mace," she called out and she caught her attention. "What's wrong? You look terrified…"
"Dorothy,"
"What happened?" Scott snatched a glimpse of the nearby room and her brows met upon seeing the medics discussing outside.
"Astrid will be discharged today… but her illness suddenly attacked," Sullivan replied.
"What?" She halted upon realizing what she heard, 'Astrid will be leaving? How about me? I thought we would stick together?' The idea distracts her and so her lips parted and she remained quiet momentarily.
They waited for an hour and decided to have a snack of what they bought from the Cafe. Dorothy felt the sorrow within and she didn't like the idea of Astrid leaving her, she doesn't know where to go the moment she'll be discharged. She's still recovering.
Hours had passed and finally, Hawthorne regained her consciousness. As she opened her eyes and began to shift her glances at her surroundings, "Huh?"
"Astrid?" A medic approached her, she felt puzzled and roamed her eyes once more. "How do you feel?"
"... I feel good, probably, why?"
"Does anything hurt?" The doctor once again spoke.
"I don't know,"
"Do you take medicines?" Hawthorne simply shook her head and averted her stares, she saw familiar faces at the doorway and so she looked at them.
"I wanna go home," she mumbled.
The physician faced the rest of the members and gradually shook his head, "We will once again run another test this evening, and perhaps by tomorrow, she can come home."
Along with his nurses, they went out of the room and the ladies remained. They gaze at the patient's location and Mace sighed upon seeing how depressed she looked. "You will be staying for a while in the apartment, Astrid… is that okay with you?"
And she replied with a nod, Dorothy on the other hand, stayed by her side and glanced at her complexion. "Astrid? You'll be leaving me,"
"I'm sorry, Dorothy."
"Hey, we will visit you here, don't worry!" Mace asserted and gently tapped her shoulder.
"Thank you," sadness could be felt in her voice.
"Until I see you again, Dorothy…" Hawthorne responded and smiled at her.
'I hope it won't be late for me, I'll miss you, Astrid…"