Hunting for Shadows (JaThea Fanfic)

Soup

San Martin Provincial Hospital. Ward 2. December 1. 8:00 a.m.

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It was a lazy hot afternoon. A pair of brown eyes curiously scanned its surroundings as sweat dripped down it's owner's forehead. This wasn't the first time she woke up in an unfamiliar place with her body aching. It was just one of those days where she doesn't know where she was and how she got there. She could barely move.

It didn't took long for her to realize where she's at.

The hospital.

Flashbacks of herself running played in her mind. She did her best to remember why she was running and who was she running from but anything that happened before that was a big blur. She closed her eyes. Her heart sank upon realizing she's still breathing and wondered if the other patients feel the same. Most likely not she thought. 

She felt a cold chain around her neck and took out a necklace under her shirt. She watched the dove pendant glow in the sunlight and wondered where she got it from. Her pensive state was startled when a sound of squeaking wheels echoed outside the door. 

The door slowly opened and anxiety took over her. It was the hospital food service worker delivering the patient's meals. She sighed in relief.

 Her stomach grumbled, it's been a while since she last tasted food. 

Her heart was just calming down when she heard another set of footsteps at the door. An image of a soldier with a riffle immediately popped in her mind. She held her breath and closed her eyes as she waited for the enemy to enter. 

The footsteps were getting closer...

and closer...

The door opened.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw...

A familiar face. 

It was the lady who stopped her wound from bleeding. Her hair was put in a small bun and she looked neat in her light blue hospital uniform. Their eyes met as she entered the room. The lady quickly averted her gaze and proceeded to check on the other patients. The mysterious patient looked down. She hid her necklace under her shirt and patiently waited for the food tray. Gary, the food service worker, was nice enough to adjust the bed so she could eat comfortably. 

"I'll go ahead Althea." Gary left the room, whistling a happy tune. The nursing assistant gave him a small nod and continued to help Nanay Fely take the sticky plastic off the foodtray.

While Althea was busy with the other patients, a certain patient on the far side of the ward did her best to eat her soup without spilling it on herself. The last thing she wants is for the weird nursing assistant to feed her. Let Althea assist the other patients but not her, she thought. Not even if her arms are burning from pain and her hands can barely lift the spoon up. 

Anyone who hasn't eaten for a long time would agree that the soup smelled delicious. Even her shirt had a taste of the soup already, but not her. The girl tried, but her hands were not strong enough to hold the spoon properly. She was already debating with herself if it would be better to just drink the soup from the bowl when she noticed Althea standing by her bedside, watching.

"Let me help you with that. " Althea scooped a spoonful of hot soup from the bowl, blew on it then moved the spoon near the patient's mouth. The lovely patient remained still and looked at her with confused eyes.

"Why is she helping me? " 

"She can't be trusted." 

Althea sensed the girl's uneasiness and tried again.