That Night √

46» That Trust

Grace's POV
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I saw the familiar white when I opened my eyes. Sudden dread filled me out of nowhere when I realized that I was lying on a bed, looking up at a white ceiling.

This all felt too familiar.

That was the exact reason why I sat up abruptly, clutching the sheets over me. A small wince escaped my lips at the sudden action but eventually, it turned into surprise.

The same surprise that matched both Marleen's and Luca's faces as they both looked at me, standing in front of the hospital bed that I was on.

Hospital bed. This was a hospital.

It took me a whole minute to tell myself how this wasn't that creepy white room. This wasn't the Research Department. Yet I still felt that slight panic edging in my chest, telling me to run away, as if I couldn't trust my surroundings at all.

Thankfully, I didn't do such thing. Marleen was the first one to break out from the surprised trance as she walked over towards the side of my bed. I slowly pulled up my legs, making space for her as she sat down in front of me.

"Grace, honey." She started with one of her warm smiles. I found myself shrinking back a little, clenching the sheets tighter when she called me that.

This wasn't Cynthia. Just Marleen.

"How are you feeling? Do you want me to call the doctor?" I saw her eyes trailing towards my clenched fists, a look of worry passing over her features.

I slowly leaned back against the soft pillows and shook my head. My throat felt scratchy and dry. My stomach felt hollow and empty. I noticed that Marleen was dressed in her work clothes, the nurse ones.

"How long...was I out?" I finally formed the words, asking her in a mere whisper. I could feel another stare directed towards me; Luca's gaze. But he didn't say anything, and I didn't look up at him.

Marleen rubbed her face slowly and I could make out hints of exhaustion in her eyes, yet she just smiled at me. "Two days. Three, actually. But it's fine now, okay? You're fine."

Was I?

I blinked before looking over at Luca who was still standing at the foot of the bed, regarding me with a small frown.

Marleen stood up, still looking at me. "I'll go check where the doctor is. In the meantime..." She looked over at Luca, then at me. "...um, call me if you need me."

She took a step back before turning around and exiting from the door, closing it softly behind her.

For the next few seconds, none of us said anything. Even though I knew that the questions would come at me sooner or later, I really didn't want to talk right now. Instead, I chose to look around the room and part of me felt relieved to know how it wasn't just white in here.

Since I clearly wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, Luca came up beside my bed before sitting down where Marleen had just been sitting at; in front of me. Except that he placed a little more distance between us. Something I wished that I hadn't noticed.