141 CAN’T SEE YOU
ARIEL’S POV
After having a conversation on the phone with someone concerning business, I made my way back to the hospital, greeted by the doctors around me. The building was now bustling.
I made my way back to Luke’s room, and the moment I opened the door, no one was inside. Luke’s bed was empty, like empty. I wondered where he had gone to. My conversation on the phone was really lengthy, no doubt about that. It went for minutes, and I was so lost in my business talk that I totally forgot how crazy this man could get.
“Luke, are you here? Are you hiding, or something?” I asked cautiously. Well, it could be possible he was playing hide and seek. Literally.
But no, he wasn’t in the room, so the question now here was: where had he gone? He couldn’t have left the hospital. If he had left, then I would have noticed because I was standing outside the building, making the phone call.
I quickly made my way out of the room and down the hallway towards the nurse’s station. As I approached, I could see that they were all busy with their duties, but I needed to find out where Luke had gone.
“Excuse me, have any of you seen Luke? He was in room 305, but now he’s gone, ” I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.
The nurses looked at each other with a concerned expression on their faces. One of them, a kind–looking woman named Maria, spoke up. “I’m sorry, Ariel. We haven’t seen him since his morning check–up. Is everything okay?”
I quickly explained the situation to Maria, who immediately called for a search team to be sent out to look for Luke. As we waited for them to arrive, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for not paying enough attention to Luke. I was so caught up in my business call that I didn’t even notice him leaving.
“Thank you, Maria. I’ll go check the other floors; maybe he just wandered off,” I told her.
And I went on to check the floor; the man wasn’t there. Ugh, this was definitely not good. Okay, so it’s my fault now for making such a lengthy call? I’m definitely not going to put the blame on myself or feel guilty for anything. But I needed to find that man. I think I’ll just sit in his room and wait for him to come back. Yes, that was the perfect solution. So, I made my way back to the room, settling down on the bed.
I hadn’t even taken a shower since this morning. No bath; I was just here, right with Luke, but it seemed like that man wasn’t relishing my company.
And still, settling down on the bed, I had to discern that it was kind of cozy. It was not this comfortable when I was sitting down with Luke, but now it was really different and actually nice. So with my phone in hand, I think I was ready for a well–deserved break. Yeah, it wasn’t easy searching for that husband of mine. I believed he was going to come back any moment from now on. It was only a matter of time before he would show up. Well, that was what I was thinking.
And yes, the slight stresses of the morning stuff slowly dissolved as I scrolled through my favorite comedy video app. It was an app I got recently, and it really made me crack up like hell on several occasions. It was useful mostly at work, when my head was about to go on fire. There were too many projects at hand, but someone needed a little rest. So what did I do those times? I just scrolled through this comedy app. It was quite awesome, and yes, I had introduced it to some of my workers.
The first video popped up—a hilarious cat wearing sunglasses attempting to dance. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the feline’s clumsy moves, my laughter bubbling up uncontrollably. Now, this was what I was talking about.
The next video began with a group of toddlers engaging in an adorable, but chaotic, pillow fight. I grinned, feeling the tension in my shoulders release with each giggle. The innocence and joy of children never failed to lift my spirits. I tapped the screen, saving the video to share later with my workers. Of course, they needed to see this!
Another video featured a compilation of clumsy puppies taking stairs for the first time. My heart melted at the sight of the tiny furballs tumbling over one another in their earnest attempts to conquer the steps. It was a symphony of adorable chaos that left me breathless with laughter.
My phone screen lit up with a video of a prank gone wrong. A man, attempting to scare his friend, found himself falling victim to his own trap instead. I doubled over, tears all over her face, as I watched the man’s startled expression transform into a mix of shock and embarrassment. It was truly absurd that I began to cry because I was laughing so hard at the moment.
Next, a clip of a baby’s contagious laughter filled the screen. I felt my heart swell at the pure, unadulterated joy radiating from the infant. The baby’s laughter was infectious, and I found myself joining in without reservation.
With each video, I felt this weight in me slipping away, replaced by a lightness she hadn’t felt for quite a while now. Since last night, actually.
Laughter bubbled up from within me, a soothing balm to my weary soul. 1 glanced at the time, realizing she had been lost in the world of funny videos for longer than intended. But at the moment, I didn’t care. The joy I had found in those short clips was priceless, a reminder that sometimes a little laughter was all I needed to brighten my day. And shit! Where the hell was Luke?”
LUKE’S POV
I tread along the asphalt, the weight of my steps matched by the ache in my stomach. Every breath felt like a jagged edge slicing through my insides, a constant reminder of the bullet that had found its mark last night, from that worthless mother of mine. Oh crap, I shouldn’t even be calling her my mother. She was just a witch who had come back to wreck me. Apparently, she wanted me to go through intense pain.
I clutched my side, trying to hold on to the pain. I had no idea how it had worsened in just a few minutes. This had me taking my mind back to when I got shot. When I was trying to stem the flow of blood seeping through my fingers, my hands were on my stomach, but the crimson stain at that time continued to spread across my shirt like a blooming flower of death. Oh, at that moment, we messed up.
The pain was a tough one, so I think halting would be the best option, and perhaps I could head back to the hospital to get some rest. The nurse was actually right when she said I needed to stay in that place for a few days. Now I couldn’t argue, because this pain was just too much. It wasn’t this stinging when I left the hospital. I didn’t know why it had to change all of a sudden.
And while I was standing, my gaze landed on someone. Someone I was not expecting to see. It was Tiffany.
