6.


    Instantly, the elevator doors sessfully opened.


    “Help me!”


    Uncle Joe shouted, and ra was quickly lifted onto the prepared stretcher. The girl was unconscious, her body drenched in sweat. They swiftly took her to the nearest hospital.


    “ra, hold on!”


    Uncle Joe, worried, walked alongside the stretcher, almost running. One of his hands wiped ra’s cheek, hoping she could be saved.


    She remained unresponsive.


    Later, the girl was brought into the ambnce.


    Uncle Joe continued to gaze at ra’s face. There was a sense of regret for not buying ra’s ice cream. If ra survived, he promised to buy her as much ice cream as she wanted.


    The watch on his wrist showed half-past seven in the evening.


    The man reached for ra’s hand. The medical personnel on the other side were busy installing an IV and providing respiratory assistance. Though very faint, ra seemed to be breathing. There was a weak pulse in her wrist.


    The ambnce arrived at the hospital.


    ra was admitted to the inpatient room, and Uncle Joe stayed by her side.


    ra’s condition was not too serious. She felt weak due to oxygen deficiency.


    Joe instructed his assistant to bring the phone he forgot to bring.


    Uncle Joe felt exhausted, but he kept his eyes open, waiting for ra, who was now sleeping.


    Shortly after, Faris arrived with his boss’s phone.


    Joe told Faris to go back and informed him that he couldn’t go to work tomorrow.


    Joe called the dormitory supervisor, informing him about the unfortunate incident with ra. After that, he returned to watch over ra, who was still asleep.


    The man observed ra’s peacefully sleeping face. Worried, suddenly ra’s expression changed as if having a nightmare. Cold sweat dampened her temples.


    “ra,” Joe called worriedly.


    He tried to wake ra by gently patting her cheek.


    The bad dream came again, the terrifying dream that haunted ra’s sleep. She dreamed of a dark ce and kept running, calling out to her parents. The horrific dream always came back.


    “ra,” Uncle Joe called with a louder voice, trying to wake her.


    ra woke up and reflexively hugged Joe tightly.


    The man reciprocated ra’s embrace, patting her back. Comforting the girl.


    “Calm down; it’s just a dream,” Joe reassured, suddenly bing close to ra. They had never embraced like this before.


    “I’m here, Uncle,” ra whimpered.


    She moved even closer and hugged Joe.


    “Calm down, I’m here!”


    “I’m scared; the terrible dream keepsing back, Uncle,” the girlined.


    Slowly, ra released her embrace on Uncle Joe. Sheid her head back on the hospital pillow. Wiping away tears that wet her cheeks.


    “Don’t cry,” Joe consoled.


    His palm wiped away the tears falling on ra’s cheeks. He empathized with the fear felt by the girl.


    ra nodded, holding back her tears.


    “Go back to sleep!” Joe instructed, adjusting the nket to cover ra’s chest. For the first time in his life, he felt ra was so pitiable. An orphan, having nothing, and relying only on him.


    raplied, falling back asleep. The girl felt peaceful; the hug from the strong arms sitting beside her truly made herfortable. It managed to erase the fear when the nightmare came.


    The man then sat down and also fell asleep, feeling exhausted. He couldn’t bear to leave the girl alone in the hospital.


    ra woke up in the middle of the night. She slowly blinked, scanning the room. It was the presidential suite of the hospital, equipped with one AC, one bed, one bathroom, a refrigerator, waiting chairs, a TV table, a wardrobe, a water dispenser, a sofa, a guest bed, a family room, and a dining table. This was the first time ra had been in such a luxurious hospital room.


    Her gaze shifted to Uncle Joe, who was asleep. Then, she began to recall the incident of being trapped in the elevator. ra breathed a sigh of relief, not expecting to still be alive.


    ra observed Uncle Joe, feeling delighted as he held her hand. She even smiled to herself in the middle of the night in that quiet room. Whatever that feeling was, ra was happy because Uncle Joe was still by her side.


    As dawn approached, ra woke up several times, always watching Uncle Joe’s hand. She smiled again when she found him still holding her hand.


    At almost six in the morning, Uncle Joe woke up. ra pretended to keep her eyes closed.


    “ra,”


    Uncle Joe called gently, stroking the back of ra’s hand, and examining her face. He was worried as she hadn’t woken up yet. It couldn’t be due to the effects of the medication.


    Joe decided to press the emergency button. Shortly after, a nurse arrived. She checked ra’s condition and said that she was normal, probably just sleeping.


    ra, who was still pretending to sleep, listened carefully to the conversation between Uncle Joe and the nurse. Eventually, she decided to open her eyes. Yes! There was no avoiding Uncle Joe because he was the only person who would take her out of the hospital.


    “Cough,”


    ra pretended to cough, slowly opening her eyes, acting as naturally as possible. She felt embarrassed remembering thest words she uttered before fainting. She identally revealed her feelings. Hopefully, Uncle Joe didn’t hear it.


    Uncle Joe, who was standing and feeling desperate, turned to find ra already awake. The man hurriedly sat back beside the girl.


    “ra,”


    Uncle Joe called her name with shining eyes and a wide smile. His heart felt relieved. He looked at ra intently.


    “Yes,”


    ra answered while rubbing her throat due to thirst.


    Joe took a ss of water from the bedside table and handed it to ra.


    ra sipped it slowly. With his right hand holding the ss, Joe used his left hand to tidy ra’s messy hair.


    “What do you feel now?” Joe asked.


    He ced the nearly empty ss on the table. Then, his eyes focused on ra once again.


    Joe fixed the front part of ra’s hair, feeling immensely grateful to hear the woman’s voice again.


    He had been extremely worried about the bad things that might have happened to ra.


    “I’m better now, Uncle. I want to go to school!” ra requested.


    “No! Today you still need to be under observation. I will call the school so you don’t have to attend today,” the man instructed.


    “Okay, Uncle,”


    ra obeyed, lying back down on the hospital bed.


    And when a nurse brought her breakfast along with medication, ra hoped Joe would feed her.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    [To be continued…]