5 - Saved

HIRAYA ALMENDRAL

I struggled to get out of bed the next morning. My body felt heavy and achy, but despite my discomfort, I managed to stand up and prepare for my shift.

"You sure you want to go? You look terrible, Hira," Mira asked with concern.

"You should stay put, Hira. You might get worse. It's a hospital; there are a lot of sick people there," Aya insisted.

"Yeah, you should just stay here. We'll bring you some food before lunch," Nadine added.

I shook my head. I felt that lying in bed would only make me feel worse.

"I'm fine, guys. I'll just take my medicine," I said with a smile, and headed into the bathroom. Fortunately, the dorm had a hot shower, which made me feel a bit better.

"Why so hardheaded, Hira?" Nadine said with frustration. I flashed her a grin and quickly put on my uniform.

We were already inside the hospital, ready to start our shift, but I wasn’t sure where to report. Nurse Mel had only told me to report to Doc Yasmir, so here I was, standing in front of his office door, knocking several times without a response.

Had he left? Or was he on a day off? Or was it just not his shift yet?

I was about to leave when I heard a deep, baritone voice behind me.

"Why are you here, Miss Hira?" he asked, causing me to turn around. His hair was tousled, as if he had just showered, and his necktie was disheveled. He looked like he hadn’t slept well.

He had a puzzled look on his face, wondering why I was there.

"To report, Doc. I need to start my duty," I replied. He nodded and opened the door, and I walked into his office, following him.

It still struck me that this man was the owner of the hospital.

Yasmir Sierra

President of Sierra Medical Group

At such a young age, he was already the president. And he's a doctor too? Impressive. It must be easier when you come from a wealthy family; you don’t have to struggle for high positions.

"Since you went home early yesterday, I haven’t had the chance to tell you what you need to do when assisting me," he said, placing his bag on the table and sitting down in his swivel chair, turning on his computer.

"But are you sure you're feeling okay now?" He glanced at me with concern evident in his eyes.

"Yes, Doc," I answered, meeting his gaze briefly before he returned to his computer.

I noticed he had brought coffee. Did he buy it himself?

"You don't need to be with me all the time. You were assigned to the private ward, weren't you?" he asked, still not looking at me.

But before I could respond, I sneezed again. Damn it.

When I looked up, he was staring at me disapprovingly, making me swallow hard.

He's intimidating when he's angry. Annoying when he's smiling. And incredibly attractive when he's serious. Damn, how many personalities does this guy have? Can’t he just stick to being serious?

"You're still sick, Miss Hira," he said angrily.

"Doc, I’m really fine. I can work and—"

"Yes, I understand that. But you're in the hospital, Miss Hira. A place where many sick people are. Your immune system is already weakened, making you more susceptible to catching illnesses. Are you really a nurse?" he said, his anger evident. I clenched my fists at his questioning of my professionalism.

"Yes, I am," I said seriously.

"You should have known better if you're a nurse, Miss Hira," he continued, his eyes fixed on the folders that needed his signature. "Leave and take a rest. I don't want to see you roaming around the hospital," he added coldly.

Argh! I don’t understand him! Yesterday, he was playful and teasing. And now, he's grumpy and angry?

"But Doc—" I began, but he looked at me with a stern expression.

"No buts, Miss Hira. Leave and take a rest," he insisted firmly. As I was about to leave, he spoke again.

"Did you eat the food I gave you yesterday?"

I sighed deeply before looking back at him, feeling bored.

"No," I replied curtly. "But anyway, thanks for the meal." I was about to turn away when he asked another question.

He rested his chin on his clasped hands, glaring at me with an intense, almost predatory look. His anger was palpable, and I couldn’t figure out what his problem was.

"Why?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Despite how attractive he looked at that moment, my irritation only grew with his behavior.

"Because I'm not a goat, Doc," I said, my tone clearly expressing my frustration. He looked at me with a puzzled frown, as if he didn’t understand.

"I'm not vegetarian, Doc," I clarified, my impatience getting the better of me. His lack of understanding was starting to drive me crazy. Argh!

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I needed to keep a good reputation, and I couldn’t let my frustration get in the way.

I stared at him with a mixture of anger and exasperation. Was he in a bad mood this morning? Why was he taking it out on me?

Before I could say anything else, I sneezed again. A sudden chill washed over me. I had been feeling it ever since I entered his office, likely from the cold aura he seemed to exude!

"Doc, if you don’t have anything else to say, I’m going to head to the private ward. Don’t worry, I can handle myself. Just call me if you need me." I quickly left his office, not wanting to give him the chance to insist further that I go home.

I walked briskly down the hallway, feeling a mix of relief and lingering frustration. Why did dealing with him have to be so complicated?

I headed to the locker room to freshen up and take my medicine. I grabbed a handkerchief, a mask, and decided to take the vacuum bottle that Doc Yasmir had given me yesterday. Since it was a gift, I figured I might as well keep it.

Before going to the private ward, I stopped by the pantry to get some warm water. As I entered, I saw a male nurse organizing medications for the patients.

"Good morning," I greeted him softly. He looked up, offering a friendly smile.

"Are you Miss Hira?" he asked.

I nodded in response.

"Doc Yasmir just called and asked me to inform you that you need to go home," he said, his smile lingering as he returned to his task of arranging the medications.

"Are you related to him?" he inquired without looking up.

"No, sir. Just a temporary assistant, I suppose?" I answered, unsure of my exact role. He chuckled lightly.

"That explains it," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. I frowned, puzzled by his comment.

"Anyways, Miss Hira," he continued, finally turning his gaze toward me, "You look quite unwell. We're not allowed to work when we're sick. It’s to prevent spreading our illness to the patients or catching something from them."

"So, I’m sorry, but you need to leave now. We don’t want you to get any sicker. And no objections," he added, his tone firm but kind.

Just then, a female nurse arrived and gave me a disgruntled look before taking the medications that Nurse Liam had prepared.

I sighed, feeling both frustrated and resigned. Despite my best intentions, it seemed like I was going to be sent home. As I turned to leave, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of disappointment and annoyance. Why was everything so complicated? I just wanted to prove myself, but it seemed like I kept hitting obstacles.

"Go now, Miss Hira. Once you’re fully healed, I’ll be the one in charge of you here," he said, still smiling.

He was so kind and handsome. Why was it that everyone working in this hospital seemed so good-looking? I let out a sigh as I slumped my shoulders and took the elevator down. The private room was on the fifth floor, and as I rode the elevator, I tried to suppress a sneeze that had been building up.

They were right—I shouldn’t have come here. My condition was only worsening.

When the elevator doors opened on the second floor, I saw the serious doctor again, carrying a paper bag. He looked at me with a stern expression, though his anger seemed to have faded. His aura was still intense, though.

"Here, no veggies. Pork and chicken. Hot citrus tea is also included with the medicines. Take that every four hours, and please, report to me from time to time," he instructed, his voice gentle yet firm.

My heart began to race. What was happening? Was I getting flustered by his small gestures? No, I couldn’t let myself fall for him. I had accepted the dare, and I couldn’t let my emotions interfere.

I averted my gaze, not reaching for the paper bag. The elevator dinged, and the doors started to close, but his foot was still blocking them.

"Don’t be so stubborn, Hira. If you keep acting like this, you won’t have a future in this profession," he said, his voice carrying a note of restrained frustration. I frowned at his words.

I was about to respond when I sneezed again and felt the cold in my mask. I removed it and used a handkerchief to wipe my nose.

"Time is running out, Miss Hira. Take this and eat on time," he said, placing the paper bag in my hand before walking away.

What’s his deal? Why is he so heated? I flopped onto the bed after placing the paper bag on the table, not even bothering to open it. I felt my heavy eyelids close as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up feeling hungry. But when I opened my eyes, darkness greeted me. I looked out the window and saw that it was already evening. Were the others still not back, or had they gone out again?

My condition was still heavy, but I got up to turn on the light. I noticed the paper bag from Doc Yasmir and walked over to it.

There was quite a lot of food inside. Most of it was either in a soup or covered in sauce. I opened a few containers and saw that the food seemed to be still good, even though it had been given to me around six in the evening. I checked the time and realized it was almost seven.

I sat down at the table and began to eat, grateful for the thoughtfulness despite the frustration I felt.

I picked out the fried pork and chicken from the paper bag, and I packed the spoiled food in a plastic bag to throw it out. I bent down to open the door, feeling a sharp pang. I was startled to find two black leather shoes right in front of me. Looking up, I was surprised to see Doc Yasmir standing outside our dorm, his expression unreadable.

I quickly closed the door and glanced around the room. There were bras and panties hanging around, so I hurriedly tidied them up and stuffed them under Mira’s bed. Why was he here?

I composed myself and opened the door again, putting on a forced smile as I faced Doc Yasmir. His expression was stern, likely due to the abrupt closing of the door. He was holding another paper bag.

“What brings you here, Doc?” I asked nervously. He glanced at my outfit, and I looked down to see that I was still in my uniform.

“You didn’t change?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. I scratched the back of my neck, realizing I hadn’t thought of changing. Why was I so nervous around him? He was just a doctor at the hospital where I was interning, so why was he acting like this was a personal matter?

“What are you doing here, Doc?” I asked again, trying to change the subject.

“Did you just wake up? Haven’t you taken your meds? How about the tea? Didn’t you eat? What time is it?” He fired off questions rapidly, making me feel a bit dizzy.

He really was acting like a boyfriend. I smiled as I thought of Klaude. He used to be just like this when I was sick. Damn, I missed him. If he hadn’t flirted with Imori, maybe there was still a chance I would accept him back. I loved him so much that even if he cheated on me multiple times, I would have taken him back. How foolish was that?

“Hello, back to Earth, Miss Hira!” Doc Yasmir’s stern voice brought me back to reality. He was visibly angry now, his face reddening.

“You’re not answering my questions,” he said with irritation.

I smirked at his frustration, which only made him angrier.

“You’re not answering my question either, Doc,” I retorted. He sighed in exasperation. Oh, how cute he looked when he was annoyed.

“Why do you keep calling me cute?” I mentally chided myself. Where did that come from?

“I’m here because I’m worried,” he said, his tone softening as he looked away from me.

Worried? Maybe because he’s the one who made me sick?

“You don’t need to worry, Doc. As I said, I’m fine,” I replied calmly.

“Here, your dinner,” he said, handing me the paper bag with a defeated tone. He still wouldn’t look at me.

“What, you’ve been standing here in front of our door for a while?” I asked, still puzzled.

“Does it matter?” he responded, keeping his gaze elsewhere. I reached out and took the paper bag from him, noting that he had no intention of lowering his arm.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the bag. As I closed the door behind me, I couldn’t help but wonder why he was so intent on taking care of me.

When I finally took the paper bag from Doc Yasmir, he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“You can leave now, Doc. As you can see, I’m—” I started, but he turned to face me with a glare.

“Are you really not going to let me in? I’ve been waiting here for three hours.” My jaw dropped at his words. Three hours?

“You could just leave—”

“How could I do that? I’m worried about you. If you don’t want me to worry, you need to update me, no matter what!” His voice was firm but restrained. I raised an eyebrow. Why was he acting like this? Did he have feelings for me?

“Do you like me, Doc?” I asked, surprising him and causing him to look away with a muttered curse.

He looked back at me, his expression softening.

“No, I’m just worried because I’m the reason you’re sick,” he said quietly, but clearly enough for me to hear.

I sighed deeply and widened the door to let him in. It was clear he wouldn’t leave until he saw me eating, probably blaming himself for my illness.

I remembered the trash that needed to be thrown out. I placed the paper bag on the table and disposed of the trash downstairs.

As I was about to head upstairs, I saw Klaude standing at the open gate of the dormitory. He was hands in pockets, looking dejected. He walked towards me and embraced me tightly.

“Hira, please come back to me,” he said, his voice trembling.

I stood frozen, feeling tears well up at the corners of my eyes. I wanted to embrace him back, but I couldn’t. I was still hurt and angry about his infidelity.

But how could I stay angry when I loved him so much?

“Klaude,” I called softly, but he only tightened his hold.

“Please, Hira. Come back to me. I can’t bear to lose you. I-I promise I’ll change. Please, give me another chance, baby.” He practically begged, almost kneeling before me.

I shut my eyes tightly and with all my strength, I pushed him away. But to my shock, he kissed me.

At first, it was a passionate kiss, like the ones he used to give me. But it quickly turned aggressive.

I pushed him, but I didn’t have the strength. I felt my knees trembling, my whole body shaking. Tears streamed down my face.

What happened to you, Klaude? Where is the sweet, kind, and thoughtful Klaude I knew for the past four years? Where is the Klaude I fell in love with?

His hand touched my face, and I couldn’t help but sob uncontrollably.

Please, someone help me.

“Klaude, stop!” I cried out weakly as his kisses traveled down my neck.

Klaude’s nails dug into my skin, causing me pain. It seemed like he misinterpreted my distress, thinking it was pleasure.

I let out a scream when suddenly, Klaude fell to the floor. The entire incident happened so quickly that I didn’t fully comprehend what had just occurred.

“Are you okay, Hira? Fuck,” Doc Yasmir’s voice was filled with concern as he gently held my shoulders. My gaze shifted from the motionless Klaude to Doc Yasmir, his face etched with worry. It was reassuring to feel his hands on me, knowing I was safe.

My vision began to blur as my consciousness slipped away. The last thing I heard was Yasmir’s curse before everything went dark.