Chapter 4

I don't know how in such a quick time Bryce immediately got in front of me and immediately caught the blow that I was supposed to get from the furious man. As far as I remember, he wasn't with Braylon when they came to us, but he was here and Braylon came before them to help me.

"Let go of me and don't interfere!" That terrifying voice of Alvin echoed throughout the place, causing Mam Elishea to feel so scared that her hands that were holding me trembled. I looked at her and it was obvious that she was very scared and that she was traumatized because of the behavior and actions of her husband.

I was just about to turn my eyes to Alvin and Bryce when suddenly Alvin pulled Mam Elishea with one of his hands and because the lady was clinging to me, I was immediately taken by surprise.

"Oh! My! Gosh! What is going on?”

"Who asked Alvin to drink again?"

"They know that's how he is when he drinks, eh."

"I did see Alvin drinking with Kevin when I passed by Jayson's house."

"Oh! My! Gosh! Why do they still invite him, eh, they know Alvin looks like being possessed by a demon when he drinks like that."

"Come on! Nurse Gia fell!”

"Gia!" Worry broke out in Dra. McKenna's voice when I heard her call me.

"Nurse Gia!" I also heard the concern in Mam Elishea's voice when she saw me fall and after my side waist easily hit the end of the table.

I couldn't help but feel the pain but I didn't make a sound. I immediately stood up before Mam Elishea even approached me while Dra. McKenna, on the other hand, could not get close due to the sudden fall of Alvin, causing our attention to go to him again.

"I don't tolerate that kind of attitude on my island." It was just that the breeze accompanied the emphasis and coldness of Bryce's words to Alvin that now the corner of his lip was bleeding.

"A-Are you all right, Nurse Gia?" My attention turned to Mam Elishea when she suddenly asked me at the same time as she squeezed my arm a little to make sure she got my attention.

I smiled bitterly at the lady. "I'm fine, Mam. I should be asking you that because that's my job."

There was a trace of shame on her face, causing her to bend down and not be able to look straight into my eyes. "I'm sorry i-if you got hurt because of my husband and because of our p-problem..."

I smiled bitterly and then gently squeezed the lady's hand to convey to her that she should not worry. "I wanted to intervene because there is a law that no one should hurt a woman even if they say you are married."

I didn't hear her answer but I saw her nod saying that what I said was right as her tears started to fall again. I was helping her to walk to the nearest seat but while walking I immediately felt pain in my side. Looks like it will bruise.

"You shouldn't have interrupted.." Even though he was drunk, Alvin still managed to say while pointing at Bryce when I looked at them again. It was just a whisper but because of the silence caused by everyone's surprise, I heard it.

"I don't want even a little blood to be spilled on my island from someone like him. Treat him and make sure that I won't see that face scattered on my island again." Bryce ordered coldly and emphatically again causing the people to immediately move after a few seconds of shock.

"Mam Elishea, come with us there first so we can treat your wounds." A male nurse asked Mam to go to the tent sent by Grandma Briella, where I would have taken her earlier if her husband had not come and made such a scene.

Even though Mam Elishea was weak, she tried to stand up, but before they could take a step, another nurse came and brought a wheelchair, so we immediately helped the lady to sit there and take her to the tent.

"You, Nurse Gia? Are you all right?" My attention turned to Nurse Ishi when she suddenly asked me because she must have noticed my grip on my side that was too easy earlier.

I smiled at her. "I'm fine, Nurse Ishi. I'll take care of myself."

She only nodded and then went after the other nurse that's taking care of Mam Elishea. I winced when I felt the pain in my side but immediately lost my attention when I felt the familiar eyes watching me again. I just sighed because I know the owner of those eyes again.

"Gia!" I turned to the place where that familiar voice of Dra. McKenna. She was about to approach me at that time when suddenly a nurse stopped her and it was obvious that what the nurse had to say was important so she immediately stopped and looked at it. She can't postpone that so I saw with concern when she turned to me again and our eyes met.

I looked away and started to turn away from her. "Gia!" I heard her calling again but she can't postpone her work because she was there to help the people here I understand that because that's what I came here for and I can heal my wound by myself as well. If only when I was younger I would have cried and passed out just so she would notice me but now it's different. I don't need her to put me first because even I understand that the profession we chose is the sacrifice of time for our own family. It's just that she seems to have gotten used to it so much that the day came when she completely forgot about me. She is the same as Daddy.

"Nurse Gia." I stopped walking and immediately looked up from my crouching because of deep thought and then five young people who were probably still in high school appeared at me.

"Why? Are you going to have someone check-up?” I asked and then they smiled although that also ended up in a grimace due to the sudden pain in my side again. I only held on to it because somehow it lessened the pain that seemed to be noticed by those in front of me and they looked at it at the same time.

"We saw your downfall earlier," said a man who was the tallest among them. “Oh. I'm Joseph, by the way," he introduced himself when he realized he hadn't introduced himself yet.

"I'm James. Joseph and I are brothers." The guy who's the next one that's tall among them said. "Are you all right? - Ouch!”

James turned a bad look at the woman on his right side when she suddenly shot him. I couldn't help but laugh because of that. "You saw Nurse Gia fall earlier and you even managed to ask if she was okay. Isn't it obvious that she's not okay?” The girl's blunt said to him caused James to scratch the back of his neck. "A-Ah, I'm Lyra, Nurse Gia," she introduced as her attention turned to me again.

"Your side will have a bruise based on the impact of your fall earlier." I turned to another woman who was next to Joseph on his left side. She carefully observed me clinging to my side causing me to smile because she was so observant. When she felt that I was looking at her, she immediately looked up at me and was embarrassed because of the sudden reddening of her face. "I-I'm R-Roseanne."

"I'm Ayesha!" The five of us looked at the other woman with us who was happy because of the tone of her voice. "Our house is close to here and you can stay there so you can see the situation on your side," she said and because I also want to see what was the case on my side, I nodded, and then she led the way.

Their house is not that big and it's made of wood but I'm not very sensitive about places because honestly I also prefer this simple house. After all, when it's too big I might not see the people living with me so often. We might have a sudden play of hide and seek because of how big the house is.

"The bathroom is here, Nurse Gia." Ayesha gave me directions when we entered their house.

I smiled at her. "Thank you, Ayesha."

She nodded in response and then walked away. When I entered the bathroom, there was a mirror on the side that wasn't that big but it was enough for me to see half of my body. I closed the door and then properly faced the mirror and lifted my uniform and Roseanne was right because it was bruised.

"Nurse Gia?" I immediately turned to the door when I heard Roseanne's voice from the other side of it.

I fix my top uniform and then opened the door. "Here it is." I looked when Roseanne showed me a small tube and based on what I looked at it was some kind of ointment that was obviously from another country because of the writing on it that I couldn't understand. "It's an ointment that my father brought home from there to my aunt on the other island who had just returned from abroad. She gave it to Dad because my youngest brother always gets bruises because of being naughty. That's effective." She said and then smiled at me.

"Thank you, Roseanne." I thanked her and then smiled back.

"All right. We'll just wait for you in the living room." She said and then turned her back on me and walked away.

I closed the door again and then looked again at my bruise. I didn't have any injuries, but it was a pretty big bruise. I just opened the ointment Roseanne gave me and then rubbed it on my bruise.

"Nurse Gia is still in the bathroom." I turned to the door when I heard James' voice.

"Where's the bathroom?"

My forehead furrowed when I heard that familiar voice. I immediately fix my clothes and then closed the tube. I looked at my face in the mirror and saw my sweat so I immediately took my handkerchief from my pocket and then wiped it before facing the door and opening it.

"What a knocking horse!" I automatically clutched my chest in shock when I saw Bryce about to knock on the bathroom door but I opened it before he could. Because of what I said, I heard James laughing not far from Bryce. I looked at them and all five gave me the peace sign together and then ran back to the living room.

"Tss." I turned to Bryce again and the annoyance on his face was obvious because of the furrowed brow and meeting of his two eyebrows.

"W-What are you d-doing here?" I couldn't help but bite my bottom lip because of my stuttering. What the hell are you stuttering, Gia?! Pull yourself together!

"W-What are you doing? W-Why are you a-approaching?” I automatically took a step back when Bryce suddenly walked towards me. I didn't take my eyes off him to see how his brow furrowed even more and the seriousness in his eyes was obvious.

I swallowed because he didn't even answer. I don't know if there is a heater in the bathroom because the heat I felt earlier when I was alone here seems to have doubled. The bathroom has a small space, so I only took a few steps when I felt the wall behind me causing me to swallow again.

"Ah!" I couldn't help but scream when Bryce suddenly pulled the hem of my top uniform and with the force he used it caused me to bump into his hard chest.

Wait. What?! Tough?! Do you need to describe his chest like that, Gia Blythe?! Damn!

I immediately distanced myself from him but it wasn't that far either because I immediately froze in my position when I felt him gently raise the hem of my top. "W-What the h-hell are you t-trying to do?!" It's hard for me to breathe because of the closeness of the two of us and I blurted out.

But like before I didn't hear him answer. I couldn't look at him and just fixed my eyes on the wall on the side and there I saw the reflection of the two of us in the mirror. I saw how his face looked blankly at my bruise. I couldn't read what he was thinking because there was no reaction on his face. I don't know how long I stood there holding my breath when Bryce finally left without even saying anything.

"Yeah. It turns out that Nurse Gia has a love life.” I heard Ayesha's statement and then giggled.

"Yes. Gosh! They're a match! Sir Bryce is handsome and Nurse Gia is beautiful." Lyra agreed that the thrill she felt was evident in her voice.

"Stop it. They're not t-things.” Joseph.

"Oh no. Since you like Nurse Gia that's why you're like that. Hmmm!” Ayesha was teasing him. "You have no hope for Nurse Gia. Roseanne is there, so you'll be with her because she also plans to become a nurse."

"Be quiet." Suddenly, the five fell silent because James rebuked them.

I sighed and then walked out. I met them and the smiles greeted by Lyra and Ayesha while Joseph was obviously annoyed and embarrassed and James and Roseanne just smiled at me.

I can feel the awkwardness because of the opinions I heard and I just can't figure out anything about Bryce's sudden actions. What the hell is he doing? It's so hard to read! That punk! Argh!