Chapter 5: More Cast From The Past

"Hey, where am I?  Why is it dark here?  Am I dead?" Cela asked herself.  "Oh, no, no, no…it can't be.  I can't be dead.  I still have so much things to do that I haven't even started yet," she continued talking to herself in the dark.

Hyun nervously waits outside the emergency room.  He just called Ivy and asked her to rush to the hospital. 

"Hyun?" Somebody called him but the voice is not familiar.  He turned around and saw Nate.

"I followed you here as soon as I learned about what happened," Nate explained.  "Where is she? Who's with you?" he asked.

Hyun could not answer immediately.  He is still shocked and confused at what happened.

Another voice called him.  This time, it's Ivy. 

"Nate?" Ivy asked.  She too knew Nate from high school.  She's just not sure why he's here.

"Ivy?  You're here too?" Nate asked. 

"Let's talk about that later. Anyway, Hyun, please tell me what happened," Ivy asked. 

Hyun was about to answer when Rolan came rushing.  He looks very concerned but is trying to remain calm.  Nanny Rita walks behind him.

"Are you Cela's colleague? Were you with her earlier today?" Rolan asked. 

Ivy immediately looked away. She's trying not to be noticed by Rolan though it's impossible.

"Ivy? Nate?" Rolan asked after recognizing the two.  It's one of his better skills – face and name recall, which he uses to his advantage as an insurance agent.

Nanny Rita is surprised too. She's the oldest among them but her sharpness can never be underestimated.  She knows a lot. "Are you having some kind of a reunion here?  Why are you all here and where is my girl?" she asked.

The doctors are carefully monitoring Cela's condition because although her all her vital signs are stable, she is not waking up.  According to the report, her car only suffered light bump but she probably bumped her head hard because she's not wearing seatbelt.

"Where is everybody?  There's no one here.  If I were dead, I would have seen Mom.  But no, it can't be. I am still alive." Cela continues to calm herself.  She can only hear some beeps and nothing else.  "Wait, am I blind?" she asked herself again.  "Please, I still have many stories to write."

Suddenly, she hears the door open. "Am I inside a room but where is it?" Cela begins to panic. Her hands are shaking until she feels someone hold them.  The touch is unfamiliar but she is comforted by it.

"Cela, Cela," Nate called her name.  "Cela, it's Nate.  Please come back," he said.

"Nate?" Suddenly, Cela opened her eyes and everything is clear again.  There's that bright smile she's always known and longed to see again for so long. If she were dead, it's reviving her to life. 

How does one wonderful moment unfolds? Cela doesn't want to know.  She just wants to feel every second of it.

Finally, his hand are touching her hands. God knows how long she waited for it.  Back then, she was settled for his bright smile and their cute conversations that she kept only in her mind because she knew that if she wrote them down or told someone about them, things would turn out wrong. And yes, things went wrong but they are all behind them now. There is no need to think about the past.  There is no doubt that she's willing to start all over again with him. And this is certainly the moment.

She hugs him tightly like compensating for lost times.  "I will not run away again.  I promise," Cela said.  "We'll write our brand new story."

"Yes, dear," said the person she's hugging.  The embrace is comforting but she feels something's not right.  She finally and truly opened her eyes and all her senses are working now.  She realized that she's actually hugging her Nanny Rita and not Nate.

"Thank goodness, you are back!" Nanny Rita could not contain her happiness.  Rolan is also inside the room and is very much relieved. Ivy and Hyun wait outside.

"How are you feeling? Are you thirsty, hungry?" Nanny Rita asked.

Cela seems to not hear anything. "Where's Nate?" she asked.

Rolan and Nanny Rita glanced at each other. 

"Nate left already," Rolan said. 

"He left? But he was here, right? In this room?" Cela asked. She is so confused.

"Yes, he was here. You knew?" Nanny Rita said calmly.

"Did you ask him to leave?" Cela asked Rolan.

"Of course not.  He was even the one who called the nurse when you were starting to wake up…"

"Everyone, I need a moment with the patient.  Please wait outside.  Rolan, you may stay," Doc Rio said interrupting Rolan while he was explaining.

Cela looks so exhausted but she's fine.

"She will stay here overnight for further monitoring.  We want to make sure she's okay before we can  discharge her tomorrow morning," Doc Rio advised.

"Thanks, Doc," Rolan said.

"Rolan, can you call Hyun, please?  Is he still outside?" Cela asked her brother.

Hyun came in.  He's now relieved to see Cela awake.

"I know I've been a lot of trouble to you these past few days but can you please come here tomorrow and accompany me to see him?" Cela asked Hyun in a low voice. 

Rolan watches them from near the door. He took the opportunity to talk to Hyun briefly as he walks him out of the room. 

"Hyun, right?" he asked first. 

Hyun nodded. 

"Please let me know what she's up to.  What does she want to do next?" he asked.

Hyun breathed deep. "Sir, she wants to go back to the gallery tomorrow," he replied.

"To meet Nate?" asked Rolan.

Hyun nodded. "Sir, can we let her do it?" he asked.

"Of course. I will drive you there tomorrow," Rolan agreed.

"No, Sir.  Just allow her to go there with me.  I don't think she likes to be accompanied by anyone besides me and I worry it will cause her something if you insist," Hyun explained.

Rolan thought about it for a moment.  "I understand.  But can you please update me at least?  Here's my card," Rolan asked.

Meanwhile, Nanny Rita and Ivy are engaged in what seems to be a heartfelt conversation near the nurses' station.  Rolan is hesitant to approach them but he wants to thank Ivy too.

Ivy already noticed Rolan approaching so she suddenly cut the conversation with Nanny Rita.

"Ivy, please wait," Rolan asked as he saw her leaving with Hyun.

Ivy stopped and asked Hyun to go ahead. She turned around to Rolan with a serious face. "Yes," she said.

Rolan looks at Ivy. His eyes cannot hide the joy of seeing her again. "I just want to thank you for contacting us about my sister," he said.

Ivy tries to keep her guards up. "It's okay.  I called Nanny Rita because she's the person your sister named as the person to call for emergency," she said emphasizing that it was Nanny Rita she called.

"Thanks again," Rolan said. He is lost for word and this does not happen to someone whose profession requires a lot of talking.

"I just did what I had to do.  Besides, she works in my company," Ivy said.

"I was really surprised when Nanny Rita told me. I had no idea that you're working together," Rolan said.

"Bye again, Nanny Rita." Ivy completely ignored him and walks away.

"Just let her be," Nanny Rita said to Rolan to lighten his feelings. 

"Yeah.  For now, let's just think about Cela.  I am happy that she's awake and she can go home tomorrow," Rolan said.

"Now, she's really sleeping. I heard there's a new book coming up so she really has to rest and recharge.  Your sister is as busy as you are but I am so happy that both of you are doing well," Nanny Rita said.

The two smile.

"It's such a wonderful day, isn't it?" Nanny Rita asked. 

"Yes. It's ending well," Rolan said.

"Let's have pizza delivered here. Let's treat everyone," Nanny Rita suggested.

"Now that you said that, I feel hungry.  I am starving," Rolan agreed.

"And I think you are happy," Nanny Rita teased him.