CHAPTER 9

"Do you have a chocolate drink?" asked Lora sheepishly.

"Yes, there is. Why?"

"I want hot chocolate, Sarah. That's usually what I drink at times like this, so I can relax."

Sarah gaped. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Lora grinned. Showing white teeth. Very beautiful.

Sarah moved away from Lora's side.

"Where are you going, Sarah?"

"You said you wanted hot chocolate," Sarah replied lazily, rolling her eyes.

"Yes. Are you going to make it for me?"

"Yes. So stay still and wait here. I'll make your drink," Sarah ordered coldly.

'Why is it so cold again?' Lora thought confused.

Without knowing it, Sean giggled with amusement at Lora's confusion. 'You stupid girl'. Sean returned to preparing dishes for him and Sarah.

- *** -

Sure enough, after drinking hot chocolate from Sarah, Lora became calmer. And she's sleeping now. She was curled up on the sofa in the living room of Sean and Sarah's apartment.

'Sean,' Sarah called through her mind.

'What is wrong?' Sean answered from inside his room. He was doing homework at his desk.

'Lora fell asleep on the sofa. Can you take her to the guest room?'

'What for? We'd better just drive home, Sarah.'

'I thought like that. But, seeing her stupid face-I mean her innocent face, I couldn't bear it. Especially after she cried like that.'

Sean sighed for a moment, then walked out of his room. Moving towards the place where Sarah and Lora are.

"Are you sure?" Sean asked again, making sure.

"Sure, Sean. You see her tired face. Do you have the heart?"

Sean looked at every curve of Lora's face. He saw Lora's tired face up close. Her eye bags are swollen. The tip of her nose turned red. And there are still tears left in the corners of her eyes.

Sean sighed in resignation. He was carrying Lora's body and brought it into the guest room.

_***_

The next morning.

Lora looked around as she woke up from her sleep.

She tried to remember how she had woken up in such a strange place.

While trying to sit up, she held her head which felt heavy. Her body is limp. She remembered, she almost did something stupid yesterday afternoon, she was taken to Sarah and Sean's apartment. And she was sure, she was still in their apartment now.

With great effort, she stood about to leave the room. But only a few steps from the front door, her body collapsed. Almost. If there was no one holding her weak body, she might have fallen to the floor by now.

"Aww!" she groaned, holding her head which was getting sicker.

"What are you going to do, stupid girl?" Sean asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, Sean. I ... I just wanted ..."

"Can't you just call one of us? Why are you pushing yourself? What if something happens!" Sean interrupted Lora's explanation. Sean looks so angry with Lora.

"Sorry, Sean," replied Lora with teary eyes.

'Did I scold her too much?' Sean thought.

"I don't think you're doing well. You'd better just rest in the room," Sean replied softly, after seeing Lora's pale and scared face.

Lora nodded in resignation. Her head hurt.

Sean led Lora toward the bed slowly and patiently. Sarah indeed said, when she saw Lora's innocent face, anyone wouldn't have the heart to do evil to her.

"Sit down, I'll get you some water," Sean said after helping Lora sit up on the bed.

Lora looked at Sean in disbelief. 'Is he Sean? Why is he nice to me?'  She thought confused.

"Don't trust yourself just yet, stupid girl. I'm just sorry for you. Sarah isn't here right now. So, there's no way I can let you die silly here."

Lora was silent. 'It's okay if you just feel sorry for me, Sean. I consider it a concern'.

Sean just walked away. Exiting the room without even looking at Lora.

"You stupid girl," he muttered as he poured some water into the glass in his left hand.

"What's wrong, Sean?" asked Sarah who suddenly came from behind Sean standing.

"Where have you been?"

"I'm down the street. What's wrong?"

"I think the girl is sick," Sean explained.

Sarah put her small bag on the table in front of her.

"I'll see," she continued.

"Here. Give it to her." Sean handed the glass he had filled with water to Sarah.

"You care about her, huh?" Sarah teased.

"No, Sarah. Are you crazy? I just feel sorry for her. She was about to fall. And you? You're just getting out."

Sarah walked into the room occupied by Lora, laughing at Sean's narrative.

"Lora!" called Sarah when she saw Lora curled up on the bed. It seemed that Lora was so uncomfortable in her sleep.

No reply. Sarah immediately put the glass on the nightstand. Then sit next to Lora.

"Lora, are you okay?" Sarah asked, shaking Lora's shoulders softly.

"Yes, Sarah. I ... I'm just a little cold," Lora replied weakly.

Sarah held Lora's forehead. "Oh, God. You have a fever, Lora."

"Sean!" Sarah shouted filled Sean's senses.

"What, Sarah? Why did you have to scream like that?" said Sean irritably while meeting his beloved sister.

"Lora has a fever. Why didn't you tell me, huh?" Sarah asked irritably. She immediately covered Lora with a thicker blanket.

"How do I know, Sarah?" Sean protested.

"Ah, never mind. You better buy her medicine. Oh, yes. She hasn't eaten, has she?"

Sean shook his head.

"You get her some medicine and I'll make porridge for her to eat," Sarah instructed.

"Why me?" asked Sean with his stupid face.

"Then, who else? Lora left alone to find a cure? Or me? Do you want to take care of it if I go? Can you make porridge?" Sarah asked lazily.

"Ah, okay. I'll buy the medicine," Sean replied. "But why does she eat porridge? Porridge doesn't taste good."

"Why do you ask a lot of questions, Sean. Usually, sick people eat porridge. And I've seen when Alena was sick," Sarah explained irritably.

"All right, I'll go," Sean said goodbye before leaving.

TBC