Part 5: The Blood

“Aren’t you afraid that when everything is said and done, all you have is your words?” It was almost whisper, but it was as clear as the stars that night. The cold wind whispered with her.

“That’s why I never stop talking.” His pauses were spot-on. His answer was almost scripted.

“I’m always in doubt talking to you. I don’t know if you’re being sincere.. Everything sounds so.. nice.”

“Does that change anything about what you feel?”He asked, the heat from his body started circulating around her.

 “About you? No..” It was getting colder for her. Nevertheless she answered.

“Then that doesn’t matter. I love you, and though I say everything to everyone, those three words are for you.”

She didn’t believe him, not entirely at least. She wanted something more. Something physical, something she can see, not just some rhetoric she hears all the time being reiterated over and over again only with different words every time.

He knew she wanted exactly that.

“Is he up? Is he up? He’s not dead!” Jason heard the sound like it was uttered shouted from a mile away.

Jason parted his eyelids slowly. All he saw was the back of the headrest and the back of Johan’s head. He wondered why nobody was in front accompanying him. His wonder did not last long, he felt another person next to him in the backseat of the car and something moist pressing on the left side of his head.

“Harris? Harris! What happened?” Jason startled himself for a moment.

Jason tried to get up but was held down by the pressure of a bigger physique of Harris.

“Jason, Jason.. Don’t move.” Harris pressed harder on Jason’s head.

Johan turned back and started to explain what happened. Jason got a text from Daus who told him that the twins got into an accident trying to avoid a cat so Jason panicked and ran down the stairs, tripped, hit his head on the bottom newel post of the stairs. So basically now he’s bleeding from his head.

The boys parked and locked the car. Now they are all heading to the trauma ward of the hospital which none of them knew where it is. Johan kept pace by being in front to check for directions, Jason and Harris was not far behind. Not too far, at least.

Without any of them knowing, they stepped on a red carpet and an automatic door opened in front of them.

“Jason?” A high pitched male voice came from inside of where they were stepping in. The voice was very distinct, very irking to Jason.

It was Firdaus, Kamilla’s current boyfriend.

“Why are you here?” Firdaus sincerely inquired.

Jason held his head high and the cloth from his head just fell to the ground. He didn’t want to be the one looking down in a conversation, especially not a conversation between him and Daus.

“I thought you said the twins got into an accident?” Jason was in the dark himself.

“I never asked you to come, man. The accident was minor, just a dent on the door. Ardilla’s arm needed some attention, but that’s about it. ”

“You’ve always been such a drama queen Jason.” Ardilla’s voice came from behind. She looked fine.

It was ironic for Jason to be in a worse shape than the twins who got into an accident this early in the morning. Jason picked up the cloth and put it back on his head. He held his head down this time as he walked towards a counter with an attendee closely looking at what just happened between them.

“Yes.. We know guys. We only drove here because of his head injuries. Don’t flatter yourself.” With the closure of that sentence, Harris and Johan joined Jason at the counter.

It wasn’t the first time all three of them were at that same exact spot, only the last time they were there it was not this late at night. A few months back Harris had a mild flu and both Jason and Johan came down to the same hospital for support and a free ticket out of class. They just made the best out of the free photocopying service on campus after a few manipulations on the medical certificate courtesy of Johan’s above average graphic manipulation knowledge.

 “Well, Jason at least you’re going to get an exemption from class tomorrow..” Harris had no idea why Johan tried to console Jason.

“Funny. I have to return the wrench, remember?” Jason shrugged it off while he checks his medical card.

They took their plastic curved seats and from where they were they could see Firdaus and Ardilla heading towards the nearby cafeteria. It looked like they were done with whatever they were supposed to be doing there. The only thing peculiar to Jason was the fact that Kamilla was nowhere in sight.

Sitting directly behind Jason, Harris noticed Kamilla was approaching from the far right of the relatively lonely trauma ward waiting area. Not a word came out of his mouth.

Kamilla proceeded to sit next to Harris and she tapped Jason on the shoulders, she had to do it only once.

“I was the one who told Daus to text you.. He didn’t want to at first..” she uttered below her breath.

Kamilla had always had this generally timid demeanour, but she was never predictable. She was full of unwary surprises.

Jason looked at her with his hand holding his head. Kamilla knew what he was going to ask her.

“You know how panicky I get, I thought I was really going to die..”

“I was the first one that came to mind?” Jason spoke.

At this point, Harris and Johan walked away without any notice and left them both to talk in their tone that might as well be silence. Neither of them noticed.

“I don’t know.. yes..” Kamilla hesitated but Jason wanted to hear nothing less.

The conversation was halted. Only now Jason realised there were nobody near them be it friends, foes, or strangers. Jason only stared at Kamilla’s cheeks that glistened, polished with tears.

“Jason...” A voice from the end of the room echoed. The rest of his name was just a blur.

Jason forgot all about his head for that moment in time that is until he was called up by the nurse to enter into the inspection ward. He had nothing to say but he was sure he didn’t want to leave.

“I’ll be here.. Go ahead.” Kamilla said, obviously worried about his head.

Just when Jason left Kamilla’s sight towards the automated door that separates them from the doctors, a pungent, fruity, smell of non-alcoholic perfume whisks through the crowd immediately woke up Kamilla from an almost slumber. Kamilla panicked.