The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender oil, a strange combination that couldn't quite hide the heaviness hanging in the air. The saline bottle beside the bed made a soft, rhythmic drip… drip…, echoing through the quiet.
Alina lay there, her skin pale against the white bedsheet, her lashes fluttering slightly as though her dreams were tangled with memories. The sedative had finally pulled her into a deep sleep, the first in four long, sleepless nights.
The doctor, a woman in her forties with calm eyes and tired hands, was adjusting the IV tube, adding another dose of medicine into the saline bottle. She was careful, gentle, the kind of gentleness that only comes from witnessing too many broken people. That's when she heard it. A faint sound. Barely a whisper.
"Home…"
The doctor paused, her fingers stilling. Then again, softer this time, trembling as though the word itself was fragile.
"Home…"
Just one word, repeated over and over. The doctor turned toward the bed. Alina was still asleep, her brows furrowed slightly, tears gathering at the corners of her closed eyes. The sedative had calmed her body, but not her heart.
Maya, who sat near the bed, holding Alina's hand, looked up when the doctor spoke.
"Home?" the doctor asked gently, her voice soft but curious.
Maya blinked, her throat tightening. "She might be… missing her home," she whispered, brushing Alina's hair away from her face. "She's been through a lot."
The doctor nodded thoughtfully, then glanced back at Alina before saying, "Then why don't you take her there?"
Maya looked startled. "But…" she tried to say, the worry obvious in her tone.
The doctor gave a small, understanding smile. "If she feels more comfortable there, it might help her recover faster. Sometimes the heart heals better in familiar walls."
She adjusted her stethoscope, scribbled a few notes on her pad, and added softly, "It's my opinion as a doctor… the rest is your choice."
And with that, she turned and quietly walked out, leaving Maya staring at the door, lost between fear and guilt. The word home still echoed in the room, trembling through the silence like a plea that refused to fade.
Maya looked at Alina again, her friend's fragile fingers curled weakly against the blanket, her lips still moving faintly as though whispering to someone only she could see.
"Home…"
Maya's heart clenched painfully seeing Alina in this situation. Tears filled Maya's eyes as she pressed Alina's hand gently. "You'll go home soon, I promise," she whispered, her voice shaking.
Outside, Kai stood near the doorway, his head slightly lowered, his cap shadowing his face. He could hear her faint voice through the door, those two small words that shattered him quietly. Home…
Every syllable struck him like a heartbeat too heavy to bear. He took a breath, his jaw tightening beneath the mask, and turned slightly away, pretending to check his phone just to steady himself. But deep down, something inside him broke a little.
Her voice cracked, frail and trembling, but she repeated it, over and over, her tone lost between sleep and consciousness.
"I want to go home… home… home…"
Maya, sitting beside her, lifted her head immediately. Her heart squeezed at the sound. "Alina?" she whispered, leaning closer.
Alina's eyes opened halfway, clouded with confusion. Her gaze darted across the room, searching as if she expected someone to be standing there. Her breathing grew uneven, her eyes moving restlessly.
She looked at the door. But there was no one there. The spot where he had stood that tall figure in a hat and mask was empty now. No shadow, no trace. Just the quiet hum of the air-conditioner and the faint smell of antiseptic.
Her heart sank. Had she imagined it? Was Kai ever really there? Or was it just a dream her exhausted mind created, something her heart wished to see so badly that it painted him into her fading consciousness?
Her fingers curled weakly against the blanket, as if trying to grasp the fading image of him in her memory. His eyes. That quiet way he'd looked at her. The warmth of his arms around her just before everything went dark. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe he was never there.
Maya noticed her movement and reached forward quickly, gently brushing Alina's forehead. "Alina? Can you hear me?"
Alina blinked and turned her head slowly toward the voice. It took her a few seconds to recognize the familiar face, the same friend who had been her strength in so many storms.
"Maya…" she whispered, her lips trembling.
Maya's breath caught. "I'm here, I'm here," she said quickly, holding her friend's hand. "Don't move too much, okay?"
Alina blinked. Her eyes glistened with tears that hadn't yet fallen. The memories of the past few days flickered behind them: hospital lights, her mother's weak smile, the final breath that left her mother's lips, the unbearable quiet afterward.
And then the realization hit her again like a cruel wave. Her mother was gone.
"Maya…" Alina whispered again, her voice trembling. "I want to go home."
Her words cracked, breaking the last thread of control Maya had been holding onto. She leaned forward, pulling Alina into a gentle hug, her tears falling freely.
"Alina… you can't, not now. You're too weak. Please, just rest. I'll take you home when you're better, I promise."
But Alina shook her head slowly, her eyes empty and faraway. ''I want to go back…" she said faintly.
Maya pressed her forehead against Alina's, sobbing silently. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry. I should've been there. You shouldn't have gone through this alone."
Her voice broke completely. "I wasn't with you when you needed me the most. I failed you, Alina. I wasn't a good friend."
Alina's hand slowly lifted, trembling, weak, and rested on Maya's arm. "You're here now," she whispered. "That's all that matters…"
And just like that, they both broke down two best friends clinging to each other, one drowning in grief, the other in guilt. Their tears mixed on each other's shoulders.
After an hour, the doctor arrived, Maya stepped aside as she examined Alina carefully, checking her pulse, her temperature, her heartbeat.
"She's stable," the doctor said softly, scribbling something on the pad. "But she's weak from stress and lack of food. She needs rest, proper meals, and emotional support. Give her warm, light food soups, porridge, anything soft. And she must not skip her medicine."
Maya nodded quickly, absorbing every word. When the doctor left, Maya realized that the house had fallen silent again. She turned to look for Ryan, but he wasn't there. Kai, too, was gone. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.
"Did they… leave?" Maya whispered to herself, glancing at the half-open door.
Later that evening, the sun dipped low beyond the window, its soft golden light spilling into the room. Maya sat on the edge of the bed, a plate of warm food in her hands.
"Come on, Alina," she coaxed gently, scooping a spoonful toward her. "You need to eat. Just a few bites."
Alina turned her face away weakly. "I don't want to…"
"Please," Maya said, her voice trembling a little. "For me?"
Alina hesitated, then finally opened her mouth and took the bite. The moment the food touched her tongue, she froze. It tasted familiar. Soft, flavorful, comforting, like something she'd eaten before. Her eyes lifted slowly toward Maya.
"Where did you get this?" she asked quietly.
"Oh, that?" Maya said quickly, trying to sound casual. "It was already here… Ryan's friends made it. He's really good at cooking, apparently that's what Ryan said to me."
Alina frowned faintly, a flicker of realization crossing her face. For a split second, she thought she knew who had cooked it, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
No. It couldn't be him. Why would He be here?
She took another spoonful quietly, letting the warmth of the food calm the ache in her chest. After dinner, Maya sat by her side, watching her fall asleep. The exhaustion on Alina's face broke her heart.
When Alina's breathing steadied, Maya whispered, "You've been through too much, but you're not alone anymore."
A few hours later, Alina woke again, slightly disoriented. The saline bottle was nearly empty, the room dim. Maya was folding clothes and packing a small bag.
"Maya?" Alina murmured.
"Hey," Maya said, smiling softly. "You're awake. I was just getting things ready. We're moving out of here."
"Moving out?" Alina frowned weakly. "Where?"
"To my apartment," Maya replied firmly. "You're not staying here alone."
Alina's brows furrowed. "But… I want to go home."
Maya put the bag down and turned to her. "Alina, look at me." Her voice was gentle but firm. "You're weak. You've barely eaten or slept. You can't be alone right now, okay? I can't let you stay here."
"But..."
"No buts," Maya interrupted softly, sitting down beside her. "You've always taken care of everyone else. Just this once, let someone take care of you."
Alina's eyes welled again. "But....home…"
"I know," Maya said, holding her hand. "And I promise, I'll send you to your home, but right now, you need someone. You need people around you. Please, Alina… don't fight me on this."
Outside, as they prepared to leave, Maya called out, "Ryan?"
No response. She glanced around the quiet street. "Where the hell did this guy go?" she muttered under her breath. "When I actually need him, he disappears into thin air." She sighed and shook her head, helping Alina into the car.
''Ryan came here?" Alina asked softly, leaning against the seat.
"Yeah," Maya said. "He was the one who picked me up from the airport."
They drove toward Maya's apartment as the night fell, the city lights glowing like scattered stars. Alina kept looking out the window, lost in thought. Every shadow on the road, every passing figure, reminded her of him. Kai. She pressed her lips together, forcing herself to look away.