She woke up to a sterile drop of fluid seeping into her hand through her innocent vein. She looked around; the whole room, which was painted white, spun. The smell of disinfectant wafted through her nose as she made to sit up.
"Let me help you," her mother's voice ran through her head as she slipped her arm behind Kaira and helped her sit up.
At that moment, the door creaked and the doctor came in. Even though she was extremely weak, she could still see the doctor clearly. He was a young man in his late twenties,of average height. His stethoscope was dangling around his neck freely.
"How are you, Kaira?"
"I'm good, sir," Kaira replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Thank you so much, doctor," Kaira's mum said, still holding her hands.
"Madam, this girl really needs to rest. The test we carried out here showed nothing is wrong with her," the doctor replied.
"I will be sure to let her rest," she answered sluggishly as if her conscience were pricking her.
"You should get her something to eat," the doctor said, staring at the almost finished saline bag.
"I have no appetite," Kaira answered, her voice sinking in her pain.
"You have to eat something to be healthy! You weren't taught that in school?" her mother scolded.
"You need to be calm with her, ma'am. You can just get her something light," the doctor said.
Kaira's mum stood up and went out with the doctor. She came back a few minutes later with pasta.
"Sit up. Come and eat," she said, opening the food flask.
Kaira sat up, reaching for the spoon her mother had held out.As the vapour of the food wafted her nose,she retched and covered her mouth.
"Kaira, you really have to eat," her mum said calmly, but it seemed to be anger in disguise.
"I don't have an appetite."
"What then do you want?" her mother said, closing the food flask.
Just then,the door shrieked and Alisha came in with her mum. She ran to Kaira's side, and Kaira's mum had to pave the way for her. Kaira rested on her chest while she put down a lunchbox on her bed.
"Hey, bestie. How are you feeling now?" she said, opening the box. "I got you something nice."
Kaira let out a smile from her pale lips. She knew Alisha would have nothing to bring but chocolates, and she was right. Kaira had been craving them so much. It was as if Alisha had read her mind.
"You must be craving this," she said, pulling out a bunch of chocolates from the bag. Kaira let out another smile that said it all.
"No chocolate until you eat." The happiness on her face died down instantly.
"You don't want to eat?" Alisha asked, staring at her.
"I..." she began, then started coughing violently.
"Hey! Kaira! Let me get you water," her mother said, tapping her gently before standing up, anxiety drawn on her face.
"Kaira, please take it easy," Alisha said, her hand on Kaira's chest.
"Take, my dear," her mother said, giving her some water to drink.
She couldn't take in the water. The more she drank, the more it spilled out, and the more she coughed, slowly drifting, fighting hard between life and death as she gave a wheezing sound, her chest rising violently with each cough.
"Let me get the doctor," Alisha's mother said, walking out hurriedly.
She had hardly gone out when she entered with the doctor and a nurse. The doctor asked them all to excuse him. Kaira wasn't coughing anymore, but she was unconscious as Alisha gently laid her on the bed, her hand shaking from the unknown. The doctor checked her with the stethoscope, then checked her pulse.
"Her pulse is really weak," he said. "I told her she really needs to rest since the results aren't showing anything," he added.
He checked her nails, probably for cyanosis. He seemed confused about what to do as a doctor. Alisha was peeping through the door, and all she did was just as confused as the doctor.
"Why on earth would a doctor be like this? It's an emergency for crying out loud," Alisha muttered to herself.
If she had the power, she would have taken Kaira to a better hospital. She knew nothing about what he did, but after a few minutes of inserting another saline bag, Kaira came around. However, the doctor asked them not to see her yet.
"Mum, can we go outside?" Alisha whispered to her mum while Kaira's mum was out for the drugs prescribed.
"Sure, darling," she answered, and they both went out to the car.
"Mum, I don't think this doctor knows what he's doing," Alisha said as soon as they settled inside the car.
"Why do you say that?" her mother questioned.
"He didn't even seem to know what to do when Kaira fainted."
"Don't say that! But even if that's true, you know Kaira's mum quite well. She won't listen to me," she answered.
"I don't want anything to happen to Kaira," Alisha cried.
"She's going to be fine. Moreover, the doctor said she just needs some rest," she snapped.
"Mum, I know what I'm saying. Kaira does sleep all day," she almost yelled at her mum.
"Alisha, for crying out loud, let the sleeping dog lie. You're not a doctor," she said and moved out of the car back to the hospital.
Alisha cried in the car. She wished she could help her friend. She wished she could share the pain with her. It must be unbearable. She wished she could even end her pain.
They had to stay with Kaira's mum since her father wasn't around. Around evening, her father called, and since she was awake, the doctor allowed her to receive the phone call.
"Hello, my girl," his voice boomed.
"Good evening, Daddy," she answered, fatigued.
"Don't worry, Daddy will soon be home. But before that, be good so that you can resume school," he said.
"Okay, sir."
"So that you can start reading your books. I love you, my dear," he added, as if expecting her to already be in school.
"Love you too, sir," Kaira replied, and tears dropped from her wearied eyes. Of course, she wasn't expecting her father to care. All he cared about was her education. The tears flowed freely. She wished he could see the pains she was going through not the grades. The phone fell off her hand.