Isha

I saw a door in my dream, providing the source of warm light in the freezing murkiness surrounding it. It was pulling me, begging me to walk into the glowing light and leave this suffocating darkness behind. I wanted to. I really wanted to. However, I couldn't, as an unknown source was pulling me inside the black abyss, the more I attempted to escape. And then, when I thought all hope was lost, a hand grabbed me, eventually helping me out.

And then I woke up.

My obscure vision takes a few moments to clear, the whitewashed ceiling coming into my view. Soon after, I clench my eyes shut due to the sunlight peeking through the curtains, perturbing my eyelids. At first, the confusion strikes as to what I was doing in a hospital. It doesn't take long for the forbidding memories to return. However, I am unable to discern how much time has passed since then.

As I slowly begin to receive my senses of perception, my gaze falls on the sleeping man beside my hospital bed. His hands clasped around mine tightly, as if afraid I'll disappear any moment. Smiling softly to myself, I try to move my free hand only to realise the medical wires connected to both my arms, restraining much movement.

"Isha!" With a gasp, Calix wakes up, his entire appearance unkempt, unlike the orderly Prince Calix, with the evidence of lack of sleep in his eyes.

"Calix," I croak out, my voice dry and lips cracked calling out to the one whose face immediately jerks at me, probably wondering whether it is a dream or reality, "I am alive."

That was all the validation he required as he lunges forward to embrace me but then remembers my condition and instead, sits back down brushing his thumb against my face. "Yes. You are alive." The soft whisper breathes life into me.

The unvoiced words hang in the air; our eyes and smiles communicating instead. Calix's touches brush my face, memorizing the grooves and contours as if mapping my appearance in his mind. The other hand still firmly holds onto mine in a loving intertwining gesture, and rubbing my skin back and forth. And then, I catch a lump visible on his left arm, noticeable enough through the long sleeve cloth, for me to frown in confusion and worry. My left hand moves to touch it only to flinch feeling the familiar sensation of a bandage.

"Did you get hurt?" worry etches my tone as I try to sit up only for Calix to push me down, his stern glare intact.

"I am fine, Isha. Worry about yourself," Calix's soft tone holds a hint of sternness to it, as if faintly scolding me. I wonder why.

"I can almost hear what you're thinking," Calix chuckles, the weary face brightening slightly making me smile in the process, as well, "And yes, I'm scolding you."

"Scolding a patient who just woke up?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"I am scolding the love of my life, who has just woken up, yes," Calix corrects, delicately pinching my cheeks, afraid he might hurt me. And with that, the rapid thumping of my heart and the inability to speak, returns. Welcome back old Isha, who used to malfunction at the sight of this handsome prince.

"You are drooling."

"What?" I almost yell aggressively attempting to wipe any trace of saliva, only to wince in pain due to the medical wires in my arms.

"Careful!" Calix exclaims instantly clasping my arm to place it beside mine, his breath irregular which is the usual indication of a rising panic attack. "Why are you so reckless?" he speaks in between gasps, yet checking over me, "I was joking and you shouldn't—you—I thought you again—" he clutches his chest, inhaling and exhaling due to having trouble in breathing. I desperately would've liked to sit up straight and move my arms to hug him, unfortunately my condition will not allow that. I can only use my words.

"Calix, look at me, please. I am fine. It was a mere twinge of pain—"

"But it was pain nonetheless!" Calix yells, a sob cracking his voice-box, "I—I am sorry, I have been out of everything and I didn't mean to yell." He faces away from me, covering his face now wet with streaming tears. "I should've—the doctor instructed to not show negative emotions but I—"

"Calix. Can you hug me?"

"What." He looks at me, taking the words in, "A-Are you serious? I could hurt you."

I smile. "But you won't. You know it. So hug me, please."

And that was what it took for the crying prince to warmly embrace me, and bury his face into my neck, the tears wetting my skin. Not that I mind. I missed him. I missed us.

"I thought you won't wake up, ever," Calix's voice appears muffled as he weeps with his face still buried into my neck, "And I blamed myself. You didn't wake up, even when the doctors kept reassuring us over and over again that the surgery had been successful and you were out of danger. I couldn't trust their words, completely. The 'what if's kept messing with my brain and I thought...what if, you went into a vegetative state eventually? Everyone said I should think positive, I tried Isha—I—didn't even visit you for two days, worried that I might witness something horrible."

"For how long was I unconscious?"

"A week and a half," Calix whispers after a while, as if uttering the words brought back those hellish weeks he and the others must have gone through, "I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I couldn't think. I couldn't live. In fact, I want to scold you so bad right now for foolishly taking that bullet for me," he chuckles, "I had a thought that I would follow you to grave even."

"Are you insane?" I gasp at the ridiculousness his words hold. "Don't ever think of such things. Alright?"

He only laughs in response, placing his forehead against mine. "I guess I am insane, Isha. Insanely in love with you."

"My God, I can't believe you," I groan but that doesn't stop the blush from appearing on the surface of my cheeks, "How can you even say such things in this situation?"

I sigh. "Seriously Calix, don't shelter stupid thoughts like that."

"Mhm I'll try," he sniffles wiping off the tears, "Although I'm not sure if I'd be successful."

It is utterly baffling how Calix can go from being in tears to announcing heart-fluttering words in a matter of minutes.

And then bursts in, a storm. Not in literal sense of course but rather concerned, loud crowd interrupting our moment but also, filling my heart with warmth. The doctor must have had informed them that I could have a high chance of regaining consciousness today.

My sisters, Lola, Harvey, Carlos, Audrey, even Kev and Broody and Lola's cousin Neil.

Next follows suit a series of scolding for taking the bullet, words of concerns, gifts and hugs and love and affection.

When I look at them, my heart oddly feels heavy with the thought if I even deserve these people who arrived in my life unexpectedly and decided to stay genuinely. But then again, I know it is my reality and it is what I deserve.

But I can't help but wonder why Calix suddenly left the room after seeing the Caller ID on his phone. A strange anxious expression marred his features, the moment he took the call and walked away.

Who could it be?