Unsettling feelings
Alina's pale and partially numb fingers tried moving around the white shits of the hospital bed but it felt restricted.
It's partial numbness acted as a barrier, preventing her from wandering her fingers around.
The movement proved abortive and was barred by a severe pain which flowed through a body that had been battered up by series of injections.
The state of being dead isn't suppose come with consciousness is it? Her senses should have been dead by now.
Death comes with absolute numbness to everything and every one around you. It is a peaceful darkness that embraces you. It pulls you into its dark abyss and shuts down all your senses. It makes you forget both your pain and your happiness.
But she could remember everything-- stumbling upon Diego's message that involved a murder attempt on Dante, following him out of the mansion in order to find out what he was up to, warning Dante about the sinister plot but Dante choosing not to believe it; she remembered it all.
Her brain still reconnected those vivid images which flashed before her very eyes. She could still feel Dante's iron grip pulling her hair and her petite body up the stairs and locking her up in the room.
Alina could see her agitated self unlocking the door and running out before finally sculling down the poisoned wine which immedately left her unconscious.
A faint beeping sound rang in her ears.
It sounded like it was coming from a faraway place. The beeping continued steadily, this time more louder.
It disturbed the blurry, hazy images that was reoccurring in her head and sucked her out of her shadowy abyss of darkness.
An electric jolt ran through her body and in an instant, her eyes flew open. It was welcomed by the searing blinding bright lights of her ward.
Her gaze fell upon her surroundings, her eyes eating up every single detail.
White sheets, white ceiling, white floors, white lights; everything was literally flooding into her sclera.
Her vision was blurry and her head seemed heavy. It spinned like a roller blade that had lost its control.
A beep accompanied by another beep was heard again.
Her brows creased in annoyance as the beap resonated in her ear walls.
She whopped her head to see the foreign device causing the noise she felt was annoying like a bug.
A shaky breath escaped Alina's parted lips as her eyes locked with the various medical equipments that were placed like barriers next to her bed.
Intravenous injections were pierced into her rigid arms. Alina made another weak attempt to move but it felt like her joints were glued together, incapable of separating.
The blinding lights in the hospital was oddly painful on her weak eyes but hospitable and comforting.
Alina had difficulty in breathing as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. Her eyes trailed to the intravenous injections and drip placed in both arms before she realised a resuscitator mask was also placed on her face.
Slowly, her body began adjusting to the oddly white environment.
Alina felt something holding on to her hand, a tender hold grasped on to one of her frail hands. Curious, her eyes followed the source of the touch, slowly trailing till it landed on a large hand which held on to her hand, his slender fingers intertwined with her's.
With tattooed fingers claded in various rings left on full display, messy dark hair cascading over his face and slumped on a mettalic stool was Dante.
He was asleep but even in his slumber, he was still able to grasp on to her fingers in a strong but tender manner.
His eyebrows were creased into a deep frown. He looked very exhausted.
Alina furrowed her brows at him, wondering what he was doing grasping on to her hand.
He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. Alina accessed his features and was fascinated at how a man so cruel could be able to look so angelic and calm in his slumber like he had zero worries in his sleep.
His groomed long hair was ruffled and wide, covering parts of his face.
Alina made an attempt to release her hand from his grasp but Dante didn't let go.
His grip on her hand tightened more as she sought to wriggle her hand free from his grip.
Her weak attempts aroused Dante from his slumber and he was stirred out of his sleep.
"Dante let go" Alina requested, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dante eyes slowly peeled open, it was dull.
Her tone was barely audible but he still managed to hear her.
Locking his orbs with her's, Dante drew closer in an instant.
"Alina, you are finally awake" his groggy voice spoke, letting go off her hand.
Finally awake? How long had she been unconscious?
"How long have I been unconscious?" Alina asked with great difficulty as the resuscitator mask was making her speech hard.
"Two days. The poison was really strong and deadly" Dante replied, his eyes carrying a pained stare in them.
Alina was astonished. She thought she would die and she welcomed her death with open arms so how was she still alive?
The moment she sculled down the poisoned wine, she felt an intense pain shutting down her body system and exploding within her skull which dragged her entire senses into an abyss of darkness.
But now she was alive and more surprisingly, Dante was the first person her eyes laid on in the hospital ward.
Alina tried sitting up straight but her effort was met with resistance from Dante.
"No don't. Just lie back" Dante ordered making her lie back on the bed.
"Dante..." Alina had barely even started speaking when Dante cut her short.
"I know what you want to say Alina. You want to rub it in my face on how you tried warning me but I discarded your warnings. I'm sorry Alina. I really am" Dante admitted, his tone carrying pain, regret and fear.
Crystal at once took off the mask from her face, letting her speak properly.
"That wasn't what I wanted to say Dante. But I'm glad you now see Diego for who he really is"
Dante nodded, a broken stare plastered on his face.
"I'll make sure Diego pays for this with his life. He is rotting up in my cellar" Dante spoke brutally.
"Water.." Alina gasped out. Her throat felt acidic.
Dante at once poured her water into a cup from the water bottle he placed in the ward.
Alina gulped it down, it's coldness soothing her throat.
"Why did you take me to the hospital though? You've always wanted me to die and I wanted to fulfil your wish" Alina prod.
Pain brewed up within Dante hearing Alina say that.
"I don't want you die Alina. I thought I did but now I know I don't. I owe you my life Alina"
Dante held on to Alina's hand once again, squeezing it tenderly.
"You've been here through out with me as I laid unconscious?" She threw another question at him.
"Yes. This place became my second home"
"Why?"and yet another question came from Alina.
She was curious to find out.
Silence interluded, each person trying to read the other person's mind.
"I don't know" Dante replied out of the blue. He honestly didn't know the reason.
He stayed by Alina through out and if he ever did leave, he would make sure a nurse was assigned to sit by her side until he came back.
He didn't know why but he just knew he couldn't bear loosing her again.
"I'm glad you are awake ok. I'll go call the doctor now..." Dante added.
"No stay" the words flew out of Alina's lips before she could even stop herself.
"Really?" Dante asked, unsure of what he heard and wanting her to confirm if she really meant it.
Alina slowly gave a nod. "Yes please stay. Don't go for now"
Dante reclined on the bed, adjusting himself but making sure not to inconvenience Alina.
He gazed into her weak hazel eyes as she stared into his emerald orbs.
Silence settled in once more and they both let the peace take over the atmosphere.
