Remember That Day

Chapter 11

Damek couldn’t contain how worried he was for the woman. He was pacing back and forth for a couple of minutes as his friend did the check up.

“Initially upon checking her, there was no organic disease that accounts for her fever.”

“What do you mean?” Damek stopped and immediately stood across Gon, waiting for his answers.

“It’s psychogenic fever.”

“And what is it?”

“A fever that is stress-related, psychosomatic disease especially seen in young women. Chronic stress and exposure to emotional events can cause a psychogenic fever. This means the fever is caused by psychological factors instead of a virus or other type of inflammatory cause.”

“What on Earth is happening to her?” His brows knitted. He obviously didn’t understand as his mind went nonfunctional over an ill girl.

“Don’t worry. It’s common,” Gon assured him, but that didn’t help. “The fever either developed in a psychologically stressful situation or emotionally stressful stimuli induce acute or persistent increases in core temperature above the upper limit of normal body temperature which is 37°C.”

“So are you really telling me that stress caused her fever?”

“Precisely. Well, you told me that she was scared when she was barely conscious... that someone probably threatened her and wanted her dead. And one thing, you scared her. She is in a stressful situation that probably caused her fever.”

Both of them went in silent for seconds as they glanced over Jayda, lying on bed, unconscious and burning.

“It’s my fault.”

“It got worse so yes. You’re somewhat responsible.”

“You should’ve called a Physician. What if I’m not available? I’m a cardiologist, you big guy,” Gon, who drove and over sped to the hotel said as he checked Jayda for the last time. Just as he turned to look at Damek, he added, “Lucky you, I don’t have any schedule for operation by this time. But you know, I have a lot of patients to look after and—”

“I know. I’m aware, so thank you for coming,” Damek interrupted and let out a long and heavy sigh. He was just standing beside Jayda, and was just caressing her head. He added, “What do you want me to do? I mean, treatment?”

“Most psychogenic fevers are short-lived and resolve on their own and are not typically reduced when treated with common anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen, even though they work to reduce most fevers,” Gon smiled and eventually stood up as he put his stethoscope around his neck.

“What...”

“If a fever is due to stress, it is essential to decrease the stress. Just let her rest and have a good meal when she wakes up.”

“How on Earth will I reduce her stress if I know nothing?” Damek mumbled, just staring at Jayda. Gon smirked as he shook his head.

“Honestly, you surprised me with this,” said Gon. “I didn’t know that there’s already a girl you care for.”

That seemingly hit Damek with reality as how his eyes grew bigger as to what he heard from Gon.

“What? Care for? I’m not! It’s just a coincidence... I’m the only one who could help her,” Damek exclaimed, pointing his finger to Gon which almost gave him a heart attack for shouting so suddenly.

“Hey! Lower down your voice, you brat! May I remind you as well, I couldn’t operate and cure myself if get a heart attack! Why so defensive?” Gon chuckled over his friend’s priceless reaction. But a sudden thought made him look so serious which Damek noticed instantly.

“What? Why? What’s with the face?” he asked, almost rolling his eyes.

Gon’s eyes were partly open, fingers on his chin when he said, “Damek, you said this is just your third time seeing her, right? You guys are barely strangers that happened to be neighbors. If someone is really after her, are you sure you’ll be safe?”

That was when Damek remembered what Jayda had whispered before she passed out.

“I’m sorry! Did I scare you that much? I didn’t know... Jayda? Jayda!” Damek started to panic as Jayda continued to shiver in the same position without any word coming from her.

“Please don’t kill me...” Jayda said, almost a whisper.

“What? What are you talking about? Kill you? Who would try to kill you? Me?” As Damek tucked her hair behind her ears, he felt strange. “Jayda, talk to me. What’s happening to you?”

Looking at him with a confidence on his face, he said, “As if I’ll let something happen to me?”

“I’m just wondering since my eyes could see how worried you are to her.”

As Damek looked at Gon and noticed that he was grinning, he started nagging at him as he realized how his friend turned into some curious punk.

“Get out now.”

“What? After I helped you, you’re going to push me away—”

“Hey!” Damek threw a pillow to him he got from Jayda’s bed, but he failed to hit his face. “I know how your mind works, you disgusting human being!”

As much as Gon wanted to burst into laughing, he refrained himself as a respect to a resting patient inside the room.

“Let’s talk this over some time. It’s almost 11. I’m sure they’re looking for me. As I’ve told you, I just sneeked out from the hospital because my dear friend needs me,” Gon uttered as he winked at him, but a disgusted face of Damek was the only thing he got.

“Whatever. Just go back to your hiding place,” Damek snorted.

“You’re unbelievable!” Gon threw the pillow back to him. Giggling, he inched towards the door and just as he opened it, he added, “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. I’ll be off now.”

“Yeah.”

The next minute was only him and Jayda inside the room. Damek was frozen for a while, thinking about what he could do for the woman. In the end, he slowly sat beside her and cover her tightly with the blanket.

He whispered, “Hey, you should gain your strength and energy again then wake up. We have a lot... a lot to talk about.”

While waiting for her to get better, Damek went to her kitchen to cook some porridge and egg rolls. It was not hard for him as he almost lived his life being alone. Cooking was one of his talent.

It didn’t take him so much time, so he witnessed how Jayda barely regained her consciousness. With that, Damek went back to her bed and try to talk to her.

“Um...”

“Jayda? Can you hear me?” Damek whispered, caressing her cheek as he looked to her intently.

But all Jayda did was to moan out of distress that lasted for a few seconds. She was still hot, but it was a little bit better than earlier. Her body already stopped from shaking as well.

“Jayda? Jayda?”

When Jayda finally opened her eyes, it took her a few seconds to recognize the person beside her. Her visions were blurred and the things she saw was moving.

“Are you okay? Do you feel anything? Pain? Tell me...”

But instead of seeing Damek, Jayda’s eyes saw her boyfriend, Faris. To her excitement, she abruptly bolted from bed and hugged the guy tightly.

Damek froze, eyes widened. But before he could be able to utter words again, the woman whispered another guy’s name.

“Faris? Babe...” Jayda’s voice broke. As Damek heard it, his head load for a moment.

Jayda silently cried again as she wrapped her arms around Damek. She whispered, “I’m scared. I’m really scared... I had a bad dream again. He’ll kill me.”

“It’s okay, Jayda. I’m here. No one can hurt you...” Damek said softly.

Although Damek was certain that Jayda had a boyfriend, he just caressed her back to calm her down and let her embraced him.

“I’m glad you’re finally here,” said Jayda, still not aware that the guy she was hugging was another person and not Faris. “But your voice seemed a little deep and manly than before...”

“Really?”

“Um.”

“Does a sick person usually ask and notice such thing?”

Damek felt that Jayda was smiling in spite of not knowing that it was not him.

“I love your voice. Hearing it calms me. It is as if you’re a different guy.”

“I’m glad my voice helps you calm down, but yes. I’m a different guy. I’m not... I’m not Faris,” Damek whispered. Jayda didn’t move for a second, but eventually chuckled.

“Babe? What are you talking about? You’re not Faris you say?”

“Um.”

The moment Jayda let go the guy, she saw a taller figure of a man, a different face with a different voice she wouldn’t see and hear if it was Faris. She felt enlightened and surprised upon realizing that he hugged a wrong guy.

“It’s me, Damek.”

Damek was not even surprised if Jayda would push him away like what she had done. He fell on the floor, back first.

“Damek? What are you doing here? How did you know I’m here? What did you do to me?” Jayda snarled over him and hid herself under the blanket. no matter how Damek complained because his back was badly hurt.

“I guess you’re fine now. You got the strength to yell at me. You nag again as how you nagged at me before. I would understand if you’re surprised to see me inside your room and think that I did something wrong, but no! I didn’t! Let me tell you that I was the one who helped you when you passed out,” he explained, trying to get up but he couldn’t. “Ugh! My back... my back hurts...”

“I passed... I passed out?” Jayda asked, still in wonder. “Well, I thought I just had a bad dream and...”

“Yes, you passed out,” he answered, still lying on the floor. “I called my friend to do some check up on you and he told me you got a psychogenic fever. You passed out due to stress. I took care of you, I stayed, and even cooked food for you, so you can eat when you wake up. But you ended up pushing me that hurt my back.”

“You did?”

“Yes. I did what I said.”

Damek almost wanted to roll his eyes. Just as he tried to get up again, Jayda had finally helped him.

“I’m... I’m sorry. I thought you’re... you’re Faris,” Jayda said as she went beside Damek to help him up.

“You got a boyfriend?”

“None of your business.”

Although his back hurts, Damek felt relief to hear Jayda being grouchy again.

“You put your arms here around my shoulder and I’ll help you get up.”

“Aw!”

“Sorry...”

“Wait... We will fall—”

It was now Jayda who was on the top of Damek. Their eyes both grew bigger, but also froze to their positions.

Damek remembered what and how he felt for the first time when they were as close as this in the mall.

“Pink Pop,” said Jayda and faced the gladsome Damek. “What do you think?”

“Why don’t you try it?” he suggested, but Jayda instantly shook her head.

“You try it.”

“What? Are you kidding me?”

“No. You try this. It will overlap with the shade I’m using if I’ll do it.”

“What? Why... why me?” Damek was really surprised that his eyes grew bigger when Jayda started uncapping the ink lipstick.

“You told me you got the same skin color? Try it. I’ll tell you if it would really fit.”

“No—”

“Stay still.”

The moment Jayda started putting the ink on Damek’s lower lip made him froze as she almost drew really near him.

She was almost on her toes because he was impressively tall, so Damek lowered his body a little that he was almost tempted to kiss the busy woman messing with his lips.

“Done!” Jayda smiled as she put back the stick inside the small container and handed it over him. “This would fit. Your girlfriend would like this shade.”

“Girlfriend? I don’t have one,” said Damek, still frozen on his position.

“Oh.”

“Soon.”

“Ah, whatever. Bye.”

Jayda just shrugged her shoulders over it, seemingly didn’t care at all as she left the guy inside the shop already in loved with her.

“That woman! How dare she messed with my lips and win my heart that fast with a lipstick? The hell, Damek!” he whispered, punching himself inside his head. “You’re so weak!”

“Do you... do you feel better now?” Damek still had the guts to ask a question no matter how awkward their position was.

“Yes,” Jayda answered, stuttering. “Ah, oh. Sorry.”

A slight smile appeared on Damek’s face as Jayda panicked and quickly pulled herself away from him. She uncomfortably tucked her hair behind her ear then eventually cleared her throat.

“So, how did you get here?” she asked.

Just as Damek slowly stood to face Jayda, he answered, “Ah, yes. I live here. I went here to clear things with you.”

Jayda’s forehead creased. “You live here? In this hotel? How? And what are you talking about you want to clear things...”

“I live in the same floor with you in this hotel, in the 8th unit. We’re neighbors.”

With that being said, Jayda realized that it wasn’t a dream. That the guy he saw before she passed out was him. It was Damek all the time whom she had suspected for a quite long time.

“You...” Jayda began to stutter in fear again. “You’re the murderer!”