Catch you on the rebound

Chapter 3

"Enough of that!" the young dean yelled, " men can be plenty of things—one thing from the surface, numerous from the core.

"Take Miss Armstrong to the emergency unit and call a medical expert for Mrs. Maryem," he barked the orders and the staff proceeded with that.

Noah glanced at Victoria, sustaining non-intentional eye contact, her retinas shrank, incompetent to predict the severity of her actions. She was shaking inside. surely, she had secured her time in asylum. to her, she was just pretending to be more terrified than she actually was. all the same, unaware, all of her was horror-stricken. Everyone present there could see that thoroughly but her.

She was being transferred, making her lie on the bed. A doctor asked her,

“Mam, can you hear me?” Victoria peeked at her, indicating she could.

“Alright, listen to me ‘this one will pass too’ yeah! Close your eyes and relax.” though Victoria was listening to the doctor but wasn’t able to shut her eyes, she glared at the blinding LED lights that were hanging right on top of her face. She didn’t feel like obeying any commands, she craved to know what was going on around her. This turned out to be an iterating process in which, in the aftermath, she always ends up sleeping.

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“You have already won over this, my baby. Look at me." Shirley's mother figure cupped her darling's sweet cheeks, she was going through epilates. Her forehead was apparent with sweat beads, her breathing rapid with an abnormal pace of heartbeats.

“Aunt, I saw her; I'm not lying, trust me, please”. Shirley begged her aunt.

“Honey, that was just a nightmare, she isn’t here anymore.” Armstrong's family maiden consoled her uncrowned young lady.

“NO!” Shirley yelled in protest, anxiety, and insecurity engulfing her, fear of not being trusted by the only companion she had remained, for her proven sanity, who also started to slip out of her composure. It's been years yet the young lady still refuses to categorically forget the past shenanigans. Although in the morning she plays an ideal crowned princess role every day, howbeit, dawn succeeded in snatching her peace of the night.

“Listen, please just listen to me once, okay? just for once.”, her eyes bore holes forthright into the maidens' eyes with a sight that ought the elder compelled to oblige her demand.

“Victoria was standing there," her voice hoarse yet inaudible, losing her focused gaze, pointing her finger nowhere in particular. tears fell freely at the edge of her beautiful eyes, soaking her cascaded hair in the procedure. sniffling,” She was crying for help from when Gideon was bulling, no torturing her, she didn’t want to but he made her,” she mumbled incoherently, now gaining her observance back at maiden, "I would have done the same, she wasn’t at fault.” she confessed affirmative, pertaining to something which occurred in past.

The old lady took a deep sigh, looking at the juvenile’s suffering and misfortunes. A feeling of sorrow and compassion emerged in her chest. She looked at her with all her love, hiding helplessness, skillfully not just the victim but the witness defeated too. She gave the answer that the younger person was looking for.

“Yes, my child, ’she strokes the girl’s head affectionately whom she has watched blooming in front of her eyes from a child to a courageous youth’, “you are right. I believe in you. I would have done the same. No one’s ever going to hurt you. Love.” Shirley smiles, satisfactorily. Receiving the desirable words, she was yearning to listen, all the impending doom and worry leaving her to be at peace. Exhausted by the episode, Armstrong's female, holding her aunt’s hand, drifted back to her sleep.

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Meanwhile, observing CCTV, Noah was thrilled to watch Victoria’s stunts from inside his new office. regardless in real time, he shuddered at the gravity of the situation, it was worse than he expected.

If it was a stranger, he would have been normal, it was regular in his case of line. but it was her.

“Be comfortable and take deep breaths. Have you ever experienced in the past what you are feeling right now?” he asked her to be mindful. In reaction, she gaped at him scowling. her expression and mind in a similar state. vacuous. A few moments ago, there was a heap of emotions, she couldn't name or identify many of them, and now her mental crust was all plain.

He smiled. "Would you like some hot chocolate milk mixed with coffee?” he queried, remembering her favorite beverage, a frown developed on her forehead, good at least she is responding now. The medical staff was learning new tactics to control such kinds of situations from their new Dean. "Young and innovative", senior Doctor Edwards murmured, chuckling.

Can we arrange some mocha?" Noah asked sternly. A junior staff member went to make the arrangements. He enquires from staff about her ward's environment and her mate where, as per the given information, she is usually relatively calm with her roomie. The staff quickly returns with a prior request made by the dean. Her still favorite drink's aroma somewhat subsided. The medicine smells, Noah brings the container near her, gloating emanating vapors.

"I mean, it's fine if you don't want to taste it. Just take a sniff, you feel better hopefully". He encouraged her in a teasing manner, she looked at him and then at the cup, breathing in deep fresh redolence. It's been a while since she had it last. She took the stein and held it in both her hands, looking at the psychologist expert, asking for silent permission to taste it. In response, he grinned, nodding his head positively.

She blew the hot cocoa coffee to normalize its heat and took a sip to her heart's content. She was smiling, eyes closed, tears pooled on her leashes, and her emotions were back to where they belonged. She exhaled, slowly opening her eyes, and offered back the cup to its owner.

"I don't take sipped drinks". He politely declined, to which she rolled her eyes.

"I saw that mam. You don't roll your eyes at me. Finish your milk. Take this medicine". He gives her benzodiazepines. "And we’ll call it a day." He keeps his hand on her forehead to check her temperature and she flinches in reflex but doesn't stop drinking. He immediately pulls his hand back to himself. Watchers notice what has just transpired between the two. But decides not to utter a word.

She finishes her drink and gets up from the patient's bed, taking slow steps. She stops for a mere second beside him. Garbing the opportunity, he whispers “happy birthday” in her ear. With that, she resumes her journey, this time accompanied by a cautious, strong companion. She makes her way toward her and Cinthia's ward.

Cinthia was pacing in her room, waiting for the birthday girl. Several scenarios were running through her mind, and almost all of them were negative. Nevertheless, when she heard footsteps approaching, she sat on her side of the table, tightly gripping the edges of it, so much, so that her knuckles turned white, hearing the clicking opening up of the lock from outside. She saw Victoria coming inside. One masculine hand pulled the door back outside and again the click of the lock-up could be heard. Cinthia didn't say anything till she didn't catch the sound of shoes going farthest.

She walked toward Victoria, silently standing in front of her waiting for her to open up because, clearly, she didn't look like the same person she was before leaving her side. For some reason, the emotions of killing the one who had hurt this child were boiling in her chest.

Victoria looked at someone she saw fit to call her sister, she hid her face in the crook of her neck, keeping both of her palms on her eyes. No one put an effort into holding each other. The big girl could sense the crying girl’s shuddering. "Shh tell me, what happened? I'll take care of it." Cinthia gave her words to Victoria, which were undoubtedly a promise from her end.

"I don’t know, something is crawling in my head?”