THE ASHES OF LOVE

3. VISITING THE HOSPITAL

It's been thirty minutes.

Since his hasty arrival at Refugio Hospital due to Hans's attempt to get close to his sister, Naura, Nico hadn't stepped out of his red Lexus LF-LC. Various doubts and questions raced through his mind. Should he do this? Should he warn Naura to be cautious around Hans? Or forbid her from hanging out with her friend?

No, that wouldn't be right.

Nico shook his head. It would seem incredibly strange to Naura if he did that. He might even be labeled as someone who meddles in other people's lives. Despite Naura being his sister, privacy is still privacy. He couldn't just show up like this, telling her to stay away from Hans without a valid reason. Moreover, Hans wasn't a bad person. He was Naura's friend. So, what was he really worried about?

"Ah, forget it," Nico muttered, running his hand through his hair in frustration. His left hand reached for the gear lever and shifted it into reverse. Maybe it was better if he just left. But just before his foot hit the gas pedal, Nico remembered his father's message. He had to meet the girl in an hour.

"Annoying. I'm not even in the mood to meet anyone," he grumbled, followed by an exasperated sigh. He released the steering wheel, reclining his seat a bit so he could lie down for a moment.

"Oh, if I'm not mistaken, it's her birthday today, right? What if I invite her to dinner and give her a present?"

Hans's words from the cafe suddenly echoed in Nico's mind. Birthday? Naura? Today? Could it be true? Nico had never forgotten Naura's birthday. If today was indeed her birthday, he must have prepared a surprise for her last night. Maybe this was just Hans's way of getting closer to Naura. But what if he really forgot? What if, due to his frustration over his arranged engagement by his father, Nico forgot Naura's birthday? Nico grabbed his phone and quickly checked the date.

May 7th.

Right. Naura's birthday wasn't today; it was tomorrow. Nico breathed a sigh of relief. He still had time to prepare something for Naura's birthday tomorrow night.

Oh, wait.

Nico realized he could use this to thwart his father's plans. He was sure that if he told his father he was preparing a surprise birthday party for Naura, his father wouldn't be angry. Naura was his father's favorite child. So, this might just work.

With a meaningful smile now gracing his oval face, Nico hurriedly stepped out of the car and walked briskly toward the elevator. He no longer needed to feel confused about his reason for visiting Naura. He could simply tell Naura that he had come for her. Even if she remained dismissive of him, Nico wouldn't care. For today, he would understand all of her actions. Besides, as long as Nico was near Naura, Hans wouldn't have a chance to get close to her.

Nico took a deep breath as the elevator doors closed behind him. He was about to press the button for the second floor, but it was already lit, indicating that the only other person in the elevator was also headed to the same floor.

Ignoring his fellow passenger, the owner of the brown Cooper car turned to one of the mirrors that surrounded three sides of the elevator and adjusted his slightly messy short oblique bangs. He straightened a few strands of his hair while letting the rest stay disheveled.

Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he meticulously folded the collar of his cream jacket and unbuttoned the top button of his maroon shirt beneath the gray sweater.

"Ah, I look quite handsome," Nico said to himself with a sense of admiration. He didn't realize that the person with him in the elevator had been watching him with a strange look. The person took a step back from Nico, who was seemingly lost in self-admiration. "Not only handsome but also a genius. Just wait and see, that old man won't stand a chance."

Suddenly, there was the sound of something dropping from behind Nico. Nico, startled, quickly turned around and found that the other person in the elevator, a young woman, was wincing in pain in the corner. Nico hurried over to check on her and make sure she was okay.

"Are you alright?" he asked, but strangely, he was met with a fearful reaction from the woman, who moved away from him as he tried to examine her ankle. Nico thought maybe she had tripped on her high heels, but she refused his help. He stopped himself from checking her ankle and tried to help her stand instead. "Come on, let me assist you."

The woman shook her head vigorously. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"But it might be difficult if your ankle is sprained," Nico insisted. "Let me help you."

She continued to decline, and Nico gave up. He decided to give her some space. Nico thought maybe she had fallen due to her excessively high heels. However, when she refused his assistance, Nico dropped the idea. He turned his attention back to her and offered his help once more. "Let's go; I'll help."

The sound of the elevator dinging interrupted their exchange. In a lightning-fast move that even Nico didn't anticipate, a strong push sent him stumbling and falling backward in the elevator. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was now sitting on the elevator floor with a shocked and bewildered expression.

Did the woman just push him? No way.

Quickly, Nico stood up from his position, straightened his jacket, and brushed off the dust from his pants. Then, he stepped out of the elevator, determined not to be seen by hospital staff in such an embarrassing situation. Where could he hide his face if they saw the eldest son of Refugio's president falling after being pushed by a woman?

He couldn't let that happen. He quickened his pace, intending to catch up with the woman who had pushed him for no apparent reason. He needed to apologize. But it seemed like he was a little too late. No matter where Nico looked, he couldn't find the woman.

"Is she a ghost? She ran so fast," Nico grumbled, frustrated. Because of that woman, he was sweating. Upon reflection, Nico remembered that she had shown an ID card indicating that she also worked at Refugio Hospital. But it felt strange. Even though Nico rarely came to the hospital, only visiting when he was bored to meet Naura, he had never seen that woman's face before. Was she a new employee? If so, then everything made more sense. No Refugio Hospital employee would treat him like that unless she was new. "I will definitely settle the score with her."

"What are you plotting?" a female voice interrupted Nico's frustration. He turned to find a beautiful doctor he had known for a long time.

"Hi, Ashi," Nico greeted her. His emotions were slowly calming down.

Ashi folded her arms in front of her chest and observed Nico's face, which seemed unusual to her. "It's a bad day, huh?"

Nico chuckled and shrugged. "I guess so," he said, then glanced behind Ashi. "Aren't you with Naura today? You two are always together, like inseparable lovebirds."

"Hey, we're not school kids anymore who need to go to the bathroom together," Ashi grumbled. "Lately, she's been really busy, probably because of her thesis deadline. She's been in and out of the ER all day, and even when she doesn't have surgeries scheduled, she immerses herself in the library." Ashi sighed for a moment. "She's pushing herself too hard. What if she suddenly collapses during surgery?"

"No way," Nico retorted. "I know Naura well. She's a strange girl who has the physique of Rambo. I wonder why nothing has suddenly broken around her. Is she trying to control it?"

Ashi laughed and lightly slapped Nico's shoulder. "Are you allowed to talk about your sister like that? If she hears you, she might beat you up."

"It seems I'm used to it," Nico said confidently, making Ashi smile.

"But what brings you here?" Ashi asked, who then squinted her eyes suspiciously at Nico. "Don't tell me you came here to see Naura?"

Nico nodded.

"Again?" Ashi's eyes widened in disbelief. This was the fifteenth time in a month that Nico had come to the hospital to see Naura. And it hadn't even been three days since his last visit under the pretext of being bored at work. Were they really just siblings?

Nico scratched his head, feeling a little awkward, and smiled broadly. "Do you know where she is?"

Ashi rolled her eyes, annoyed. This was the fifteenth time Nico had come to see Naura at the hospital in a month. Even though he rarely visited the hospital and only came to meet Naura when he was bored, this was getting excessive.

"Of course, I can." Nico replied. "But you know that once we're at home, Naura will lock herself in her room all day, not letting anyone in. She'll only come out to eat. Besides, I tend to get bored if I stay at home for too long. Things aren't going so well between my father and me right now. So, this is just the way to meet Naura."

Ashi couldn't help but agree with Nico's statement. She knew that Naura had been telling her about Nico's problems with his father since their arranged marriage a few months ago. But it still felt strange to her. Nico's relationship with his own sister, who worked in the police force, wasn't as close as Naura's and Nico's.

"But what makes you think of coming here again?" Ashi asked, still puzzled by Nico's frequent visits.

"Where did you last see her? I'm looking for her," Nico replied, ignoring Ashi's question.

The ringing of Ashi's cellphone interrupted their conversation. Ashi reached for her phone and checked the caller's name on the screen.

Emergency Room.

Ashi asked for a moment to answer the call. Although Nico didn't quite understand what Ashi was talking about on the phone, he noticed the surprised look on her round face.

"What's happening?" Nico asked as soon as Ashi ended the call.

Ashi nodded. "There's been a multiple-vehicle accident on Reformasi Toll Road. Ambulances are on their way here with the victims. I've been asked to stand by in the ER lobby."

"In that case, go ahead," Nico said. "I'll wait for Naura in her office."

After saying that, Nico leaned against the wall, wondering if he should wait in Naura's office. But it would be quite boring. Moreover, with the accident, Naura wouldn't be able to leave so soon. That meant he would have to wait even longer.

Nico's phone vibrated.

It was his father.

Of course, his father must be looking for him when he found out that Nico hadn't arrived at the appointed time.

"Yes, Dad," Nico replied as he pressed his phone to his ear.

"Didn't I tell you earlier? Why haven't you arrived yet? Do you want to embarrass me again?" The Director, Jimmy, barked over the phone, causing Nico's eardrums to throb. Nico pulled his phone away from his ear for a moment and rubbed his now hot ear. With a small grumble that his father couldn't possibly hear, Nico put the phone back to his ear.

"I know," Nico said, walking slowly in the direction of where Naura was. "But Dad, do you think that girl is more important?"

"What do you mean?" Director Jimmy sounded even more irritated. "Don't make me angrier, Nico. Come home quickly and meet Ivanka. She's still at the restaurant. Waiting for you."

"I can't, Dad."

"What? You—"

"Do you remember what tomorrow is?" Nico's eyes searched for Naura among the crowd of doctors who had just come out of the operating room. "Of course, Dad wouldn't remember. All you care about is how to get me married as soon as possible, right?"

"Father doesn't care about what you mean by that. If you don't come home immediately, I'll send someone to force you to come home. This is for your own good."

Nico laughed cynically. His pupils dimmed, and a sudden tightness filled his chest. "My good?" Nico repeated skeptically. "I don't think so. But it's for your own benefit." Nico's left hand clenched tightly. There was a sudden feeling of suffocation filling his entire chest. "I'm not your puppet, Dad."

"Nico!" Director Jimmy's voice grew louder. Nico could imagine how furious his father must be right now. But Nico didn't care. He was hurting too. "How dare you—"

"I'll hang up the phone," Nico interrupted, unwilling to listen to his father's endless scolding. "There's something more important that I have to do than meeting the girl of your choice. If you don't understand, Dad, just think about what tomorrow is." With one press of a button, Nico ended the call.

Nico was aware that he shouldn't have said such harsh things to his father. The only parent he had left after the tragic accident that took his mother when Nico was a teenager was his father. Nico also knew well about his father's struggles all these years, trying to rise from the depths of despair after being left by his mother. His father had suffered too. But if only his father hadn't been so insistent, maybe Nico could express what he was feeling right now without hurting him.

No.

He couldn't look so sad like this in front of Naura. The girl was not only strange but also seemed like a fortune-teller. Just by looking at her face, Naura would know that he had just argued with his father. Once that happened, Naura wouldn't stop scolding him until Nico apologized to his father. Nico took a deep breath, filling his chest with air, and exhaled slowly. He also patted his face slightly to smooth out any visible wrinkles.

"Move aside! Make way!"

Hearing the loud cry from the side, Nico stepped aside and leaned against the wall, not wanting to obstruct the path. He saw three nurses rushing a stretcher hurriedly toward the operating room. His brown eyes, which had been searching for Naura, finally found him standing over an emergency patient who lay weakly on the stretcher. Naura seemed to be trying to cover the wound on the patient's stomach with both hands. As a result, not only her hands but also her white lab coat were covered in fresh bloodstains. Her pale face was even covered in sweat mixed with fresh bloodstains on her left cheek and neck. Naura was so focused on her patient that she didn't seem to notice anything else. Her instructions to one nurse to prepare the operating room sounded so firm. Not only that, like a commander of troops, Naura gave orders to the others to perform all kinds of examinations such as CT scans and MRIs. While she and one remaining nurse tried to stop the severe bleeding in the patient's abdomen by applying a tourniquet and dressing it with a large triangular bandage. Her quick hands even administered a saline injection to reduce hypovolemic shock. Watching all of this, Nico couldn't take his eyes off his sister. He just realized that besides her annoying personality, Naura looked incredibly beautiful when she was doing her job as a doctor.

Nico reached for his DSLR camera that had been hanging on his right arm since earlier, deciding to take some pictures of Naura while she was so focused on her patient. A small laugh played on Nico's lips as he captured Naura in action, scolding one nurse who was helping her with an irritated expression, and then scolding another nurse who had just arrived while handing her some documents. Should he give her these photos as a birthday gift?

A meaningful smile lit up Nico's face.

***