Moonlight Lovers

Thirty-seven

AFTER TWO grueling hours of waiting, Silas finally got called by the attendant at the nurse station. She asked him a few questions and he gave her answers which he already prepared for—he fell from a ladder when he was fixing a damage on a wall and he hit his head and sprained his left hand.

The nurse quickly felt sorry for him because of his unfortunate injury and said that they will help him fix it right away. He was lead to a room on the upper floor where a female doctor welcomed him with a warm smile.

He started to wonder if the treatment was the same with the rest of the patients or if it was just because they found out from his patient records that he’s working for The Orchid. He hoped it was former and smiled back at the doctor.

The doctor checked his wounds on the base of his head and his swollen left arm, carefully removing the makeshift cast he made and setting it aside.

He was treated for the cut on the back of his head and was endorsed for a CT scan. His sprain was treated and was properly put on a cast, and he was prescribed medication for the swelling and pain. And was advised to return the following day for the result of the CT scan.

Silas was surprised the whole process did not take too much time at all. In a couple of hours, he was already guided by the doctor outside her office and told him he could call her if he starts feeling any pain in his head or arm. Silas just thanked the doctor and left.

The hospital had a huge lawn outside where some of the patients spend their time as part of their recovery process attended by a hospital staff. Silas walked leisurely outside, looking around the wide space, feeling a little grateful that his injuries never really require him to be confined for days like these other patients.

As he looked around, his attention was caught by a woman sitting in a wheelchair, alone, and making elegant gestures with her arms that looks like she was playing an invisible violin.

Silas slightly creased his brows.

He walked over to the woman and heard that she was humming, too. Silas smiled. He knows that piece, or at least heard of it. Godric was taught by his mother to play the piano and sometimes he would play for hours on some of his lazy days. Silas had seen the music sheets in the piano room and he knows the name of the pieces he was playing.

“Isn’t that Tchaikovsky?” He asked in a very friendly manner.

The woman was understandably startled to hear his voice, however, and she started turning her head around to find where the voice came from. Even if she had already turned in his direction, she didn’t acknowledge his presence right away.

“Who was that?” She asked, looking very astonished.

Silas’s smile slowly disappeared. The woman couldn’t see him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I heard you humming a song and I recognized it that’s why I approached you,” he explained.

He looked at the woman’s face. She has the most gentle-looking face he had ever seen, a vision of beauty, innocence, and modesty. He started to feel really bad for her. What could have happened that put her in a wheelchair and lost her sight?

“It’s okay,” she smiled. Her face was turned slightly in his direction but she wasn’t really looking at him. “I usually know when people are sneaking up on me, but this time I was so engrossed with my imaginary violin playing that I didn’t even hear you.”

Silas smiled. “Do you know how to play, though?”

She nodded proudly. “I played at a concert once. Two years ago.”

“Wow!” Silas remarked. “Am I getting acquainted with a professional musician right now?”

The woman chuckled. And even the way she laughed was poised and looked very modest. Silas could not help himself from staring at her.

“I guess it sounds great, doesn’t it?” She said shyly.

“What’s your name, miss?” He asked.

“Juliette,” she replied. “You?”

“Silas.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Silas. Are you a patient here, too?”

Silas looked at the cast on his arm. “Yeah.”

“What are they treating on you?”

He shrugged. “My head and my arm.”

“Oh,” she said, and looked very sad. “I hope you get well very soon.”

“I appreciate that, thank you.” He thought for a second and said, “Well, what about you? What are they treating on you?”

It was Juliette’s turn to shrug. “Can’t you tell?”

Silas smiled but it did not reach his eyes. “I hope you get well very soon.”

“It’s unlikely. I’ve been here since last year. But they are saying I’m making progress, so I think I will get well, just not very soon,” despite the obvious sadness in her voice, Juliette still managed to break into short laughter.

She’s very optimistic, Silas thought. I wish everyone can be like her.

“Can you still play?” He asked.

A cheerful smile slowly spread on her lips. “Do you want to hear it?”

THE HOSPITAL’S music room was quite cramped compared to the music room in the Octavius manor. A piano, some guitars, and some shelf practically filled the room with just enough space for at least two or three people as audience.

Juliette used a small beeper-like device that she presses when she needs to call the nurse attending to her. Juliette introduced him to the woman and said he’s her new friend then asked the hospital staff to take them to the music room. He found out from Juliette that the music room was a new recreational area the hospital has launched for some patients, and they are planning to expand the space in the following months.

The nurse left them as soon as they were inside the room and Juliette asked for his help to get the violin case from one of the cabinets in the room. Silas took extra care putting the instrument out of the case, and even more when he was placing it and the bow in her hands.

Juliette’s hands were very soft and fragile. Silas was scared he might break her hands at his slightest touch.

She bowed a little before placing the violin on her shoulder and resting her chin on it. Soon, the whole room was filled with beautiful notes from the instrument.

Silas stood transfixed as Juliette finished her piece. His eyes were filled with admiration for the woman he just met and her incredible talent for music. He listened and quietly stared as Juliette moved gracefully even when the notes reached a very emotional swell. Her long dark hair was swaying in the air, following her movements and there was a hint of a satisfied smile on her face.

When she played the final note and the bow finally heaved from the string, Juliette looked more gratified. Silas could tell that playing music was the one thing that keeps her going.

He smiled proudly even though he could not see her and clapped her free hand against the uninjured part of her upper left arm. Juliette bowed slightly and thanked him.

“So, yeah. That’s Tchaikovsky,” she said, referring to his question earlier outside on the hospital lawn where they first interacted.

“Thank you for playing that for me. And it’s nice to meet you too, Juliette,” he responded, referring to what she said earlier after he introduced himself.