Valkyrie Wings Book 1: CHRONICLES OF A FALLEN

Chapter Twenty Two

"Kara!" Nagising si Andrea sa sarili niyang sigaw, biglaan siyang napabangon, at agad na tiningnan ang paligid.

She was in a hospital room. On a hospital bed. With hospital food beside her.

Panaginip lang ba ang lahat? Ang nagtatakang tanong niya sa kaniyang sarili. Naalala niya ang kagat ni Kara sa kaniyang leeg. Kinapa niya ito. She felt the thick bandage on the side of her neck, with a painful sting whenever she tried to touch it. So it was real, aniya sa sarili.

Maya-maya ay may kumatok sa pinto at pumasok. Si Venus, na ngayon ay nakasuot na ng doctor's coat at tila walang nangyari. No bruises, nor wounds. "Buti naman at gising ka na, Ms. Navarro," ang nakangiti niyang pagbati sa dalagang mortal. "You've been asleep for three days."

Napakunot ang noo ni Andrea. Three days? "I thought I was gone for a week?"

Umupo si Venus sa tabi ni Andrea at tiningnan ang suwerong nakakabit sa kamay nito. "You've been missing for MORE than a week... a ranger found you unconscious in the woods three days ago, with an animal bite mark on your neck. They believed you were attacked by a large mad dog, since canine attacks have been really common lately," inilabas niya ang kaniyang stethoscope at pinakinggan ang dibdib ng dalaga. Binilang rin niya ang tibok ng pulso nito. "Vital signs are stable. Bukas o sa makalawa ay puwede ka nang umuwi," ang wika ni Dr. Miranda habang inaayos ang stethoscope na nakasabit sa kaniyang leeg. "Your chinky friend thought you ran away from home. At nang matagpuan ka, she never missed a day of visiting you here. "

"Si Kim?" Ang wika ni Andrea na medyo wala pa sa sarili. "Does she know?"

Venus shrugged her shoulders. "O 'sya, lalabas na ako. May titingnan pa akong isang pasyente. Magpagaling ka ah," ang sabi nito kay Andrea.

"Venus," ang sambit ng dalagang mortal nang tatayo na ang babaeng doktor. Hinawakan niya ang kamay nito. "Nasaan si Kara?" Ang nag-aalala niyang tanong.

Napangiti si Venus at hinawakan rin ang kamay ng dalaga. "I knew you'd ask that. Don't worry, she's fine. I was able to put the bracelet on her before the moonrise. And I saw a black aura around her while she was unconscious, it means her demon nature was trying to heal her. Pero matindi ang tinamo niyang injury. You know, my flames are destructive and may cause permanent damage. I needed Osiris' healing power, so I left Kara to him. Kaso matatagalan pa bago siya maka-recover, lalo na kung laging tulog si Osiris."

Napayuko si Andrea at napabuntong hininga.

Hinawakan ng doktora ang ibabang pisngi ng dalaga at iniangat ang mukha nito. "Cheer up, child. Remember, Kara's a half Goddess, with a demon blood. She's not a weakling. Those types of injuries won't kill her. She'll be back in no time. Kaya h'wag ka nang mag-alala, ha?"

Tango na lamang ang naisagot ni Andrea.

Tumayo si Venus mula sa kama ng dalaga at lumakad patungo sa pintuan ng kuwarto.

"Venus, " ang muling pagtawag ni Andrea. Nilingon siya ng doktora. "Thank you... for not killing her," ang pagpapasalamat ng dalaga.

Ngumiti si Venus. "Don't thank me, Andrea," aniya. "I told you, I live to survive, and I can do terrible things for my own sake. Today, I only sided with the winning team. Tomorrow... it's going to be different," at saka siya lumabas ng pintuan.

* * *

Gabi ng kinabukasan nang makalabas ng ospital si Andrea at nakauwi ng bahay. Makirot pa rin ang sugat na tinamo niya mula sa kagat ni Kara, pero unti-unti nang bumabalik ang lakas ng kaniyang katawan.