The town was foggy and had a scent of dew drops covering the aroma. The leaves were wet and the moon was still standing in the sky, waiting for the sun to arrive and give it a dismissal from its shift. Ember slowly opened his eyes. The smell of antiseptics, the sterile air, the emptiness of life. It was a hospital room. An IV dropped into his blood and beside him were few a machines that were recording his vitals. He looked at the depressing, white walls of the huge room. All he could hear were the ticks of the machines. Suddenly, the door of the room opened and broke away the momentum of silence. It was loud and noisy outside. Maple and Loraine walked inside.
"How are you feeling? Does it hurt somewhere?" Loraine asked.
"Guys, what happened to me?" Ember asked.
"You fainted. Rhea called us from your phone," Maple said.
"I didn't even realise it," He looked at the sky from the huge window beside his bed.
"I got you something to make you feel better,"
Maple reached under Ember's bed and pulled out his guitar, "Viola!"
"Oh, damn, thanks!" Ember's face immediately lit up and he held the guitar with him. Rhea opened the door to Ember's room and peeped inside. Maple was sitting beside him with Loraine. Ember was sitting on the bed, tuning his guitar. He turned towards her and smiled, "Welcome,"
"Oh, he's alive," Rhea turned towards Neel.
"Too bad, I came for some good news" Neel looked at him.
"Good news like?" Ember asked.
"Your death,"
Ember laughed. Loraine got up to punch Neel in the face but Maple held him back.
"Sure, you guys go ahead. I'll be right there," Rhea smiled and they left, leaving Rhea and Loraine with Ember. She turned and looked at him, "Ember, are you not okay?" Rhea asked.
"Of course! I just can't digest stuff very well, it's nothing serious," Ember began laughing.
"Why don't you get it checked? It could be something serious," Rhea advised.
"We will. Our family doctor is here. He landed just yesterday,"
"I see. Take good care yourself, Ember," Rhea smiled, "Wait, I'll get you something lite to eat!"
"I'll come with you, I'm hungry too," Maple got up with her and they left the room. As the door closed, it shut away all the noise from outside. Loraine sat on the bed looking at Ember.
"Why didn't you tell her?" Neel asked, "Why do you hide things from her?"
"Because if I tell her she will get worried. And her priority shouldn't be me right now,"
"So, are you just gonna watch everything you love fall apart in front of you?"
"Everything I love..."
"You love her, don't you?" Loraine looked at Ember.
Ember thought for a while, "I do,"
"Even though this relationship is starting to turn more of a burden, I can tell you that much,"
Ember didn't know what to say. He just stayed quiet and looked at the bedsheet while Neel stared at him, "What the hell is your disease anyways?" Neel asked.
Ember looked at Loraine and then back at Neel, "I don't," He hesitated for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, he raised his head "I don't have a bowel,"
Neel's eyes looked puzzled. It was unheard of!
"Is that even possible? How could a person survive for sixteen years without a bowel? It was impossible!"
"It is degenerative," Loraine said, "He had a functional bowel till a few months back,"
"Is there a cure to this?" Neel asked.
"Of course there's a cure!" Ember said, "Surgery,"
"Will they cut you open?"
"They will be entirely removing the leftover parts of my underdeveloped bowels and I will be given a stoma–where the duodenum of my small intestine will pulled to the outside of my abdomen, in order for the waste to be collected in an ileostomy bag," Ember explained.
"And will you stay that way throughout your life?"
"Yeah," Ember nodded.
"How can you act like it's nothing?"
"Neel, it is fine. It's not my first surgery where they will exchanging some part of my body with an artificial replacement, I don't even have a real stomach. I got it removed when I was eleven"
. . .
Maple and Rhea walked into the food court of the hospital and gave an order of some sandwiches and sweet milk. He looked at her as they waited for their order on the tables outside and she smiled at him, "What?"
"Do you love Ember?"
She was taken aback. She looked down at her shoes, remembering Nikki asked something similar, and she couldn't tell what her real feelings were. But now, as she looked back up at Maple, carrying the same face as Ember, she looked into his bold hazel eyes, "Yes, I love him,"
He smiled, "I'll help you get with him, then,"
"No," She resisted immediately, "I want to reach him myself,"
He looked at her for a while, then agreed.
"Maple, you know Danish too, right?" She asked.
"Your Danny boi at service,"
"I want to ask you something,"
"Name it,"
They soon went back to Ember's room with the food and ate together. He didn't eat. Rhea noticed and asked him why he wasn't eating, "I'm asked not to eat anything for a while,"
"But, won't that make you weak?"
He pointed at the IV bottle hanging beside his bed, "This keeps me going,"
After everyone left, Ember was again left in the depressing room-all by himself. The world seemed to move slower than usual. Small pleasures which he once knew, were only a dream now since the doctors had told him not to move a lot before the surgery. He looked out through the window to repress the boredom and loneliness. It was cold and bright-A December afternoon. People were lying on the grass, basking in the sun while he was chained to the white.
When he suddenly got Rhea's call, "Hello,"
"Hey, Ember!" She seemed to be smiling, "Wanna hang out on a call?"
"Does he have to?" Neel said in the background while chewing on sugarcane.
"Is that Neel?" Ember asked.
"Yeah, he just came here to annoy me while I was painting,"
"I literally haven't said anything to you," Neel glared at her.
"Then why are you here? Go to the terrace of your building!"
"It's locked,"
"Why do you need to go to the terrace?"
"The weather is nice,"
Ember giggled as he heard them fight, "I wish I was there right now,"
Neel looked at the phone, "Rhea, why don't you do a video call?"
"What?" Ember said.
"That's a good idea! What do you say, Ember?"
Ember smiled, "I say yes,"
Rhea switched the voice call to a video call and kept her phone leaning against a brick on the railings "You look like you're in a prison, you dodo," Rhea started laughing.
"Do I look so bad?" Ember asked Neel.
"You look fine," Neel continued eating the sugarcane.
"Ember, watch me paint!" Rhea shouted.
Ember watched her bring the canvas to life, "You've improved, Rhea!"
"Thanks!" Rhea blushed while Neel finished half of the sugarcane in the background.
"Say, Rhea. Hypothetically, just imagine, if I were to just leave you and go somewhere far away and never return-What would you do?" Ember asked. Neel stopped eating and looked at the phone. Rhea's smile disappeared immediately "Why would you ask that? Is something wrong, Ember?"
"No, I asked just like that,"
"Truth is...I'm afraid of existing in a world without you,"
Neel looked down. Ember smiled, "That's nice to hear,"
But he wasn't happy and Rhea noticed that maybe he didn't like it, "It is getting late. I should go now. Bye Rhea," Ember waved at her.
"Bye Ember,"
"Bye Neel,"
Neel ignored him and walked down the terrace. Ember ended the call and left Rhea staring at her phone, "He...doesn't like me, does he?"
He pressed his back on the bed and pressed his eyes. He looked distressed.
'How should I tell you the truth when you look so happy believing the lie?'
-To be continued
Can't I Touch Your Heart?
Teach Me The Art of Living