"Why did you go out in the first place?" Alizeh whispered to Nina just at the threshold of their apartment.
"I didn't want to come across as vain. I am the only one among the two of you that got a job that pays well. When you came out of the bathroom it seemed you two were having a — umm— a —" she hesitated.
"We were just talking about you."
"That didn't seem like it," Nina mumbled, just as she entered the apartment and stopped short. Alizeh who was in front of her had frozen on spot, her entire body tense. She crept up to her and followed the direction of her gaze. The first thing that struck her was blood, patches of a dark red liquid on the white marble. The spots seemed like somebody had put some cloth on it and dragged them around.
"Where's Aileana!" Alizeh's throat seemed to be choking "I left her...I left her, Nina." She looked around frantically, "she was afraid of the dark. I left her alone."
"She must be here," Nina stepped very carefully around the stains. The door to the bathroom was ajar. It made a slight creaking as she pushed it open. Something was obstructing the door. Nina spotted a leg.
"Lean!" she screamed, squeezing in through the half-open door, "Help me Aliz," she screamed, trying to drag the unconscious body of Aileana away from the door. Alizeh, who was standing frozen up till now, seemed to have woken up suddenly. She pushed back the door and supported the legs while Nina lifted out Aileana's head and trunk. Between them, they carried her over to the bed.
"She has a pulse. Quick, call the ambulance," Nina announced, forgetting all about her breakdown a few minutes ago. She was again the resourceful one.
"Is it still 911?" Alizeh had no clue.
"Dang," Nina muttered, pressing a cloth to the forehead of the girl prostate in front of her. There was a large laceration on her scalp. "She might have hit herself on some furniture in the panic of the dark. I need to stop the bleeding. Here, " Nina tossed her phone to Alizeh.
"Call Ash!" she commanded. Alizeh was too surprised to even react to the oddity of her having his contacts. Ash picked up at the second ring.
"Nina, are you okay?" his voice sounded concerned over the phone.
"Loudspeaker," Nina mouthed.
Alizeh nodded, putting the phone in front of her. The next few seconds were a blur of activities where Nina explained the whole situation to Ash and he, in turn, warned the ambulance. The sirens were soon heard at their doorstep as they wheeled away an unconscious Aileana. Nina demanded to go but the paramedics paid no heed to her as they carried out their friend. The ambulance door was shut with a click and soon the only sign of the night's mishap was a fading pair of blue lights and sirens in the distance.
"It's all my fault," Alizeh collapsed on the living room couch.
"Why?" Nina dropped beside her, still dazed.
"She was afraid of the dark and begged me to not leave her alone. I went to search for you and I thought she'd be conditioned to the dark if she's left alone for some time. I just wanted to help her," Alizeh broke down, "I just wanted her to get over her fears, I didn't... I wouldn't... I-I"
"Hey, it's okay. I know you meant well but flooding isn't an effective technique in all cases. Sometimes conditioning is needed. And she'll be okay. She just hit herself and passed out. She might have a concussion though if the fall was hard..."
"When did you learn Latin?" Alizeh whined.
"Good one!" Nina elbowed her in the ribs, "I actually have basic training in nursing. It was mandatory for all citizens of the US, girls especially to learn the skills of nursing for four years just in case war broke out. I worked at an army hospital "
"Whoa, you aren't exactly as young and inexperienced as you look."
"Believe me, I've seen the world," Nina sighed, "I've seen it all happen to me and that has maybe scarred me to a point beyond repair."
"Nothing is too broken beyond repair," Alizeh shuddered. A distant memory was just brushing along the corners of her mental shield but she very effectively shrugged it off. Now wasn't the time to bring up the past.
We should better go change and wash," Nina pointed at their soiled clothes.
"Won't they give us any news of Aileana?"
"Ash told we can go visit her tomorrow. Only in case of any emergency will they inform us. This is to prevent overcrowding or so he said," she made a face.
"You like him," Alizeh pointed out.
"No, who said?" Nina flipped around suddenly.
"That wasn't a question," Alizeh rolled her eyes, getting up from the floor.
"Aaah, is it that obvious?" Nina hit her head.
"Pretend I never said that," the smile was back on Alizeh's face. She felt relieved from the inside though the nagging worry of Aileana's sudden mishap still was burning away in some corner of her brain.
Dinner was done in silence as they both brooded over the events of the evening. The night fell as the scintillating stars lit up the mystic purple sky, visible from the sole window in the room. Nina softly slid under Alizeh's covers and hugged her. Alizeh just grunted in her sleep, too exhausted.
Nina smiled and hugged her tighter, her very personal teddy bear.