Chapter 12: A Day In Between

"Wake up, wake up!” Lydia heard as someone tapped her legs. She opened her eyes slightly to see it was her youngest sister. “Mom said it’s past 4 PM; I should wake you up,” her sister said.

Lydia jumped up, realizing it was past 4 PM. She hurriedly grabbed her phone to confirm what her sister had said. As she looked at her home screen, she saw that the time was 4:37 PM. Quickly, she jumped up and entered the bathroom just as her younger sister stepped out of her room.

“How did I sleep from 10 AM this morning till 4:30 PM?” Lydia lamented as she took her bath. She couldn’t believe how much time had slipped by. Once she was done, she came out of the bathroom, got dressed, grabbed her bag, and stepped into the living room.

“Mom, why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” Lydia asked, a little annoyed at herself but mostly puzzled.

Her mom looked up from the couch where she had been sitting, her voice calm and soothing. “You came home late last night and had been staying up late to study for your just-concluded exams. I thought you needed the extra rest. Your body was obviously telling me you needed to reboot.”

Lydia nodded, still processing the events of the day. “I was pretty tired yesterday. I’m heading over to the hospital,” she informed her mom while putting on her shoes, then dashed out of the house.

Once outside, Lydia pulled out her phone and called Melissa. “Hi, Melissa, where are you?” she asked, her mind already racing ahead to the hospital visit.

“Hi, Lydia! I’m home right now,” Melissa replied cheerfully, though Lydia could hear the hint of exhaustion in her voice.

Lydia informed Melissa that she was about to head out to the hospital. Melissa suggested that Lydia come over to her house so they could go to the hospital together later, as she was at home preparing meals for her parents and doing the laundry before heading back to the hospital. Lydia agreed and headed over to Melissa’s house.

Upon arriving at Melissa’s house, Lydia saw her friend in the yard, sun-drying clothes on the clothesline outside. Lydia joined her in spreading out the clothes to speed up the process. “How’s your dad doing now? Is he getting better?” Lydia asked, her voice full of concern.

Melissa replied, her expression softening as she spoke. “The doctors cleared him this morning, and he’s allowed to eat now. I came home to prepare food for him and my mom. My mom hasn’t left his side since the incident. She’s been so worried, not even thinking about herself.”

Lydia nodded, in understanding. “What about Victor? Is he still at the hospital?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“No, Victor returned to work today,” Melissa answered, her tone more matter-of-fact than emotional.

“Really? So soon?” Lydia asked, surprised by how quickly Victor had resumed back to work.

“My dad insisted that Victor go back to work. He said he was already better and that his presence wouldn’t speed up the healing process. You know how he is—stubborn and independent,” Melissa explained with a light laugh.

Lydia laughed saying. “That sounds exactly like the Mr. Wright I know. I’m so happy he’s back to his old self. Seeing him unconscious in bed felt so strange. He wasn’t the always-happy and jovial Mr. Wright I’ve always known.”

Melissa’s smile faded slightly, but she nodded. “I can’t thank God enough for coming through for us yesterday. I prayed more than I ever have in my life. The amount of fear I felt yesterday... I don’t think there are words to describe it.”

The girls finished spreading the clothes out and walked inside the house. As they entered the kitchen, Lydia’s nose twitched, and she sniffed the air. “I think something is burning,” she said, frowning.

Melissa’s eyes widened, and she quickly ran into the kitchen, her heart racing. She turned off the stove just in time, letting out a sigh of relief. “That was a close one,” she said, trying to suppress her frustration. “Let me grab food for my parents and some clean clothes for them.”

“Don’t worry, you’ve got this,” Lydia said with a smile, trying to ease her friend’s tension.

Melissa packed a flask with food for her parents and gathered the clothes in a bag. “Let’s eat at home before we head to the hospital,” Melissa suggested.

As they sat down to eat, Lydia shared how she had passed out that morning after eating her mother’s food. “It’s a shame I wasn’t around,” Melissa expressed with a playful frown. “I’ve missed your mom’s cooking so much. She cooks so rarely, but when she does, you just can’t help eating until you explode.”

Lydia smiled. “Well, you’ll get your chance soon. My mom plans on cooking for your family once your Dad is discharged from the hospital. She says it’ll be her way of celebrating when everything’s back to normal.”

“I can’t wait to taste her meals,” Melissa said excitedly, her face lighting up at the thought. “There’s just something about your mom’s cooking. It’s like she puts love into every dish.”

The girls finished eating, packed up their things, and headed out to the hospital.

“Will you be staying the night at the hospital?” Lydia asked, out of curiosity as she followed Melissa out of the house.

“No, I’ll be heading back home after dropping off the bags. My dad says there’s no reason for the entire household to be with him at the hospital. I honestly think he feels a bit embarrassed about slipping in the bathroom and ending up there in the hospital. He refuses to let anyone visit him except for his immediate family. You know how big he is on being independent,” Melissa explained.

“That sounds like the Mr. Wright I know—a very strong man,” Lydia commented with admiration.

“He’s a very strong but embarrassed man indeed,” Melissa joked as they hopped into a taxi and headed to the hospital.

As the taxi rolled down the road, Lydia’s thoughts turned back to the strange feeling of tiredness she had felt that morning when she woke up. The exhaustion was intense, and it seemed as though she had been asleep for much longer than just six hours. Her body had been in such deep slumber that it had rebelled against the alarm clock, refusing to let her wake up on time. She was grateful that her mom had allowed her to rest for such a long time without any disturbance. She needed the extra recovery time after such a gruelling few weeks of studying and dealing with the stress of exams. The sleep had been deep and uninterrupted, and it left her feeling recharged and super refreshed.

“Lydia, my child, please wake up. Please wake up now, my love, mom would cook you a delicious meal,” her mother pleaded, her voice trembling with despair as she gazed at Lydia's still form, the light of life extinguished from her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, carving paths through the dust of grief that had settled in the room. In the shadowy corner, Melissa’s sobs echoed painfully, each wail a heart-wrenching reminder of their loss. “Where did it all go wrong?” she whispered, her heart heavy with confusion and sorrow, searching for answers in a world that felt irreparably broken.