Why keep on failing?

As I slowly opened my eyes, I felt a wave of confusion wash over me. The sound of voices seemed to float around, mingling with the remnants of a dream, but the sobbing faces of Alex and Lara came into focus, their eyes filled with deep concern. I struggled to understand what had happened as they anxiously asked if I was okay and if I was hurt.

"What… what happened?" I asked in a faded voice.

"Gosh, you're awake! Are you okay? Alex frantically asked, checking my face and my body.

I looked at Lara when she tearfully asked, "Does it hurt anywhere? What can we do?" 

Their voices seemed distant, as if they were calling out from a far-off land, and I struggled to respond, my mind still muddled by the haze of sleep. The sense of urgency in their voices, and the fear etched on their faces, pulled me back to reality, and I tried to gather my thoughts.

"I... I thought I was dreaming."

As I managed to form the words, I assured them that I was okay and that I didn't feel any pain. Their relief was palpable as they leaned in closer, their worry slowly ebbing away. 

"We were so worried about you. You were unconscious for so long." Lara emotionally said, so I reached my hands to her to tell her that I was fine.

Alex suddenly looked straight into my eyes and asked, "Do you remember anything else?"

As my senses sharpened, I realized just how shaken they had been, and a surge of gratitude washed over me. Despite my disorientation, their unwavering concern was a beacon of comfort in the confusion that enveloped me.

"No... Everything happened so quickly, I didn't even know that I was stabbed, and I don't even know who did that."

Lara gently patted my head, "It's okay. Just focus on resting now. We'll take care of everything."

I nodded and took a nap.

I woke up in an empty room. I guess Alex and Lara stepped out or went home to rest. I found a full-sized mirror in the corner and I looked at myself wearing a hospital gown. I lifted it up and looked at the bandage on my stomach.

I heard a soft knock on the door and I expected it to be Alex and Lara, but I was disappointed when I saw the nurse come in, holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Who's that from?" I asked.

She put the bouquet on my table and replied, "Someone sent it without telling me their name, ma'am, if you'll excuse me."

I nodded in response and let her leave the room. I took it as a chance to hold the bouquet and found a letter in it. 

'That's to remind you to know your place. You're being too close to my fiancé. Know your boundaries, or I won't know mine.'

I scoffed as I realized who sent it. Nadia, you crossed the line this time. Do I look like the type who'll sit back and let you do what you want to do? 

I think I'd go crazy if I stayed in this room, so I stepped out to get some fresh air, dragging this metal where my dextrose is hanging.

I found a bench close to a tree here at the back part of the hospital building, and it looked so quiet and calming, so I didn't hesitate to go and sit there for a while. I looked at the sky and closed my eyes, letting the silence and cold winds embrace me.

"What are you doing here?"

I immediately opened my eyes when I heard a faint voice.

"I know that you hate me that much, but please put Kaesu out of this. Don't drag her into this, she's innocent." 

Wait, why am I hearing my name?

I was about to go nearer to the people who were talking behind my back, but the IV pole made a slight noise when I tried to move it. I removed the dextrose stuck in my hand, and it hurt a little, but I ignored it. 

I went to where the voices were coming from, and I was surprised to see Lara and Canim, so I hid where they couldn't see me.

"Move."

"Please, I'm begging you, not Kaesu, not her please."

My forehead furrowed because of their conversation, what were they talking about, and why was Lara begging that hard for me? Why are they talking?

"I said move." He said in a cold voice that it gave chills to me.

"Promise me you won't hurt her."

I ran as fast as I could even though my wound hurt just to reach my ward first before Canim could.

I rested in my bed and took a deep breath while writhing in pain.

I heard the creak of the door opening behind me, but I couldn't bring myself to turn and face the person who had entered. The agony of my wound was overwhelming, and all I could manage were desperate, guttural moans that betrayed my suffering. As I lay there, incapacitated, I sensed hurried footsteps approaching me. 

"Kaesu, what's happening? DOCTOR!" A voice, tinged with concern and alarm, urged me to explain what was happening, but I was lost in a haze of pain.

My vision began to blur, the world around me fading into a disorienting fog. I struggled to speak, to convey the severity of my condition, but my efforts were feeble and inadequate. The weight of my body felt unbearable, imprisoning me in a cycle of torment and despair. I longed to communicate my distress, to make Canim understand the urgency of my situation, but my strength was failing, my resolve diminishing with each passing moment.

The room swayed around me, the sounds blending into an indistinct murmur. As I teetered on the precipice of consciousness, I clung to the hope that Canim would somehow see the gravity of my plight and act swiftly to save me from the abyss.

"I'm sorry I was late, it wouldn't have happened. I failed to protect you last time and now... I still failed."