3 The Life I Want I

I wake up.

I didn't expect that I would still be able to see the sun shining on my face. I thought I was gone.

But here I am.

Where is 'here' exactly? I don't recognize the room. It's so different from a hospital room and very far from what my bedroom looks like.

Glazed white tiles, wood paneling is so clean, neat and smooth. The room is large in space and there are lots of furniture I didn't have before.

I rub my eyes when I saw the chandelier. When did my apartment have a chandelier? I only have a light bulb.

There's two lampstands too! A shelf of books, a bedside table, two closets- I am speechless.

How can there be so many things in just one room?

I try to move and I realized that the clothing I am wearing is so soft and cool to my skin. I reach for it and I am wearing matching pajamas!

Blue silky pajamas... I don't own anything like this. What is going on?

The bed has such a good cushion. My back doesn't hurt anymore. The pillows are so fluffy and big. The blankets and sheets...

I don't understand, why am I here? I don't think hospitals have such a room like this.

I get off the bed to look around. The full collection of manga on the shelves- wait! This is the manga I am working on in Eventide!

But the art style looks different from how I originally drew it.

"Mr. Carson!" a voice called behind me.

'Mr. Carson'? Is he talking about me? I drop the book I held in my hand so I can face him.

"Alex?!" I blurted. I cover my mouth immediately.

Alex stood in front of me a very different man. His black leather jacket is replaced by some sort of butler outfit.

Fingerless gloves replaced by valet gloves. His blonde hair used to be messy, tips pointed in random directions but still makes him look attractive. Now it's well-combed back.

He never wore leather shoes at school, always sneakers. But now he does!

"You're awake now. But you shouldn't get up yet, you need rest!"

He sounds so worried of me. He wants to guide me back to bed but I don't let him anywhere near me. I step back to keep distance.

"Mr. Carson, is anything wrong?"

"What happened to you?" there's no point keeping my thoughts to myself.

"I just went out for a bit to buy groceries. Are you hungry, sir?"

"No that's not what I mean... I mean, you... you changed, Alex!"

How does he not see this? Why is he acting so strange? So different?

But I guess what bothered me the most is that I am seeing a literal label above his head that says [Humphrey Calixto].

Alex stared at me with a confused look painted all over his face. "Sir my name is Humphrey." he tells me.

"No, you're Alex." I insist.

"Well yes, Alex but nobody calls me that. Everyone calls me Humphrey." he tries to tell me.

No. That is just so weird. This is all just one big nightmare. I'm still lying down the operating table, the anesthesia is not working well.

"Sir maybe you just need to rest more." he offers.

"No!" I raised my voice.

I'm not going back to bed until I figure out what in the world is really going on here! Why is he not acting like the jerk I knew?!

"Sir please!" he pleaded.

He tries to reach me but I grab the nearest object I can reach from the table and threw it at him, then I make a run for it.

"Get away from me!"

"Sir you are injured! You need to stay still!"

"NO!"

I look for the door but there are 3 doors in this big room. One of them has to be the exit.

The moment I lift my foot I felt cramps attack my leg. I fell on the floor in pain. Alex- Humphrey- whatever his name is, quickly went to aid me.

"Sir!"

"What is going on here?" another voice filled the room. It sounds so familiar but foreign at the same time.

We both turn to the door where she came from and I froze when I realize who it was.

I haven't heard her voice for so long that I almost didn't recognize it.

"Please tell Mr. Carson to go back to bed and rest. He wouldn't listen to me." Alex pleads to her.

Kate wore formal clothes similar to Alex's. Slacks and black blazer, with heels and white long-sleeved polo.

Her brown hair tied to a bun, her bangs cover her forehead, her green eyes looked straight into mine and she smiled.

I haven't seen her smile since...

"Mr. Carson come on, let's get you to bed." her voice is so gentle.

"Why are you calling me Mr. Carson?"

She chuckled and didn't answer me. Instead she started hitting my cramped leg repeatedly. Her palm wasn't heavy but I felt my leg pulsed.

"OWWW!!!"

"This will help lose the cramps fast." she tells me with a smile.

Yep that's how I remember her. She didn't change at all. I'm glad. I don't think I can imagine her to be anyone different than the one I met.

She helped me get back to bed. But still my mind couldn't find peace despite all this comfortable luxury around me.

"You didn't answer my question." I repeat.

"Because you're the boss." she replied with a shrug. Like it was the easiest question in the world to answer.

"What do you mean I'm the boss?"

Boss of what?

"And where am I exactly?"

Kate leaned close to me, her chest hovering over mine and I can feel her breath in my face. She's never closed distance like this before.

"Stop flirting around already, Ivan. I'm not gonna give it to you."

She pulled away chuckling and I was left frozen in thought. The name she called me rang in my ears.

'Ivan'?

I know it's my name but why is she calling me that?

And she's not gonna give me what?

She leaves the bed and by instinct I grab her wrist like I didn't want her to go. Well, I really don't want her to go. "Kate!"

"Hm?"

"I..." I don't know why I called her.

To tell her that I miss her? That I've been lonely since her accident? It felt awkward to say anything because she's miraculously right here alive and well.

Kate takes my hand off hers and gently placed it on the bed on my side.

"It's Freja." she corrects.

WHUUUTTTTTT????