Back but Weak and Alone Again?

Renir had never met that girl in his whole life. Not that he could remember.

However, he dismissed it since maybe that was an inexperienced nurse calling for help, or something like that. That was a more acceptable reason for Renir.

Also, his mind was filled with questions. Yet, these questions could never hide his happiness.

Renir sat up and found that he was in dextrose, also, in a patient gown without underwear which heated his face to red.

An adult who had never gone outside without underwear would feel the same.

Thinking about it, back in Gantlet, he was always in his trusty underwear...

Renir looked at the tv in front of him and murmured, "I'm really back...", but that was not made him emotional.

He figured out long ago when his senses were coming back to him, yet turned a blind eye to it.

Because Renir didn't want to admit it.

Hesitatingly, he stared at his right wrist, hoping the beads would appear.

But just a few seconds that passed was enough to tell Renir that it wasn't there anymore.

Renir's hands trembled as unstoppable tears came out of his hopeless eyes and body uncontrollably shaking.

"Was it all a dream?", his strengthless body felt weakening even more. His eyes began to blur. Renir was dextrose-dependent, not much energy he could dispose of.

He felt cold that he thought he would never experience again. The wind blew and Renir looked out the window to see the city he was born and grew up to. And above it, was the moon and the dark sky was so familiar with.

Stars were slightly peeking in the sky since the city light wasn't much to cover the sky.

On the other side of the wall, Renir vaguely heard people chatting and then the room's door gently, yet, hastily opened for three people to come in.

One was a lady with age and weight, and a young man, following her steps. Both were obviously nurses or one is a doctor since both wore a white scrub suit.

The third person was the girl who was beside Renir earlier than shouted while running. Now that he got a second look, she was wearing the school uniform where he goes to.

When the three entered, they saw Renir, skinny, trembling with tears falling out.

It was too sudden that Renir couldn't stop crying. He was embarrassed to be seen in that state.

The girl abruptly ran to him with a face of pure worry, "Renir, are you okay?"

Renir couldn't answer as he tried to stop crying.

"Pretty girl, please stand aside.", the lady nurse or doctor said as if she was a strict mother while gently pushing the girl aside.

The lady was not wearing the symbolical stethoscope for doctors so Renir unconsciously assumed she was a nurse.

The lady nurse then ordered the young one, "Prepare an apple shake. One is enough." when she saw Renir had the strength to sit up on his own.

The young nurse nodded and left with huge strides without making the sounds of footsteps.

Renir was about to calm down when he was asked by the lady nurse;

"How are you feeling? Are you nauseated?"

Renir dropped his hands, still trembling. He could only nod while his eyes stared under the empty space. He wouldn't think of other explanations.

The lady nurse kept the questions later as she turned off Renir's dextrose as well as removing all the syringes attached to his arm which Renir failed to see. She also turned off the tv.

The girl couldn't sit down. She just stared at Renir with a saddened face.

It did not take a while before the young male nurse came back with an apple shake and water.

Renir had the strength to drink it himself so before the lady nurse takes the glass of shake, he held it and drank.

He wouldn't embarrass himself any further, he had the energy to do it on his own.

While he finishes the drink, the lady nurse kept ordering the young nurse until Renir was finished.

He was then given some medicine. Maybe it was nutrients so he drank it with the water.

After a whole minute, Renir felt his body improving so the lady nurse asked;

"Do you remember your name?", she had an amiable tone.

"Renir Ennure", he emotionlessly answered without looking at the nurse. His body was recovering even by a slight margin but his mood did not.

"Good.", the nurse remarked, "Do you remember what happened?"

Renir's eyelids dropped in half as he thought, 'I remember everything. But it's not like they are going to believe I was brought into a world of trials then defeated many monsters until I acquainted a demon to get out... But it's just probably a dream though... I don't really like to tell them I was beaten to be brought to a hospital. It's not like I want to hide it, I just don't want to be bothered.'

After this thought, he just shook his head. He had lost the energy to cooperate. Renir just wanted to be alone for a while.

Before the lady nurse could ask another question, Renir looked to her and asked, "When can I go home?"

Then it just came to him he didn't really want to go back to his uncle's apartment since all the cleaning and housework will be pushed to him while his uncle, on booze, would shout at him for being a burden.

Now that he was confined to a hospital, surely, his uncle would be the one to pay all the expenses. Renir was absolutely sure he would just get beaten if he returned.

However, the lady nurse answered something unexpected to him.

The lady nurse tightly wrinkled her forehead while she was fuming in anger, but controlled herself and gave Renir a kind look, "I know this may sound shocking to you, but... your guardians were nowhere to be found."

"It's fine! We don't need them!"

Renir wasn't the one who shouted but the girl who just silently stared at him.

Surprisingly, albeit strict, the lady nurse tolerated her interrupting shout and said to Renir, "About this matter, I guess she would be best to talk to you."

Renir showed a puzzled expression, 'Who's she?', he asked himself again.

When the nurse lady saw Renir's obvious expression, she asked, "Don't you remember her?"

'I remember everything. I just don't know her.', but Renir wasn't in the mood. When the lady nurse even told him a shocking revelation, he was unfazed. When thinking about it, that useless uncle of his would definitely do that: Abandoning him.

It was a problem where he would sleep next time he was discharged but he was too tired to think. He just wanted to take a long walk, relaxing his head. The one that shocked him the greatest was that his time in Gantlet may have been just a big dream.

"No", he replied so.

The lady nurse pitied them both when she saw that the girl was saddened too.

After being in a coma, it was common to lose some of the patient's memory. She just prayed that this poor boy would retrieve his lost memories after a few days.

She couldn't predict since the cause of the patient's coma was still unknown.

"Get some rest first. Although you slept for two weeks straight, you are tired. Within an hour, someone will bring food for you again to regain your strength.", the lady nurse changed back to her professional look as if nothing was personal, all was business, "Then later, you will get a thorough check-up."

Renir nodded, "Thank you", even if tired, he thanked her.

The lady nurse walked out and closed the door, leaving the girl and Renir alone in the hospital room.

Renir stared at the girl and observed her. If he wasn't that tired and also, already recovered from the shock, he would be blushing to see such a cute and pretty girl like her in front of him and alone in a room, on top of that.

He stayed silent, expecting an explanation from her, 'I know I remember anything. But why is she so sad earlier?', he thought maybe he did forget something? Maybe he really was hit in the head when he was beaten up in the abandoned church.

But before he could ask, the girl sat beside him and spoke. Her eyes failed to have contact with Renir's.

"Don't you have something to ask?", she bashfully questioned.

Even Renir was infected by her as he slightly blushed but asked monotonic, "Who are you?"

When the girl heard this, all the bashfulness turned into worry as she looked at Renir, "So you did forget me? You don't know my name?", her tone was not sweet yet not cold.

Renir shook his head.

"Really? I didn't take what you answered to the doctor seriously ..", her fingers fidgeted.

'Then why did you look sad earlier?', Renir asked inwardly but he was already forcing himself in this conversation because he was curious, he didn't want it to be tangent.

"I even acted as if I'm sad.", unexpectedly, she answered Renir's questioned.

"Huh?", at this, Renir didn't have any idea what she was saying, "Why act?",

The girl sighed, "I thought you understood that telling the truth would complicate things. I was even surprised that you acted perfectly. If my cover was blown, I didn't know what to do."

Renir just stared at her with indifference but his brain was gearing at full action that he even forgot he was tired and in a bad mood, "What cover?"

"Well", the girl combed her hair with a blush and smile, "When I learned that both your uncle and aunt left you alone, I was the one who paid the expenses, but they wouldn't let me because we have no relationship. I am basically a stranger. Being a student in the same school wasn't enough. But if I say a relative, it could easily be traced if they tried. Although they wouldn't, I played safe and said I'm your girl for six years now!", she proudly exclaimed as if she achieved something while inwardly wanting praise.

"You...", but within Renir's mind, it was full chaos, not praises. He wanted to shout, 'YOU WHAT?!'