6 Her nightmare!

Walking back towards the resting area, Caroline's wet shoes squeaked across the vinyl flooring, drawing people's attention. But her mind was so occupied that she didn't even notice.

"Carol!"

"Dr. Caroline!"

Jolted out of her thoughts, she turned back.

"Oh! Dr. Van!" she exclaimed.

"What happened to you? You seem a bit lost out there!"

"Erm… Nothing. Nothing. Long shift hours, I guess. Just drained!"

With an apologetic look on his face, Dr. Van said, "I am so sorry. Couldn't cover you this morning, but heard that you brought the patient back to life. Good work there, Carol." He gently patted her shoulder.

Any other day, she would have been pleased to get a compliment from the youngest double board-certified doctor in the States, but instead, she faked a laugh and moved a bit, escaping from his touch.

To begin with, it was not an accomplishment, and to top it, he had escaped right under her nose.

"I better get some rest! Later Dr. Van!"

"Yeah! See you at the conference tomorrow."

"See you!" She said and walked ahead.

Reaching the resting room, she took a quick hot shower and wrapped herself dry in a towel. From her hamper, she picked out an oversized t-shirt and shorts to wear and switched off the lights before sprawling in the bed.

She tucked herself inside the blanket, wanting to have a nap, but in the back of her mind, she was still replaying the video footage.

By nature, she was an atheist who didn't believe in God or miracles, especially after her parents' untimely death. But whatever had happened today had grossly shaken her beliefs.

"Ring Ring!"

And that phone call halted her train of thoughts.

"Hello, Grandpa!"

"Where are you, Carol? You texted that you would come back in the morning. Are you stuck because of the weather?"

"Yeah!" she sulked as she spoke.

"Weird November rain!"

"Weird indeed!"

"Get some sleep, my child! And come back as soon as the rain stops."

"I will!" and then, a bit hesitant, she asked, "Grandpa! Do you believe in miracles?"

"Of course I do. But what happened, Carol?"

"Erm… nothing! Forget about it. I will take a quick nap!"

But something was occupied inside that head of hers that didn't go unnoticed by him. "Are you sure?"

"Sure! Gramps!"

He let out a defeated sigh. "Sleep tight! For dinner, I will make an apple pie for you. Let's talk then."

"You are the best!"

"Sleep now. No more talking!"

Caroline giggled and disconnected the call. As a doctor, she bore a demeanor that was least gregarious, but with her grandfather, she was always like a sweet teenager. Feeling much better, she decided to push away all the thoughts about him and rest.

"Are you scared of me?"

Caroline opened her eyes upon hearing that voice. That familiar deep voice and those amber eyes. "You!"

"Shh...." He hushed her; his fingers hovered lightly over her mouth and then moved on lightly on her cheeks, turning her all scarlet.

"No!"

"And why not?" he asked, inching closer, making her stomach dip at her base.

Her throat dried that instant when he arched his brow.

"Cuz ... Because you are a nice man!" she said, looking into his amber eyes with fondness and wonder. "Because it feels like I can trust you."

But he bursts into peals of laughter.

"Oh! But you should! Because I am the Devil!" and his eyes, flickered with a deathly hint of blue just like they had done when he had just opened his eyes, clouding the amber underneath.

"Nooooooo!"

Caroline screamed and tried to push him away, but her hands met nothing but air. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she gasped for air for a moment and then switched on the lights. She looked around, but there was no one else in the room except for her. The door was locked from inside. Barefoot, she rushed towards the window and found it latched as before and breathed a sigh of relief.

A nightmare indeed.

She tapped on her chest lightly, wanting to calm her racing heart and took a couple of deep breaths before picking up her water bottle and chugging a good amount as her throat had run dry.

"Teee-teee-tick"

Panicked, she dropped the water bottle only to realize it was just her alarm clock.

"Darn it!"

Quickly picking up the bottle she saw that it was 6:30 pm already. The rain had stopped, and she decided that it was time to go home.

She put on her shoes and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. Picking up her phone, she texted her grandfather that she was on her way. As she packed her bag, she could feel that she was a bit warm and her eyes were a bit heavy.

'Damn the rain!'

She cursed because that was so not the time to fall sick, not when her department was already understaffed, and she was supposed to be in a conference tomorrow.

She started her car and reached home within ten minutes.

"Grandpa!" She beamed and hugged him.

"You feel a bit warm Carol."

"I know, feeling a bit feverish!"

"Did you take medicine?"

"I will, after gorging on the dinner that you have prepared."

With the back of his palm, he touched her forehead and a worried expression etched on his face.

"You go to your room and take rest. Let me quickly wrap up the dinner for you." He said and pushed her away from the kitchen.

"OK!" Raising her hands up, she walked towards her room, but then turned and asked,

"Hope I am getting the delicious pie that you promised! You cannot back out from that."

"Only if you stop hovering around!"

Caroline scoffed and went inside her room. She washed herself off and then removed her shorts. Her oversized t-shirt was good enough for her, hanging almost to her knees. She immediately slipped inside her duvet and even though she knew it was paramount that she rested, she opened the conference paper that she was supposed to present the day after in her phone.

'Surveillance of moderate-size aneurysms of the thoracic aorta through guided 0.8 mm scope.''

"This is going to be good!"

A satisfactory smile spread on her face, after she was done reviewing her slides.

Pulling the medicine box from the side table, she applied a vapour rub over her chest, neck and nose and then closed her eyes to get some good sleep. But a few minutes later, she heard her grandfather knock on her door.

"Carol I am going out to get some more apples. Will be back soon!"

"OK!" She smiled and waved at him before pulling her duvet up.

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