16 I Want to Meet Aster

The hospital was messy and busy with nurses moving about hurriedly from one patient to another, children howling and people fighting with one another for toilets and water. The last day's events had caused a huge distress among the people. Many were forced to spend the first day of the year in a hospital. None were happy. Lot of them had severe injuries and have already gone through major operations. 'Be silent' boards on the walks were ignored. People shouted in front of the operation theaters, ignoring the angry glances of the attenders and nurses. There weren't enough doctors to treat the patients. Hence, the nurses attended all the minor cases and were quite busy. Rooms were all full. People spread out bedsheets on the floor and slept. They men and women, all were cramped into the same rooms. There frequent arguments between the patients over medicines and beds. The hospital resembled a typical slum.

NGOs brought in more food and water. Some people were generous enough to offer their homes for treatment too. But such offers were turned down by the hospital authorities considering the security of the patients and the workers. They wouldn't know if one of those offers came from a group of burglars or muggers. The attack by those mages did create a crisis among the people. As the attack was concentrated in one city, hence the impact on the people in that city was a lot. The authorities have decided to shift some people to other hospitals in nearby cities.

Eren and Sienna were in the same room as the hospital was short of rooms to separate men and women. They conditions were getting better as they were beings treated with special attention. They were recovering fast as they were given the best medicines.

Eren woke up to see Sienna yawning and stretching in her bed. His wounds were healing. There was a lot af improvement in his condition. His left hand felt his right, near his wound. The doctors had asked him not to touch his wounds as there were chances that it would get infected. But he was tempted to touch that spot over and over. It was a strange sensation. The very same feeling one would get when he get pimples and touch it over and over eventhough people ask him not to. He will not be satisfied until the white slimy thing came out of the burst pimple.

"Hey! Don't touch that." Sienna mumbled barely able to speak properly.

Eren had forgotten that Sienna was awake. He quickly took his hands off the wound.

"I wonder why Aster didn't come to see us." Sienna told, a bit concerned. "He should have come by now. Are you listening?"

Eren was trying to touch his wound again. He was startled to hear Sienna's last question.

"Uh.. Yeah.. Where were you again?" Eren asked.

Sienna's face reddened. She sat up straight on her bed and threw a pillow directly on Eren's face.

"Owww!!" Eren squeaked. "What's the matter with you?"

"I wonder why Aster didn't turn up yet." Sienna said making each word clear.

"He'll come. Nothing to wonder. Maybe the principal and the teachers decided to give him an award? I mean he casted such powerful spells yesterday, didn't he?" Eren said with a tinge of jealousy reflecting in his eyes.

"But...I don't know. He should have come by now. I fear something bad might happen to him."

"Why are you so worried? You don't have to be. What bad can happen to him? He has all those powers to support him, doesn't he? And what are the kind of bads that you mean?"

"Maybe just a bad thought." Sienna said. But the concern had not lifted off from her face.

A loud knock was heard on the door.

"Yes?" Sienna asked guessing that it would be one of the hospital staff.

"Can we come in?" It was a male voice. A voice which Eren and Sienna had heard somewhere.

'Maybe a doctor.' Their minds saids simultaneously. The looked at eachother, smiled and Eren asked them to come in. It was at that instant that Sienna remembered whose voice it was. She regretted asking them to come in.

A guy walked in first. He was tall, black haired and had cruel, ugly eyes.

"Hello." He said. A gang of three boys followed.

"You? What are you doing here?" Eren shouted as he instantly recognized their faces.

"We are not here to fight. That bastard Aster, he saved you both, didn't he?" The taller one asked.

"That's none of your businesses Derek. But, yeah! There's one thing. Better stay away from him. Don't ever try to bully him. He's not weak. He's stronger than any one of you." Eren said watching the three bullies with disgust.

One of them walked over to Sienna's bed and handed kept a basket full of fruits near on her bedside table.

"What is this Spence?" Sienna asked.

"Ohh.. These are fruits Sienna. A gift from us. Eat." Spence said.

"We don't need your gifts." Eren said sharply, trying to get up.

"He was not speaking to you Eren. You don't have to reply." One of them told angrily.

"I wasn't speaking to you either. So you don't have to talk, Terrence." Eren sat up straight in his bed. Heady was ready for a fight mentally. He could feel his temper rising. But, his body wasn't fit for a fight.

"Watch your tongue, you.."

"Roschow stop. We didn't come here to fight. We wanted to convey a good news." Derek explained with a calm face.

Sienna got nervous. 'Aster... What happened to you?' She thought. Her feelings tend to be right.

"What good news?" Eren asked.

"Just this much." Derek said grinning. "Your friend, Aster, is expelled from the school, he was taken to a court for a trial, he was given a sentence, he ran away after fighting with the people present in the court. Now they are all criminals and are wanted by the authorities. The authorities are searching for them now."

Eren and Sienna were shocked.

"Expelled?" Eren asked his eyes wide open in bewilderment.

"Ha! Yup!" Terrence said merrily.

"For being a dangerous influence for the students."

"Is this true?" Sienna asked, unable to believe her ears.

"Why would we lie?" Terrence asked, acting as if he was the most innocent boy in the world.

"You would lie. You told that Aster beat you up, when he had done nothing." Eren rebuked.

"Oh! That!" Spence smiled sarcastically. "We accept that it was a lie. But this is not. My father works at the ministry of public welfare, he told us." They laughed together. They all left the room with ugly, ignorant, satisfied expressions on their faces. Spence slammed the door shut.

Sienna and Eren couldn't digest what they heard. They sat frozen in their beds.

"Where do you think they might have gone?" Sienna asked, her lips trembling.

"Don't know. But Amelia is with him. You know her well. She is strong." Eren said, trying to convince himself ans Sienna that Aster would be fine.

"I want to meet Aster." Sienna said, stirring up suddenly. She had decided. Her lips were not trembling. She needed to meet him. Help him. Not only him, all four of them.

"Are you nuts? Howare we gonna get there? Where are they? We haven't recovered fully." Eren was shocked by Sienna's sudden change.

"I have decided. I will go. Come if you want."

"I want to come too. You're not going alone. But, where are they?" Eren had made but his mind. But, this one question was unanswered. 'Where are they?'

"I think, I know...." Sienna said, her tone deep and conscious.