53 Detour To The Infirmary

"Room 1-A," Kate said as she stared at the small signage hanging outside the classroom. "This is it."

Since the classroom was near the entrance, the two girls found it easily. Chloe looked calm on the surface, but deep inside she was very nervous. Truth be told, she was not used to being surrounded by people she didn't know. If not for the reason that she wanted to be with her Big Brother, Chloe would never attempt to do something like this on her own.

"Don't worry," Kate assured her. "I will pick you up after the exam. Just stay here."

"Thank you, Big Sister," Chloe replied.

Kate nodded her head, but just to be on the safeside, she made sure to add another reminder.

"If I'm not here half an hour after the exam ends, talk to the examiner and ask if they could call for a staff member to guide you to the main entrance," Kate said with a smile. "As long as you reach the gates, Mama Andrea, Ciel, and your sister will find you."

"Understood." Chloe nodded her head. "I can also make my way back alone. You don't have to worry, Big Sister."

"Good. I'll be going to my room now. Goodluck on your exam!"

"You too. Goodluck, Big Sister!"

Kate left the Jasmine Building to look for her own examination classroom. She was assigned to the Edelweiss Building, Room 3-B. Ciel told her that it was located on the North side of the academy, so Kate headed in that direction.

There was still half an hour before the exam started so Kate was confident that she could reach her examination room in time. Still, she didn't take any chances and asked another staff member, who was currently guiding other examinees towards their examination rooms, for directions.

Although the staff member was busy, he still helped Kate and pointed to a building with a red roof in the distance.

"That is the Edelweiss Building. The exams are about to start so you need to hurry," the staff member advised. "Some examiners are very strict when it comes to examination time. You don't want to fail just because you were not allowed to take the test for being late, do you?"

"Um, do they have to go that far?" Kate asked.

"This is a prestigious academy. Some examiners take their jobs seriously. If you're unlucky, you might meet one of them."

"Thank you, Big Brother."

After saying her thanks, Kate walked briskly towards the Edelweiss Building. She didn't want to fail just because she was late. If that were to happen, she wouldn't have the courage to face her Mama Andrea and Ciel.

The academy grounds were now mostly empty because all the examinees were now inside their examination rooms. Only a few stragglers remained and Kate was one of them. She was only a hundred meters away from the building when she noticed what seemed to be a collapsed person on the ground.

Kate was someone who was unable to turn a blind eye to people that needed help. She immediately checked to see if the person was in need of assistance.

'Stella what should we do?' Kate asked. 'Should I move him?'

[Wait, let me check first,] Stella replied. [He might have fainted due to the heat.]

After taking a closer look, Stella identified the person as a boy. He was wearing black pants and a black shirt. His dark brown hair parted to the side revealing a handsome, yet pale, face. Stella sighed in relief when she confirmed that the person was still breathing.

'I think this person is anemic,' Kate commented from their shared mindscape. 'Maybe he fainted because of the heat?'

[Maybe,] Stella replied casually. She lightly tapped the boy's cheeks to see if she could get any reactions. If she didn't get any, she was prepared to drag the boy to the school infirmary that they passed along the way.

To her surprise (and Kate's), the boy opened his eyes. A pair of dazed gray eyes stared back at them. It was only for a brief moment, but Stella heard him mutter the word "Help" before losing consciousness once again.

Stella didn't waste anymore time and lifted the boy in a princess carry, aware that no-one was around to see her strength. The moment her senses detected the presence of people, she would immediately put the boy down and slump his arms over her shoulder, supporting his body.

'Is this really ok?' Kate asked anxiously.

[Don't worry, I got this,] Stella replied as she focused her attention in her surroundings.

Kate knew what Stella was doing so she decided to keep her mouth shut. She couldn't afford to distract her right now and cause trouble for the both of them. When Stella neared the infirmary, she decided to use her plan B and slumped the boy's arms over her shoulder.

She half dragged the boy towards the infirmary. Stella was only a few steps from the main entrance when a loud shriek made her stop in her tracks.

"Stephen! What happened to you?!"

Kate glanced at the source of the voice and saw a familiar lady running in their direction. It was the same woman they asked for directions near the gates of the academy.

The lady stood in front of Stella not knowing what to do. She was touching the boy all over as if to check if he was still alive. The lady had the same hair color as the boy, so Stella assumed that they were related to each other.

"What happened to my little brother?" the lady asked in panic.

"I found him collapsed near the building where I was going to take the exam," Stella explained. Her assumption was correct and felt relief knowing that the boy's family member was here. "I couldn't leave him there so I decided to bring him here to the infirmary. Please, I still need to take the exam. Let's bring him in first."

"S-Sorry!" the woman stepped aside and let her through. "My brother is anemic. He might have fainted on his way to his examination room. Thank you very much! I will make sure to return this favor!"

Stella didn't pay attention to the woman's words and entered the infirmary. The attending physician immediately rushed in their direction and examined the boy. Since her goal was completed, Stella decided to rush towards the Edelweiss Building so that Kate could take her exam.

However, before she could go, the woman managed to grab hold of her hand.

"I know that you're an examinee," the woman said. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Kate Williams, please, I need to go or I'll be late for the exam."

"Where are you going to take the exam?"

"Edelweiss Building, Room 3-B."

"Understood," the woman released her and nodded her head. "Thank you. I'll see you later."

Stella didn't know what the woman meant when she said "I'll see you later", but she decided to put it in the back of her head for now. She needed to hurry, or else they would be late for their exam. Everything else could be sorted afterward.