Chapter 17 : Mrs. School Doctor (2)

As we arrived at the parking lot, she unlocked her car and told me to sit on the back passenger seat, so I could lay down if I wanted to.

At this point, I resigned myself to fate and followed her suggestion obediently. I plopped down on the seat as I breathed heavily. My body was covered in sweat. The distance between the parking lot and the infirmary was not even that far, but walking through it felt like an ordeal from hell.

I impatiently took off my blazer and tugged on my collar, letting the cool wind from AC blow some life back to me.

Ah, it felt so comfortable when the cool breeze met with my burning skin.

"Are you okay? Where do you live?" Mrs. School Doctor looked at me worriedly. I told her my address and fortunately, she knew the area well since her friend also lived nearby.

As the car drove off, my body rocked pleasantly from side to side. Mrs. School Doctor must be an excellent driver. I closed my eyes, hoping to have a brief shut-eye, but alas, I couldn't sleep. I was just woken up in the infirmary, and Mrs. School Doctor told me that the school had been over. It seemed like I slept through all the classes today.

Oh yeah, I need to inform the manager.

With a painstaking effort, I successfully found my phone in my bag and pressed on the manager's contact. The connection rang a few times before it finally connected.

"Hello? Miss Williams, where are you?" The manager asked me impatiently. He sounded upset.

"Manager, I'm sorry for informing you so late, but I don't think I can work today. I caught a fever and my school doctor told me I'd need to recuperate for a while." I emphasized my explanation by letting out a cough here and there.

"Is that so? Are you okay?" The manager's voice softened considerably. Our store manager was a decent man with few words. He was strict and disliked undisciplined people, but very generous to those who were diligent and hardworking.

"I took the medicine and got some rest, I feel better now. However, I'm afraid I will need your permission for sick leave today."

"I understand. I will tell the others to cover you up. Next time, I'll appreciate it if you could inform me sooner."

"Yes, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience, Sir."

"Rest well, Miss Williams. I wish you a fast recovery," said the manager perfunctorily, before he hung up.

I sighed heavily as one problem was solved with that. I was about to think of the best way to apologize to Mrs. Gabrielle when Mrs. School Doctor asked me in a soft voice. "Are you working part-time, Eirlys?"

I supposed she was talking about my previous conversation with the manager. "Yes. That was my manager."

Mrs. School Doctor was silent for a while before she asked me another question. "Say, I don't mean to pry, but I kinda worry about you," her voice trailed a bit as she hesitated whether she should continue or not. She glanced at me through the rearview mirror with a complicated expression. "Are you being bullied at school?"

The face Mrs. School Doctor was making looks so funny in my eyes. She contemplated so much just to ask a question with an obvious answer. Well, to new people like her, she might have thought it was a sensitive topic, thus explaining her hesitation.

My lips curved upward in an amused manner. "What makes you think that?"

"I… saw your desk in the class. And, you got bruises all over your body. The one in your stomach was especially bad. I think you need to have it checked at the hospital." Mrs. School Doctor showed the same aggrieved and upset expression as earlier.

I see, so it's because she saw my desk and my injuries. I supposed my condition right now was pretty pitiful for those who didn't know my origin.

"You checked inside my clothes?"

She nodded her head. "As I should. You held your stomach with a painful expression in your sleep."

"I see."

"And… You also sleep talking. You kept apologizing in your sleep…"

My ears perked up at that. A flash of memories glided through my head in an instant. A memory I wish I could forget. Mrs. School Doctor perhaps assumed that I dreamed about people who bullied me. How wrong she could be. Her misunderstanding was convenient though since I couldn't explain this to anyone.

"So Mrs. School Doctor already found out, huh?" I said while chuckling.

"Victoria."

"What?"

"Victoria. That's my name," She showed me a calm smile through the rearview mirror. "You can call me that, so please stop with Mrs. School Doctor, will you?" She chuckled along with me.

"Mrs. Victoria," I said, testing the sound of her name. "I said before you should just leave me alone, I meant it. I don't have a good reputation, and everybody knows about it. Even teachers had given up on me. You can ask around and you'll know why."

"How can that be? Your injuries are proof of a serious bullying case. Are you going to leave it just like that? You need to report it and let the adults help you."

Mrs. Victoria must be an upright person if she put so much emphasis on how a student should rely on a teacher in this situation. How kind, but naive.

"Teachers and students, they are all the same. I warned you, Mrs. Victoria." I said as I glanced at the view outside the window. "Oh, you can turn right here. It's a shortcut."

"Your parents… what happened to them?"

I flinched hearing that question. I didn't know Mrs. Victoria would ask me directly like that. Contrary to her appearance, she might be bolder than I thought.

"They were gone. It's been years already," I said nonchalantly.

"Is it… because of an accident?" Mrs. Victoria asked me carefully.

How I wish it was that simple. I pressed my lips in a thin smile as I gazed outside of the window. "Sort of. Well, you can get the details from the other teachers if you want to know. They'll tell you the full story."

"But, I'd like to hear it from you directly. They might be exaggerating some facts."

I shrugged my shoulders indifferently. "Exaggerating or not, the gist of it will be the same. I don't have a hobby of repeating the same story over and over again."

"Do you...not care at all? About people's hearsays?"

"What difference would it make whether I care or not?" It took me a moment to realize I was being too rude talking like that to Mrs. Victoria. I coughed to dispel the awkwardness, before I added, "Don't worry too much Mrs. Victoria. I am bullied, but I can take care of myself just fine. As for what people said about me, I don't think it's necessary to be overly conscious about it. Because in the end, there is no way to completely stop them from talking, so I prefer to not bother with it. I'm used to it anyway."

Mrs. Victoria neither rebutted me nor asked any more questions. I took her silence as a sign she understood what I was trying to say. "You can turn left here. My house is the one with white paintings."

The car came to a stop in front of my house. I grabbed my bag and slightly bowed my head to Mrs. Victoria. Regardless of her probing, she was genuinely trying to look out for me in her own way. I appreciated her effort.

"Thank you very much for taking me home, Mrs. Victoria."

"You're welcome, Eirlys," She pulled my hand gently and put some candies on top of my palm. Her smile was gentle and indulging like she was trying to coax a child. "Eat this when your tongue feels bitter. I had put my number on your contact lists. Contact me if your fever gets worse."

I stared at the candies on my palm. These are the kinds of candy I used to eat with Grandpa. She even gave me the grape flavor too, my favorite one. I smiled fondly as I recalled the happy memories. I clutched them, then stuffed them in my pocket. "Thank you again for being so attentive."

Mrs. Victoria's face brightened as if she was very happy about something. "Now, now, no need to hesitate. Please rely on me anytime!"

After that, I waited until Mrs. Victoria took off with her car before I made my way into the house. I plopped on the sofa as soon as I made it inside.

My head was still throbbing with a dull pain, and my throat was parched.

As I laid down groggily, my hand reached into my pocket. I pulled out candy from the inside then tore the wrapper with my fingers. I put the candy inside my mouth, and my tongue was immediately assaulted with a sweet and fruity taste.

As Mrs. Victoria said, it reduced my bitterness a little.