7

Aina reached for the mop handle that was leaning against the armchair next to the sofa. She stood up and steadied herself, looking down at her swollen, injured ankle. She felt embarrassed by what she saw but giggled all the same; Sarge wrapped her foot between a small bag of frozen veggies and a pack of frozen meat. These were the only frozen items in her freezer that Sarge found.

"...okay, that should do it for now..." Sarge said as he wrapped something cold on Aina's ankle. He found an elastic bandage in his pocket which he removed from one of patients earlier that day. "...you can use this as a crutch to go to the bathroom...but I suggest you keep your foot elevated for the next 24 hours...I'll be back later..." Sarge said and left. All the while, Aina was slightly stunned by everything that happened. One moment they were just walking and talking, then suddenly, Sarge was caring for her...again...

---

Aina hobbled over to the kitchen and saw some food prepared with a note saying "Don't skip your meals..." She sat down and began to eat, recalling what happened.

Aina remembered Sarge sharing about a vacuum cleaner he recently purchased that didn't make as much sound as the older models. Then, as they neared the door of the compound, she tripped on the uneven pavement and suddenly felt a sharp pain run up her leg. She dropped some of the things she was carrying and fell toward her side. Sarge, who was walking beside her, caught her and broke her fall. Sarge then massaged her foot and told her that she sprained it badly. Sarge then carried her piggy-back style and entered the compound. Upon seeing their situation, the lobby guard assisted Sarge with their things and escorted them to Aina's door. Aina had to whisper her door code to Sarge so that they could enter the unit. When the guard left, Aina realized that her apartment was a mess! It was the end of the week and she normally would just throw her things around and tidy up during the weekends. Sarge laid her on the sofa and searched for ice in the freezer. Unfortunately, Aina only had a bag of frozen vegetables and a pack of frozen meat which she planned to cook for her next meal. While carefully extracting the frozen items from the icy freezer, he noticed that there were some food stains on the stovetop and kitchen counter and some unwashed plates in the sink. Sarge, being a self-confessed cleanliness freak, had the strong urge to clean up and tidy everything. However, he also knew that he wasn't in the position to do so. So, he just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and searched a mop or broom handle, while secretly fighting the urge to clean.

Aina thought that it was a little odd that Sarge seemed to know where to go as soon as they entered the compound, even if the guard assisted and escorted them. She heard him say, "...short cut..." under his breath. Then, when they got to the end of the corridor, Sarge slightly hesitated turning toward her unit, even if the guard was just a few steps in front of them and he led the way. But Aina also thought that Sarge's adrenalin surge was probably slowly fading at this point since it had been many minutes since her accident. She wasn't very light either, plus he had to carry his things along with hers.

She was brought back to the present when her doorbell suddenly rang. "Who is it?" Aina said. She tried to get up quickly but her foot was throbbing.

"Aina? It's Sarge."

Aina looked around her apartment. It still looked like a disaster. "Ah...come...in..." Aina replied hesitantly.

Remembering the door code she whispered earlier, Sarge let himself in. Aina was surprised to see him now dressed in jogging pants, a t-shirt, and crocs. She glanced at the clock. It had been barely 30-minutes since he left. Aina immediately thought that perhaps Sarge had these things in his backpack. Aside from his appearance, he already had crutches with him! "Where'd he get those?!"

"How are you doing?" Sarge asked.

"I'm okay. Thanks. Did you prepare this?"

"Ah. One of the patient's mothers brought that earlier."

"Ah. Thanks."

"...anyway, let's change that ice pack to a legit one. You know how to use these, right" Sarge said presenting the items in his hands – instant ice packs and crutches. Sarge kept some instant 'ice' packs in his apartment. The crutches were from an injury he had in the past. Earlier, while he was administering first aid to Aina, Sarge was already trying to recall where he stored them. He immediately changed out of his scrubs and searched for the items as soon as he entered his unit. He had to remind himself to slow down a bit since he didn't want Aina to know (yet) that he lived just across from her.

Sarge assisted Aina back to the sofa and removed the food packs. "Let's disinfect your ankle a bit since those plastic bags might have salmonella on them..." Sarge said while laughing. Aina pointed to the big bottle of alcohol on the table and Sarge doused her foot with the antiseptic and wiped it with a clean tissue. He then got to work and expertly wrapped Aina's foot properly.

"Let's get rid of this and have a proper meal. I'll be back." Sarge left Aina on the sofa and exited the apartment again. After a few minutes, he returned with bags of food. "I saw the delivery guy outside." Sarge explained when he saw Aina's confused expression. "Delivery? I didn't hear anyone outside..."

It was already dark when they finished their meal. "Are you planning to sleep here or do you want to go to your room?" Sarge casually asked after he cleared away. Aina didn't reply but tried to stand up. Sarge immediately went to her to assist her.

"Thanks. But I think I can manage. Besides, I want to take a shower first." Aina said.

"Ah, yeah. A warm bath."

Aina nodded.

"Uhm...ah...I can..." Sarge began softly as he helped Aina stand up from the couch.

"What?"

"I can give you..."

"Huh?"

"...I know how to..."

"What?"

"...give sponge baths..." Sarge said softly. Aina, who was enveloped by Sarge's arms – one hand on her left, the other on the crutch – slowly turned to look at him.

They stared at each other and Sarge slowly moved his head forward. Aina found herself closing her eyes and slowly parting her lips. She then felt Sarge's lips gently press against her lips. Seconds later, their lips parted. "Sorry" Sarge said, blushing. He gently pushed her as he guided her to her bedroom. When they got to the door, he said, "...goodnight. I'll...I'll check on you tomorrow...bye..."

"B...bye..." Aina managed to say. "...thank you..." she whispered after her front door closed.