Flora stood under the eaves, looking in that direction. The rain was still falling, still not heavy. Drip, drop.
She stood for a while, then walked to the room, pushed the door open, and entered.
In the room, Kaan and Cole were still standing by the bed. They had moved two chairs to the bedside and sat there watching Eileen. Kaan sat on the left, Cole on the right. No one spoke; they just sat there.
Hearing the door, they turned their heads.
“Where is the Lady?” Kaan asked.
“She went out on some business, she’ll be back soon,” Flora said.
Kaan nodded and didn’t ask further.
Flora walked over, stood by the bed, and looked at Eileen. Eileen’s breathing was the same as before, very steady and calm.
Her face was still pale, but slightly better than before, and her lips had a bit more color. Her expression too—she didn’t seem to be in pain; it felt like she was sleeping quite comfortably.
Flora watched for a while, then walked to the table and poured several cups of water. She handed one cup each to Kaan and Cole, then found a chair for herself and sat down by the bed.
Flora took a few sips of water. It was ice cold. She drank slowly, and after finishing, placed the cup on the table.
The three of them sat around Eileen, but no one spoke. One minute passed, two minutes passed, three minutes passed… Quiet and oppressive.
In the room, the only sounds were breathing and the rain coming from outside. Suddenly, a loud rumble of thunder broke the quiet atmosphere. Or perhaps it was this thunder that prompted Cole to speak.
“You… where are you from, Miss Flora?”
Flora was taken aback.
Cole quickly said, “No, I—I was just asking casually. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Flora looked at him and was silent for two seconds.
“From the South,” she said.
Both Cole and Kaan glanced at Flora, then again at the girl’s appearance. After a moment, they stopped looking at her. Kaan pursed his lips and turned his gaze back to Eileen.
Flora shot them a glance, then turned back to continue watching Eileen.
After a little while longer, Kaan stood up.
“I’ll boil some hot water,” he said. “In case Eileen wakes up and asks for water, we’ll have hot water ready.”
He walked out to the kitchen in the back. Soon, the sounds of burning firewood and the soft clatter of pots and bowls came from the kitchen.
Cole sat there, head down, lost in thought.
Flora watched Eileen. Eileen’s hand was still exposed, lying limply by the blanket.
Flora looked at that hand and suddenly remembered how it had moved earlier. It had swayed left and right, as if groping for something.
She reached out and gently took that hand. It was good—better than before. It was no longer ice cold; it had some warmth now.
Cole saw it from the side but said nothing.
After a while, Kaan came in carrying a pot of hot water and set it on the table. The water in the basin steamed, white mist rising upward.
He sat back down in his chair.
The three continued to keep watch. This scene… was oddly eerie. The three sat close together in their chairs, all facing the girl on the bed.
The time that followed passed very slowly. So slow that Flora could hear her own breathing over and over, the rain outside the window, the rumble of thunder.
Flora didn’t know how long she had been sitting. She only knew she was very tired. Her eyelids grew heavy, drooping again and again. She forced them open, but after a while they drooped again.
Kaan noticed and said quietly, “Miss Flora, why don’t you get some sleep?”
Flora shook her head. But her eyelids continued to droop.
“No need, I’ll stay here and watch,” she said.
She held on, held on for a while, but couldn’t hold on any longer. She leaned over the bed, resting her head on her arms, looking at Eileen. Eileen’s face was peaceful in the lamplight.
Flora looked at that face, and as she looked, her eyes closed. She fell asleep. Her hand, holding Eileen’s, never let go.
Kaan and Cole exchanged a glance, but no one spoke. Kaan stood up, gently took off his coat, and draped it over Flora. Then he sat back down and continued to keep watch.
The rain continued to fall. The room was very quiet.
***
The next morning.
Flora was awakened by a very faint movement. Very slow, very small movements, almost imperceptible. But she still woke up, as if something deep in her consciousness had gently called her, pulling her out of her sleep.
Flora moved her head but didn’t open her eyes yet.
Rustle.
The sound of that movement reached Flora’s ears. She seemed to think for a moment, then realized that last night she had been watching Eileen and had fallen asleep while watching.
She quickly rubbed her eyes and opened them to look around. Before her was the edge of the bed, and her own arm that she had been sleeping on.
Her arm had gone numb, with a slight tingling pain, and it felt immobile—moving it would hurt.
The rain had stopped at some point, and sunlight streamed through the curtains, creating patches of light and shadow.
She looked around—no one was there. The small chairs where Kaan and the others had been sitting were also empty. Now only she was sitting here, with Eileen lying on the bed.
She heard that sound again. It was the sound of fabric rubbing, a soft rustling, and a very faint muffled groan.
Flora raised her head. Eileen seemed to have her eyes open. Flora looked carefully. Those eyes were half-open, not fully opened yet, eyelids trembling, as if it took great effort to open them.
She looked at the ceiling for a few seconds, then slowly turned her head. Then, she saw Flora.
The two met each other’s gaze. Eileen’s eyes were first dazed, empty, as if she hadn’t yet realized where she was. Then, her eyes moved, blinked, as if recognizing the person before her.
“Miss… Flora…?” Her voice still carried the weakness from her illness and the hoarseness of just waking up. Each word she spoke came with a faint sound from her throat, as if her throat was very dry.
Flora looked at her, frozen for a second.
“You’re awake?”
Then she sat up straight abruptly, pulling her arm back from the bed. This movement made her wince tightly from the numbness. She ignored the numbness, leaned forward, and peered closely at Eileen.
Eileen blinked and looked at her. Those eyes were still vacant and lifeless, but at least they were open.
“I…” Eileen opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something, but then forgot what it was. She just lay on the pillow and shook her head slightly.
She was dazed for a few seconds, unsure if she was thinking about something or if her mind was completely blank.
Ten seconds later, she looked at Flora, staring for several seconds, then asked, “Why are you… here?”
Flora was taken aback.
‘Why is she here?’
She thought for a moment before saying, “You were injured last night. I happened to be passing by and found you lying on the ground, so I brought you back and took care of you here.”
Eileen listened, then blinked again. She seemed to be trying to process this sentence, trying to recall last night.
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