**
"Emily. I saw them again in my dreams." Emily sat on the grass and scooped Jasmine up in her arms before finally letting her sit on her lap.
Jasmine has been telling her lately that she's having recurring dreams. Well, not really recurring, but the people in those dreams are the same. It was like Jasmine has been watching someone else's life unfold.
"You've got to give it to this child's imagination", she thought. All along she was thinking that Jasmine must have seen a whole family walking along the road or she's watched television too much and she's got those faces etched in her mind which is why she was always dreaming of them.
Jasmine saw the hesitation in Emily's eyes and her heart sank. She stood up while trying to convince her that the dream she has every night was real. It was like she was stepping out of her own body to visit that family. But it seemed that her body was invicible as they never noticed her.
After recounting all of the dreams she had, in detail, the look in Emily's eyes changed from hesitation to guilt. She knows that Emily doesn't believe a word she said. A sudden gust of wind passed by, making a mess of her hair and covering half of her face.
Emily tried to fix her ruffled hair but was cut short when the little girl looked her intently in the eye and said, "You don't believe me, do you?"
She was stunned. So stunned that the arm trying to reach the kid's face, froze in the air. It was like a different person was speaking to her. Not Jasmine. Not a child. The innocence was gone from those eyes.
She didn't know what happened next but her relfexes were fast enough to catch Jamine's falling body. The child has passed out and her temperature rose to an alarming degree!
Why hadn't she realized that her little baby is sick?! They were so close to each other just a moment ago. She muttered curses under her breath as she panicked. She's been a nurse for how many years and encountered countless life threatening situations for her patients but she's always managed to be calm.
Only now that Jasmine's body was burning up did she ever felt so scared in her life. She ran inside the orphanage's clinic and administered first aid, afraid that the child will soon have seizures due to her rising temperature. She loosened her clothes and placed her on her side to prevent possible choking.
As soon as she let go of her, she felt her body tremble. It was the child's heavy breathing that brought her back to her senses. She then filled a tub with water and placed huge amounts of ice. She dipped her clean handkerchief in the cold water and wiped her whole body to help decrease her temperature.
When her situation seemed to improve, she left her side to look for the thermometer and check her temperature, only to find out that her temperature was still high! This time, she decided to bring her to the hospital.
They stayed in one of the beds in the emergency room until the next morning, with only curtains separating them from the rest of the other beds. Emily never left her side. She was so afraid that if she left her even for a second, she will never see her again. Just like how her parents left the world.
When Jasmine's eyes opened, the mysterious look that had her stunned to her bones, was gone. All that's left was the pair of eyes that she was so used to. The pair of eyes that knows how to get her every time she asks for chocolates.
"This is the little Jasmine I know. And thank goodness, you are safe", she sighed. Tears of relief slowly streamed down her cheeks. All the while, Jasmine has been looking at her in confusion.
"Water" was all Jasmine could say. And as fast as lightning, Emily went to fetch her a glass. She then let her drink medicine. And a few moments later, the little girl was back to sleep.
She felt a little tired and decided to get some rest as well. Now that the crisis has passed, she can now relax for a bit. It was a good thing that it was her day off today.
Later, when Jasmine feels a little better, they can go to her place and they can be couch potatoes all day, was what she was thinking when she drifted off to sleep.
**