After about an hour, Mandy's car pulled up in front of the visitor's lodge at HAZEL BED FOREST RESERVATION. She hastily turned off the engine, pulled out her keys and hurriedly glided out together with Leticia.
"Calm down Mandy." Leticia muttered as they trod into the corridors of the lodge. "There's no way anything is going to happen to Irianda." She commented.
"I know Leti," Mandy hastily snapped in. "But I still can't..." She was about gisting out her anxiety when Mr. Del walked up to them, cutting her off.
"We're so sorry about this Mrs Kang Su." He took in a sharp breath as he lowered his head, expressing his sincere apology. But Mandy knew from the onset that what happened was really nobody's fault but actually meant to happen.
Though she knew all this, what she feared the most was Irianda going through her fox puberty alone and the fear of anyone chancing on her. All she had wished for her daughter was to see her living like any other normal kid which she had done so well till now so getting caught was totally out of the picture.
"It's alright Mr. Del." She answered, brushing her palms together as her mouth curved into a faint smile. "Just wondering if there was something usually different about her when you found her." She asked, her eyes lingering with curiosity.
Mr. Del stood for a while, searching through his mind's eye for anything special or unusual when they found Irianda but got nothing. "No." He instinctively muttered after some few seconds. "She was unconscious when we found her which I believe was the impact from the cold but she is better now." He added.
Mandy instantly felt relaxed on hearing this. "So where's she now?"
"In the Infirmary, the nurse advised she gets some rest." He informed them. "I will take you there." He hastily added before Mandy could even ask. Both Leticia and Mandy cocked their heads in agreement. Without wasting another second, he lead the way whiles they followed after in close steps.
After about 10- 15minutes of walking, they finally came to a stop in front of a room with a silver like coloured door emblemed with about 30cm piece of glass which gave one the chance to glance through to the room.
"You can come in." Mr. Del said while turning the knob of the door opened. "It's been about 20mins now," He continued as they staggered in. "I believe she might wake up anytime soon." He hinted and Mandy gave a slight nod.
They walked passed few beds and soon got to where Irianda laid. Mandy's heart instinctively sunk on seeing her daughter. "Oh dear.." She muttered underneath her breathe and rushed over to her. Nearing her, she knelt over and peaked her forehead. She drew back within the next minute, while curbing her face.
"Can I take her home with me?" She queried, looking up from her daughter to Mr. Del.
"Of course." He answered without hesitation. "This won't be affecting her academics in any way." He informed.
Mandy was so glad on hearing this. They were still chatting when a faint voice interrupted. "Mum–?" Irianda mumbled, shrugging to sit up whiles looking a bit surprised to see her mother. At that moment, Mr. Del left off to get Irianda 's things. Mandy's gaze followed him for a short while before glancing back at her daughter, her face lingering with a faint smile. "What...?" Irianda went on, about questioning her mother on what she was doing there when a flashback of what happened earlier in the woods flooded her mind's eye. Her eyes instantly widened like that of an owl as she glanced up at her mother as if to scream while her shoulders hunched.
" Wh–what is happening to me mum?" She stuttered as her breath quickened and her voice trembled with tears. "I..I.." She opened her mouth as if to say something, flashes of the incident still playing before her eyes while her whole body shook but the words were just not coming, like she had a frog in her throat. Irianda was more than restless.
"Calm down dear." Mandy said, trying to hold her by the shoulders to calm her but her movements were so swift which made it impossible for her mother.
After a few struggles, she instinctively shrank back, coiling herself up as she crouched back on the bed, wrapping her arms around herself whiles she rocked back and forth with tears trekking down her face.
Mandy felt so broken seeing her daughter like that. She instantly sat beside her and pulled her into her bosom, allowing her head to rest on her chest as she stroked her hand while gazing at Leticia whose mouth quivered, letting out an inaudible sigh. "Calm down dear." Mandy muttered underneath her breathe.
Just then, Mr. Del walked in with Irianda's things. It was already time to hit the road as it was almost past mid night.
"How about we go home now dear?" Mandy uttered as she got onto her feet, helping her daughter up as well while Leticia took the bag from Mr. Del.
"Thank you." She grumbled and they sauntered out of the Infirmary. Getting to their car, Irianda took her bag and got into the back seat whiles Mandy and Leticia glided into the driver's and passenger's seat respectively, leaving only Irianda at the back.
After some few seconds, their car raced out of the lodge into the streets, setting off to Seoul. The journey home was quiet densed with nobody really saying much.
Irianda sat quietly in the back, gazing out of the window with a straight face whiles her mother stole glances at her through the front mirror. She knew without being told that there were lots of questions running through Irianda's mind which needed to be answered but then, how does she explain everything to her and will she even be able to accept herself?
All these and more rushed through Mandy's mind as she stared thoughtfully at her daughter. "How do I go about this?" She grumbled mentally to herself.