"Why are you here?" Anna asks in anxiety to him.
He is coming towards her with his bloodshot eyes and a wicked smile.
She is breathing heavily and looking around the room to find Jim. But he is nowhere to be seen so she is calling his name.
"Jim, where are you? " She wants to run but is unable to get up from the bed while he is continuously approaching towards her. And he finally reaches to her and once again he brings his palms around her neck and tighten his grip.
His grip became so hard that it started to choke her while he keeps on clenching his teeth hard as well as his hands. She is fluttering like a fish out of water gasping to breathe but she cannot do so.
She threw her hand here and there in order to get hold of something to hit him. But instead the glass fell down and broke. She felt her hand being held by someone but no one is there except her and Marcel and she can feel her hand being shaken and patted a bit harder. She finally held Marcel from his collar and pushed him back with all her might. He held her hand while he falls on the other side of the bed taking her alongside. She fell with him and this shock opened her eyes but didn't fell really as he was holding her hand. And with this her nightmare also ends leaving her covered in sweat and a dry throat. Her breathing is still heavy, she is coughing while she wipes her forehead. Jim left his hand, wipes her face with his handkerchief, but suddenly she starts sobbing. Tears rolling down her cheek while she sobbed. He just held her hand and sat beside her on the bed and letting her head rest on his shoulder he just wipes her tears until she got hold of herself again.
He gave her water and ask her to lay down. He sat on the chair looking at her he asks, " He is now torchering you in your sleep also." he sounds calm as a sea.
She remains silent, looking towards the window.
"Was it not enough to let go off him after what he did to you in your office?" he asks.
"This is the problem with both, Love and Hatred. The marks left by these two does not easily fade away. " she says with a heavy voice.
" So what is it for you? The former or the latter? " he asks.
She turns her head and looks him in the eye and kept staring like this for a moment then looks away. A tear fell off from his eye which he quickly wiles off, clear his throat, " It's nearly dawn by now. Do you want me to close the blinds as the sunrise is near. " he says getting up from his chair.
" Yeah" she replies with a deep sigh.
" Do you want me to sit here beside you? " he asks.
" No, I'm fine. " she replies with a faint smile to make him believe her.
But he knows her better than herself, he just went and closed the blinds and return back to his chair. She looks at him with a raised eyebrow as if asking why did he sat there. He just blinks slowly for her to understand that he's right here and she needs to rest now, without any worries.
She closes her eyes after a moment while he also slept half bend on her bed.
She woke up when her hand touched his head in sleep. She opens her eyes and saw him sleeping like that, slowly she caressed his hair, so lightly for not to wake him up. Turning towards her left side where his head is rested, she smiles slightly and watches him sleep until she herself fell asleep again.
"Why didn't you informed me I'll be off today?" she asks getting down from the bed.
He already did all the formalities and packing her stuff and the books he brought. He even kept them in his car. Giving his hand to her to hold he stood in front of her as she stood up to go.
She held his hand without even taking a second, he smiles happily. As they leave the room, Dr. Maxwell is coming from his room towards her.
"Good Morning." they both greeted him.
"Very good morning indeed. Anna I hope he told you everything." he says looking at Jim.
Sensing what he was about to say, Jim signals him to not tell her anything by shaking his head slowly with his eyebrows lifted in anxiousness.
Anna looks at him with a face showing that she has no clue about what he was saying.
"Anna you need to come here twice a week until your wound is completely healed. Also you need to inform me immediately if you feel any kind of issues with your health." he instructs her.
"Yeah." she says like an obedient girl.
Jim took a sigh of relief when Dr. Maxwell went bidding them goodbye because he don't want him to tell her anything else which he told him last night.
Walking through the floor slowly holding his hand they enter the elevator, then reaching in the parking lot her asks her to wait as he brings the car.
"Jim please can you take me to office?" she says adjusting her hair.
"Will you be going in this outfit?" he asks looking at her up and down pointing out the outfit.
Looking down herself she notices that she is wearing her blue denims and black long shirt with an overcoat. Looking in the camera of her phone she noticed the way she looks. Her hair is a mess and her face looks exhausted. Her eyes are a bit swollen too and the bandage that is wrapped around her head, all her look makes her look like a run away patient.
"I'm looking like a run away patient." she says keeping her phone back in the bag.
He chuckles because he knowingly did asked Isabelle to send her easy clothes in which she can never imagine going to work. Because he knew she will ask him to take her to office.
"You deliberately did this I know." she says clenching her teeth.
He keeps driving without saying anything but smiling all the way. She looks at him every now and then, and seeing him smile makes her heart full of satisfaction.
As they reach her house he helped her to get to her room while Isabelle brought her juice and coffee for him.
Taking his coffee he thanks her and bid goodbye to Anna. "Now you rest, I'll be leaving now. But don't think I am busy anywhere if I am unable to call or text. If I can't then you can and without any hesitation call me. How many times do I have to tell you this Anna." he says as an instructor.
She smiles at him and nods, " No need to boss me."
" Gosh. You never let me have the last word." he says and left closing the door.
Reaching the drawing room where Isabelle is already waiting for him.
" Do you want to say something?" he asks seeing her standing anxious at the emd of stairs.
"Yes." she says eagerly, "What does her reports say?"
" She's fine in all aspects but we need to keep a check on her. Her mental stress may take a toll on her once again. And we are afraid it might turn out into something unexpected." he told her sipping the coffee.
She nods and bid him goodbye after taking the mug from him.
He left and went straight to his house. Quickly he got washed up and changed into his pjs and t-shirt to lay in the bed.
Realising that Anna is at her home made him relaxed.
"Did you reached?" Anna text him.
Not expecting a text from her but receiving one made him smile.
"Yeah"
"Okay."
He knew she won't text much even if she texted first so he just kept the phone and after rolling on his bed twice or thrice he finally find a position to doze off.
"Should I tell him that I overheard his conversation with your mother or should I not. He may sooner or later find it out but who else will tell him. Still I think I should tell him.... Yeah I should, maybe then he can talk to me about his problems. Yes I will." thinking to herself over and over again she finally decides to tell him.
"Jenny what is the matter?" she answers her phone which is buzzing the 3rd time.
"Madam I just need to ask about your health. I'm sorry if I picked the wrong time." she says hesitatingly.
"No no. I'm fine. Is there any matter you want to report?" she asks.
"No madam. Everything here is on track. It was just I along with some colleagues visited the hospital today to meet you but found out you have left."
"Oh okay.... Wait does everyone knows about me?" she asks.
"Yes madam. That day when you passed out it was during the office hours so gradually everyone knows." she replies.
" Fine. Are their still gibberish in the office?" she asks.
" No madam. They all are worried about you after what happened at the basement hall. They are guilty that you were going through a rough time and they were making gossips about it."
She remains silent for a moment and then told her, " Please keep things under check and do call or text me if something comes up. I will be coming soon maybe tomorrow or day after tomorrow." she says and ends the call.
Listening all this while standing at the door,
" You are not going anywhere!" Lisa shouts at her and enters the room.
" When did you came?" she asks as Lisa comes and hugs her.
" Ohhh you'll kill me like this." Anna says while Lisa crusher her tightly in her arms.
" Why didn't you told me?" she asks childishly rubbing her nose.
" You are still in your nightwear. And look at your face, it seems like you haven't slept in ages." she says.
" I was worried but Isabelle didn't let me visit you. She told me but asked me not to disclose on you that I know. She was worried you might be tensed about my exams." she says.
" Yeah. I was also wondering how come you are not aware of this. I knew something was cooking. Well did you do well in your exams or not?"
" Yeah I did. But are you fine now?" she asks touching her head bandage.
" Yes I'm." Anna says holding her hand.
" What you want to have for lunch? Should I order pizza or something else?"
Taking a deep breath she says, " I want to sleep for some time. Can we do it in the evening?"
" Yeah sure." Lisa says helping her out with the pillows for her back and head while she straightened herself on her bed to sleep.
Liz left after dimming the light of the room and leaving the door unfastened.