"Ma'am, how are you feeling right now?" Carmella asked while examining Geena.
"I still... have a headache... and feel dizzy..." Geena replied.
"In that case, please close your eyes and rest. You'll feel better once Rosse gets back with the IV fluids." Carmella reassured her.
"Lieutenant Winton, I see... Thank you both so much..." Geena replied with a smile.
"It's no trouble at all."
"And how's Cathie?"
"Cathie? Your daughter? She's not in a great condition, but I can assure you, her life is not in danger."
"So, my dearest one is still alive... I'm so relieved..." Geena said with tears in her eyes.
"Ma'am, we're glad you're relieved, but please don't lose any more fluids! Try to stay calm,"
"Alright..."
"Make sure you don't make yourself sicker. If your condition worsens, it'll be a problem for me since I won't be able to take care of so many severe patients," Carmella said.
Geena nodded in understanding and continued to rest.
"Ayukawa, have you finished giving Cathie water?"
"Yeah... This is the last sip for her..." Ayukawa replied groggily.
"That's great. Now just place her on Vermilion's bed and wait for Rosse to come back."
"Okay..."
Ayukawa gently carried Cathie into Carmella's bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Meanwhile, Carmella busied herself searching for her medical books to gather more information on dehydration. Suddenly, she heard a loud crash from her bedroom. The noise was so intense that it woke Vermilion from her unconscious state.
"Oh, what happened?! Ayukawa! Are you alright? Carmella asked in a panicked tone.
"No... It's nothing..." Ayukawa replied, her voice groggy.
"I told you to take it easy! That's why I said 'gentle' isn't your strong suit."
Concerned, Carmella put her books aside and hurried to her bedroom to check on them. Inside, she found a toppled wooden wardrobe that had fallen onto Ayukawa, while Cathie lay safely on the bed. Ayukawa was struggling to free herself from under the wardrobe, but she seemed to have expended her strength.
"Hey! Are you alright? My goodness... Let me help you out first!" Carmella said as she carefully pulled Ayukawa from beneath the fallen wardrobe.
"Urgh... This stupid heavy thing..." Ayukawa grunted.
"How did you manage to get pinned under the wardrobe?" Carmella asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I felt dizzy... Lost my balance... and then, well, this happened."
"You're sweating a lot. You're not feeling well, are you?"
"No... I'm fine... Urgh..." Ayukawa's expression revealed her struggle to remain conscious.
"Quit pretending! Let's get you onto my bed for now. You're lighter than I expected..."
"Of course... Vermilion is heavier than I expected..."
"Really? Now I have more patients to take care of... Could you please tell me how you're feeling?"
"Fine..."
"If you keep acting like this, I'm going to ignore you!"
"Dizzy... Short of breath... Back pain... Leg pain... Abnormal heartbeat... Sore hands..."
"Okay, okay! Enough! I understand. You're only human. I suspect it's due to overexertion. Rest and sleep, same as the others."
"Overexertion...? I can't be that weak... It's not possible..."
"Yes, you can! Just accept it! Now, let me check your back. Please turn around."
"Your bed is too comfy... I've lost all my strength..."
"I'll remember this moment for the rest of my life. A tough woman defeated by a comfy bed. I'll turn you around, ready?"
"Yeah..."
"One, two, heave! Oh, just a small bruise. No worries." Carmella pressed the bruise, causing Ayukawa to wince. Ayukawa turned her head, and her face took on an intensely fierce expression. Carmella immediately apologized, startled.
"I'll just sleep now... Wake me if you need anything..." Ayukawa said with a headache.
"No need! This time, you really need to take care of yourself!"
"Understood... Please don't shout... My head hurts now..."
"Phew... Never-ending troubles... I'll turn the lights off for you."
Carmella turned off the lights and returned to the living room, only to find Vermilion fallen on the ground again. With a heavy sigh, she picked her up once more.
"This is just my luck! It feels like fate is mocking me..."
"Carmella... I'm sorry... I was..." Vermilion struggled to speak.
"Just be quiet and go back to sleep!"
"Understood..."
"Now I've got four collapsed individuals in this house... I wonder if I'll become the fifth if all of you keep causing chaos."
Feeling quite exhausted after treating everyone, Carmella continued to search for more information on dehydration in her books. An hour passed, and Rosseaulyn finally returned with several IV fluids and other medicines for Carmella.
"Are these enough?" Rosseaulyn asked, a bit out of breath from her journey back to the house.
"I believe they should suffice for now. Where did you get all these supplies? They definitely aren't from an ordinary healthcare or pharmacy store."
"I have trustworthy friends who work in the hospital. They provided these for us."
"I see... Come on, lend a hand. Remember, two people here are unconscious because of you!"
"Two?"
"Yeah, Ayukawa as well. Surprise?"
"Sort of... She was doing fine earlier. What happened to her?"
"Overexertion."
"This proves she's human too, after all."
"That's what I told her."
"How do we use these IV fluid packs?"
"Just help me hold them. I'll take care of the rest."
Carmella and Rosseaulyn prepared the IV fluids for the others, with the exception of Ayukawa. After everything was set up, it was already three o'clock in the morning. Carmella felt overwhelmingly tired but continued to monitor their conditions, especially Cathie, to ensure she remained stable.
Just as Carmella was about to take a much-needed nap, she saw another body collapsed on the floor, and this time, it was Rosseaulyn. Frustration welled up in Carmella as she scratched her head and summoned her last reserves of energy to move Rosseaulyn to the sofa.
"Dear Lord, please help me... Ughhh! This 193 cm tall monster is as heavy as a giraffe!" Carmella struggled to move Rosseaulyn to the sofa, but she ended up dragging her across the floor.
"Are you alright?" Geena, who was resting on another sofa, asked as she observed Carmella's efforts.
"Yeah, I'm okay... Not exactly alright... Sorry for the disturbance..." Carmella replied in a hushed tone, trying not to wake the others.
"You're incredible... At such a young age, you're treating everyone like a professional."
"Thank you. Your kind words give me encouragement. I've done all I can to ensure your daughter is fine."
"A simple 'thank you' doesn't seem sufficient anymore. I promise I'll repay all of this someday."
"I truly appreciate your gratitude, but there's no need. I'm simply doing what I can."
Geena responded with a heartwarming smile. Carmella turned off the lights and settled down on the rug near the front door, falling asleep almost instantly.
After five hours had passed, the morning sunlight gently bathed Rosseaulyn's face. She slowly woke from her slumber, sat up on the sofa, and began to check on the others, who were still lost in their dreams.
Rosseaulyn then took out a small piece of paper and left some money on the dining table. She softly opened the front door, ensuring she didn't disturb Carmella, and quietly left the house.
However, Carmella heard the door open and woke from her sleep. She noticed that Rosseaulyn was no longer on the sofa and found the note and money on the dining table. Quickly, she left the house in pursuit of Rosseaulyn.
Carmella discovered one of the elevators descending to the ground floor and took another elevator to catch up with Rosseaulyn. Finally, at the main entrance, they crossed paths.
"Rosse!"
"Hmm? Did I wake you up just now? Sorry..."
"Sorry? Is that something you really need to apologize for?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you think you should apologize to me for something else?!"
"You mean the rescue operation where I got Ms. Yeleona involved? But she volunteered to help."
"I know! But don't you feel any guilt for letting her get involved in something so dangerous? Can't you see that she and Ayukawa are overexerted because of it, while you can walk and talk normally?"
"I feel more appreciation than guilt. I'll never forget their tremendous help, and I'll visit them again someday to express my gratitude."
"So, you'll only feel guilty and apologize if someone gets injured or worse, right?"
"Oh, you're giving me a headache. You've misunderstood my words! You've changed. It's like talking to a stranger. It seems you can't stand being around me anymore!"
"Yeah, and do you have any idea whose fault that is?"
"I know. You're blaming me! I hope you can tell me directly what you dislike about me, or I won't know how to communicate with you anymore!"
"Hate? Who said I hate you? You're the one who misunderstood!"
"Well, then why do you keep digging at me?"
"I'm not satisfied with everything you've done!"
"What have I done besides this?"
"You should know already!"
"No, I don't!"
"In that case, there's nothing left to say to each other!" Carmella said angrily and turned to head back to the elevator.
Rosseaulyn watched her disappear slowly, and suddenly a tragic memory flashed through her mind. She hesitated for a moment and started to chase after Carmella just as she was about to enter the elevator and hugged her from behind.
"Wait! Rosse?! What are you doing?!"
"I know... I know what I've done... You've been suffering since that day... I didn't want to remember it anymore... It's too painful for me... and for us..." Rosseaulyn whispered to Carmella as she hugged her.
"Enough... Don't ever mention that day again... It's been erased from my memory... You can let go now."
"I'm sor—" Rosseaulyn's apology was cut off by Carmella, who covered her mouth with both her hands when Rosseaulyn tried to speak.
"It's okay, I don't really want you to apologize... At least now I know you're not a cold-hearted sister..."
"Carmella..."
"Alright, misunderstanding resolved. If there's nothing else, I need to go back and check on them."
"Wait! Just give me fifteen minutes... Would you like to have morning tea with me? I know a good place nearby."
Carmella looked at Rosseaulyn for a moment before nodding. Rosseaulyn led Carmella to the café she had visited before with Vermilion. During their walk, they remained mostly silent, and Carmella couldn't help but notice the unusual lack of patrolling soldiers on the streets. After a three-minute stroll, they arrived at the café, and the aroma of coffee greeted them from outside.
"So, this is the café you mentioned?"
"Yes. Ms. Yeleona and I had tea at this lovely place before."
"It's so close to my home... How did I never notice it before?"
"They only opened last month. And I suppose you don't usually wander through these alleys, so you might have missed it."
"Probably..."
"Let's go in."
Inside, Rosseaulyn ordered a cup of red tea with milk, while Carmella opted for a cup of their signature latte. As they began to chat, it seemed like they were gradually getting along. The earlier frustration on their faces had transformed into warm, gentle smiles.