Chapter 14: News From The Hospital
Arriving at the studio apartment, less than a ten-minute walk from the café, Abigail could finally relax, knowing she had a place to sleep for the night.
She didn’t care about the apartment’s interior. Hurriedly undressed, she rushed to the bathroom to shower, cleaning herself under the cold water.
A few minutes later, she emerged fresh, wearing only a white bathrobe and wrapping her hair in a towel.
While sitting on the single sofa overlooking the street below, Abigail started to eat her miserable lunch: dry bread and cold coffee, which she had bought at a small stall on her way here.
After finishing her late lunch, she felt her muscles betraying her, longing to lie on the bed. Her eyes were tired, and she couldn’t resist the allure of the soft bed in the corner, which seemed to call her.
Throwing herself onto the soft mattress, her eyes slowly closed. However, the vibrating phone on the bedside table made her open them again.
She immediately grabbed the phone—her heart raced when she saw a new message from Nurse Rosa.
"Abigail, thank God. Your grandmother is awake. But she’s still too weak to get up, so we let her fall asleep again. I’m sending you her picture of when she woke up a moment ago; maybe you’d like to see her. If you have time, we can video call later when she’s awake again."
No words could describe Abigail’s feelings after reading Nurse Rosa’s message and seeing her Grandma’s picture. Although her Grandma was awake and smiling, her thin, pale face made Abigail’s heartache. She hurriedly typed a short message in reply to Nurse Rosa.
After sending the message, she set a timer for the video call and alarm for her shift at the café. She needed to get some sleep now; last night in the hospital, she had barely slept.
Abigail lay back on the soft bed and felt her muscles feel stiff. She no longer had the energy to move but only to sleep, recharging her low battery.