The ER at Rumah Sakit Harapan Sentosa was filled with the bustle of medical staff hurrying back and forth. Lina sat uneasily in the waiting room, her eyes fixed on the door to the treatment room where Wulan was being treated.
“Ma’am, please wait outside for now,” said a nurse who stepped out briefly, making Lina even more anxious.
“Nurse, how is she? She’s going to be okay, right?” Lina asked in a panic as she rose from her seat.
“The patient is undergoing further examination. We need a CT scan to make sure there are no serious injuries to her head,” the nurse replied kindly. “Please be patient and wait.”
“All right. Thank you.”
Lina sat down again, her hands clenched tightly as she held back her worry. Her phone vibrated—it was an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this the number that called the ambulance for a patient named Sri Wulandari?” asked the voice on the other end.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m Lina, her coworker.”
“All right, Ms. Lina. We need the patient’s family information for the hospital administration. Do you have contact information for any of her family members?”
Lina fell silent for a moment. “I... I don’t know, sir. I only met her yesterday. But I’ll take responsibility for the paperwork for now.”
“All right. We’ll contact you again if there are any updates.”
After ending the call, Lina let out a long sigh. She didn’t know Sri’s family at all and had no idea who to contact. Yet for some reason, her heart was certain that she needed to stay and look after this woman she had only just met.
Two hours passed before a doctor finally emerged from the treatment room.
“Family of the patient, Sri Wulandari?” the doctor asked.
“That’s me, Doctor.” Lina immediately stood and approached him, worry written across her face.
“You’re her family?”
“No, Doctor. I’m her coworker. But please tell me how she’s doing. I’ll take care of everything.”
The doctor studied Lina for a moment, seeming impressed by the sincerity of the young woman before him. “All right. Fortunately, there’s no bleeding in her brain. The patient suffered a mild concussion and a laceration on her temple, which we’ve already stitched up. Her condition is stable. She just needs complete rest for a few days.”
“Thank goodness.” Lina breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes glistening with tears. “When will she wake up, Doctor?”
“Probably in a few more hours. The anesthetic is still taking effect. You can wait inside if you’d like.”
“Thank you, Doctor!”
Lina hurried into the treatment room and found Wulan lying weakly on the bed, a bandage wrapped around her head. An IV was attached to her right hand. Her face was pale, but she looked peaceful.
“Sri,” Lina whispered softly as she sat in the chair beside the bed and held Wulan’s hand, the one without the IV. “You need to get better soon, okay? I’m here with you.”
She took out her phone and searched for the numbers of other coworkers who might be able to help, but she couldn’t find anyone at the office who was truly close to Sri. Ironically, this woman who had only been working there for a day now had only Lina as the person closest to her.
“Who are you, really, Sri?” Lina murmured softly as she gazed at Wulan’s pale face. “Yesterday, you said you were Mr. Adrian’s mother. I know that sounds ridiculous, but... for some reason, I believed you.”
The night grew later. Lina continued keeping watch, occasionally readjusting Wulan’s blanket when it slipped or wiping the sweat from the woman’s forehead with a wet tissue.
“Nurse, could you bring the patient some porridge? In case she wakes up later and gets hungry,” Lina asked a passing nurse.
“All right, ma’am. Just a moment.”
As midnight approached, Wulan’s fingers began to move slowly. Her eyes blinked several times before finally opening.
“Sri! You’re awake!” Lina immediately stood, her face shining with happiness and relief.
“Li... na?” Wulan’s voice was hoarse, and her eyes were still blinking as they adjusted to the light in the room. “Where am I?”
“You’re at the hospital, Sri. You passed out in the basement yesterday and hit your head,” Lina explained as she helped Wulan sit up slightly. “Luckily, there’s no bleeding in your brain, but you need complete rest for a few days.”
Wulan tried to remember what had happened earlier. Her eyes widened as the memory returned. “Bella... she pushed me...”
“I know, Sri. I saw everything.” Lina gripped Wulan’s hand tightly, her voice trembling as she held back her anger. “But she just ran away. She didn’t care that you were unconscious and bleeding.”
“You... brought me here?” Wulan asked faintly.
“Yes. I called an ambulance and came with you. I couldn’t bear to leave you alone,” Lina replied sincerely. “You don’t have any family we can contact, do you, Sri?”
Wulan fell silent for a moment, her heart torn between wanting to tell the truth and protecting her secret. “I... do, Lina. But it’s a long story.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to tell me now if you’re not ready.” Lina smiled gently and stroked the back of Wulan’s hand. “What matters is that you rest for now. I’ll stay here.”
Tears welled in the corners of Wulan’s eyes, moved by the sincerity of the young woman who was a complete stranger to her, yet was willing to sacrifice her time and energy to care for her.
“Thank you, Lina,” Wulan whispered softly. “I’ll... never forget your kindness.”
“You’re welcome, Sri. We’re practically family now,” Lina replied with a smile, unaware of how much those words meant to Wulan.
In her heart, Wulan vowed that no matter what happened from then on, she would repay Lina’s kindness. At the same time, she became even more certain that this was the girl who deserved to share Adrian’s life—not Bella, who only cared about herself.