“Maya is going to get better. I know it.”
Maya gazed weakly at her mother and could only give a feeble nod. She was tired. Those words could no longer soothe her heart. Maya felt that her life was hanging by a thread.
“Big sister has to get better! Who’s going to play with me if you’re gone?” Her ten-year-old little brother gently shook her shoulder. A pout played on his lips, clearly unhappy with Maya’s pessimistic attitude.
Maya gave him a faint smile. She raised her hand, wanting to stroke her little brother’s hair. But her shoulder betrayed her. Maya was too weak even to lift her hand.
Suddenly, breathing became difficult. Her vision began to blur and slowly faded to black. Faintly, she heard her little brother’s sobs and her mother’s hysterical screams as she kept calling for the doctor.
What was wrong with them? Maya… was only resting for a little while.
“Raya’s hand is moving, Dit! Hurry and call the doctor!”
“Huh? Really? Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?”
“Damn it, how can you not believe me?! Go call the doctor right now!”
“Yeah, yeah! You’re so annoying!”
Maya slowly opened her eyes. It felt strange. Her body didn’t feel as heavy as usual, and there was only pain in a few places. Her throat also felt incredibly dry, as though no water had flowed through it in a long time. Had… she actually gotten better?
Her brown eyes rolled to the side, landing on a teenage girl whose hair was dyed blonde and light blue. Who was she? Maya had expected to find her mother and little brother. Where were they?
“Raya, are you really awake? Do you have any idea how shocked I was when I found out you’d nearly been killed by a car?! We haven’t made a suicide pact yet! So you’re not allowed to die first!” The girl with the blindingly bright hair rambled on at length about something Maya didn’t understand. More importantly, where were her mother and little brother?
Wait, then who was Raya? Had they mistaken her for someone else because her name sounded somewhat similar to Raya’s?
“Why are you just sitting there silently? Are you really awake, or are you—” Her sentence was cut off when a hand clamped tightly over her mouth from behind.
“Quiet! Raya just woke up!” Suddenly, more people arrived. A teenage boy who seemed to be around the same age as the girl with the striking hair, along with a fairly old doctor.
Maya watched their interaction with a slight furrow in her brow. Who exactly were they?
“Wa-water…” The unfamiliar teenage boy immediately helped her drink.
“I’ll examine you first, okay?” The doctor began his examination. Maya stayed silent, unsure how to respond.
A few minutes later, Maya finally spoke again. “Where are my mother and little brother?”
The two teenagers beside her—a boy and a girl—looked shocked. Maya’s eyebrows shot up in confusion.
“Are you still drunk?” they asked in unison.
“Drunk?” Maya furrowed her brow, even more confused.
The two teenagers exchanged glances. A moment later, the girl with the striking hair spoke again. “Since when do you have a younger sibling? You have three annoying older siblings!”
“And you don’t have a mother anymore, by the way,” the teenage boy added.
Maya’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? My mother is still healthy, and I have a little brother.”
“Dit, Dit, Raya’s acting weird now. Where did that sharp tongue of hers go?!” The teenage girl shook Radit’s shoulders violently.
Radit rolled his eyes dramatically, simply giving up as his body was tossed around. “You can’t seriously be focusing on that right now. Siti, Siti…”
“Who are you calling Siti, you jerk Radit?! My name is Sky! S-K-Y!” Sky lightly slapped Radit’s cheek, making the teenage boy cry out in pain.
“Kids, your friend just regained consciousness. Please don’t make a scene.” After letting the commotion go on for quite some time, the doctor finally stepped in to stop the racket Sky and Radit were making—especially Sky’s. Whenever the girl spoke, no other sound could be heard.
Radit and Sky quickly shut their mouths. Seeing that, the doctor nodded in satisfaction before turning his attention back to Maya.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” the doctor asked, looking straight at her.
“Maya, Doctor,” Maya answered far too quickly. She hadn’t even thought about it.
The two teenagers standing behind the doctor immediately widened their eyes again. Clearly, they were shocked. Just as they were about to speak, the doctor turned around as if warning them. Under his stern gaze, they closed their mouths again.
“How old are you? And may I know your mother’s name and your younger sibling’s name? I might know where they are.” The doctor gave her a faint smile, not wanting to frighten Maya.
“I’m thirteen years old. My mother’s name is Sarah, and my little brother’s name is Rafa,” Maya answered awkwardly. Why did she feel like she was being interrogated?
“Doctor, Doctor! What happened to my friend?! Can someone’s age go down?!” Sky vigorously shook the old doctor’s shoulder. Radit quickly pulled Sky back when he saw it.
“Don’t bother the doctor!” Radit smacked Sky on the head without a care.
Sky was about to fire back, but stopped when she saw the doctor’s serious expression. Instead, she lightly nudged Radit’s shoulder. Then the girl whispered, “Could Raya have amnesia?”
“Rather than amnesia, I think the patient is experiencing delu—”
“Is she awake?” Another voice interrupted from the open doorway, cutting off the doctor’s explanation.
A middle-aged man stood in the doorway, staring impassively at the doctor. His face was stiff and utterly expressionless. Then his eyes shifted toward Maya, who stared back at him in confusion.
“In that case, she’ll be going home now. My secretary will handle the administrative fees and everything else,” he said, looking straight at Maya. Was it just her imagination, or had his youngest child become calmer?
“What are you waiting for? Get up. We’re going home now.”
Sky and Radit’s eyes widened. What the hell?! The man had only shown up after Raya had been in a coma for a week, and now he wanted to take her home the moment she woke up? Raya’s father really had no heart. He was insane!
Maya, still lying down, finally spoke softly. “Who are you?”
“Actually, where are my mother and little brother?” Maya was confused. Extremely confused. She didn’t recognize anyone in the room at all.
“What lie is this now?” The man who was Raya’s biological father suddenly sharpened his gaze. His eyes seemed to judge her.
Maya immediately hid beneath the blanket. Having never been looked at so harshly since childhood, she found his gaze terrifying.
Maya was afraid. Why hadn’t her mother and little brother come yet?
“Enough with your pathetic drama!” The booming shout made Maya clutch the blanket even tighter. Her body began to tremble.
“Sir, please calm down. Let’s discuss this in my office. There are a few things you need to know,” the doctor said hurriedly, worried that the man would shout again. He didn’t know what problem existed between the father and daughter. However, no father should behave that way. Especially not when his child had just regained consciousness and had most likely suffered trauma from the accident.
“How much did that child pay you?” he accused coldly.
When the doctor tried to say something, Radit spoke first. “Enough, Uncle. Raya just woke up. She still needs treatment from the doctor and nurses here at the hospital. You should go home now.”
“Radit’s right. Don’t make a scene here!”
As the situation grew more heated, the doctor cleared his throat loudly, automatically drawing everyone’s attention to him. “The patient’s physical condition is stable enough. However, we recommend that she remain hospitalized for at least a week to make sure her condition is truly stable. In particular, I’d like to conduct further observation regarding her mental condi—”
“I didn’t ask for your advice, Doctor. As her legal guardian, I have the right to take her home this very second.” The dark-haired man replied coldly.
The doctor fell silent for a moment. He wanted to argue against that unilateral decision, but he was powerless when the man claiming to be the patient’s father raised his hand firmly.
“In that case, we’ll need your signature confirming that this is solely the family’s decision and is against our medical recommendation. Any risks that may occur after the patient leaves the hospital will be the family’s responsibility.” The final decision made Radit and Sky glare in outrage.
The man gave a brief nod. “Prepare the paperwork.”
Maya clutched the blanket tighter. She didn’t want to go anywhere without her mother and little brother.