Lena doesn"t know how long she had slept for... but she was still very tired. Her eyes were closed shut but somehow... she could hear a loud banging.
She ignored it but it continued to bang.
*BANG BANG*
She rolled over, ignoring the sound again.
"Shen Qian?! Are you home?!" A voice shouted and the door continued to be banged on.
"Shen Qian.... yeah... such a beautiful name." L ena smiled, her eyes still shut. "Maybe I will name my daughter that.... Wait..."
Lena immediately opened her eyes. She jerked up from her bed... yes bed. Wasn"t she at the hospital?
She looked around and noticed that she was in her room... Shen Qian"s room. It was exactly how she left it... messy.
The room was tiny and the apartment too. Lena got up from the bed and looked at herself in the mirror.
"I am back....?" She touched her face. This was her face... round and cute, not pretty like Lena"s. She looked at her body... this was her body. Smaller b.r.e.a.s.t.s, more worn out hands, and tiny fingers.
Lena suddenly squatted down, legs hugging her legs and her head on her knees.
"NO...No...." She whimpered. "Wait... aren"t I suppose to be dead?"
She stood up again, so confused and emotional. " Is this... a dream?"
She pinched herself. Once, Twice. Three times but nothing was happening. The door was still getting banged at but she stared into s.p.a.ce before suddenly ending up in front of her door.
Lena opened the door and she spotted him... No, not the man she was expecting but him, Senior Han.
"Shen Qian! I was about to call the police... Are you okay? I thought something bad happened to you. You haven"t come to work for three days now."
"Three days...? What is today"s date?" Lena asked.
He replied to her and then looked at her concernedly. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"
Lena was still in a daze... it has only been two days since Senior Han asked her out? What is going on? Is she in a dream...? Or had she been dreaming this whole time... Lena, Kris... Kris.
"Gary... Yes, that was right. He was here too wasn"t he?"
"Did you drive here? Can you take me back to work?" Lena spoke.
"Uh... Yeah, I drove here... I can take you back. Why don"t you get change first?"
"Ah, Yes. Give me a minute." Lena shut the door on him, leaving him outside as she rushed to get change.
Lena rushed out when she was ready. Han Liu... that was his name, he drove her back to the workplace. He was concern about her the entire time, asking if she was sure she did not need to go to the hospital, but Lena was sure. She just wanted to see Gary... Erik.
When they got to the company, Lena rushed quickly to Erik"s office. Without a warning, she opened his doors and walked right in. He was looking at some doc.u.ments before his door as suddenly opened.
"Oh.. Little Qian Qian, are you back to work already?" Erik looked up from his paperwork.
Lena stopped and stared at him. "Gary?"
"Gary?" Erik looked at Lena and then laugh. "It"s only been three days since you last saw me... did you already forget your boss" name?"
Lena put a hand on her forehead... she wasn"t thinking straight. Of course, he is not Gary yet... the shooting did not happen until later. But that doesn"t matter...
Lena looked at Erik. "Something is missing .... no someone... Where are you, Kris ?"
Erik stood up from the chair and walked closer to Lena. "Hey... Are you---"
Before he could finish his sentence, Lena suddenly fainted. Erik grabbed her hand and pulled her body to him, catching her fall.
"Hey!" Erik called out and told someone to call for an ambulance. "Shen Qian... hey, don"t die in my office."
Lena felt her eyes heavy... she was on something soft... but she could not tell if it was a bed or sofa, she was scared to open her eyes. She kept her eyes closed, however, she could hear the doctor talking.
"She"s alright... just a very bad flu. Her temperature was very high but we have lowered it down. She should stay here for a few days."
"....." Lena opened her eyes, and what she feared was indeed correct. She was still here... where she originally belongs. She once wished that she was back here...
Her eyes started getting teary.
"Are you in pain?" Han Liu walked up to Lena and held her hand. "Doc, why is crying? Is she in pain?"
"I--- Miss. Shen, are you experiencing any pain?"
Lena jerked Han Liu"s hand away from her. She turned to her side and covered herself with the blanket. She closed her eyes again, hoping that the third time would be the charm.
However, no matter how many times she woke up, she was still here. Her father ran high a few times and she stayed longer in the hospital. Han Liu always came and visited her after work, bringing her something warm to eat.
"Senior Han?"
"Hmmm?" He was cutting her some fruits.
"Thanks.... but I think you should stop coming to visit me." Lena spoke.
"Why? Are you thinking that you are a bother? Don"t think that." He smiled at her. "You"re sick, you"re parents are far and they have told me to take good care of you."
"No... that"s not it. About your confession, I can"t accept it." Lena replied.
Han Liu put down the small knife he was using to cut the fruit and looked at Lena. He didn"t speak back to her immediately... he was trying to read her face. "It"s fine. I"ll just keep asking you until you say yes."
"Then I"ll keep saying no."
"...." Han Liu thought that Shen Qian really had feelings for him... why does she look different now? "Why...?
"I am sorry. But there is someone I already have my heart settled on."
"Does he love you too?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Where is he now that you are here? The nurses told me no one had visited you except your co-workers."
"It"s complicated," Lena replied.
"Right.... well, I will still come to visit you every day after work. I promised you, parents, already." Han Liu finished cutting the fruit and placed it on the hospital bed table. "Eat this then get some rest."
He walked out of the room and closed the door. Han Liu looked at Lena through the small window of the door. "Maybe she is just feeling down due to her fever...." He sighed and then walked away