Chapter 8 - Sister-in-law

"I'm going home, Uncle. Take care." Lucas said, closing the door to his uncle's hospital room softly so as not to disturb him, as he seemed to be falling asleep due to the medication he had been given.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas was grateful that he didn't have to spend any more time at the hospital. He had no personal issues or grudges with his uncle that would make him want to spend any more time here.

What he disliked about the place was the environment. Lucas hated hospitals. For him, the hospital easily made him feel uncomfortable. So when the nurse entered his uncle's room earlier and gave him medicine, Lucas was ecstatic inside.

He quickly said goodbye and promised to visit again later, having already spent the morning and afternoon with his uncle. If he didn't leave now, he might end up spending the night there.

Lucas was only disappointed that his parents couldn't come with him to visit his uncle, who had suffered a heart attack a few days ago. If they had come, Lucas wouldn't have to feel lonely on the hour-long drive there alone. Walking down the corridor at a leisurely pace, Lucas smiled and greeted some of the nurses he met along the way.

For a moment, he felt a bit confused, but he realized that they might recognize him and want to get his attention. He quickened his pace towards the elevator and pressed the button several times. After waiting for a few moments, he realized that the elevator he was waiting for was full.

Lucas then turned to the elevator next to it, but found the same situation. Feeling like he couldn't wait any longer, he decided to take the emergency stairs down. Going from the 5th floor to the ground floor was not a big deal for him. He ran down the stairs quickly. In less than two minutes, he had arrived at the ground floor. As he opened the door to leave the hospital building, he stopped when he heard someone calling his name.

"Lucas?"

Turning around, Lucas thought he was daydreaming or dreaming. In front of him stood Jane, his temporary fiancée. She wasn't alone; she was pushing a wheelchair with a woman sitting on it.

"Hi, Jane. I didn't expect to meet you here." Lucas could hear the surprise in his own voice because he truly didn't expect to meet Jane here.

"Yeah, me too. What are you doing here?"

"I just visited my uncle." He answered. "Heart attack."

Jane's face showed sadness, and although she didn't say it, Lucas knew that Jane was also sad to hear the unpleasant news.

He was slightly startled when there was a cough in the middle of their conversation. As he looked for the source, Lucas saw a pair of eyes staring at him intensely, and he no longer needed to search for where the sound came from.

"Oh, Serra. This is my friend, Lucas."

"Lucas. This is my sister, Serra."

They then shook hands and let go after a few seconds. Responding to the thin smile that Serra gave him, Lucas was reminded of Jane's story about her. Finally, he met her. For a moment, he also felt sorry for the woman's condition.

She was beautiful, just like Jane. Unfortunately, her beauty didn't radiate like her sister's. There was only paleness, and he felt the slight coldness of her body temperature when he shook her hand earlier.

"So, are you going home now?"

Lucas nodded but then shook his head. He could see the confusion on Jane and Serra's faces. He was just as confused. "So, is it yes or no?"

"No, I'm not going home." He replied. "Oh, I mean, not yet." Lucas corrected himself later.

"Well then, we'll say goodbye now. Serra has to undergo chemotherapy soon." Jane spoke and gently pushed her sister's wheelchair.

"Can I come along?"

Lucas didn't know what was happening to him. What possessed him or what was wrong with his brain that day. He hated hospitals, every inch of them, inside and out. He was so excited to get out of this place, but why did he now want to stay longer?

Realizing that no answer was given, Lucas scratched his cheek gently. "Never mind, I'll just go home. See you la-"

"It's okay. Just come along." Serra answered. "You can keep Jane company later when I undergo chemotherapy."

Lucas looked at Jane, asking for her approval. Jane then nodded, indicating that she had no problem with it.

"Where did you meet my sister?" Serra suddenly asked, surprising both Jane and Lucas.

"At the bar," Lucas reflexively answered. But quickly added, glancing at Jane's worried face, "We just had a drink together there."

"Oh, so Jane, you're also naughty, huh?" Serra glanced at Jane from the corner of her eye.

"How long have you known each other?"

"Quite a while," Lucas felt like he was being interrogated with Serra's various questions, and he also wondered why he was willing to indulge her.

"Oh, I know. You two must be lovers, right?"

"What? What are you talking about, Se?"

"Just admit it, Jane."

"No, he is not."

"Well, you better ask your sister about that." Lucas replied.

Unfortunately, Serra couldn't continue her interrogation when the nurse came and informed her that she had to undergo chemotherapy.

"This conversation is not over," Serra said as her wheelchair was pushed away from them.

"Oh, Jane..." said Serra. "I changed my mind. I don't want you to see me in pain. Just stay here with her, okay?"

"But--"

"It's okay, Jane. I'm strong."

Lucas didn't know what to do when he saw Serra enter a room with a nurse, leaving him alone with a teary-eyed Jane. At first, he used one hand to pat her back, trying to comfort her. But it didn't seem enough, so he used both hands to embrace her.

"It's okay," Lucas whispered in Jane's ear.

There was nothing more important to him at the moment than making Jane stop crying. He didn't know why, he just didn't like seeing her cry.

For Lucas, tears simply didn't suit Jane's face.