Oil rolled around on the bed trying to get the sun out of his eyes. He smiled and then rolled over to put his arm around Nook. He felt the emptiness of the other side of the bed and finally opened up his eyes. He sat up and looked around the room.

"Nook?� He called out her name. �She must be in the bathroom�� he smiled cunningly and wrapped a sheet around him before getting up and knocking on the door.

"Nook? Are you in there?� He twisted the doorknob to realize that it wasn�t locked. �Surpr---" he jumped into the bathroom only to find no one in there, �Where did she go?�

He sat on the bed and put on his slacks and shirt from last night. He strolled over to the window to get some fresh air. Oil stretched, and looked around in the garden.

"I wonder where she---" he stopped as he saw a body lying in the garden. Upon closer inspection, he saw it was Nook, �Oh god!� He rushed out of the room and ran downstairs. He ran into the garden to where Nook laid, and knelt down next to her.

"Nook�Nook�� Oil called out her name, but she didn�t answer. He shook her gently, and was taken away by the heat coming from her body. He felt her forehead and realized that she was sick. He picked her up and carried her into the house. Oil called the doctor and asked him to come over as quickly as possible. He had put her in the same bed they shared last night, and with her white night gown, she looked so innocent and pure. He took a seat next to her and slipped the ring she threw at him last night back on her left ring finger, and gently kissed it.

"I�m sorry�� He spoke softly while caressing her hand, �Please forgive me�I love you.� He spoke in a whisper and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"The doctor�s here Khun Thana,� Malee led the doctor into the room. He was surprised at how only half a door was hanging on the hinges.

"Hello doctor,� Oil greeted him and led him to where Nook was.

The doctor took at least 15 minutes examining her before giving Oil her diagnosis.

"She�s come down with a fever, I�ll prescribe a fever reducer and make sure she gets lots of rest and fluids. She seems very weak at this point, and make sure she takes food with her medicine.� The doctor gave Oil a prescription and bade him goodbye. Oil gave the prescription to Malee and told her to go fill it while he took care of Nook.

Oil lied down on the bed next to her and brushed away the loose strands of hair that covered her face. He took her hand and held it to his face, �I�ll never let you go from me�� He whispered.

Malee came back after a while and set the medicine down on the nightstand. She then left them to be alone, she wasn�t going to bother Khun Thana for the rest of the day. Oil slept next to Nook while holding onto her hand�he wasn�t going to let her go�not now�not ever.

--------------------------------------

"Tao, I think you should stop now�� Aum took away the glass from him.

"No! It�s never enough!� Tao tried to get it back from her. �Aum! Are you on my side or his side!� He yelled at her.

"I�m on no one�s side. I don�t want to see you like this�and if Nook were here she would be doing the same thing.� Aum answered him, wholly concerned for his well-being. Ever since he got back from the party, he had been doing nothing but drinking, until Aum found him and tried to make him stop.

"No you�re not�you�re on his side�no one�s ever on my side�� Tao slumped down in his chair and began playing with the water on the counter.

"That�s not true.� Aum moved closer to him, �I�m always here for you and you know that.� She spoke sincerely.

Tao looked up at her and met her eyes. �Thanks�� he spoke softly as he slowly leaned his face in closer to her.

"Ummm�� Aum quickly adjusted her seat and moved away from Tao, �Come� on�I�ll take you home�� She got up and pulled Tao with her.

He had his arm around her as she tried to support him. Tao looked over at Aum and saw her genuine concern for him�� Maybe it was you all along�� Tao spoke.

"Huh?� Aum looked up at him, �Did you say something?�

"Uh�it was nothing,� he smiled a little and let her support him.

Aum got Tao safely to his apartment and made sure to wait until he got in safe and sound. She then drove off.

"Maybe it was you all along�� Tao thought as he waved at Aum from his window, �Maybe��

--------------------------------------

Slap�Slap�Slap

"I can�t believe you couldn�t take on one person!� Tanya screamed at the three women. �How were you able to do it before huh? You disgust me!� She plopped herself down on the couch and proceeded to throw pillows at each of them.

"I don�t know why you didn�t finish the job yourself!� The ringleader spoke out, �How dare you criticize us when you didn�t do a damn thing!�

"Yeah!� the other two spoke in unison.

"If I could do it myself do you think I would have hired you!?� She screamed at them.

"Nook�s changed, she isn�t the same girl she was back then�how did you expect us to go up against a 3rd degree black belt! We�re lucky she didn�t kill us!� The second girl spoke up as she rubbed the bruise on her cheek.

"Yeah�why didn�t you do your own dirty work?� The third girl came up and challenged Tanya.

"Get out!� Tanya screeched at them.

"Not until we get our payment, plus medical costs for our injuries!� the first girl retorted.

"Ha! You think I�m still going to pay you after you failed! You must be really stupid or Nook must�ve hit you so hard your brains aren�t working anymore! Get out of my apartment now!� She pointed her finger at them.

"That�s not fair Tanya, we got hurt and now we�re not even getting paid! We�re the ones who�ve lost here!�

"Exactly, that�s why I�m not paying you creeps!� She walked over and opened the door, �Now get out!�

"You know what I think would be fair,� the first girl exchanged glances with her two friends, �If you, Tanya, got what you deserve.� The three girls advanced towards her with evil looks on their faces.

"What�.what are you doing? Get back!� Tanya tried to run out but one of the girls grabbed her by the hair and swung her back.

"Well it�s only fair you get something out of this too since you already lost both Oil and Tao to Nook�� the second girl spoke.

"Noo!!! Get away!!!� Tanya screamed as the girls ganged up and her and began pummeling her. Slapping her and doing to her what she sent them to do to Nook�

"Ha hah ha!� The first girl stood back and watched her friends torture Tanya, �Only what you deserve!� She laughed uncontrollably and left her friends to finish off Tanya.

--------------------------------------

"Mmmm�� Nook moved a little, but she felt so tired, �No�please don�t�� she whimpered in her sleep.

Oil woke up to the sound of her voice and began patting her head.

"No�stop�please don�t do this to me�� Small tears formed around her eyes as she tossed and turned in the bed, �Please�if you don�t love me�don�t�Oil�� she calmed down a little bit and fell back asleep.

Oil kissed her tears and wiped them away while speaking gently into her ear, �But I do love you�believe me�� He pulled her into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder as he rocked her back to sleep. He stayed with her throughout the night, never once letting her go�his heart finally felt as peace�

In her dreams, Nook saw Oil and Tanya kissing�holding each other dearly as they gave her an evil smile. Tao and Aum were also there, but they only stood and watched as she cried. As she stood crying out for them�the image of Oil moved farther and farther away until she could see nothing but a shadow of him�in the end, she was standing by herself surrounded by the company of white Easter lilies as a cold wind blew softly from the west. She held her arms and wrapped them around herself as she tried to find someone who would understand�someone who would love her�for who she was. But there was nothing except the whispers of the wind that answered her pleas.

"I just want someone who understands�� Nook murmured softly, �Just one person��

Rose Main       Home       Back 27       Next 29