As days bled into a week and the marks were starting to fade, Rhea resumed her life routine. During that time, Tia had contacted a cardiologist, and a consultation was booked for Rhea, which they would be attending this week.
Tia also tried to investigate Zeenare. She searched for his name, his pictures, any trace of him on social media or news of someone of his level of wealth in the town. She even tried searching for the island with a mansion or estate like the one Rhea described, but there was nothing. It was as if the place, and he, had never existed, as if Rhea had never woken up there. Yet, the bite marks and hickeys all over her body were proof she had been there.
Since the search found nothing, they decided to leave it as a "bad dream" and focus on finding solutions to Rhea's real problem: her health.
The following Monday, Rhea arranged her things into her backpack as she prepared to catch up on all she had missed throughout the week and submit all of her assignments.
"Hey, what's up, Rhea! You haven't been in school for a week now. Everything okay?" Rhea's class coordinator, Jane, asked, walking up to Rhea.
Rhea pulled her laptop from her backpack. "Yeah, I'm fine. Something came up." She lifted her gaze to Jane, who was now standing close to her desk.
"I hope Tia gave you last week's assignments?" Jane asked.
"Yes, she did. And thank you for looking out for me." Rhea turned to Jane with a soft smile.
"Nah, you don't need to be so formal with me. I know you'd do the same thing. Anyway, I'm glad you're back now." She said, walking off, back to her seat – two rows away from Rhea.
Rhea scanned the room in search of Tia, expecting she'd be in class right now since she first left the apartment this morning.
But she wasn't. Not until after the class ended and the next class began did she spot Tia, five minutes late, rushing into the class.
Rhea threw her hand up, waving for Tia to see, "Psst, over here! Where were you? I thought you'd be in the first class since you left home early." Rhea moved her backpack from the seat beside her so Tia could sit.
"Um, I had to go meet Mr. Victor," her academic adviser.
"What did he say?" Rhea whispered, careful not to draw attention from the lecturer.
Tia glanced at the smartboard then back at Rhea with a smile. "That it's necessary I take all modules." She whispered back.
As the classes went by and the day progressed, the sky changed from its beautiful bright blue colours to a warm brown, and the once hot afternoon air was starting to feel cool. Tia and Rhea walked through the faculty, making their way to Mr. Brian's office to submit their assignment.
"Come in." A male voice echoed from the room after a soft knock.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Brian." Rhea greeted, laying a file on his desk. "I'm here to submit my assignment, Sir." She and Tia sat across from him.
"Oh, Ms. Rhea and Tia, how are you?" He asked with a smile. "Hope you're fine, Rhea. When I asked Tia, she said you were sick. That could be the only reason, because I know you never miss classes."
"Yes, Sir. But I'm fine now." Rhea responded.
"Good to know." Brian closed the file and passed it back to Rhea. "You don't have to submit this to me anymore."
Rhea and Tia knit their brows in confusion.
"No need to be alarmed," Brian said. "I'm no longer the lecturer for this module." He adjusted his glasses, resting his arms on the desk.
Tia sprang forward, sitting upright, leaning away from the chair back. "Suddenly, a new lecturer!" she interjected.
Rhea picked up the file. "But it's almost close to exams. Why are they dropping you?"
"They didn't drop the other bad lecturers, why you?" Tia crossed her arms over her chest.
Brian tapped on the desk, drawing their attention. "It's okay girls, don't say such things. I'm not being dropped, I'm only being moved to another department."
A sigh Rhea and Tia never knew they were holding escaped their lips.
"So who will I be submitting it to?" Rhea asked.
"The new lecturer who will be assigned to this module," Brian informed. "I think you all will get to meet him before this week runs out."
"Okay, Sir. And I hope your new department students are nice." Rhea said as they walked out.
"I hope this new one doesn't turn out to be a jerk," Tia muttered.
"Me too," Rhea added, as they walked down the hallway.
*
"Hey babe, I just got a call from Doctor Amina," Tia walked into Rhea's room, lay on her bed, tilting her head in Rhea's direction, who was on her laptop typing away, probably doing a thesis on the couch by the window. Then she continued, "The consultation is tomorrow at 8 AM."
Rhea's brow furrowed when she heard about the hospital. She shut the laptop and placed it on the stool beside her, stood up, and then walked towards the bed. "Okay. I...I think I've to sleep now to wake up early tomorrow. Don't you think?"
"Yes, you are right. I'd leave you to sleep then." Tia sprang up from the bed, making her way towards the door, then glanced back at Rhea, who was now lying on her bed, her back turned to her.
Tia knew that since Rhea's condition, she had become sensitive whenever the hospital was brought up.
As Tia closed the door, she caught Rhea's shoulders shaking.
Rhea lay on the bed as silent tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking the pillow beneath her.
"I don't want to die, I truly don't want to die." She placed her hands over her mouth as her shoulders shuddered with each shaky breath. "If there's any God, please don't take my life. I beg of you."
The next day at the hospital.
They sat in a quiet waiting room. The air was cool, smelling faintly of antiseptic and the soft echoes of people's voices. Rhea's mind was in a distant place as she traced patterns on her jeans, wishing she could just disappear. She felt like a ticking clock, and every second in a hospital felt wasted.
"Rhea George?" A kind voice called her name.
Tia squeezed Rhea's hand. "Come on."
The doctor, Dr. Amina, was calm, with warm, intelligent eyes. She didn't have that grave, final tone, most doctors have. She listened to Rhea's story, about the earlier diagnosis, about how she'd been feeling. She looked through the old reports, humming softly.
"I understand this has been very distressing for you, Rhea," Dr. Amina said, her voice gentle. "And I'm not going to give you false hope. But I want to run a few more tests. Different tests. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, it's fine," Rhea answered.
"Ok, it will take some hours, probably a day. If you can't wait you can come tomorrow." Dr. Amina muttered.
Rhea wanted all this to be done with, not wanting her heart to be pounding so much, as it was right now and probably causing her to lose some days' worth of life in split seconds. "No, I'd prefer to wait."
"Okay, then I'd get back to you when the tests are out." The doctor added.
After what seemed like forever to Rhea, they were called in.
Dr. Amina moved her eyes from her system, picked up the chart on her desk and glanced at Rhea. "Ms. Rhea, based on what I've seen so far, and what I hope to confirm with these new tests, your previous reports... they might have been misread, or perhaps something was simply missed given the acute nature of your presentation."
"What do you mean?" Rhea asked, sitting up straight.
Dr. Amina gave a small, reassuring smile. "What I mean to say is that you are not dying, Ms. Rhea."
Rhea's heart, the very thing they were talking about, gave a tiny, almost imperceptible flutter. Misread? Missed? Rhea could only stare, words failing her. A chance. A flicker. After a week of her counting down, this news had lit a tiny, impossible flicker of hope. It felt fragile, like a lie, but undeniably it was real.
Tia leaned forward, her eyes wide. "So... is it she's not... or you don't think it's definite?"
"Yes, Tia. I believe there's a possibility that what she has is not as dire as initially diagnosed. Her symptoms could point to a condition that is serious, yes, but also manageable. Treatable, even, with the right intervention." She paused. "It doesn't require surgery, but medications likely, but it's not... what you were told."
Rhea felt a strange sensation, like a single drop of cold water falling onto a vast, desert. Treatable? Not what she was told? It was too much to hope for, too crazy to believe. Her mind, so used to despair, couldn't quite grasp it.
Tia, however, squeezed Rhea's hand so hard it hurt. "Treatable?" she repeated, her voice hoarse. Her eyes, which had been so clouded with fear, now held a tiny, trembling spark. "Dr. Amina, are you saying... there's a chance she's not dying?"
"Yes, Tia, that's what I mean." Dr. Amina confirmed.
Tears poured out of Rhea's face, followed by hiccupped sobs as she crouched on her lap crying.
Tia and the doctor watched her as the cries got louder.
Tia, who was trying her best not to cry, couldn't hold it in any longer and started crying along with Rhea.