Not Like In The Movies

The next morning,

"O-ouch..." Fei Shuang slowly opened her eyes as she cupped her aching head. She woke up on her bed to a bad case of flu. Aches and feverish, she felt quite dizzy. Her stomach started turning and she immediately stretched both of her arms to grab the nearest thing closer to her which was her wheelchair and hurriedly maneuvered it to the toilet and threw up over.

A hangover is just the worst. So much worse and so terrifying in so many ways. The body wants to shut down. It wants so many things at once and it just cripples you. You can't eat. The sunlight hurts. The memories come and destroys you. With each seconds, shaking and dying for your own bed.

Fei Shuang finally got to take a bath and drank lots of water. No food. Not yet. She dressed up in a black long sleeve dress and shorts.

Laying in her bed, she kind of quivered. Sleep came instantly. She woke four hours later feeling much better and tried to eat.

She was about to swallow her first lump of egg noodles when she heard the door bell ring.

*Ding Dong*

*Ding Dong*

With an annoying face, Fei Shuang placed her chopsticks back down into the bowl,not minding the messed up room and pulled the door open. To her surprise, her eyes met a handsome and elegant face. He wore a black tailored jacket which even elevates a casual hoodie, a pair of black jeans and white sneakers outfit. He looked good with deep hazel eyes casting on him.

'What is he doing here?!'

She was internally shocked to see him at her door,how on earth!

"Mr Shen?" Fei Shuang asked dumbfounded.

Li Chu smiled,replying, "Yes,good afternoon Miss Lee. May i come in?"

Fei Shuang only nodded in response. Her brain was wondering when this cold stone started smiling frequently. She couldn't understand why the whole Mr Shen would come over to her house. Was it because she didn't attend her therapy exercises for two days? That must be it. But she had a really good excuse why she couldn't attend. First, she didn't want to miss Big Jiu's wedding and watched it completely via face time and,she couldn't attend today because she was recovering from a hangover.

She instantly turned her control stick, hastily picking up some few bottles of gr.a.p.e wine that she finished yesterday and some snack packs thinking Mr Shen might have a bad expression on her. She didn't want to ruin her image with a messy surroundings or a lack of efficiency. That was why she rushed not to make it seem like she was suffering from a hangover.

The man was silently staring at her with a blank face as she moved up and down tidying the sitting room. Only when she was satisfied by the appearance of her surroundings did she realized that Mr Shen was still standing.

"Why are you still standing? Please, have a sit."

"Thank you." Li Chu smiled again, then sat down with his back straight.

"Would you like to have some tea? Water?"

"Water would do." Li Chi answered with a polite expression. He couldn't understand the woman, how could she be so calm even after knowing her condition. He started to doubt is she really heard his conversation with Pan Er.

"Alright.". Fei Shuang nodded as she maneuvered her control stick to the kitchen with her bowl of egg noodles. She decided warm it later and eat it when Mr Shen is gone.

Some seconds passed by and she came back holding a glass of water. She gently placed it on the table.

"Thank you." Li Chu picked up the glass,had a sip,then placed it back down on the table. Fei Shuang adjusted her wheelchair across the sofa he was sitting. She expected Li Chu to say something else to follow up his words at that moment and soon enough,the man continued, "Miss Lee,i'm sorry for visiting without notifying you. I understand why you didn't attend your therapy exercises for yesterday and today. I wanted to tell you but i couldn't find the right time."

His words were calm but one could also-indirectly sense guilt. Fei Shuang recalled what she heard yesterday. He felt guilty for not telling her that her paralysis was permanent.

"I have an explanation for not attention my lessons. Yesterday was my close friend's wedding and i couldn't attend...."

Her words went on and on, as she explained everything and how she had been suffering from a hangover for two days. Pan Er had stopped coming for the regular checkups since last week cos it had been concluded that she was in a healthy condition and having a nurse practitioner wasn't necessarily. That was why she couldn't get to rely the message to anyone. "I'm sorry for not calling you to explain my situation, i—"

"No need to continue," Li Chu interrupted,before Fei Shuang could finish her sentence, "i understand. But that's not why i'm here." Li Chu let out a deep sigh.

"Really? What is it?" Fei Shuang arched a brow,acting like she didn't know what he was talking about.

Li Chu bit his bottom lip. "Your paralysis was concluded to be permanent based on the previous doctors who examined you, including me and Doctor Xiao. At first, i thought it would be better if you were told but later on,i decided you shouldn't know. After a brief conversation with Nurse Qu yesterday and you coming back into my office looking for your purse, i guessed you heard something and then, you decided not to attend therapy anymore thinking it is useless. But that's the actual reason why we decided not to tell you, because we thought that you'll lose all hope." His hands were shaking internally while he kept his gaze down. Why does he suddenly feel afraid when he mentioned the word 'hope'. He had a strange feeling towards this woman that he couldn't understand it. He needs felt much concern for his patients like he did to her.

Fei Shuang captured his words in stillness. She finally understood his main point. He and Doctor Xiao thought she'd quit and maybe end up her life. For a second,she was having that kind of thoughts in her head. Maybe it was better if she'd died in the accident or never wake up from coma. She had nothing to lose.

Thinking like that made Fei Shuang to subconsciously raise her hand to cover her mouth, which caught Li Chu's attention.

"Miss Lee," Li Chu quickly continued, "Doctor Xiao and i strongly believe that we can make a difference,and that you can walk again,only if you believe in that. It's just been two weeks so,i can't tell if there's an improvement. But with time,you'll feel it too. Just don't give up hope so easily and don't lose confidence.

Take your time and tell me what you think next week when we meet for your next appointment." Li Chu reassured her not to worry.

"Okay. I'll believe in you." Fei Shuang spoke. She knew that if she say a word further,she'd burst into tears. Living an unhappy life,now dealing with permanent paralysis, it's driving her nuts. Just five short months ago, she was ignorant to the realities of paralysis. She didn't know what it meant to have a spinal cord injury or what that world was like.

A world that she never imagined she would be a part of at such a young age.

She didn't want Mr Shen to see her as a cry baby and just turned around, keeping her gaze away from the man.

"Thank you for telling me the truth. You should go now. I'm feeling a bit sick, so i won't be able to send you out. Take care." Fei Shuang said in a faint voice.

"Alright,hope you have a good day." With that,he stood up, without waiting for her to say another word, and walked out of the apartment. He could tell with a single glance that she was about to cry.

Only when she heard the sound of the door shut did Fei Shuang turn her head. Her face looked gloomy and her hands were shaking.

She tried to hold back the seething torrent of tears, but had to wash away her sadness.

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