The Prelude (originally written by Nina - translated by Lella)
Part 2
It was getting dark but Stear had not moved even a single moment from there; all that time he neither stop attending, nor looking at her... She looked so ill and at the same time so beautiful. The cheeks flushed because of the fever contrasted sharply with the pale face and the expression on it was one of deep suffering. Stear thought about the words of the doctor who had treated her, while he remembered the last time he had seen her in that state, some years ago, when Anthony died...
"Oh, Candy... what's happening to you... what might have happened to cause you such distress..."
The boy's eyes were filled with tears and one of them ran down his cheek, but then a soft sound caught his attention... It was a murmur escaped from the girl's lips. Immediately, he came closer to her.
"Candy!"
Her lips moved again unintelligible.
"Candy, wake up, tell me what you want..."
The young man looked distressed at the patient, he wanted to embrace her, let her know that he was there, but he didn't dare... He knew that if he touched her, his heart would break to pieces.
"Candy, open your eyes, wake up now ..."
"Give... me your... hand..."
The young man looked at her with true pain and complied approaching slowly his hands to hers, until that he suddenly imprisoned her among an exhalation.
"Oh, Candy..."
"Stear... don't... leave me..."
"I am here, but you must wake up! Candy... Candy!... come on, please..."
Stear's voice was becoming clearer and sharper to the young girl's ears each time, while a strong light seemed to wrap her every time she tried to open her eyes...
"Candy! Oh, Candy, finally you've woken up!"
The girl blinked, really confused.
"What... where I am..."
"In a hospital, Candy... You were attacked by a high fever and..."
The young girl fixed her blurred and confused gaze on him.
"Stear? But what..."
The girl's heart beat strongly in her chest when she discovered her hand enclosed tightly in the young man's ones, and she recalled the terrible nightmare that had forced her to wake up...
"Stear! Are you alright?"
The young man was surprised at the girl's question.
"Me? ... oh, Candy, calm down... it's over... What happened was caused by the fever, but you're safe now"
"But you..."
"I'm fine... I don't know why you did, but you called me several times... You asked me not to leave you and I will not... I've been on your side since this morning, Candy"
"What... what had happened to me"
Stear smiled gently, as if only he could do it and he answered "Ah... very good question, young girl... but unfortunately, you're the only person who knows what happened to you..."
"How? I don't understand..."
Stear sighed and looked sweetly at the girl.
"Candy... The doctor says it is a reaction of your body to drop the defenses in front of a trauma... Just like when... when we lost Anthony, you remember?... Something happened to you and because of it you were attacked by that high fever..."
Stear's words stunned the girl, but gradually it all came back to her mind, and remembering that farewell in the stairs, she burst into tears like a little girl...
"Candy! But what..."
Then the girl threw herself into the chest of her friend, who truly confused, didn't know whether it was right to do something, but after hesitating a few seconds, he gave in to his instinct, and he put his arms around her warmly as he thought "Oh, Candy... what happens to you... You're breaking my heart..."
Then he murmured "Calm down... you must calm down..."
"I can't... I can't, Stear... Terry and I have broken up! We won't meet ever again!"
The young man felt his heart racing and he could clearly feel how a tear rolled down his cheek moistening the girl's hair, while she vented in that comfortable refuge...
***
The sharp sound of metallic object crashing into the ground took Stear violently out of his light sleep which he had just sunk into a few minutes ago, and he straightened up jumping from the chair which was beside Candy's bed, he looked immediately for with his eyes.
"I am here, Stear... Don't panic..."
The boy stood up immediately and approached to her.
"Heavens, Candy... What are you doing up and without shoes, you still have fever."
The girl smiled while she was blushing.
"It's that I ran out of water in my glass and I didn't want to wake you up..."
Stear also smiled.
"But you almost fell and threw something that sounded like a gong out of tune"
The girl's smile widened.
"Sorry"
The room's door opened just then and a nurse came in.
"What's happening? Is everything alright?"
"Yes, miss, thank you... she's just tripped"
"Sure? Isn't there anything I can do for you?"
"No, thank you very much, you are very kind but I'm really alright"
"Good... Go back to bed, if you need anything call me, okay? "
"Yes, thank you..."
"Excuse me then..."
The door closed again and Stear looked at Candy.
"What about the water?"
"I'm not that thirsty... and she looked very tired and I know what it's like to be in her place."
"Oh, Candy... Come on, go back to bed"
The weak girl took a couple of steps, but once again her feet faltered, and the young man's arms held her at the right time... for the first time since Terry had released her waist, she felt truly safe and protected, those arms were so warm, just like the chest where her face rested... Then she realized that that was just the kind of comfort she now needed. For his part, Stear was watching the girl's head, a little scared... He could feel how every cell of his being shuddered, and suddenly he understood why: the girl he had always loved silently and gently for so many years was there, and he was holding her tightly in his arms just like he had always wanted. Suddenly his eyes became moist, and that got him out of his astonishment, then he took her in his arms and laid her carefully on the bed. Neither of them realized that this eternal moment had only lasted a couple of minutes... Smiling, the boy looked into her eyes.
"Wow, Candy... You're weaker than I thought... I'm going for your water, I'll come back right away."
Then he took the metallic jug that had fallen to the ground and he got out of the room in a hurry. Then she heard eleven strokes from the clock in the hall and she sighed deeply thinking that those moments in Stear's arms had made her feel better than any medicine... What she would have given to be in them last night when... Then suddenly and without knowing why, she felt more alone and sadder than before, and began crying inconsolably. After a while she calmed down and she sighed a bit calmer: She didn't want Stear to see her like that... She needed a handkerchief, but found none nearby. Then her eyes fixed on the young man's coat that was hanging from the back of the chair, and she took it stretching out a bit and she searched all his pockets...
The bedroom door opened and Stear came in with the full jug in his hand.
"I'm sorry for the delay, I had to go down to the first floor because all the other demijohns were empty".
Then then young man poured the water in the glass and he offered it to the girl, who drank it eagerly.
"Go, take more, the doctor said you needed lots of liquids for the fever."
"Yes, I know, thanks... "
The girl drank again and then put the glass on the nightstand.
"Candy... You cried again... "
" I'm fine Stear, thanks for the water..."
"Here is more."
"No, thanks."
The young man resumed his place in the uncomfortable chair, without noticing that she looked at him fixed and strangely.
"You know, Candy? I thought it would be a good idea to send a telegram to Albert, he cares a lot about you and..."
"He thinks that I'm fine, he doesn't expect me before another five days, and I don't want to distrub him for something without importance."
"But..."
"In five days I'll be fine, and he doesn't have to know of something that would alarm him for no reason... Indeed, Stear... it's absolutely pointless, thank you..."
"Well..."
A heavy silence enveloped the young people.
"Hey, Stear... I was thinking, is Archie with you? He is going to worry for sure..."
The young man smiled on one side.
"Don't worry, he is calm in Chicago"
"And... then what are you doing here alone..."
The half smile blurred subtly from the lips of the young man.
"It's that... I had something to do..."
"And you did it?"
"No... actually... I was going to do it when you got in my way... literally... "
Saying this, a genuine smile crossed the lips of the young man, and she reluctantly imitated.
"Oh! you don't know how happy I am to see you smile, Candy... Everything around you lights up when you do it..."
The girl sighed as a couple of tears shined in her eyes... For a moment she recalled that someone had told her before that she was much prettier when she smiled...
**********
