"Is asking your patient that question part of your job?" he asked sarcastically.
The nurse was taken aback and left stunned. She hadn't expected her patient to be so sarcastic. I wanted to warn her, but it was too late.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said, her face turning red. Her smile quickly disappeared and was replaced by a serious expression. After checking Lucca's vital signs, she excused herself and left the room.
I looked at Lucca, who was placing the empty bottle on the bedside table. "You're rude," I said.
He raised an eyebrow. "I only asked her if that was part of her job."
I frowned. Yeah, he really was rude and didn't care if he made people uncomfortable around him. It was also the reason why I didn't want to stay close to him because I hated his attitude. But since I had no choice, I dealt with him patiently.
I grabbed the empty mineral water bottle and threw it into the trash can. After that, I went back to the sofa and started reading again. Not long after, someone knocked on the door, and Mira entered the room.
"Mira!" I was shocked because she hadn't said she was coming here. I only knew she would call me later.
"Hi, Lucca," Mira greeted.
Lucca just nodded before Mira turned to me with a frown.
"Why did you end the call? Who were you talking to earlier that made you hang up?" Mira asked with her arms crossed. Then she narrowed her eyes at me, making it obvious that she was investigating.
"I heard a man's voice earlier," she added.
I looked at Lucca, then back at Mira. I couldn't use Lucca as an excuse because he would surely deny it.
"Ah… one of the residents here," I answered, hoping she wouldn't investigate further.
"Really? That made you end the call? I was still talking then," she said with a hint of annoyance.
"I'm sorry," I said, hoping to end the conversation, but she didn't stop.
"I wanna know who that guy was. Is he handsome?" she asked with a grin, obviously trying to force information out of me.
I glanced at Lucca again, who was quietly watching our conversation.
"I don't know his name," I said.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "Really? You ended the call twice, yet you don't even know his name? Is he handsome, huh?"
Mira kept bothering me with her questions. Couldn't she ask later when we were alone? Why did she have to keep asking in front of Lucca?
"Let's talk about it later, Mira," I said while subtly signaling her to stop. I was trying to point out that Lucca was there and shouldn't hear our conversation.
"You'll stop just because I'm here?" Lucca asked with his arms crossed.
Mira and I both looked at him. His face remained expressionless. Mira awkwardly laughed before turning to him.
"Is your health better now?" Mira asked, trying to divert the topic.
"Are we close enough for you to ask that?" he questioned in return.
"Why? Are only your friends allowed to ask if you're fine?" Mira shot back.
"You're only interested in Damian," Lucca said with a smirk, causing Mira's smile to fade.
"And so? Damian and I are officially dating," she said proudly.
Lucca continued smirking. "Good luck."
That single phrase struck both of us, leaving us wondering why he said it.
The conversation was interrupted when Dominic and Damian entered, carrying several plastic bags and paper bags. They placed all the food on the table.
"Are we having a party tonight? There's so much food here!" Mira exclaimed.
I looked at her and noticed Damian staring at her. When Mira realized it, she blushed.
"I'm hungry now," Dominic said before turning to me. "How was your day with this rude guy?" he asked.
I looked at Lucca, who seemed impatiently waiting for my response. "We didn't talk much," I answered.
I didn't know if that statement annoyed him or not. I just avoided looking at his reaction.
A few moments later, the nurses and the doctor entered the room. They noticed all the food on the table.
"Looks like a feast," the doctor joked.
"Yeah, doctor. Do you want to join us?" Dominic asked.
The doctor chuckled. "As much as I want to, I have a scheduled operation later," he replied before turning to Lucca, who still looked expressionless while the nurse checked his vital signs. This time, it was a male nurse. "You good?" the doctor asked.
"Yeah," Lucca answered flatly, as if he were talking to someone unimportant.
"Get better. Your friends and uncle were worried about you," the doctor said with concern in his voice. They spoke as if they had known each other for a long time.
"Yeah," Lucca replied again.
After checking his vitals and giving instructions to the nurse about the medicine Lucca needed to take, they excused themselves and left the room. Then another nurse arrived to bring Lucca's dinner, which had been prepared by the dietician.
"I want steak," Lucca said while eyeing the ribeye steak Damian had placed on the table.
"Didn't you hear the doctor's advice?" Dominic asked.
"What? Did he say I'm not allowed to eat steak?"
"But you already have your dinner," Dominic pointed out, still refusing to give him the steak.
"So?" Lucca was clearly getting annoyed because Dominic kept teasing him.
"So, you're not allowed to eat that," Dominic said, sticking his tongue out.
Lucca frowned while Dominic laughed. Damian stayed quiet with his usual poker face while listening. Mira laughed along with Dominic, too.
I didn't know whether to laugh or not, but I tried not to because Lucca, who clearly had a short temper, was already irritated with his friend. Then I remembered the scene where Lucca hurt Dominic back at the townhouse. Up until now, I still couldn't believe what I had seen. Yet it seemed like both Lucca and Dominic had already forgotten about it.
"You can have my portion," I offered, just to end the tension between Dominic, who loved teasing Lucca, and Lucca, who got annoyed easily. I shook my head. Once I was done with this so-called Lucca sitting, I didn't want to involve myself with them anymore.
Dominic looked surprised when I interrupted. "But he's not allowed to eat that," Dominic insisted.
"Just let Lucca taste it if he's craving," I answered.
Everyone was now staring at me as if I had said something they never expected to hear. But as I thought about it, it was just a simple statement.
"Are you two on good terms now?" Dominic said, his mouth slightly open in surprise.
I frowned. Since when? I looked at Lucca, and he frowned too. Should I feel offended because he looked annoyed at Dominic's question?
"I have to deal with him whether I like it or not. Didn't you ask me for a favor?" I asked Dominic back.
He smiled at me and walked closer to where I was sitting. "Thank you," he said.
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I stopped myself. I didn't want to give Lucca another reason to talk rudely. Dominic gave Lucca a steak. Actually, Dominic had ordered steak for all of us, including Lucca. He was just teasing him to annoy him. Didn't he get bruised by Lucca before? Why wasn't Dominic afraid to tease and provoke him? If I had known he was only joking, I wouldn't have said I'd give up my portion.
"I really like this steak. It tastes really expensive," Mira said while munching.
I agreed with Mira. The tenderness of the meat made it melt in my mouth. The combination of salty and sweet flavors complemented each other perfectly. If it weren't for Dominic, I wouldn't have experienced all of this.
"Did you like it, Seraphina?" Dominic asked while cutting his steak.
"Yeah. Thanks," I said.
I continued eating while Dominic and Mira had their conversation. I was just thankful they were talkative, because if we were all nonchalant, no one would surely speak. After eating dinner, Dominic took something from a paper bag. When I saw it, it was wine. I was shocked and amazed at the same time because Dominic could do whatever he wanted, or was he teasing Lucca again?
"Are we going to drink this here? Won't the hospital fine us?" Mira asked with a shocked expression.
Dominic laughed. "Don't worry. We have shares in this hospital. They won't kick us out just because we drink wine here."
"So basically, you own this hospital," I said. So, no wonder Lucca's hospital bills were covered; he was a co-owner here.
"Yup! So don't worry and let's drink," Dominic said, then handed us shot glasses. I didn't even know where he got them.
"I brought some snacks too," he added, placing junk food, biscuits, and fruits on the table. It really was a feast tonight, as if we weren't in a hospital.
"And don't worry, because I brought wine. Let's drink until we get drunk," Dominic said.
"Hey, you're driving, right? You shouldn't drink too much," I warned him. I was worried about him, even though he was like this, someone I often thought I should distance myself from. Still, the fact remained that they had helped me in some ways. I had even discovered new things I had never experienced before.
I looked at Lucca while Dominic poured wine into our shot glasses. I decided to take just one sip to taste it. Lucca was staring angrily at Dominic, but the latter just shrugged it off as if he enjoyed being glared at. This time, I couldn't give my portion anymore since it might affect his health, and he was still taking medication.
I sipped the wine. At first, the taste was strange, but as I continued drinking, I started to like it. I told myself I would only have one glass to taste it, but now it was already my third.
"You seem to like it, Seraphina," Dominic laughed while watching me.
"I thought it would taste bad, but this is good," I answered. I didn't mind the stares Lucca was giving me. I felt like he was jealous that we were drinking while he could only watch. Though he didn't speak, I could feel the rage in his eyes, not toward me, but toward Dominic, who was laughing with Mira. Didn't Dominic notice it? Or was he just used to it now?
Maybe Dominic noticed I was worried because I kept glancing at Lucca. He leaned closer and whispered into my ear, "Just let him get annoyed. He deserves it."
That made my skin shiver because Dominic was too close.
"You keep teasing him. I don't want that scene to happen again," I said, referring to what happened at Dominic's townhouse.
"I love doing it. What can I do?" he said while still laughing.
"Hey! What are you whispering about? Include me!" Mira exclaimed, already a bit tipsy. How would she even get home after this when she still had work tomorrow?
"Stop drinking now, Mira. You still have work tomorrow," I said.
"I can file a leave," she said, smiling. "Right, Dominic? Can I?" she asked, giving him puppy eyes.
Dominic laughed and nodded. "Yeah, you can. Just tell your head and HR that I said you can take leave."
Mira giggled and poured herself another drink. As much as I wanted to continue drinking, seeing how chaotic Dominic and Mira were, I stopped. I didn't want to join the chaos, and who would handle them? Definitely not Lucca, and Damian didn't even seem interested in his surroundings. He looked like he was in his own world. If he was really dating Mira, why wasn't he making a move? Wouldn't he feel jealous seeing her so comfortable with Dominic?
I just ate chips while listening to Dominic and Mira's conversation. Dominic was still in his right mind, but Mira clearly wasn't. Now I was worried about how she would get back to her condo. They couldn't even sleep here since there were no beds, only a spacious room. Would they sleep on the floor?
"You know, I was a bit annoyed at Seraphina earlier because she ended the call without warning. She was talking to some guy, Dominic!" Mira said without pause.
Surely, she would spill everything, and everyone might hear it.
"A guy?" Dominic asked, turning to me.
"I just met him at the rooftop," I explained. But why was I even explaining? He wasn't even my boyfriend.
"And I think he's handsome because she ended the call twice," Mira added.
I wanted to tape her mouth shut, but I had nothing. If she were sober, I would have already reprimanded her.
Dominic kept looking at me, waiting for confirmation.
"I only met that guy at the rooftop while I was on a call with Mira. He successfully got my attention when he called me by my name," I said. As much as I hated explaining, I had no choice since Mira started it.
"So you know that guy?" Dominic asked.
"No. I don't know him. And that's the truth."
"But aren't you curious why he called you by your name?" Dominic asked again, as if he were an interviewer.
"He said something earlier that caught my attention."
"What?"
"That you are his friend," I answered.
Silence lingered between us. Even Lucca, who was just watching us drink, looked at me.
After a few minutes, Dominic broke the silence. "Ah, he must be someone we know here," he said, then laughed.
So what was that silence for? It was already awkward earlier that I could barely breathe because I was too shy to let them hear my breathing.
I looked at Damian and Lucca's reactions. It seemed like they knew something they didn't want to tell us. If Mira hadn't mentioned it, we wouldn't have felt that awkward silence.
"Mira, can you come with me outside? I need to buy something at the convenience store."
"What do you need? Dominic already bought everything," she asked, not getting my point that I just wanted to talk to her. How could she be in her right mind talking to me when she was already drunk?
I sighed. I would surely reprimand her tomorrow. I would also tell her I was a bit mad at her.
Dominic seemed to forget the silence earlier and started laughing again with Mira. I hoped Mira wouldn't share anything awkward again. They kept drinking the whole night. Dominic had really brought many bottles of wine just to drink them all that evening.
I shook my head. They turned the hospital into a disco bar. But money really works because they weren't even afraid of being reprimanded.
The night felt long, and so did the drinking session. Mira was drunk and fell asleep on the sofa, while the two guys were a bit tipsy, or rather, Dominic was.
I sighed heavily and looked at Lucca, who was watching the chaotic scene. There was trash everywhere, and some chips were left open. I started cleaning their mess and throwing it into the trash.
"I can clean it later, Seraphina. Just leave it there," Dominic said while stuttering. He was completely drunk.
I didn't listen and continued cleaning. When I was done, I cleaned Mira, who was now completely asleep.
"I won't let you drink ever again," I said to Mira while wiping her face with wet wipes.
"Now how can I send you to your condo? I don't even know how to drive," I said, even though Mira couldn't hear me.
"I'll drive her," Damian finally spoke.
I looked at him. He was sitting there, calmly sipping his drink.
"You're drunk too, right?" I asked. I wouldn't let my drunk friend be taken home by her date while she was in that state. What if Damian did something bad to her? I wasn't thinking badly of him. I was just considering what might happen if I let them be alone. I knew Mira could be quite adventurous. I wouldn't let her throw herself at Damian just because she liked him so much.
"Can you even tell if I am drunk?" he said sarcastically.
Yeah, I could clearly talk to this sarcastic and rude Damian just like Lucca.
"No need. I'll let her sleep here, then I'll send her home tomorrow morning," I said.
"Would you let your friend sleep on the sofa?" he asked.
Why was he asking? Wasn't it better for Mira to sleep on the sofa rather than let Damian take her to the condo where something might happen?
"Just let her be. If her body aches, it's her fault," I said, frowning at Mira. If she was mad at me, I was even more mad at her. I would surely nag her tomorrow.
"Damian, send Dominic home," Lucca interrupted.
Damian looked at him and asked why.
"He can't drive even if he says he can. Just send him home. It's getting late," Lucca said while glancing at the wall clock.
Damian didn't argue. Dominic, who was chaotic and talkative earlier, was now asleep on the single sofa. So how would Damian carry that huge man?
To my surprise, Damian didn't hesitate to lift Dominic as if he were weightless.
"We're going," Damian said, and I watched them leave the room.
The room fell silent. I cleaned the remaining mess Dominic left before going back to the sofa. I sat on the single sofa because Mira had taken the one I was supposed to use. I would be sleeping sitting down. What else could I do? I wouldn't let Mira sleep on the floor even if I was a little mad at her.
"Sleep here," Lucca said.
I looked at him. He was standing, still holding his IV drip, and pointing at the hospital bed.
I immediately shook my head. "No… no… and where will you sleep if you give me the bed?" I asked.
"I'll just sit and read books all night. I'm not sleepy yet."
Was I hearing this right from the rude and sarcastic Lucca? The Lucca I knew wouldn't bother helping anyone, especially me, who always annoyed him. So why now?
"It's okay, Lucca. I won't let you stay up all night sitting. How can you recover quickly if you do that?"
"What do you want then, if you refuse my offer? Do you want me to sleep on the bed too?"