"Vanessa." Marcel called in excitement.
"Vanessa, what… don't tell me you have been standing there all this time." Donald's face looked panicked.
She walked to Donald.
"What drug are you offering Marcel? What is your game here?". Vanessa's eyes were furious.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, Vanessa, it's just a drug that would make him sleep and feel better. It's been recommended by the best physician in town."
Donald replied, as sweat lingered on his face.
"So why don't I take the syringe to the doctor and have them examine its contents before administering it to Marcel? That way, we can be sure you are not playing something dangerous here." Vanessa glared at him.
"How dare you, Vanessa? Do you think I would want to harm my brother? Know your lane, girl, you are just a bodyguard and nothing more." Donald's tone changed.
"Alright then inject me, I want to know if it's harmful to him or not." Vanessa stared at him
Silence.
"What the hell are you thinking Vanessa. What if it's a drug meant to kill Marcel, I would have to die. But Donald wouldn't kill his brother, would he, and what if the drug intoxicates me and I lose consciousness and fall into a coma for weeks?." She thought, her legs shaking.
She glanced at Marcel.
Donald and Marcel's faces were full of surprise, like they had witnessed something they never believed could happen.
"Are you crazy, Vanessa? I won't let you be injected by that. What if something happens to you?." Marcel spoke with his jaw dancing.
"Don't be so stupid, Vanessa. The drug belongs to Marcel. The side effects are quite dangerous if a patient does not have any illness listed for it. Do you want to harm yourself?". Donald spoke, his eyes dilating.
"I won't have you inject that drug into Marcel, if it doesn't go through me." Vanessa replied.
She dashed for the injection from Donald's hands as everyone looked in panic and injected herself.
Vanessa, Marcel shouted.
"What the hell, why is everything looking so blurry? Am I falling… unconscious?." Vanessa thought as she staggered back like she was drunk.
Donald looked pale as he stood horrified, the girl he brought with him had run out.
Marcel came off his bed sluggishly with his garment flowing on the ground.
Vanessa almost fell on the ground but he caught her.
"Vanessa, Vanessa come on, open your eyes. Vanessa don't do this." Marcel shook her body, shouting at her.
"Why is Marcel holding me this tight, and why is he looking so concerned. I thought he didn't care about anything with his spoiled nature, I thought he just wanted to sleep with every girl he met. What then could it be?."
Her eyes half-dozed, but she could still hear a bit of what Marcel and Donald spoke to each other.
"What did you do to Vanessa, what did you put inside the syringe? Answer me now, you fool." Marcel's eyes were lit in anger, his green eyes sparkling in what looked like tears.
"But it couldn't be right, I mean Marcel wouldn't care enough to cry for me." Vanessa thought, her consciousness slowly drifting away.
"I didn't do anything, the drug was meant for you and she just injected it into herself. What did you expect, the side effects are slowly drifting her away." Donald replied, unconcerned.
"You dare utter such nonsense, if anything should happen to Vanessa, I would make sure you spend the rest of your life in jail, you hear me, Donald." Marcel shouted.
Two nurses and a doctor rushed in.
"The side effects of the drug are eating her up," the doctor said, checking her with his stethoscope.
He glanced at the syringe.
"We would have to do something about it quickly, otherwise she may be in a coma for months and even have partial amnesia." He continued.
"Coma for months, huh? Who would protect Marcel when I am gone? Why does he have those looks in his eyes like he wanted to tell me something? I always wanted what was best for me because no one cared, not even my parents. Which was why I joined the security taskforce responsible for bodyguards, I thought I could earn some money and get the best out of myself but I ended up with someone I thought I could never tolerate and here I am caring for him so much that instead of me hating it, I feel lighter and happier than before."
"Why?," she thought.
Marcel held Donald's collar.
"Look at what you have done, Vanessa should quickly wake up or else." Marcel tightened his grip on his collar.
The nurses tried to stop the confrontation as they held Marcel off.
"Stop embarrassing yourself, Marcel. She is just a bodyguard, nothing more. And she did her job by taking it for you; she wanted to know if it was dangerous, and she got bitten." Donald replied, adjusting his crumpled suit with a grin.
"Mr Marcel, please, I would advise you to calm down, you are still under recovery, and any more noise or confrontation from you could result in casualties." The doctor advised.
Vanessa, I am so sorry. Marcel bent to her, his eyes pleading.
A nurse brought a stretcher as Vanessa was carried on it.
Her eyes were still half open.
"Why is Marcel following me? Shouldn't he be in bed?."
"It's going to be fine, Vanessa, the doctor will make sure you are alright."Marcel said.
"His voice was slipping away in my ear, all I could hear was hurried footsteps and the doctor's warning. Everything was so blurry, my chest felt hot and burning. Marcel's face became like mist in a stormy cloud, and I wanted to reach out to him and touch his face, but I couldn't even move my arms. I just lay still as I was carried inside a room, and the last thing I heard from Marcel on the doorstep was."
I love you, Vanessa.
My heart skipped.