Chapter Six
Scene One: The Hospital Room
Hospitals gave Patel the creeps.
The clean white walls, the distant beeping of machines, the smell of antiseptic—it all made his skin crawl. He shifted restlessly in bed, the thin blanket twisted around his legs like a boa constrictor.
"Urgh," he groaned, tossing his head to the side. "This place sucks."
He stared at the ceiling tiles like they had betrayed him. Missing a day of school felt like missing a month of life.
His thoughts wandered.
Jenny.
He thought of her dark curls. Her laugh. Her awkward smile when she said "Hi" in class.
Was she worried about him? Did she ask?
Suddenly,
"Hey big head!" a familiar voice rang out, loud and dramatic.
Patel blinked. His door burst open, and in walked Mat, Sheldon, Nattie, and of course, Mira, carrying a small tote bag and a mischievous grin.
"Yoh!" Patel sat up, startled. "What the heck?! You brought the whole gang?"
Mira rolled her eyes. "You should be thanking me, ungrateful patient."
Mat pulled a plastic chair close and plopped into it like a celebrity entering a press room. "You look like hot garbage, bro."
"More like microwaved spinach," Sheldon added, making a face.
Nattie gasped dramatically. "Is this what fever does? Tragic."
Patel scoffed, chuckling in spite of himself. "Can y'all not gang up on a sick man?"
Mira smirked as she placed the bag on the side table. "I'll let you live today. Fever privilege."
They all laughed. The energy in the room lifted instantly.
Sheldon nudged Mira. "Yo, Mira was walking around like a ghost at school today. We almost had to stage an intervention."
"I was not," Mira snapped, crossing her arms but a small smile tugged at her lips.
Mat elbowed Patel. "She was legit gloomy, bro. Like, even her sarcasm caught the flu."
Patel smiled softly, looking at her. "Aww. You worried about me, Mira?"
She looked away. "Don't flatter yourself. It's just quiet when you're not around. Too quiet."
The teasing continued until visiting hours ticked down.
Eventually, Mat, Sheldon, and Nattie rose to their feet.
"We out," Sheldon said. "You need anything? Like a priest or something?"
"Yeah," Mat added, "want me to sneak in hot fries tomorrow? Hospital food probably tastes like wet paper."
Patel grinned. "Bless your heart, Mat. Fries are love."
They waved goodbye and left with a chorus of inside jokes and fake coughs ("Oh no! I caught Patel's germs!").
Mira stayed behind.
She pulled the chair closer, took out a small towel from her bag, and began gently dabbing his forehead.
Patel watched her in surprise. "Okay… is this real life? Is Mira actually being… nice?"
"Shut up," she said without looking at him. "Don't let it go to your head. You're just temporarily fragile."
"Temporarily?" he smirked. "You sure you're not falling for me?"
Mira let out a loud snort. "Relax, Bollywood. Fever's giving you delusions."
She poured water into a cup, added a straw, and held it up to him. "Drink."
As he sipped, she glanced over at the chart the nurse left behind. "The nurse says your temperature's dropped a little. That's good."
Patel leaned back. "You'd make a great nurse. You even brought notes and homework?"
She opened her bag and pulled out a folder. "All your classwork. Don't say I never do anything for you."
He stared at her. "You're the real MVP, Mira. Who knew?"
"I'm full of surprises," she said, smirking.
There was a beat of silence.
Then Patel hesitated. "Hey… did Jenny ask about me?"
Mira froze.
Her smile faded slightly. She looked away, busying herself with the papers.
"No," she said quietly. "She didn't."
Patel's face fell. "Oh. Right. Cool."
He tried to play it off, but Mira could see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
She said nothing and just handed him a pen.
Scene Two: The Call
Jenny couldn't rest.
She sat in the backseat of the family car as the driver cruised past the school gates. But instead of heading home, she softly said, "Take me to Julia's, please."
"Yes, ma'am" the driver nodded and turned at the next intersection.
Her heart thumped quietly in her chest.
Julia's mansion was a peaceful escape tucked in one of the city's luxury estates—modern, quiet, full of glass and cold marble tiles. Her older sister was everything Jenny admired: accomplished, composed, brilliant. At just twenty-four, Julia was already making headlines in the medical world.
When Jenny arrived and stepped through the doors, the house echoed with stillness.
"She's not home," she whispered to herself, locking the door behind her.
She dropped her bag on the white couch and wandered to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of orange juice, and leaned against the counter. Her mind wasn't on juice. It wasn't even on her sister.
It was on him.
Patel.
She bit her lip and stared at the blank TV screen across the room.
Suddenly, she remembered something Mrs. Stan!
She rushed for her phone and scrolled until she found her number. With trembling fingers, she dialed.
The line rang.
Then "Hello?"
"Hi, Mrs. Stan! It's Jennifer. Jennifer Hernandez from Grade Eleven A."
"Oh! Jennifer, sweetheart. What a surprise! How are you, dear?"
"I'm fine, thank you. I just… I wanted to ask if I could maybe get Patel's mom's number? I heard he's sick, and I just wanted to check in on him... you know, as a friend."
Mrs. Stan chuckled warmly. "Aww, that's very thoughtful of you. You kids are so sweet these days. I'll send it to you now, via text, alright?"
"Thank you so much, ma'am!"
"Anytime, dear. Take care."
The call ended. Moments later, the number came through via SMS.
Jenny stared at it.
Her thumb hovered over the digits.
Okay. Don't be weird. Just call. It's not like you're in love or anything. It's just concern. Human empathy. Totally normal…
She called.
"Hello?" a small voice answered, bubbly and curious.
"Oh! Um, hi," Jenny stammered. "My name is Jennifer. I'm Patel's schoolmate and... friend. I heard he's not feeling well, and I just wanted to check on him. Is this his mom's phone?"
The voice giggled. "Nooo. Mommy and Daddy went to the supermarket. I'm at home. My name is Priya. I'm Patel's sister!"
Jenny blinked. Sister? He never talks about her.
"Oh wow, hi Priya! You sound really sweet. Can you maybe help me with something?"
"Okay."
"Do you happen to have Patel's number? His personal phone?"
"Yes! I know it. I can send it to you! Wait" click.
A few seconds later, another SMS buzzed in.
Jenny looked at the number and suddenly felt her pulse pick up.
She inhaled slowly.
"Okay, Jenny. Just a call. Just checking in. Don't sound like a dork," she mumbled and hit Call.
Meanwhile… in the Hospital Room
Patel had shuffled to the ward restroom. Mira remained seated beside the hospital bed, idly scrolling through her phone when it started ringing.
Patel's phone.
She glanced at the screen.
It was an unrecognized number.
Mira's eyes widened slightly.
She hesitated.
Then picked up.
"Hello?" came Jenny's soft, cautious voice.
Mira blinked and pressed the phone to her ear. "Uh—hello?"
There was a pause. "Mira?"
"Oh. Hey, Jenny."
"You picked Patel's phone?"
"Yeah, he's asleep."
Jenny's voice was calm but surprised. "Oh… I didn't expect you to be there."
Mira forced a chuckle. "Yup. Still here. You know, sick boy duty."
Jenny smiled faintly on her end. "That's… nice of you."
"Yeah, I have my moments."
They both giggled.
"Uhm… can you tell him I called? I just wanted to check in. I was worried."
"Sure. I'll let him know. He's sleeping, though. Been tired all day."
Jenny softened. "Oh, poor guy…"
There was a beat of silence.
Then Jenny added, "Hey, did you… give him the chocolate?"
Mira's heart skipped. But she answered instantly. "Yup. I did. First thing when I got back from school."
Jenny smiled. "Did he like it?"
Mira leaned back and lied through her teeth, spinning the scene.
"He loved it. Like, gushed over it. Said it was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for him. He wouldn't shut up about it."
Jenny let out a laugh of relief. "Aww. That's really sweet. Thanks for giving it to him."
"No problem," Mira said, still smiling. But her eyes were cold.
"Well… I'll let you go now. Tell him I'll check in later, yeah?"
"Sure. Bye, Jenny."
"Bye, Mira."
The moment the call ended, Mira's smile vanished.
She went into Patel's call log.
She found Jenny's number.
She blocked it.
No second thoughts.
Just action.
She locked the phone just as Patel came out of the bathroom, looking groggy and slow.
"Man, those hospital toilets are depressing," he muttered, easing back onto the bed.
Mira moved quickly to support him. "Here, careful."
He settled back down, pulling the blanket over his legs.
Then he looked at her curiously. "Did anyone call?"
Mira paused.
Then gave a soft shrug.
"Nah. Just spam."