Chapter 21
"What happened in here?" Mrs. Lee asked Jillian who was still under the state of shock when L left her and took Patrice with him out of the café. Mrs. Lee came out as soon as she heard the shouting in her café. Jillian looked at her mom. "Nothing, mom." She replied as she looked down.
Mrs. Lee looked at Jillian's friends, Infinite, Kevin, Helga, Mina and Edward. She seems to not believe her own daughter on this issue.
"Nothing happened, Ma'am. Just... a small misunderstanding." Jeric spoke giving small adjustments on his words.
Mrs. Lee raised her brow as she stared at the coffee droppings on the floor. She looked at Mina. "Clean this mess, Mina." She said as she left them without a word.
Mina nodded and bowed at her in apology and respect before she hurried to the janitor's closet to get the mop.
Kevin looked at Jillian with fire in his eyes. So as Helga.
"You bad witch." Kevin glared. "How dare you do that to her?" He asked in a low but obviously mad accent.
Helga narrowed her eyes on Jillian as well.
However, Jillian looked like she doesn't care about what they are saying. Yeah, she doesn't care at all. All that's in her mind is L's move to shout on her and take Patrice with him out of the café.
Edward rolled his eyes on her. "Next time, get your orders right. Or else I will directly pour it to you." He threatened.
Jillian rolled her eyes back at him. "I can fire you in a minute. So don't dare me." She said threatening Edward back.
Edward smirked. "Do it if you can. But I doubt it would be possible." He said.
Jillian raised her brow. "Why not?" She asked in her bitch tone.
Edward smirked. "Just because." He replied confidently.
Jillian smirked. "You can't threaten me like that, Edward. You like Patrice huh? There to protect her?" She asked. Edward narrowed his eyes on her. "Shut up, bitch." He replied as he took the tray and went back to the counter.
Jillian smirked. "Coward." She laughed.
Infinite shook their heads on her before leaving the café, obviously disgusted and disappointed.
Jillian looked at the boys walking to the door and was shocked. "They all must hate me." She said.
Lea and Sara looked at her, shaking their heads.
"Well, who wouldn't be disappointed in you? You acted childish and spilled your drink on an innocent lady." Lea replied as a matter of fact.
Sara nodded. "If I were Patrice, I would have slapped you. I don't care if you fire me or not." She said adding up to the tension.
Jillian rolled her eyes on her friends. "Are you really my friends?" She asked as she crossed her arms on her chest and laid her back on the chair. Sara and Lea rolled their eyes.
"Where are we going?" Patrice asked as L was opening the door of his car.
L ignored her question. "Get in." He ordered as he opened the passenger's door.
Patrice looked at him puzzled. She doesn't know what is happening, where they are going, why L is like this to her.
L looked at her in a serious look. "I said get in, Patrice Kwon." He ordered for the second time, this time, with conviction and authority in his voice.
Patrice couldn't do anything but to get in his car.
L immediately closed the door, walked to the driver's seat and started the engine.
There was dead silence. Neither one of them has the urge to talk. It was quiet and awkward.
Patrice was looking down, playing with her fingers and trying to stand the pain caused by the coffee burn.
L was glancing at Patrice every time he has the chance. He wanted to talk to her but he doesn't know where to begin.
He wanted to ask her how she is feeling now.
If the burn still stings.
If she is alright.
But he couldn't with this state. He was just too shocked about everything that happened that he started to act without even thinking.
He stopped the car abruptly.
Patrice almost slammed onto the dashboard. Oh God. How she wanted to shout at L right now. But she looked at where they stopped now. "What are we doing here?" She asked as she stared at the hospital. But when she looked at the driver's seat, L wasn't there anymore. Instead, she saw L opening her door.
"Come out now." He ordered. "We have to get your arm treated." He said as he leaned on the door.
Patrice got out of the car immediately, doing what she was told to do so.
They walked to the emergency room.
"What is the concern, Sir?" The triage nurse asked L who came in first.
Patrice was actually hesitant to come.
L looked behind him and saw Patrice was far from him. He rolled his eyes and walked to her. "Come on! We have to get you treated." He said.
Patrice looked at L. "I don't need to. I can treat myself at home. This isn't major anyway." She said as she was about to turn to leave.
But L held her wrist. "No. We have to get you treated here." He dictated. "There is no turning back from here, Patrice. Your arm is pretty red. So I think it's pretty serious." He said as he looked at Patrice's burned arm. Patrice sighed as she couldn't do anything. She didn't want to argue anymore. Enough with all the arguments this day.
"Here." L motioned the burned arm of Patrice to the triage nurse.
The nurse nodded and took all the necessary data and vital signs of Patrice. "Wait for the doctor here in a while." She said as she resumed on her paper works.
Patrice nodded but deep inside, she is shivering, trembling and shaking in fear.
Oh hell, PATRICE HATES THE HOSPITAL.
Patrice couldn't forget how she cried her all in a hospital when her mom and dad met an accident. She saw her mom and dad all-bloody getting treated in a hospital. And yes, she couldn't forget how her mom and dad died in a hospital. From that time on, she hated everything about a hospital. She doesn't even believe that hospitals can cure or treat anymore.
Because if hospital can treat, her parents should've been alive still.
Since that day, she had never dreamed of stepping into a hospital. "Are you Patrice Kwon?" The doctor came and asked Patrice. Patrice nodded as she feared the doctor. White coat people, really. The doctor smiled and started to examine the burn.
Patrice looked at the doctor with fear written over her face.
The doctor sighed and nodded. "This is just a minor burn. First degree. But we still have to get your blood levels and hook you a line." He said.
Patrice didn't understand what the doctor said but she doesn't like the sound of it. *Hook me a line? Blood levels? Doesn't that mean there will be injections?* She thought in panic.
"Do you have your relative?" The doctor asked.
Patrice looked at L who was watching her and the doctor. She nodded at the doctor.
The doctor looked at L. "Are you her boyfriend?" He asked.
L nodded calmly.
Patrice's eyes widened. "What?!" She asked L in disbelief.
L just gave her a look.
The doctor smiled at them then looked at L. "You might want to stay beside your girl as some medical technologists extract blood from her." He instructed L.
L nodded and went beside Patrice.
The doctor smiled. "You two look good together." HE said as a compliment.
Patrice almost choked on her saliva upon hearing the words from the doctor.
Patrice and L looked good together?
'Patrice' and 'L' couldn't even be used in a positive sentence.
Is the doctor kidding them?
Patrice shook her head and looked away, trying to calm herself.
L looked at her as he noticed her being not her usual self. "Are you scared?" He asked.
Patrice sighed as tears began to form in her eyes. Yes, she was that afraid. She tried to hide her face from L.
However, L moved to her other side and caught her watery eyes. "Hey, why are you crying?" He asked in a concerned tone of voice.
Patrice wiped her tears harshly and sniffed. "I don't like it here." She said sobbing.
L looked at Patrice crying. Oh the almighty Patrice Kwon is crying. The Almighty one who owns L every single time. She is crying now. The tough girl is crying.
L was amazed. And he felt weird at the same time.
He smiled and held her hand. "Don't be scared. I'm here." He assured. "If you're afraid, just hold or squeeze my hand." He added.
Patrice looked at him.
L smiled and wiped her tears. "Don't cry. Tigresses don't cry, right?" He teased and chuckled.
Patrice glared at him and rolled her eyes. "Jerk." She said as their hands stayed interlaced.