Between 2 Hearts – Episode 71

Alex had fallen asleep after eating and taking his medication, and Naomi was beside him on the bed, with his head resting on her lap. She had placed a wet cloth on his forehead to help cool his body temperature. King Luke entered the room, and they bowed to him in respect.

 “How is he doing?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

“He’s getting better,” Nathan replied, and the king smiled.

“What a child! I thought he was the one taking care of his sick fiancée, and he ended up being sick,” King Luke said, chuckling.

“That’s Alex for you “.Nathan smiled in agreement.

“It’s a good thing you all are here,” King Luke continued. “And Naomi, how are you feeling now?”

“I’m fine, Your Majesty. Thank you,” Naomi replied, her voice soft.

“You’re welcome, child. I’m sorry for what my wife did, and I reassure you it will never happen again,” 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,”

“You are free to come to the palace as you please. You are now part of the family since you are my son’s fiancée,” 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Naomi said, smiling slightly.

“Okay, well, now that that’s settled, my dear, you are going to take responsibility for his condition until he gets better. You stay with him,” King Luke said, referring to Naomi. Nathan smiled knowingly as the king left the room.

“Big sis, you’re going to be staying here for a while until he gets better,” Mia said, looking at Naomi with concern.

“It won’t take long. I know by tomorrow morning, he’ll be fine,”

“Don’t be too sure,” Nathan said, “Alex is very stubborn when he’s sick. His illness can take a week.”

They were surprised, their eyes widening in shock.

 “A week?” they repeated in unison, and Nathan nodded.

“It’s just fever,” Naomi said.

“Yeah, he’s easily affected when he’s worried and close to someone who’s sick. His immune system is low. That’s why he was affected by yours,”

“But I wasn’t sick,” she said, her voice puzzled.

“It’s the same thing,” Nathan said, smiling slightly. Naomi sighed tiredly, knowing the trouble she would encounter while staying to take care of Alex.

______

   Some minutes later, Alex woke up to find himself alone on the bed.

 “You’re awake,” Nathan said, standing from the couch to sit on the bed beside him. “How are you feeling?” 

“Where’s Naomi?” Alex asked. “Did she leave?”

“Calm down, she’s still around,” Nathan replied, feeling Alex’s forehead. “Your body temperature is normal now.”

“Where’s Naomi?” Alex repeated, his patience wearing thin.

“I’ll tell you where she is, but first, I have good news for you,” 

“That’s not the question I’m asking,” 

“Are you going to listen to the news first or not?” Nathan asked,  Alex sighed tiredly.

“Fine, what’s the news?” he asked.

“Well, while you were sleeping, your father assigned Naomi to stay in the palace to take care of you until you’re well,” Nathan said, a smile spreading across his face.

 “He said that?” he asked.

“Yeah, I told Naomi your sickness can last for a week, so you’ll have to keep acting up to get the chance to be close to her,” Nathan said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“You’re a badass,” Alex said, laughing. “Do you have to lie?”

“Don’t you want to be close to her?” 

“Of course, I want to,” Alex replied, his eyes dreamy. “Father always has a slight opportunity to get us closer, and it’s so cool.”

Nathan chuckled. “You really have to pretend. Right now, looking at you, you’re well.”

“Yeah, a dose of medication and good sleep can cure my illness,” Alex said, smiling.

“I know, man,” Nathan replied, and they both chuckled.

Just then, the door opened, and Naomi and Mia entered. They quickly composed themselves.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Naomi said. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m bett—” Alex’s words trailed off as he felt a kick on his leg. His eyes met Nathan’s, who communicated with him using their eyes, and he understood quickly.

“What’s wrong?” Naomi asked, noticing Alex’s sudden change in expression.

“Ahh, my headache,” Alex feigned, wincing in pain. Naomi rushed to his side, her face filled with worry.

“Where does it hurt?” she asked, her voice soft and concerned.

Alex quickly wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her chest. “It’s a good thing you’re here. Nathan was being too annoying,” he said.

Nathan scoffed, rolling his eyes in amusement.

   “Shall we,” Nathan said, moving to grab Mia around her waist and pulling her close. Mia’s eyes widened in surprise as she met his gaze.

“Shall we what?” she asked, confusedly.

“Go home, of course,” Nathan replied. “As you can see, your sister is fine now, and she won’t be going back home with you.”

Mia wiggled out of his arms. “Um, about that, I’ll be staying here in the palace too,” 

“Why? Who will look after Uncle?” Alex asked.

“We’ve already informed him, and also assigned someone to take care of him,” Naomi explained.

 “Oh, okay,” Alex said.

“So, I’m driving alone?” 

“You can stay over if you want to,” Alex teased, his eyes glinting with mischief. Nathan scoffed, and they both chuckled.

Later, in the cool evening, Naomi and Mia were in their mother’s room, trying to console Naomi as she sobbed quietly. Mrs. Ruth held Naomi close, her voice soothing.

“Can you stop thinking about this? It will affect your mental health,” Mia said, her eyes filled with tears.

“None of this is your fault,” Mrs. Ruth added. “You’ll get through this.”

“I think it’s best to let Alex know about this,” Mia suggested.

Naomi shook her head, her eyes red from crying. “No,” she said firmly.

“But we have to,” Mia persisted. “What his mother did was awful, and it needs to be treated.”

“I can’t,” Naomi said. “We can’t tell him.” She sniffs.

 “But sis, this isn’t about him. It’s about you. Those guys need to be put behind bars for what they did to you, and it was the queen’s fault as well.”

 “She’s right. Only Alex can be able to resolve this. I don’t want you to be traumatized by it.” They all sighed, the weight of the situation settling in. “Tomorrow, we’ll go see the doctor,” Mrs. Ruth said, her voice firm. “We’ll get you the help you need, okay?”

   They shared a group hug, holding each other tightly as they tried to process their emotions. Some minutes later, Alex woke up to find the room empty, with him alone on the bed. He got up and began to search for Naomi, knocking on the bathroom door.

When there was no response, he opened the door to find it empty. He sat down on the closed toilet seat, pulling out his phone to type a message to Naomi.

“Where are you?” he typed, waiting anxiously for a response.

After a few minutes, his phone buzzed with an incoming message.

 “I’m sleeping over in my mom’s room,” Naomi replied.

Alex sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment. “Okay, goodnight. I love you,” he typed, ending the chat and going back to bed.

______

The next day, Naomi, her mom, and Mia set out for a private hospital, after lying to the royal house about visiting home. Alex had insisted on going with them, but they had refused.

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor performed some examinations on Naomi while her family waited in the corridor. After the examination, the doctor called them into her office.

“I’ve examined her, and there’s nothing to be afraid of,” the doctor said reassuringly. “With due time, she’ll be fine.”

“Will she be traumatized by it?” Mia asked.

“Sometimes,” the doctor replied. “All she needs is constant closeness and words of encouragement. You know, being sexually molested can affect someone mentally and physically.”

“But she’ll get through it?” Mrs. Ruth asked.

 “Yes, she will. Can I ask you a question, Naomi?” she asked, her eyes locked on Naomi’s.

Naomi nodded, 

“Since the incident, have any other men touched you, like held you, and you felt traumatized?” the doctor asked gently. Naomi thought for a moment before responding. 

 “Um, not really. The only person who held me close in his arms was my boyfriend.”

“How did you feel when he held you?” the doctor asked, her voice soft and non-judgmental.

 “Safe. It feels like my trauma melted away when I feel his touch on mine.”Naomi sighed, her eyes welling up with tears.

 “That’s a good start. Get closer to him, and it will help heal the process.” The doctor said smiling.

They all sighed, feeling a sense of hope and relief wash over them.

TBC