The Royal Contract

With her eyes still closed, she sat up from the bed, slightly swaying, slightly disoriented. Then, she dropped down unceremoniously on the floor.

“What the heck?” She touched her knees, the first one to bump on the tiled floors. Luckily, she held on to the bed for support before her body sprawled on the cold surface.

Her eyes had no choice but to open, scanning her surrounding. She was shocked to see that she was not in her apartment anymore. Where was she? But she remembered drinking last night. Maybe more than she could handle.

“Am I dead?” She asked, pinching herself, which was nonsense since her knees were still throbbing. She pulled herself up and determined that it was a hospital room.

What was she doing here? As she searched her brain for answers. She suddenly remembered bits and pieces of images and conversations in her head, but it was still a bit blurry. Were those dreams, or did they happen?

“What is going on?” She asked herself again.

.....

If she had an accident, she should be badly hurt. But she seemed fine, checking her body for injuries. She could not see anything else wrong with her except for the headache and the pain in her knees.

Still, why was she hooked up with a needle in her arm and wearing a hospital gown? She shook her head to clear her thoughts, remembering seeing Amelia in her apartment.

Then, she placed her in a cold shower and then an ambulance. That did not make any sense to her. She moved away from the bed, but the hose prevented her from going far. Drastically, she pulled it out of her arm, thinking she did not need it.

Maybe she could ask someone outside. But before she saw someone, she felt woozy again. So she took the first seat she could find and rested, closing her eyes to dispel the dizziness.

“He is so handsome, but did you see what happened to his face.” One female voice said, not far from her position.

She ignored them, not particularly fond of gossip. She liked facts, straight from the horse’s mouth, not hearsays.

“With technology, it would be easy. Many great plastic surgeons would be willing to work on his face.” Another voice said.

“Yeah, you are right. But I hope the prince will survive all his operations. They said some of his injuries would require specialized surgeries, difficult ones.” The voice became serious as sadness enveloped her words.

“I actually hope to be part of it, but the gallery is already full.” the other female said.

But she was uninterested in their other conversation as her mind wrapped around the word “Prince.” How many princes do they have in their country?

She could count a few. Then her instinct kicked in as she continued to listen to their conversation, trying to gain more information. Although she doubted they thought of the same prince, she still wished to confirm it.

But after a few more minutes, she slightly believed it was him, but they never mentioned his name. Then, another nurse came and frightened them away, making them run back to their obligations.

“Hey, what are you doing out here?” The nurse finally stood before her. “You should be resting and getting your fluids.” She continued, staring at her arms where she removed the needle.

“Who are you?” She asked, suddenly realizing that the woman knew her.

“I am nurse Jane.” The woman introduced herself to her. “And you are my patient.” She assisted her up from her seat and accompanied her back to her room to lie down on the bed.

“Why am I here? What happened to me?” Eida asked, thinking she might know.

“Your friend brought you here because you had too much to drink. You were too intoxicated, and that is not good.” The nurse wiggled her fingers at her as if she was a child, reprimanded for her naughty deed.

She allowed her to tuck her in, hoping she would supply more information. As of now, she was her only source.

“Which friend?” Although she could already guess, she required confirmation. Though she could count on her fingers the number of people she knew, she considered her friend.

But more than that, she would also like to ask about the prince.

“Amelia, of course.” Nurse Jane answered her. “You must be too passed out to remember anything. She found you in your apartment, almost unconscious. You know it is dangerous to drink like that.”

She understood the woman’s sentiment. She was here to assist with the care of their patients, but she did not need a lecture. She needed facts.

“Where is she, Amelia?” She asked since she did not see her anywhere. She wondered if she went home after depositing her in the hospital.

But what was she doing in her apartment anyway?

“I don’t know. Maybe, Amelia is in Angela’s room with Evan.” Jane explained, which only made it worse for her.

Who were those people? She did not remember any of those names related to the prince. That was if Lance was really in the hospital.

“Angela and Evan? Were they a family member of Prince Lance? Is Amelia now in the prince’s room?” Eida saw an opportunity and went for it. She only hoped it would work.

“Nope, of course not. What made you say that? Angela is a famous actress, and Evan is her grandson. They are not in any way related to the prince.” She answered her, smiling as if she was talking nonsense.

But somehow, it just confirmed her fear. The prince the two nurses were talking about was indeed Lance. He was involved in an accident, a car collision. But how, he was a very responsible driver. She was worse than him.

“Where can I find Prince Lance? Can you show me, please?” She knew she might still sound a bit drunk or crazy, but she had to find out how he was doing. She had to see him.

But the nurse tried to calm her down. When she seemed to become hysterical, she called for assistance. Then, they placed her back into her bed.

But more than that, she wished this was all an illusion as she closed her eyes, feeling the effects of alcohol kicking in again, or was it something they stuck on her as she dozed off, hopefully to a never-ending dream.